podcast review: all crime, no cattle
rating: 9.5/10
alright this is gonna be a bit experimental since is my first non-audiodrama podcast i’m reviewing, so i feel like my usual categories and averages system is just... not gonna work.
i am also not caught up with this one in the least, but given that it’s... not a huge story with a bunch of metaplots and such, i feel that at 15ish episodes in, i have a pretty decent feel for the podcast in general. so let’s dive in here!
all crime, no cattle is a texas-centric true crime podcast that covers a variety of stories. there have been high-profile stories covered, such as the truck stop killer, and far less-known ones like the kfc murders that they covered in episode 1. now for anyone that knows me personally, it is a huge surprise that i’m so into this because i generally absolutely hate true crime. i hate the focus that so much true crime media has on seeing the person behind the killer, etc. there’s a lot of sensationalism and disrespect in a lot of mainstream true crime media, which just leaves a very icky taste in my mouth.
this podcast does none of that and in fact actively works to do the opposite. the hosts, husband-and-wife team shea and erin, are incredibly respectful in their conversations about the victims, they call out unnecessary sensationalism, and are generally just... good people to be doing this. the general format of each episode is a conversation, with one telling the other about the case while the other will interject theories and questions, often voicing the exact same thoughts that i, as the audience have. as many others have said, they have a fantastic chemistry and it’s obvious that not only do they love each other, but they love what they do, and that makes the podcast fun to listen to even with the often-gruesome subject matter. they’re also fantastic at toeing the line between overly serious/depressing and humorous- there is a lot of humor in the podcast. they’re funny people. but they have stated that there are certain lines they will not cross regarding jokes and the subject matter and as far as i’ve listened, they hold very true to that. the result is incredibly informative, entertaining, and tonally respectful coverage of things that other publications do not handle well at all.
last but not least, something i do quite enjoy is that they’ll also post photos related to the episodes on social media, and often keep an eye on local news not only to bring awareness and help to open cases, but also to close each episode with a little bit of good news- it’s like little palate cleansers of feel-good stories about cats being rescued or overwhelming amounts of toys donated to shelters, things like that. things that make you go “oh, maybe humans AREN’T complete garbage” even after... all that. i do also like that they have a good habit of citing their sources and encouraging you to read the same things if you’re interested in more of the nitty-gritty details or original media coverage. i think having that kind of optional homework is kinda cool.
anyway so there you go. this podcast defies expectations in a genre i generally write off and has kept me thoroughly entertained and aware while working my long hours and if you’re into true crime or just like hearing bad jokes about bad people, y’all should check it out!