{"id":661,"date":"2020-10-19T10:43:29","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T17:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mattpoland.net\/sherlockpod\/?p=661"},"modified":"2020-10-19T10:43:30","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T17:43:30","slug":"serial-s02-episode-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mattpoland.net\/sherlockpod\/2020\/10\/19\/serial-s02-episode-01\/","title":{"rendered":"Serial S02 Episode 01"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Season 02 of the Serial <\/em>podcast embarks on the telling of the controversial events that took place regarding Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan in 2009. A very popular and well-known news topic, host Sarah Koenig shares her findings of this case from various perspectives in an effort to shed light on what really happened and why Bergdahl abandoned his post that one evening. Episode 01 introduces the topic and broadly explains the events that made way for the retrieval of Bergdahl after he was taken by the Taliban as a prisoner of war after abandoning his base. After Bergdahl was back in the United States, he was tried and charged with several accounts, one with a potential life sentence. Koenig takes the case a step further as she investigates and shares various first-hand accounts, including the Taliban itself, to explain why exactly Bergdahl made the decision to leave and what events unfolded for him.\u00a0
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Serial <\/em>is designed in a way in which each season there is a topic that the episodes are all centered around, building on each other. Because the episodes are all linked together it tells the story in great detail and over an extended period of time, instead of a new topic with each episode which is what many podcasts are like. This allows Koenig to go into grave detail and spend time discussing various different perspectives of the topic at hand. This gives the listener a well-rounded and relatively unbiased view of the events that went down in Afghanistan in 2009. Serial <\/em>is told primarily by Sarah Koenig herself, however, she integrates various interviews with Bergdahl and those of other primary accounts of what happened. These are from the perspectives of other soldiers, interviewers, friends, and, like I mentioned earlier, even the Taliban. Therefore, the varying points of view demonstrate the different sides of the story and enable the listener to develop their own intelligent conclusions in regards to the incidents that took place and how they shaped the situations that followed. Of course, because Koenig is the primary host, there will always be a certain level of bias present, however the way in which Serial <\/em>is designed works to mitigate the degree of which the listener is swayed in one way or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of narration, Koenig uses a tone of voice that allows the listener to feel as though they are investigating the story with her. She talks in a way that creates a sense of everyday conversation. This allows the listener to feel comfortable and connected. She uses uncomplicated language that is easy to follow and finds ways to effectively connect plot points in a manner that is logical and impactful. She often introduces an event and then backs up to explain the why in which those events took place. This develops a facet of engagement that is very intriguing to those listening. As I stated before, each of the episodes of Serial <\/em>build on each other. Therefore, the use of cliffhangers is a tactic that Koenig uses often. At the end of an episode, she will make a statement in regards to a suspenseful aspect of the case and follow it up with a remark about how she will investigate that in the next episode. This draws the listener in and makes them want to hit that subscribe button. This is a very popular tactic when it comes to storytelling, but a functional one nonetheless.\u00a0
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Overall, Koenig demonstrates the investigation of the controversial events that surrounded Bowe Bergdahl and provides an insight perspective. Serial <\/em>uses various first-hand accounts to shed light on this case that caused so much dissension within the United States. Why did Bergdahl do what he did and what was the driving force behind it all? Koenig shares about it all through season 2 of Serial. <\/em>
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Word Count: 637 words<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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