Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the Netflix show The Law According to Lidia Poët, about the first female lawyer in Italy. We discuss the character of Lidia and how she is portrayed, and how we massively share her frustrations with the opinions and limitations put upon her by the misogynistic patriarchal society. We compare this to other mysteries set in the same era in different countries, try to decide what level of feminist rage bait the show attempts, and enjoy how Lidia had to use her cleverness to get around the limitations put upon her to solve the crime. We also really loved the production design; the locations and sets were beautiful (if occasionally anachronistic) and we especially loved Lidia’s costumes and her very specific and fun jewelry. Katy loves her some historical scaffolding, Carrie shares a fun fact about adapting buildings for acoustics, Maddy does an incredible impression, and Mack tells a story about someone finding a cool pencil. We also learn that France and Italy are not the same, make guesses on how court cases are supposed to share information, disagree about the use of rock music, and talk at length about seeing a penis. Listen to hear more about Count Orlok, scientific women in history, Severance, butts, childbirth inventions, and family dynamics. Enjoy!TW: Misogyny, traumatic childbirth, violence to women specifically

New episode out now! We went deep into our childhood memories and played the 1998 PC game Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! We talk about the straightforward nature of following clues in a linear fashion, get frustrated by Barbie walking slowly and getting stuck, discuss our shared (or not so shared) past with the game, and compare the point and click nature to Disco Elysium with surprising results. We also cover the character design archetypes, discover the ending is different every time, follow a mysterious shadowy figure, and ultimately realize this was a game for children. Katy was a cool rebellious preteen, Carrie has Madame Webb on the brain, Maddy has no patience, and Mack tries to share more Batman lore. We also get into video game design and development over the years, demonstrate the soundscapes we encountered, learn the nature of true love is fervent competition, and delve into why we love mysteries. Listen to hear more about tourist name souvenirs, jetskis, Paul Blart, dinosaurs, and rotational physics. (You will also hear a lot of Barbie imitations). Enjoy!TW: Sexism, discussion of neurodivergent tendencies

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of Luther, the British detective procedural starring Idris Elba. We discuss Luther himself and how he does not come off as a good or stable person, are drawn into the character of Alice and think she is realistically terrifying, have a lot of questions about Luther’s relationship with his estranged wife Zoe, and talk about how the most important piece of evidence was the lack of evidence. We get into Luther abusing his power and toeing the line of legality, wonder what Alice’s true motivations are, think the actors were excellent, and dive into the misogyny inherent in Luther and the treatment of women as a prize. Katy recommends some other British mystery shows, Carrie shares some disturbing lines from And Just Like That…, Maddy deserves a gold star, and Mack gives some good dating advice. We also talk about different reward systems employers use, try to recruit people for D&D, go on a collective semi-rant about the modern alpha male mentality, and learn about dark cremation facts. Listen to hear more about William Shatner, excited Googling, the Glasgow Coma Scale, microplastics, and how women are actually people! Enjoy this episode of many tangents!TW: Violent death of a dog, pedophilia mention, capital punishment, domestic violence, domestic violence in the police force, misogyny, veterinary euthanasia, cremation

New episode out now! We watched the 1991 neo-noir film Dead Again, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh and also featuring Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, and Andy Garcia. We wonder how we’ve never heard of this film because of the stacked cast, discuss how the personal history of Branagh and Thompson may have colored our perception of the film, get frustrated at the male ego and the need to be a hero, and debate how the movie would have felt with different actors. We discuss the concept of past lives and fate and how they were utilized in the story, think the old age makeup was terrible, have major issues with romancing an amnesiac, and debate the success of what the movie was trying to do. Katy pitches a TV show, Carrie got a warm heart hug while watching, Maddy wants to be in a weird old elevator, and Mack is not on Blue’s Clues. We also talk about where we’ve seen the filming locations before, think the accents are not great, get annoyed at water, and mention Buffy multiple times. Listen to hear more about soulmates, Robin Williams, claddagh ring traditions, Georgia O’Keeffe, pronouncing “Jacobi” wrong, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Enjoy!TW: Infidelity, drug use, amnesia consent issues, fatphobia, domestic violence, animal carcass mention

New episode out now! We watched the 1993 film The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. We discuss the two main characters and their dual and layered investigations that evolve over the course of the film, love the action and stunts as well as the tension that carries between them throughout, enjoy the camaraderie of the US Marshals team, and think Harrison Ford is just so great at playing a guy who’s Going Through It. We also get surprised over and over by recognizable character actors, wonder if certain cliches stem from this movie, really enjoy the score, and debate what happens after the movie’s credits. Katy uses official medical terms, Carrie worried about the surgeon's hands, Maddy shares a story about a prison visit, and Mack looks up some AO3 statistics. We also have many questions about paper charting in a hospital, get weirdly proud of being Irish during St. Patrick’s Day parade scenes, compare our rating systems, and talk about Batman yet again. Listen to hear more about hospital rollerblading, fridging, trenchcoats, hair dye techniques, and Harrison Ford’s powerful finger. Enjoy!TW: Discussion of limb difference, wrongful convictions, death row, issues with prison and department of corrections Show Notes: “Fridging Women”: How the Comics Industry Flubs Female Characters by Emma SauerWhat is “Fridging” in Fiction Writing? by Fija Callaghan“Stuffed Into The Fridge” on TV Tropes

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the 2023 miniseries A Murder at the End of the World. We discuss the main character Darby, a “Gen Z Sherlock”, and get into her strengths and weaknesses as an investigator. We believe she is entirely too trusting of billionaires and their agendas, wonder if she is naive or just careless with her life, and appreciate the other realistic characters and their grey moral decision to seek shady money for admirable projects. We ponder the prevalence of the same older music in entertainment, get into the current culture surrounding tech billionaires and AI, and discuss the ramifications of no longer living in a monoculture. Katy forgot Dakotas were states, Carrie is a true genius and unrecognized in her time, Maddy has Annie Lennox stuck in her head, and Mack is ravaged by the weariness of his own bones. We also think ending a series with a cliffhanger should be illegal, hear an incredible Count Orlok impression, and discuss using iTunes shuffle to give meaning to your life. Listen to hear more about Jedi bombs, scumbag tattoos, St. Elsewhere, great music for mountain driving, rat guys, and the sounds of Saturn’s rings. Enjoy!TW: Tech billionaires, AI, serial killers, domestic abuse, gaslighting, climate change

Bonjour! New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the French crime show Candice Renoir. We discuss our enjoyment of Candice and her approach to policing, drawing on her intuition and skills as both a professional and a mother, and how that causes strife within the team she is placed in charge of. We talk about the challenges in understanding some of the nuances in a different language and culture, but how that also made it fun. We touch on the somewhat mysterious and confusing hierarchy used by police and military units, discuss the pros and cons of doing procedural television for multiple seasons, and try to pronounce French names and terms with varying success. Katy sneaks in a Seinfeld reference, Carrie has read this whole show, Maddy tells a fun hospital story about weird brains, and Mack got Inception-ed by Aretha Franklin. We also believe being called “Barbie” is not an insult, wonder how much fandom can really influence media, enjoy foreign media’s depiction of Americans, and discover Discord is amazing for pun-based comedy. We touch on gay Star Wars characters, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 marking the passage of time, Columbo, and the marimba. Apprécier!TW: Child abuse, sex work, suicide, fatphobia, misogyny

New episode out NOW! We’re shaking things up for the month of December. It’s the third of four brand new episodes along the same theme: the game Crack the Case. It’s Crack The Casemas!Crack the Case is a Milton Bradley party game that came out in 1993 where players ask yes or no questions in order to solve a mystery. We’re finally putting our detective skills to the test!Maddy hosts week three, where we discuss poor city planning, have a few false starts, and it gets very apparent we’re siblings. Katy loves CSI, Carrie shares her perfect mansion location, Maddy has very specific sock questions, and Mack makes some gross jokes. There’s a callback to last week’s episode, and a small preview of an upcoming one!Give it a listen! Let us know if YOU solve it before we do!TW: Death by gas