The Idiot

Latest episodes

Showing 3 · updated from the feed

BONUS | M. Gessen on "The Opinions"

On a recent episode of the podcast “The Opinions,” M. Gessen has second thoughts about the future, and Allen’s place in the family. M. talks about their dilemma with thei

Apr 16
37 min

Chapter 1

For decades, M. simply disliked Allen. They saw him as a fool, a pompous “international businessman” who bragged about shady deals and drove fancy cars while living in Ea

Mar 26
21 min

Trailer

The New York Times writer M. Gessen is widely known for their award-winning writing about totalitarianism, terrorism and the erosion of human rights. Now, M. is examining

Mar 17
1 min

Chart trend

Position in the True Crime chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#100#199JunJulAugSep

#1

all-time peak

18

days in the top 3 since Mar 2026

Chart positions

Where The Idiot ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 21, 2026).

#180 ▲ 19 True Crime US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

This story brought up a lot of questions and feelings about family ties, loyalty, manipulation, and how someone within that family could resort to heinous behavior, justify it, and expect a positive outcome. Well worth a listen.

2catzRFun · Mar 2026

Marginally enjoyable but certainly does not “reinvent the form” as claimed in the promotional materials. If anything, that might describe the first Serial podcast. This also didn’t seem “deeply personal” since the narrator, while a family member, does not come across as all that invested. The most interesting part of the story beyond the murder-for-hire plot was actually the budding “friendship” between the narrator and the incarcerated cousin. And I get the ironic title but it feels like a reach mostly in service to the last line which is not as clever as the writers seem to think. Overall a disappointment given previous Serial podcast series.

BeMaddox · Mar 2026

Very cavalier tone for a tale that boils down to a man murdering - or in this case, attempting to murder - his ex-wife, and assuming he could get away with it. Excellent production values, of course, but this is not a topic for cute, clever, witty reportage.

Wally 2537694432 · Mar 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.