The Conspiracy Tapes - Podcast Rankings and reviews

The season about John Todd is excellent. Focusing on audio tapes is a great use of the medium, using actual audio of bootleg recordings that were circulated by conspiracy theorists for decades. This series provides historical context and paints a detailed picture. The candid interviews bring the story to life. So often these kinds of events are framed with a hindsight of superiority. (i.e. “people were so naive back in the ‘70s”) But THE CONSPIRACY TAPES feels relevant today by focusing on how a charismatic leader gained power. A

All seasons of this podcast are informative, well scripted and presented, and bring to light events that otherwise haven’t received enough attention. I do wish that the cult “The Family” or “Children of God” was more accurately described as a child sex abuse cult. More than one member predator has been convicted of those crimes and there are dozens and dozens of victims who’ve come forward.

Season three is absolutely haunting, and I highly recommend it! Megan Hess ended up with 20 years in jail, and after hearing what she did, I think it should’ve been a lifetime sentence. Definitely a sensitive and heartbreaking story, so listen with care, but truly a great podcast.

The host did a great job on telling the story. Not siding with anyone, she studied the story from both angles which inspired the listeners to not taking side on the prolife or pro choice issue.