# "S-Town" podcast from the Serial/TAL gang--anyone listening? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322 "2017-03-30T01:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/1 "2017-03-30T01:13:24Z")
[S-Town website](https://stownpodcast.org/) The teaser reads: > [@](#): > > _John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life._ I’m up to the “someone else ends up dead” twist early on and I’m hooked. In the first couple episodes the reporter gets sucked into a drama in an Alabama town and we meet the hyper eccentric John B. McLemore. It’s like Louis Theroux meets Chris Cooper’s John Laroche character from the movie Adaptation. You can binge on the whole 8 episodes right now. Spoiler tags are probably appropriate until everyone has a chance to listen to the whole story. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/2 "2017-03-30T01:31:47Z")
I just started tonight, only through the first two episodes. John B is the most intriguing character I’ve come across in ages. I’m hooked. I’m from Arkansas, so the whole deep south thing is also amusing. Great stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/3 "2017-03-30T01:55:49Z")
I’m on Chapter IV. It is great, but such an incredible bummer so far. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/4 "2017-03-30T05:34:59Z")
i have all the episodes, but i haven’t started listening, yet. Looking forward to it! mc ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/5 "2017-03-30T11:26:15Z")
The John character almost drove me away from this series in chapter one. He’s eccentric and amusing, but his voice was such a big part of chapter one, and there were so many indications that he might be totally full of shit, that I almost gave up on listening. I stuck with it only because of where it came from (the people who bring us This American Life and Serial). Chapter two, which is as far as I have listened, brought in more voices and ensured that I will stick with it. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/6 "2017-03-30T17:11:43Z")
When I posted earlier, I had listened to half of chapter 2. I just got back from a walk during which I finished chapter 2 and began chapter 3. The story took a sharp turn at the end of two. It has become a very different story, and I will listen until the end. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/7 "2017-03-30T22:31:54Z")
just finished ch2 myself, and while i kinda thought that that might happen i certainly wasnt expecting it so soon! mc ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/8 "2017-03-30T22:36:36Z")
I’ve listened to the entire series and I really liked it. I found it to be a really melancholy, gothic story and I found myself sympathetic to most of the people, even some of the “villains.” I’ll wait until more people have finished to say more than that. The one thing that bugged me was Brian Reed’s little lift at the end of almost every sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/9 "2017-04-01T01:20:24Z")
I found it to be a well-crafted roller coaster ride of emotions. I liked it a lot and I’ll be thinking about it for a while. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/10 "2017-04-01T02:03:08Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > . . .You can binge on the whole 8 episodes right now. there’s only 7 eps. Just finished. I was expecting more in the way of the fight between tyler and the cousins. Not disappointed, just surprised\> mc ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2017, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/11 "2017-04-01T11:34:39Z")
I am not clear - is this fiction or non? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/12 "2017-04-01T15:36:49Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I am not clear - is this fiction or non? > mmm Non-fiction. With a little Googling, you can find pictures, Facebook pages and news articles about several of the participants. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/13 "2017-04-02T13:09:45Z")
Quite good. Is this in place of a news series of Serial? ---
**Author:** ![Tragically\_Dip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Tragically\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tragically_Dip)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/14 "2017-04-02T13:28:53Z")
I really enjoyed this series and am fascinated by it. Does anyone else think that the K3 Lumber owner has no redeeming qualities? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/15 "2017-04-02T13:41:24Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > Is this in place of a news series of Serial? Sarah Koenig was interviewed on _Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me_ and said she’s working on a story that may become the 3rd series of Serial. When asked when the 3rd series is coming out, she said “When I’m good and ready.” It seems she had minimal involvement in _S-Town_. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/16 "2017-04-02T18:47:41Z")
Just finished chapter IV, intend to finish the whole thing tomorrow. Really enjoying it! ---
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/17 "2017-04-03T14:54:52Z")
One thing I was left wondering which didn’t seemed to be mentioned was how much did this guy use the internet. He did have folks he emailed back and forth, that much was evident. If he joined online communities he probably got banned from most of them. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/18 "2017-04-03T15:02:00Z")
I finished listening over the weekend. I thought it was a great work of audio art, but I found myself today agreeing with [this Vox article](http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/3/30/15084224/s-town-review-controversial-podcast-privacy). It’s a great piece of work that probably should not have been released. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/19 "2017-04-03T16:13:47Z")
I have to agree–it’s a great story that sucks you in right from the start, but the reveals at the end were a little TMI for me. I did like the aspect of the story that shed light on the horologist “community” and the kind of detective work needed to restore incredibly old and complicated timekeeping devices. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322/20 "2017-04-03T18:31:49Z")
> [@yezlles](#): > > One thing I was left wondering which didn’t seemed to be mentioned was how much did this guy use the internet. He did have folks he emailed back and forth, that much was evident. > If he joined online communities he probably got banned from most of them. I don’t have 'em handy, but industrious folks on Reddit have posted links to a number of places he was a commenter. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-town-podcast-from-the-serial-tal-gang-anyone-listening/783322.md?page=2)