Popular podcast kicks off its second season

By: Olivia Martin

If you are into podcasts, or even if you aren’t, you have probably heard about Serial. This podcast is a spin-off of the widely loved radio show, This American Life, that has episodes each week surrounding a theme with contributors who tell real stories. Serial is hosted by Sarah Koenig, a long-time producer of This American Life. However, Serial takes a different approach than that of This American Life.

Instead of featuring many short stories, Serial focuses on one, big story over a span of episodes. In its first season, the story unraveled the details of Adnan Syed’s conviction for killing his ex-girlfriend in 1999. Through the podcast, listeners became riveted with Adnan’s story and the quest to find out if he was guilty or not. According to CNN, Serial has had over 40 million downloads, and it is widely regarded as being the most-listened-to podcast of all time.

On Dec. 10, Season 2 of Serial was released to an excited and growing fanbase. This time around, the podcast tells the real story of a soldier, Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl was held by the Taliban for five years. President Obama made a deal with the Taliban, one that many regard as highly controversial, to allow Bergdahl to return home.

At first, his homecoming was the kind expected for a returning war hero, but as people gained more and more knowledge about his story, some started calling him a deserter and a traitor. To learn more about Bergdahl’s fascinating story or to hear last season’s, visit serialpodcast.org.