True Crime Obsessed

I’ve listened to tco for years. YEARS. Was a Patreon member til I couldn’t afford it and omg the amount of commercials without it is actually insane. Borderline unlistenable. I know this review won’t change anything but my god I just don’t get why it’s so over saturated with ads!!! If everyone is skipping through the 6-8 ad breaks is there even a point?

I loved this podcast the first couple years when I felt like Gillian and Patrick had a good rapport, but their “comedy” is really going stale. They tell the same stories over and over and now talk about the weather almost every episode (a great indication you have nothing else to say). Their rapport and comedy just feels more forced than it used to. I do enjoy listening to the recaps of the documentaries and find those very interesting, but I would definitely not consider this a “comedy” podcast anymore and don’t get the sense they love co-hosting together anymore.

I was shocked that this doesn’t have five stars!! This show tells important stories in a way that is more digestible and cautious for the listener. I appreciate Gillian and Patrick so much!

I’m not a member of the fan base. I don’t go to the events. But I am a loyal weekly listener -- a true-crime lover who doesn’t have time to watch all the documentaries I would like to, and these recaps are perfect, bite-size capsules, complete with all the commentary I’d want to hear. It feels like I’m sitting and chatting with friends.

I’ve been a long time listener- as in, the first new episode drop after I subscribed was The Keepers (episode 6)- and a patron since they started a Patreon. This show used to be what I looked forward to every week. It didn’t matter if I was having a good week, bad week, whatever week, I always looked forward to the laughs and the banter. I would watch the documentaries ahead of time in anticipation of what Patrick and Gillian would say about it, try to guess who they would poke fun at, etc. It was just a fun group to be a part of and I told so many friends about them too. At some point in the last year, I realized that I hadn’t laughed while listening in quite a while. I also noticed myself getting annoyed with their banter when I used to love it, so I tried to figure out what was going on. Was it me? Has the show changed slowly over the years? At some point, it stopped being a podcast that laughed at the ridiculousness and pointed out the important points to a podcast that does nothing but preach to its listeners. The thing is- I agree on pretty much everything they say. I’m a social worker, so I see the disparity in justice every day; I also agree with their politics. My main issue is that this used to be an escape, a way to let the weight of life lighten ever-so-slightly, but now, it feels like homework. It’s something I see in my line of work sometimes; when someone is a justice warrior and a truly wonderful coworker/person, but you just want to hold their hand and ask “can you turn it off for 5 minutes so we can have a real, normal conversation?” It almost feels performative at this point. While I’m getting things off my chest, it also feels like the whole “city hick” bit has gone from something genuine and funny to an excuse to belittle others whose way of life G&P don’t understand. Perhaps this is a little personal because I grew up in a farming town and attitudes about animals are just different in places like that (just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean it’s animal abuse). It’s gone from funny to feeling like they are superior for not living that way, at least to me. Sometimes I want to tell them that they should really get out of NYC once in a while to see how literally everyone else lives. I’ve read other reviews that reference drama, I don’t know about any of that because I don’t internet much. Maybe that’s when all this started changing, maybe not. All I know is that I think my days with this podcast are numbered and it makes me so incredibly sad. It feels like the loss of a dear friend, but sometimes we just have to cut ties and go our separate ways.

This podcast is actually the reason I got into true crime podcasts and podcasts in general. For years I loved the hosts’ banter, humor, and the way they explained cases. Their friendship made the show really enjoyable, and I was even a Patreon subscriber for a long time. Unfortunately, over the last few years the tone has changed a lot. Political commentary and constant jabs have started to overshadow the cases. As someone whose husband is a police officer, the repeated blanket criticism of cops is difficult to listen to. What’s most disappointing is the way they talk about people who don’t share their political beliefs. It often comes across as mean spirited and dismissive, which feels very hypocritical for a podcast that frequently talks about kindness and inclusivity. It’s honestly sad because I used to really love this show. It’s too bad they couldn’t stick to having a podcast about the cases instead of constantly inserting political digs at people who don’t believe the same way they do. I am all for everyone having their own beliefs and opinions and I certainly would not criticize people who don’t believe in things exactly how I do.