So after hearing this podcast (to quote a quote I’ll call it
a “bizarre” one), I immediately thought of the question of the ethics of the
thing.
This episode, as we all know, focuses on Mr. S, a streaking
man who purportedly happens to stumble upon Hae’s body. However, as Casey
mentioned, we are left with no resolution and really aren't all that much
further in our search for the truth than we were at the start of the episode.
Even Koenig doesn't seem to have any tangible sneaking suspicions concerning
Mr. S. So then, what exactly is the purpose of the episode? The entirety of it
is spent looking into the circumstances under which Hae’s body was found.
Though this is an issue that should be mentioned in order to ensure that all
the bases are covered, I don’t think that it’s necessary for an entire episode
to be devoted to it. This is especially true when you consider the fact that
the episodes were initially serialized and that only one was released per week.
This episode seems to do nothing toward actually gaining new knowledge about
the case but instead simply appears to be building suspense for the next
episode.
Furthermore, the question of ethics must now be extended to
Mr. S, a man who clearly doesn't desire the attention that he now has and who
even asked Koenig to “leave him alone.” While Koenig conveys in the podcast
that she’ll just use the pseudonym “Mr. S” to respect the privacy of the man, 2
minutes of searching on the internet brought me to this (http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2jq96a/spoiler_baltimore_county_court_records/)
reddit thread. Press Ctrl+F and type in “Mr. S” and you’ll find a user saying
that there is another thread revealing Mr. S’ full last name which happens to
also start with an S; way to go with that privacy, Koenig. It doesn't seem
right for a man who clearly doesn't want to be bothered and who at this point
really doesn't seem to be the subject of any suspicion to be put into the
national spotlight in such a humiliating manner, and I am again back to
questioning the ethics of the entire podcast. The podcast just seems to be too dramatized and makes the stories of those involved nothing more than fuel for the next entertaining episode. So guys, what do you think?
I agree with you, this screamed “filler episode.” There was no real development of the case. And had I been listening to the podcast as it came out, I think I would have been a little frustrated with the isolated feel of this episode. But, this could have been a strategic technique: give the listeners a podcast that presents more questions than answers, and, as you say, use it to build the suspense for a stronger episode; captivate the audience. I was anxious to hear more.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there are the ethical implications of this episode. “Mr. S” is not a strong pseudonym, especially if Koenig is going to go into detail about some pretty specific incidents and the man’s real last name begins with and S. There are better ways to protect an individual’s identity.
But I think one thing that this episode does is set up the unusual frame of this murder investigation—there are a lot of odd, contradictory evidence and accounts that went into the investigation and the trial. The whole deal with Mr. S is certainly strange, and worth mentioning. But what stood out to me the most about the strangeness of this episode was the lack of DNA testing on the liquor bottle and the rope. Why would they not test this stuff? I wanted to know more about that. And while I think it is interesting to have a better picture of the investigatory time in between Hae’s disappearance and Adnan’s arrest, I think Koenig could have boiled this episode down, incorporating the highlights into a subsequent podcast.