Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We read the 2018 novel The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, described by many reviewers as a mixture of Agatha Christie, Quantum Leap, and Groundhog Day. We talk about how the book was very confusing and at times frustrating, taking us through twists and turns and paths and timelines and ultimately snowballing until all the threads pulled together at the very end. We comment on how the book gave us a lot to keep track of yet we could not trust anything we knew, thought that all of the characters were interesting but not good people, discuss how there are in reality three separate mysteries, and are very grateful for book club Reddit. We also really get into the wordbuilding and what it means for their society, delve into the meaning of personhood, compare the experience of reading to RPG, and praise the editors for keeping everything straight. Katy had 18 pages of notes, Carrie proofread a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, Maddy forgot what blancmange is, and Mack completed a lot of collector missions in Red Dead Redemption 2. We also investigate how our comprehension is affected (or not affected) when reading a physical book versus an eBook versus an audiobook, share the crafts and busywork we do with our hands when reading or watching things, discuss what we would do in a Groundhog Day situation, and talk about The Good Place a lot. Listen to hear more about Justin McElroy, Star Trek, Jeremy Bearimy, fainting, Disco Elysium, autism, and a lot of audible note shuffling. And please remember to support your local library! Enjoy!

Spoiler Warning: In addition to spoiling this whole book, we also spoil The Good Place and The Outer Worlds video game.

TW: Fatphobia, sexual assault, British Imperialism, Margaret Thatcher, vomiting

Show Notes:
The Times review
The Guardian Review
The Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Summary By Med Kharbach, PhD
The last summary post of JesusAndTequila on Reddit

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the Netflix show How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, a story about three women investigating the sudden death of their estranged childhood friend who held a mysterious secret. We discuss how this is a very vibes-heavy show, loved the Northern Irish setting and appreciated that it was in modern day, and got excited about the fact that we don’t have a clue what is happening and how we all had different theories. We also loved the specificity of the early 2000s music and cyclical fashion choices, really enjoyed the cinematography, and have deeper discussions surrounding personhood and friendship and memory and who we are when we return to those who knew us long ago. Katy felt like a boomer, Carrie critiques flashlight use, Maddy reveals her car’s name, and Mack shares anchoring techniques. We also talk about our deep psychological need to prove we’re right, have a lengthy tangent about digital preservation and the transient nature of modern digital culture, learn not to drive in Ohio at night, and believe that Europe has just as many trash people as the US. Listen to hear more about mudlarking, Avril Lavigne, Community, MBTA closures, The Lord of the Rings, wearing dresses over jeans, age gap relationships, and Zune’s. Enjoy!

TW: Existentialism about death, age difference relationship, gaslighting, Fred and Rose West

Show Notes and Links:
The Deep Dive Academy, Podcast

Aisling Bea on QI: Aisling Bea’s Irish Version of Twinkle Twinkle

When Your Digital Life Vanishes by Julian Lucas, New Yorker Article

NETFLIX HAD ANOTHER BAD IDEA : AGE OF ATTRACTION | KennieJD

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the Netflix show The Law According to Lidia Poët, about the first female lawyer in Italy. We discuss the character of Lidia and how she is portrayed, and how we massively share her frustrations with the opinions and limitations put upon her by the misogynistic patriarchal society. We compare this to other mysteries set in the same era in different countries, try to decide what level of feminist rage bait the show attempts, and enjoy how Lidia had to use her cleverness to get around the limitations put upon her to solve the crime. We also really loved the production design; the locations and sets were beautiful (if occasionally anachronistic) and we especially loved Lidia’s costumes and her very specific and fun jewelry. Katy loves her some historical scaffolding, Carrie shares a fun fact about adapting buildings for acoustics, Maddy does an incredible impression, and Mack tells a story about someone finding a cool pencil. We also learn that France and Italy are not the same, make guesses on how court cases are supposed to share information, disagree about the use of rock music, and talk at length about seeing a penis. Listen to hear more about Count Orlok, scientific women in history, Severance, butts, childbirth inventions, and family dynamics. Enjoy!

TW: Misogyny, traumatic childbirth, violence to women specifically

New episode out now! We try to go viral with the 2001 partially-animated comedy Osmosis Jones. We delve into how the live action and animation feel so disconnected tonally, discuss how we did enjoy the worldbuilding and the sheer amount of puns and visual jokes, thought the music choices were not appropriate, and share how we were also just really, really, really grossed out. We talk about why children would watch this in school, despair at the racist shorthand so common in children’s media of this time, lament the parentification of Shane and wish her dad was better, and ultimately feel this was an interesting idea that was just not executed well. Katy brings up Buffy again, Carrie auditions for The Pitt, Maddy gives an interesting review of B-Dubs, and Mack has an apology to prepare for the afterlife. We also reiterate that farts are funny, learn about species-typical behavior, get excited about a hive mind, and are semi-confident in our knowledge of the human body. Listen to hear more about symptom management, Disney sequels, Laurence Fishburne, mente de gorila, the hypothalamus, mayoneggs, and scheming little brothers. And eat more fiber! Enjoy!

TW: Statutory rape, racism, fatphobia, puking, virology, cancer

Show Notes:

If you want to watch a different version of the “immune system response as shown by law enforcement fighting germs” we recommend Cells at Work! which exists as a manga, anime show, and a live-action movie on Netflix.

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the atmospheric 2017 miniseries The Loch, or Loch Ness in the US. We talk about trying to keep track of the multitude of characters and their connections in this small tourist town, discuss the many subplots and possible red herrings, wonder just how many secrets are hidden within the community, and enjoyed the working relationship between the DCI and the local DS. We loved the setting on Loch Ness and really enjoyed the vibes, thought the tourist town setting was interesting as it is a place people pass through, debate how to handle releasing info about a possible serial killer to the public, and discuss how it can be difficult to judge a miniseries based on the infodump of a first episode. Katy’s daily newspaper is Tumblr, Carrie climbed a mountain and only fell down once, Maddy shares an interesting story about something she encountered at work, and Mack wants to get into HEMA fighting. We also discuss lobotomy techniques, learn fun facts about curling stones, talk a lot about various viscera, and share tips on what media to consume to keep the howling void away. Listen to hear more about Colin Mochrie, thalassophobia, rivalries, Hamnet, geology, news bloopers, duck boat tours, and hot Scots. Enjoy!

TW: Lobotomy, homophobia, pedophilia, animal dissection, organ removal, viscera

SHOW NOTES:
News Reporter Mountain Climber

The Loch was renamed Loch Ness in the US.