Serial.

Let's talk about SERIAL.

I'M OBSESSED. I just finished last Friday, actually, and I can't stop talking about it. Like, with anyone else who will listen/or especially those who tuned in.

Here's the dill:

About a month or so ago, everyone around me started to get all, "you have to listen to Serial! It's by the 'This American Life' people (NPR) and it's AMAZ."

You know how I feel about pop culture. When it comes to books/movies/TV shows/fashion/apparently now podcasts, I can't stand to be left out. (Except for Walking Dead. You can leave me out of that shit all day).

So, I finally bit the bullet and did what everyone told me, and I downloaded the Podcasts app on my iPhone. I figured, I have a 25ish-minute commute to work, I'll knock out a bunch then.

... And thennnnnnnn I spent (what felt like) every waking hour listening, till I binge-heard it all.

Last Friday, I knocked out the final six in one sitting. Cray.

Anyway, I had never really listened to a podcast before, regularly I mean. Sure, I've heard a podcast or two throughout the years, but I always thought it wasn't really my thing.

Yeah, so if you're in the same boat? Don't let that be your excuse. The podcast is so easy to access -- and you don't even have to wait for the episodes to download. You tap play and they're there.

G was all, "We're living in an era of HD TV! This feels like taking a step back to the '50s, crowding around our radio, waiting for our favorite program to start!"

Hush hush.

Serial is a true story (also something that drew me in), about a murder case from the '90s. Adnan Syed was convicted in the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in Baltimore County. So, I can't give too much away. But the question is like, did he do it? Did he kill Hae? Why would he have killed Hae? How the Fffffffff did the jury possibly come up with the unanimous decision that he was guilty based on the court case alone? Was the case flubbed? What were the attorney's intentions?

Sarah Koenig is the reporter/narrator and she does excellent work. She doesn't just speak conversationally, she really talks to you like you're BFFs sitting in a room side by side, and she pieces the case together with you.

It's fascinating. She recreates it wonderfully, even returning to the scene to examine if the state's timeline was feasible.

Some of it is like, WHAT?!?!? I realize how ditzy that sentence sounds, but I can't even say more. Don't want to give away all the surprises. It's pretty unbelievable.

To anyone about to listen, my main advice is this: Don't get too TOO caught up in the details. Follow along closely and as best you can but ... you could rewind and rewind and take notes and drive yourself crazy following the cellphone records and everyone's stories, but you're just going to get even more confused. (And I'm a visual person. I just wanted to look at a flow chart!)

Just keep in mind: None of the case adds up. Anywhere. That's really what Koenig is trying to point out by weeding through the details. Nothing makes sense. This whole case is a ginormous cluster-F.

And then when you're done with the series, let's text about it. And read Reddit! The people on Reddit/r/serialpodcast have so many good theories and interesting nuggets that I missed the first time around. Hop to it!