Blink | Jake Haendel's Story: What Listeners Are Saying

Table of Contents

• TLDR

• What Listeners Like

• What Listeners Don’t Like

• Featured episode

TLDR

Jake's extraordinary survival story, meticulously shared with co-host Corinne, has undeniably captivated many, hailed as a powerful and inspiring account of resilience against unimaginable odds. However, significant criticism revolves around the podcast's marketing, pacing, and release strategy, leaving some listeners feeling misled and frustrated by a perceived lack of true crime elements and an extended, sometimes incomplete narrative.

What Listeners Like

Listeners are overwhelmingly drawn to the compelling content of Jake's personal story, often describing it as "amazing," "incredible," "surreal," and "mind-blowing". His resilience, strength, and honesty about his drug use and subsequent medical ordeal are frequently highlighted as inspiring. Many feel a deep sense of empathy and are moved by his experiences. The podcast adopts a narrative style, primarily focusing on Jake's personal journey, which listeners appreciate for its raw honesty and vulnerability.

The hosting by Corinne is frequently commended, with her being described as "charming," "easy to listen to," "phenomenal," "thoughtful," "respectful," and an "amazing storyteller". Listeners appreciate her interviewing skills and the way she guides the story. The dynamic and chemistry between Corinne and Jake are also praised, contributing to smooth and engaging storytelling. Jake himself is lauded for his storytelling ability, likability, and the authentic way he shares his experiences, often with humour despite the тяжесть of his situation.

The production quality is generally well-received, with descriptions like "well done," "excellent," "beautifully produced," and "top tier" being used. The music is also appreciated by some for enhancing the listening experience. Many listeners express being "hooked" from the beginning and eagerly anticipate new episodes, indicating a strong engagement with the content. Some even mention recommending the podcast to others.

What Listeners Don’t Like

A significant point of contention is the podcast's marketing and description, which many feel misleadingly present it as a true crime series with a focus on potential foul play by Jake's wife. Listeners express frustration that the "whispered admissions" or clear criminal element hinted at in the promotion have not materialised by the released episodes. Some feel this is a "bait and switch" tactic. Others find the story drawn out with short episodes, leading to a lack of flow and feeling that the narrative is being "milked". The weekly release schedule, particularly with perceived delays and the lack of a complete season drop, is a source of annoyance for many who prefer to "binge" content. The introduction of a paywall for later episodes after initially offering free content has also generated negative feedback, with some accusing the podcast of a "money grab".

Some listeners have specific criticisms about the production, including "choppy" transitions, a confusing timeline, and too many advertisements for the short episode length. A few found the background music "unnecessary" and "annoying" or too loud. There are also isolated criticisms of the hosts. One listener found the narrator "annoying" after a few episodes, another felt her giggling at drug-related stories was inappropriate, and one disliked the host inserting personal beliefs. One reviewer found Jake's voice "painful to listen to", while another felt it sounded like he was under the influence. One listener accused the host of not fact-checking and being biased, and another deemed the host "amateurish". Some found the story slow-paced or repetitive. A few expressed a lack of sympathy for Jake due to his past drug dealing. The absence of the wife's perspective is also noted as a potential flaw in the storytelling. Finally, the abrupt stops and unclear indication of whether the story has concluded leave some listeners feeling "left hanging" and "unsatisfied".

Featured episode

Episode 1: Blink

TLDR

Jake, a heroin user, starts showing strange symptoms and gets pulled over and arrested while impaired. His wife had already noticed his speech was off. After getting out, he goes looking for more drugs. He's later hospitalized, and his wife's push for answers leads to a diagnosis: a rare, deadly brain disease from smoking heroin. Doctors give him six months. His wife leaves but later comes back to care for him. Jake decides to fight the disease and stop using.

Synopsis

The first episode of Blink, called "Jake Haendel's Story - 1 Blink," kicks off with journalist Corinne Vienne telling a wild story of survival. She warns listeners up front that it covers heavy topics like drug use, assault, and violence, and gives resources for help. Vienne talks about meeting Jake in a Boston apartment building. In the elevator, Jake told her he wasn’t doing great, even though he was standing for the first time in years. Two months later, he shared his full story. It involved drugs, a fatal diagnosis, some impossible medical twists, and maybe even attempts on his life. It was so wild, it sounded made up.

Vienne admits she didn’t believe him at first. The story was messy, hard to follow, and past reporters couldn’t make sense of it. But she wanted to understand what really happened, especially if it could change how doctors see cases like his. She starts with one question: how did Jake end up here?

Jake picks it up from there. He says it started in May 2017. His driving felt off. Five days later, he woke up late for work at a liquor store in Westboro, MA. He admits he smoked heroin that morning, which had become normal for him. Rushing, he smoked more while driving, even though he could tell something wasn’t right with his body. His coordination was going. Then he got pulled over.

That moment changed everything. As the cop walked up, Jake’s body froze. He couldn’t hide his drugs. The officer saw everything, drew his gun, and called for backup. Jake was dragged out of the car, cuffed, and put in a cruiser. He surprised the cop by being honest about his drug use, something he usually wouldn’t admit.

At the station, Jake only cared about how his wife would react. She had already noticed his speech had changed, slurred and higher pitched. She’d stood by him before, even through past relapses, but this time felt worse. After he got out on bail, he didn’t go home. He went straight to his ex-girlfriend, Adrian, to get more heroin. Even getting into his dad’s car was hard, his body was failing fast.

When he did go home, his wife was furious. She saw how off he was and told him to go to the hospital. He didn’t want to. But the next day, she called an ambulance. Jake still tried to get high before they came, but his body was barely working. At the hospital, they thought it might be a stroke. Tests didn’t show anything, and they were about to send him home. But his wife pushed hard for more answers. She played an old voicemail that showed how much his voice had changed. That finally got him an emergency MRI.

While waiting on results, Jake was still in denial. He asked his dad to bring cigarettes. He thought he’d go back to normal. He believed heroin gave him focus and energy, like cocaine. But the next day, doctors told him he had acute toxic leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease from inhaling heroin. They said he had six months to live. His brain’s white matter was dying. He’d lose the ability to walk, speak, even sit up. Eventually, he’d fall into a coma.

Even after hearing this, Jake called Adrian and got heroin delivered to his hospital bed. A nurse caught him, and things blew up. Doctors and hospital police confronted him. They said he was going to die faster if he kept using. Not long after, his wife came back. She was angry and heartbroken. She said she was leaving and moved to Seattle. But not long after, she called Jake. She wanted to come back and help him. He wasn’t sure but said yes. He needed her.

When she returned, she stepped up. Jake made a choice: on May 25, 2017, he decided to stop using and try to live. He was moved to a rehab center, where he dealt with both withdrawal and his illness. There were no real treatments, but doctors gave him high doses of vitamins and told him to eat blueberries. Jake shifted into survival mode. The episode ends on a tough but hopeful note. There’s still a long road ahead, and not everyone in Jake’s life may be trustworthy.