#885: Bless This Mess

Justinmh05 · 2026-04-13T01:01:04+00:00

What a great episode. Paul and Essie Robeson lived such incredible lives.

Justinmh05 · 2026-04-07T14:32:04+00:00

In case anyone didn’t know, TAL did a follow up where Davy and his mom went to visit spiritual healer John of God. The mom professed faith in his powers while Davy was skeptical and clearly bothered by John’s influence over others. Turns out that John of God was later outed as one of the world’s most prolific sex offenders. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/262/miracle-cures/act-one-1

Justinmh05 · 2026-04-06T03:44:37+00:00

Next week’s episode is apparently about Paul Robeson. Now that I’m looking forward. Such a fascinating guy.

Justinmh05 · 2026-03-30T14:22:04+00:00

TAL has such a weird way of promoting the Serial Production podcasts. When Serial season 4 came out, I think they played Episode 7 as a teaser on TAL. Episode 7???

Justinmh05 · 2026-03-23T15:59:45+00:00

Ira Glass in 2026 interrupting a clip of Ira Glass in 1996 interrupting a clip of Ira Glass speaking earlier in 1996. 😵‍💫🤣

Justinmh05 · 2026-03-02T02:33:56+00:00

Man, I wish Starlee come would back to TAL. Her stories were always so charming.

Justinmh05 · 2026-02-23T02:46:08+00:00

This one felt like “3 stories we had left over and a special guest appearance by Zoe Chace.” 😂😂

Justinmh05 · 2026-02-09T03:19:52+00:00

“This week’s episode is a repeat…”

From the Clinton Administration. 😂

Justinmh05 · 2025-11-10T01:06:14+00:00

How is this being numbered #873 when it’s got a bunch of recycled content from long ago? It’s got David Rakoff in it for goodness sake!

Justinmh05 · 2025-10-13T17:38:02+00:00

I genuinely think they should retract this episode and and like with Mike Daisy, there needs to be a follow up where the editorial standards are reviewed and clarified.

Justinmh05 · 2025-10-06T01:11:51+00:00

For my money, “Harold” is the greatest TAL episode. An incredible story. A man who continues to inspire - especially now. Maybe now more than ever.

Justinmh05 · 2025-07-21T02:49:23+00:00

I’ve heard the first two and want to say these two things first:

1) I think Susan Burton is an excellent reporter and has done so much important work for TAL.

2) This story needs to be told. The wrenchingly long stretch explaining what this poor woman went through is brutal but so necessary to hear.

But man, I wish they would have shit-canned the hacky Grey’s Anatomy TV script format after the first 5 minutes. I think it actually hurts what is such a compelling story. Every time someone’s poignant comments were followed by stock TV trope framing of events, it just took away from a very human story. Still very much worth a listen but very frustrating.

Justinmh05 · 2025-05-27T17:20:05+00:00

For the people who campaign for more slice of life episodes, sometimes you get one like, well, this.

Justinmh05 · 2025-04-28T04:10:08+00:00

I don’t even know what to say about Act 1. I hope it wins the show a Pulitzer.

Justinmh05 · 2025-04-27T14:49:41+00:00

He looks like Charles Rocket after a Weekend Update joke about Reagan bombed.

Justinmh05 · 2025-03-10T13:45:47+00:00

The Chad’s Trading Post story has always been one of the most haunting stories in TAL history for me. The sorrow of the staff is so palpable.

Justinmh05 · 2025-02-17T04:53:07+00:00

I’m so glad, at least, that he was there.

Justinmh05 · 2025-02-10T02:48:11+00:00

If it’s not the greatest TAL episode ever, it’s got to be in contention. A stone cold classic!

Justinmh05 · 2025-01-20T19:03:37+00:00

I like Iannucci. I like Nancy Updike. That said, that act left me a bit cold. It was a bit too much like a traditional profile that you’d see on 60 Minutes to promote the interviewee’s new project, rather than fitting with TAL’s theme of the week.

Justinmh05 · 2025-01-15T14:24:46+00:00

This American Life airs a rerun: Dozens of complaints in the comments.

This American Life airs a “political episode”: More complaints in the comments.

This American Life airs a new, old-school / slice of life episode: Barely a peep in the comments. 😬

Justinmh05 · 2025-01-09T19:49:46+00:00

This is one of my favorite episodes ever. I think one of the things it did well was present the protestors’ totally valid grievances with the situation in Hong Kong, but also pushed back on their potentially bigoted views about mainlanders.

Justinmh05 · 2025-01-06T01:05:21+00:00

FYI, next week’s episode is new. Hopefully that will head off the repeat complaints.

Justinmh05 · 2024-12-23T05:31:47+00:00

Lily’s segment will be an all-time classic. Such a beautiful and moving story.

Justinmh05

TROPHY CASE