Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We watched the season one episode of Diagnosis Murder titled “Shanda’s Song”. We delve into the charm of Dick Van Dyke and believe his casting likely led to the eventual success and longevity of the show, talk about Dr. Sloan’s shaky authority in speaking to suspects and investigating crimes, really get into the ‘90s hairstyles and fashion choices, and believe these characters are taking wild leaps of logic. We revisit the notion that none of these clues from non-law enforcement investigators would be admissible in court and they luck out with confessions every time. We also discuss the changes in television over the last few decades, from how shows are piloted or spun off to where they are shot and how much time is given to the theme songs. Katy does not want to hear sports, Carrie feels safe and comfortable with Columbo, Maddy will not investigate crimes, and Mack shares mustache secrets. We also get into lip syncing scandals, are accidentally sexist, think culture may be dying all around, and learn when HIPAA became law. Listen to hear more about misplaced fart sounds, anthropomorphic dinosaurs, 9-1-1, Edith Head, Home Alone 3, and notorious Ken dolls. TW: Suicide, stalkingSHOW NOTES:2018 Sawbones episode about the injuries the Wet Bandits would have accrued medically in Home Alone can be found here. The Anastasia musical moment Mack talks about can be seen on YouTube here. Rob Lowe talking about it being cheaper to film in Ireland here

Extra special episode out now! For our holiday episode this year, the wonderful Mackenzie designed and ran a new one-session roleplaying mystery game! Three familiar Tinkerton detectives are called upon on Christmas Day to solve the baffling murder of private equity billionaire Michael Von Blach, as well as the disappearance of a few familiar Christmas ghosts...They question his family members as well as live-in staff, have some timey-wimey conversations, get into cahoots, and explore his large stone mansion looking for clues and the missing spooks. In the meantime, Katy gets confused, Carrie makes a man cry, Maddy is engulfed in flames, and some of Mack’s true thoughts on capitalism may have slipped through. Give it a listen to hear us all go on a wonderful holiday mystery adventure! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!Show Notes:The game format Mack used is from Micro Mysteries! by Tom Gray. It can be found here.

Surprise! A bonus episode! We watched the recently released Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third film in the Benoit Blanc detective franchise written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig. We get right into themes explored throughout the movie - the juxtaposition of Blanc and Father Jud and their differing views on faith, the temptation of power and wealth and how it preys on humanity, the many ways in which we tell stories about ourselves and each other, and the inherent power of collective judgement and shame. We delve deep into the complicated relationship between the Catholic Church and how it views and treats women, make parallels between Blanc and Poirot’s view of justice and how room time as public shaming can be utilized (or not), praise the incredible lighting and cinematography multiple times, and debate whether this could have been made with a different religion at the core. We also talk about the many twists and turns the mystery takes throughout and realize the mastermind essentially accomplished their goal. Katy was influenced by The Murder of Roger Ackroyd too much, Carrie threw her notebook into the air, Maddy was thinking about Cats, and Mack pitches an academic paper. We also talk about how both Catholics and Rian Johnson love iconography and symbolism, are definitely charmed by Josh O’Connor, think the movie really balanced the buddy comedy and life philosophy aspects well, and love Bridget Everett so much. Listen to hear more about zombies, Captain Ahab, alter servers, Man v. Animal, The Dip, and Star Wars. Enjoy!TW: Catholicism, religious trauma, homophobia, misogyny, alcoholism, cults, fascism, alt-rightNOTES:CorvidCorgi Tumblr post about the themes of justiceCinematicnomad Tumblr post with GIFs of the lighting in the first Blanc and Father Jud scene in the churchClaire Willett Instagram, BlueSky

New episode out now! We watched the 2005 animated film Hoodwinked! and friends, we had a time. We get right into the horrible animation and character design style and talk about how much it affected the film, wonder what exactly children liked about the story, pick apart the lack of worldbuilding, and compare it to other animated movies (cough Shrek cough) a lot. We also get into the singular production and financing of the movie, feel that both the mystery and emotional core are just not compelling, get confused by the animal/human logic, and are shocked by the box office take of the film. Katy’s library history is eclectic, Carrie wanted to scratch her face off, Maddy has to defend Cats, and Mack shares a surprising fact about Adam Worth. We also delve into Rashomon-style storytelling, debate whether we would live in Gotham or Metropolis, get sidetracked talking about musicals, and ultimately hold Mack accountable for making us watch this cursed film. Listen to hear about villain songs, rollercoasters, YouTube recs, 3-D printing, squirrels, and multiple Gimli impressions. Enjoy!TW: Racism, sexual predators

New episode out now! We went deep into our childhood memories and played the 1998 PC game Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! We talk about the straightforward nature of following clues in a linear fashion, get frustrated by Barbie walking slowly and getting stuck, discuss our shared (or not so shared) past with the game, and compare the point and click nature to Disco Elysium with surprising results. We also cover the character design archetypes, discover the ending is different every time, follow a mysterious shadowy figure, and ultimately realize this was a game for children. Katy was a cool rebellious preteen, Carrie has Madame Webb on the brain, Maddy has no patience, and Mack tries to share more Batman lore. We also get into video game design and development over the years, demonstrate the soundscapes we encountered, learn the nature of true love is fervent competition, and delve into why we love mysteries. Listen to hear more about tourist name souvenirs, jetskis, Paul Blart, dinosaurs, and rotational physics. (You will also hear a lot of Barbie imitations). Enjoy!TW: Sexism, discussion of neurodivergent tendencies