The Burden - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I’d like to preface my review by saying that I write this from the perspective of a mental health therapist, a true crime aficionado, and, most importantly, as a human being. I’d also like to say that after listening to dozens of long form podcasts, this is the ONLY one that has moved me so profoundly as to write a review (when you write case notes all day every day, you get a little sick of writing). This podcast was BEAUTIFUL. It explored the complexities of the human experience in a way that honored every participant. It explored the suffering that these men endured while imprisoned while also portraying one of the significant contributors to their suffering as a fallible human being and not a heartless monster. As a therapist, I want to look at people based on their potential and not just based on who they are or who they’ve been. I feel that this podcast really allowed me to do that. This podcast beautifully illustrated how important it is to remember that where human lives are concerned, if any person is “winning”, we’re all losing. I am so incredibly moved and I just want to say thank you to every one involved in the production.

I never binged podcasts until I discovered this one. The storytelling and investigative skills are fantastic. Great podcast! I hope there are more episodes to come. Every episode keeps me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see what they cover next! The music is kinda cheesy. The host has a great dynamic that makes the content even more engaging. I've recommended it to all my friends.

This is one of the best true crime podcasts since serial early seasons. As an insider who has worked in both the federal and state criminal justices systems, the show’s fair and balanced take was spot on. In fact, it was so balanced, I emphasized more with the “disgraced detective” than the “jail house lawyer” despite my personal opinion that he was wrongly convicted. Keep up the good work podcasters and I hope more seasons are in the works.

Enjoyed this series (both seasons) and it illuminates a truth about policing and class/poverty/racism that a lot of reviewers here seem to resent but the fact is truth is NOT blind. I gave it 4 stars because a) WAY too many ads and b) sucking up to the cop at the end was distasteful; no matter how much the DA’s office is to blame for prosecuting obviously concocted crimes, that detective had to know he was making evidence up or paying/pressuring vulnerable people to do it for him. Very definition of corruption.