‘SERIAL’ WILL NEVER LIVE UP TO ITS FIRST SEASON, AND THAT’S OK
After binge-listening to every popular true-crime podcast, and even giving a chance to plenty of lesser-known ones, there’s no doubt in my mind that the first season of Serial, in which journalist Sarah Koenig investigated the case of Adnan Syed, currently serving a life sentence for killing his high-school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, will never be topped – at least not by successive seasons.
While the recent announcement of the third season’s premiere date (Sept. 20) brought an initial rush of excitement, that was followed quickly by the assumption that, inevitably, it could never be as good as Season 1, which reeled me in from the outset and had me desperate to keep listening through to the end.
When Serial was launched in 2014 as a spin-off from US radio show This American Life, the producer and host, Ira Glass, wrote, “What’s different about Serial is that it’s a story that takes a dozen or so episodes to tell. So each new episode brings you the next chapter of this amazing, unfolding story.” Serial quickly garnered international recognition and became the fastest podcast to hit 5 million downloads on itunes. Its episodes have now been downloaded more than 175 million times. Even more significantly, shortly after the conclusion of Season 1, Syed was granted a retrial.
When Serial’s second season was released in 2015, it focused on the story of US soldier Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, who had been captured in Afghanistan by the Taliban and, following his release, charged with desertion. Interesting? Sure, but given my high expectations of another juicy murder case, I couldn’t help but feel robbed. I wasn’t alone.
Now Serial’s third instalment is about to be released and even though I respect the producers for not repeating themselves, I’m sure it won’t match that original emotional roller-coaster ride. The trailer explains that these episodes will delve into the American justice system and follow individual cases in a courthouse in Cleveland as they are unfolding, taking listeners on the journey with Koenig. It’s a novel approach, but I can’t see it being as addictive as Syed’s case.
But it’s OK that Serial will never live up to its first season. It can nevertheless be appreciated for what it is – thorough, well-produced investigative journalism that is still compelling, just in a different way.
“The first season will never be topped”