Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I was hesitant to listen to this because I was already familiar with the case. It turned out that I learned new facts and have a better understanding of it as a whole. Great interviews. The narration was a bit slow sometimes, though.

Loved the focus on Jessica’s background and the interviewer’s cultural awareness and sensitivity to her family.

For a show focused on a military matter, this show needs basic editing from someone that understands the Army. Calling a Specialist an “officer” is such a silly mistake it’s clear there is no one reviewing the script. The narrator is also overly dramatic.

John Quinones’ overly theatrical narration is off-putting. Those who knew and loved Vanessa deserve a story told with reverence and respect, and not like it’s a cheap piece of pulp fiction.

Throughout this series there are multiple military errors, and every time I heard him call a specialist an officer I got a twitch. An arms room is a job for lower enlisted personnel (E-1- PVT, E-2-PVT,E-3-PFC, E-4-SPC) or new NCOs to learn how to lead their teams. I know this story and know the after effects of what happened there. It had a shockwave effect throughout the Army as a whole, and resulted in the bolstering of programs such as the Sexual Harassment Assault, Response Program (SHARP). As well as other programs that track predators within the ranks, and bring them to justice.

I just can’t get past this narrator. Every other word is so over-the-top dramatized that it’s distracting. It sounds like he adds a vocal fry kind of affect, too. I think I’ve heard this narrator before and never noticed it. Has it always been there? I’ll have to try one of the other projects that covers Vanessa’s story.