by Mike Lunsford, Editor 

2014’s most popular and downloaded podcast, Serial, wrapped up its second season on March 31st of this year. Just like its inaugural offering, the 2nd season is captivating, informative and thought provoking.

If you’re unfamiliar with Serial, it’s a podcast done by NPR reporter Sara Koenig. You hear NPR and normally roll your eyes or reserve listening to when you’re fighting insomnia. If you made the assumption that Serial would be boring and sleep-inducing, you are sorely mistaken. The first season exploded on the scene, becoming an overnight sensation, with over 80 million downloads of the 1st episode alone. It focuses on the case of Adnan Syed, a 17 year old who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee back in 1999. Syed insisted his innocence but was given a life sentence, having never taken the stand himself. The case had many loose ends and inconsistencies, leading many to believe that Syed may have been wrongfully convicted and that his defense attorney was inept. Koenig masterfully plays both sides of this story, never once letting her opinion get in the way of the truth.  She is a shining beacon of what journalism was meant to be, unbiased and truth based, instead of the sensationalized, hot-takes obsessed, bombastic, ratings-focused nonsense that it has become in recent years. It’s captivating and nearly impossible to put down once you’ve started (if you haven’t listened yet, check it out right here and get started).

Season 2 wrapped recently. Its focus this time around: Bowe Bergdahl. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, Sergeant Bergdahl was deployed with his unit in Afghanistan for the nebulous goal of “counter-insurgency.” After some time in country, Bergdahl went missing, leaving his weapon and most of his gear and simply walking off post. There was talk that Bergdahl was a traitor, that he left his unit to join the Taliban, but there was a great deal that was unknown.

Just as she did in season one, Koenig takes no sides. She does not let her opinion affect the telling of this story and she is committed to keeping this focused on the facts only. She talks to those who hate Bergdahl and still think he is a traitor who put his fellow soldiers in harm’s way as they searched for him. She talks to his family and friends to find out who he is and why he did this. She even hears the words from Bowe himself through interviews done by Academy Award winning screenwriter Mark Boal (Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty).

Is he a traitor? Is he a hero? Is he a misguided, idealistic kid who was fighting a war many of us still don’t understand? To put it simply, he’s a little of all of these things. Regardless of your political feelings or prior experience with the military, his story is incredible and worth hearing. We are often guilty of formulating opinions without having all the facts, myself included. I assumed Bergdahl was a cowardly idiot who risked the lives of his entire platoon for God-knows-what reasons. After listening to this season of Serial, I at least understand him. I get the “why,” regardless of whether I would have acted in the same manner.

In summation, Season 1 was better… but not by much. Sarah Koenig and her team of reporters really paint a picture of what Bowe Bergdahl went through while on post and in Taliban captivity. You want to scream at him for being so idealistic but you also want to hug the kid and tell him you’re glad he made it out alive.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives Serial Season 2: Bowe Bergdahl 4.5 binge-worthy podcasts out of 5 .

My intent in this article is not to sway opinion or get people to agree with my case. I simply want to share with others something I enjoyed. As a listener, I was addicted to this show. I couldn’t wait for the next episode. As someone who served in the military, I could imagine what was going through Bowe’s mind as all of this transpired. I could envision myself in the shoes of his “battle buddies” as they put themselves in the line of fire to find their comrade, being both concerned for his well-being and wanting to strangle him for causing this mess. Don’t take my word for it, just my recommendation. Formulate your own opinion about this story and its many twists and turns.

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