The Binge Cases: What Listeners Are Saying

Table of Contents

• TLDR

• What Listeners Like

• What Listeners Don’t Like

• Featured episode

TLDR

The podcast is widely praised for its compelling true crime storytelling, in-depth investigative work, and engaging hosts who often build genuine connections with those affected by the cases. Listeners appreciate the focus on both well-known and more obscure stories, with a sensitivity towards victims and their families. While production quality is generally high, some listeners have noted issues with audio, ad placement, and occasional host delivery styles.

What Listeners Like

Listeners consistently express strong appreciation for the engaging and often "binge-worthy" nature of the podcast's content. Many find the stories "fascinating" and "riveting", often leading to a desire to listen to entire series in one sitting. The podcast covers a range of true crime cases, including those that are perhaps less widely known or delve into regional histories, which some listeners find particularly interesting.

The depth and quality of the research are frequently highlighted as strengths. Listeners value the detailed storytelling, the inclusion of personal accounts and interviews, and the way the narrative unfolds, keeping them hooked. Ethical considerations and sensitivity in presentation are also noted positively, particularly in seasons that focus on the impact of crime on victims and their families. The podcast often centres the human element of true crime, focusing on the experiences of victims or their surviving loved ones, which resonates strongly with many listeners.

The storytelling style is widely commended, with hosts described as "intelligent", "compassionate", and having a "relaxing" voice. The narrative approach is often praised for being well-laid out, easy to follow, and having a good pace. In certain seasons, like "Denise Didn't Come Home," the host's deep personal investment in the story and genuine connection with the victim's family are seen as exceptional and deeply moving. This connection is seen as going beyond typical reporting, offering a more profound and emotional experience for the listener. Some listeners appreciate that the podcast strives for an objective viewpoint. Technical aspects such as production quality and the use of music are also appreciated for enhancing the listening experience. The podcast has successfully built a loyal audience, with many listeners eagerly awaiting new episodes and expressing gratitude for the content.

What Listeners Don’t Like

Several recurring criticisms emerge from the negative reviews. A significant number of listeners express dissatisfaction with certain hosts' voices, delivery, or perceived personality. Complaints include voices being "sped up", "annoying", "snarky", "self-important", and "melodramatically voiced". In some seasons, like "My Fugitive Dad," the inclusion of additional voices, such as the daughter's, was heavily criticised for sounding "fake", "scripted", and for the frequent use of colloquialisms like "mum" perceived as out of place.

Production quality also receives negative feedback. Some listeners report poor audio quality in certain episodes or find the background music "annoying", "intrusive", or "derpy". The placement and frequency of advertisements are a major point of contention, with many finding the breaks "abrupt" and too numerous for the length of the episodes. Some felt it was difficult to stay engaged with the story due to the constant interruptions. Pacing and storytelling style are also criticised at times, with some listeners feeling certain seasons or episodes are "too long", "poorly organized", "disjointed", or that the host "editorializes way too often". There are also accusations of bias in the presentation of certain cases, with some reviewers feeling the podcast presented a "one-sided story" or injected political commentary inappropriately. One listener criticised a season for "glorifying the killer".

Concerns about research quality and ethical presentation include accusations of a lack of sufficient "backup evidence", relying too heavily on single witnesses, and instances where the host admits to being unable to independently verify information. Some listeners felt the podcast sensationalized stories or exploited the suffering of victims. The introduction of paywalls to access the final episodes of a season after listeners have invested their time and potentially endured advertisements was seen as a negative and off-putting practice. Finally, some listeners expressed confusion or dislike for extra segments or shifts in focus within a season, such as when a true crime podcast seemed to morph into something else.

Featured episode

Fatal Beauty 1. Body in the Bronco

TLDR

Alan Rarig, a young man from Dallas, is found frozen in his Bronco in Oklahoma City, far from home and dressed for warm weather. His estranged wife, Sandra, quickly becomes a person of interest due to her odd actions, she didn’t report him missing and hired a private investigator. Alan’s mom, Gloria, starts digging and finds troubling details about Sandra’s past, plus a large life insurance policy on Alan.

Synopsis

December 1985. A freezing Oklahoma night hides a disturbing scene. Near Will Rogers Airport, two officers spot a parked Bronco with iced-over windows. They force the door open and find a man’s body, partly decomposed, wedged between the seats. Retired detective Kyle Eastridge sees red flags right away: the man’s wearing Bermuda shorts and a light sweater, nowhere near warm enough for the weather. The driver’s seat is pushed forward, like someone shorter drove the car.

The plates say the man is Norman Allen Rarig, 30, from Dallas, 200 miles away. There’s no gun, no wallet, no keys. This doesn’t look like a robbery. He’s been shot twice, once in the head. It’s clearly murder.

The story shifts to Alan’s mom, Gloria. Her voice is tired but steady, she’s been asking the same questions for decades. Alan had a promising life: tall, athletic, a college basketball star who later worked in real estate. He met Sandra in Dallas and married her. Less than a year later, the marriage was rocky. Their last talk, just days before he vanished, made it clear they were separating, though Alan still hoped to fix things.

It all started with a call from Sandra. She asked Alan to help her at a storage unit the night before their first anniversary. It was warm in Dallas, so Alan wore shorts and a sweater. He left a friend’s house around 4:50 p.m., planning a short visit. He never made it to dinner. Sandra later told his friend, Phil, that Alan never showed.

When Gloria heard he was missing, she got involved. People in Dallas already suspected Sandra. Gloria had never liked her much, but she didn’t think Sandra would hurt Alan, at first. That changed when Sandra didn’t even report him missing. Alan’s brother had to push her to call the police. Her response? He could do it himself if he cared so much.

Gloria called Dallas police to check their house. Sandra was polite to the officers, but Alan wasn’t there. A later phone call between Gloria and Sandra turned tense. Sandra snapped when Gloria asked questions. Then Gloria remembered something: a chat about life insurance. Sandra stood to gain $220,000, a lot in 1985.

That same day, Sandra hired a private investigator, Bill Deere. Before Alan’s body was found, Sandra was already spinning a defense, telling Deere about Alan’s supposed ties to drugs and shady people.

On December 12th, Gloria got the call. Alan’s body was found in his Bronco, four days after he disappeared. Sandra ID’d him by the clothes he wore to meet her. When Dallas police told her the news, she asked, “Is it bad?” and told them to inform Alan’s friend, Ron, instead. That struck detectives as cold.

Then came a strange call to Oklahoma City police from someone called “Deep Throat.” They warned that Sandra had a dark past, husbands who ended up dead or ruined. Alan may have never known.

Sandra showed up to Alan’s funeral with a criminal defense lawyer, Vincent Perini. Reporter Glenna Whitley remembered her fur coat, gloves, and dramatic behavior. Police weren’t buying it. Sandra told them Alan was into gambling and drugs, naming a local dealer. But her story didn’t add up. She even lied about whether she’d seen Alan that day, changing her story from what she told Phil.

Police had doubts, but nothing solid enough to arrest her. Then, more strange behavior. Sandra showed up late to the funeral, not with Alan’s family. She didn’t have money to pay for the burial, Ron covered it. At the cemetery, she asked detectives if they thought she was attractive. Gloria was stunned.

After the funeral, Sandra went straight back to Dallas and never spoke to Oklahoma City detectives again. On her flight home, passengers said she flirted openly, adding to the growing suspicion.

Back in Oklahoma, Gloria got calls from people who had stories about Sandra, more men who’d been in her life and ended up hurt, dead, or gone. It confirmed Gloria’s worst fears: her son might not have been the first.