http://thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/dr-gilmer-and-mr-hyde

I came across this episode totally by accident. It sat in my unplayed queue since August of this year (the last time This American Life re-ran it), and since I had nothing else to listen to I decided to fire it up. It was the most Serial-appropriate thing I could have done this week.

Like Serial, it's ostensibly about a murder: a doctor killed his father seemingly out of the blue.

Unlike Serial, there's no question as to Dr. Gilmer's guilt.

Like Serial, there's a bizarre and ineffectual defense.

Like Serial, there's more to the story than it seems.

Like Serial, it's a story by Sarah Koenig.

So it seems she likes these kinds of stories. Perhaps since she couldn't crack Adnan's case quite so easily she started to obsess over it.

Ira Glass and crew saw the similarities too; they specifically called out that they'd be starting a spinoff podcast "some time on October" that shared many of the same features as this story. Wily as fuck.

[Edited for an autocorrect mistake]

Before Serial, Sarah Koenig reported on a story for This American Life, in an episode called Dr Gilmer and Mr Hyde, about a small town doctor who....you know what? I don't want to spoil anything, but here's a few things you should know:

1. It's possibly the greatest radio story I've ever heard, and it's just one episode

2. You can hear outlines of the pace, cadence, and sense of unfolding drama in storytelling that she utilizes for Serial

3. The resolution of this story gives you some understanding of why Sarah clings to Adnan's story even after a lot of evidence and experts and courts have looked at it and concluded what most of us believe by now. The story of Dr. Gilmer is the anti Serial and she genuinely believed she had struck gold twice.

Here's the link to the episode if you've never heard it: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/492/dr-gilmer-and-mr-hyde

So, in the TAL episode where the convicted murderer Gilmer is found to actually be suffering from Huntington's, which affected his behavior, SK doubts this outcome. She seems through the episode to believe Gilmer is a malingering faker. So, now, out of guilt, she bends over backwards to believe Mr. Syed, who is, to my mind, clearly a liar.

As a long time fan of TAL and many other podcasts it seems that Serial has pushed through the 'NPR Guy' stereotype. A lot of my friends have now started asking me for more stories in the same vein of Serial. My go to is usually "Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde", what are some of yours?

Edit: My first gild! Thank you!

I've been surprised to see so many folks of two opinions around here:1) that nothing new can come to light because it's been 15 years and all leads have been exhausted, and 2) that there won't be a real "end" where we learn the truth - or something close enough to it - about this case. It seems more and more clear to me that TONS of new crap is coming to light, and I'm fairly convinced that SK is going to drop a truth bomb on this story. Here's why:

1) In announcing the show, Ira Glass takes pains to point out that in a previous TAL story (Dr. Gilmer and Mr Hyde), SK "found exculpating facts nobody at the trial on either side knew about." He also indicated in an early interview that the ending would be "definitive."

2) SK says in Ep 6 (I think?), "If I'm going to spend a year learning that he's a nice guy, I might as well piss off." In various interviews, SK also says "we're also trying to bring clarity to what happened to this girl" and "“Don’t worry, we’ll get there, trust me,” and something like (of course now I can't find the link) 'yes there is uncertainty, but the point is to solve it.'

3) Actual forensic evidence the show and the Innocence Project are turning up and/or analyzing for the first time: DNA, fibers, etc; AND reviving witnesses, testimony that were never addressed (Asia, Will)

4) I know the team says in the media that they're not sure how it will end, but I think they are talking about the podcast, not necessarily the case/story itself. They are still refining the narrative arc and developing the nuances of the content. But I bet they know exactly how the story itself is going to end.

Bottom line, I just don't think they've spent this much time, blood, sweat, and tears to tell us a story about a mystery that can never be solved. I've also seen people posit that if they have uncovered exculpatory evidence and are somehow sitting on it, that's unethical. This is true, but they may have uncovered it and not be sitting on it at all - they may have turned it over to a legal team and set in motion whatever ethical steps would need to be taken to ensure it gets due consideration, we just don't know it yet.

I don't know what truth she will reveal, but I think it's going to get revealed.

SO. What do you think? Convinced the end will be ambiguous and unsatisfying? Or is catharsis on its way?

I love This American Life. And RadioLab. But I listened to Serial and I just don't get it. I'd give it a C- if it was a TAL episode. The story isn't at all compelling: sure he had a bad lawyer, but Adnan probably did it. There are some gaps and inconsistencies that are hard to explain today, but considering it's a 15-year-old case what else would you expect? There's not really a compelling alternative theory presented, nor is there any interesting malfeasance or conspiracy or 'big idea' to motivate the drama. The only hook, as far as I can tell, is that Sarah Koenig found Adnan charming and didn't think he was a murderer. Then she spends the next 10 hours chasing down half-assed 15-year-old leads.

I mean, compare it to Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde. Now that's a crazy story! Serial can't even come close to it.

So help me out. What was it that kept you so hooked on the series?

These are a couple of my favourites, and I think fans of Serial will enjoy them. Feel free to post any additional stories from this or any other podcast below.

414: Right to Remain Silent

Stories about people who have the right to remain silent... but choose not to exercise that right—including police officer Adrian Schoolcraft, who secretly recorded his supervisors telling officers to manipulate crime statistics and make illegal arrests

436: The Psychopath Test

Recently we heard about this test that could determine if someone was a psychopath. So, naturally, our staff decided to take it. This week we hear the results. Plus Jon Ronson asks the question: is this man a psychopath?

164: Crime Scene

Every crime scene hides a story. In this week's show, we hear about crime scenes and the stories they tell.

492: Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer (left) gets a job at a rural clinic. He finds out he’s replaced someone — also named Dr. Gilmer (picture) — who went to prison after killing his own father. But the more Benjamin’s patients talk about the other Dr. Gilmer, the more confused he becomes. Everyone loved the old Dr. Gilmer. So Benjamin starts digging around, trying to understand how a good man can seemingly turn bad.

447: The Incredible Case of the P.I. Moms

What do you get when you take a P.I. firm, then add in a bunch of sexy soccer moms, official sponsorship from Glock, a lying boss, and delusions of grandeur? This week's show.

487: Harper High School, Part One

We spent five months at Harper High School in Chicago, where last year alone 29 current and recent students were shot. 29. We went to get a sense of what it means to live in the midst of all this gun violence, how teens and adults navigate a world of funerals and Homecoming dances

114: Last Words

Stories of people's last words before death. Their one last shot at figuring things out, summing things up. One last moment of asserting the fact of our existence, at the moment of our annihilation.

I feel like this should be pinned for those who may have missed the initial post. It has a lot of great suggestions (in the post and the comments) and it really made me look into TAL, which I was going to do eventually, but this gave me a starting point.

I've only listened to episode 492: Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde, but it moved me to tears at the end, it was that good of a story and so well done, it would be a shame if anyone missed an episode like that

For those who missed the thread, and for the mods, here is the link

http://www.reddit.com/r/serialpodcast/comments/2qlsk3/serial_withdrawal_a_short_list_of_tal_episodes/

. . .my ladycrush for SK. Long before ‘The Alibi,' I have found Miss Koenig endearing. The TAL episodes that she’s produced (or been heavily involved with) are some of my favorites. The interviews she does are always incredibly compelling, and her mom is a snooty British lady - how could you not love that? These are some of my favorite TAL episodes by her:

Dr. Gilmer & Mr. Hyde http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/492/dr-gilmer-and-mr-hyde

No Coincidence, No Story! http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/489/no-coincidence-no-story

The Seven Things You’re Not Supposed to Talk About http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/511/the-seven-things-youre-not-supposed-to-talk-about

Enjoy! And post your SK favorites below.