Popular Reviews of Arden

Do you like true crime? Do you like odd couples who bicker but slowly grow on each other? Hilarious fake advertisements? Shakespeare references? Genuinely intriguing mysteries? Oh boy this is the show for you! The show is about the search for answers about the disappearance of a young starlet named Julie Capsom (star of a movie called Jane Austen Fight Club which like, fucking genius I want to watch this film NOW) and two women who take on the search. This show is so ambitious and innovative and paced so incredibly well--it’s not just a straightforward take or a spoof of the true crime/investigative podcast form, it’s a genuinely good mystery with compelling characters and some really funny moments that never been out of line with the more serious aspects. (Also genuinely, those ads? Amazing. Aural emojis are a true fave.)

This is an odd duck of a show. I suppose the draw is in whether you enjoy the two leads riffing off each other and overly long meta jokes that the show seems to think are cleverer than they actually are. And yet, it's not entirely without its pleasures. It makes for a "whelming" experience.

The only true crime podcast I will ever listen to.

Probably my fav podcast of 2019, i couldn't stop listening once i started

I've really been enjoying Arden. I loved the first season's assessment of some of the downsides to true crime as a genre as well as the healthy dose of humor. The second season is even better. The songs written for the show by Laura Stratford bring a lot to the already amazing narrative. If you like a little surrealism, a dollop of mystery, and a whole lot of heart in your audiodrama, I think you'll really enjoy Arden.

The podcast of overly complex for no apparent reason, including protagonists who are testy towards each other just for the sake of conflict. The main storyline is slow and hard to follow because of side-story lines inserted that just make the whole podcast agonisingly slow.Characters seem to need to justify their existence by telling us 'how good they are at this', when in reality listeners are just wondering 'where are we going with this story' and 'why can't we just hurry up and get there so I can stop listening to these groveling, self-centered, cardboard cut out characters who like listening to the sound of their own voices'.

really funny and also love all characters, please consider donating to their campaign for season 3, just one day left!!

A comedy/mystery true crime parody in which each season is a based off a Shakespeare play; season 1 is Romeo and Juliet while season 2 is Hamlet. Protagonists Bea and Brenda are inspired by Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing in how they bicker and a bit in their past conflict over reputation. The way the story beats are translated make for interesting adaptational changes; for example, in season 2, Hamlet's monologues become songs sung at open mic (the Hamlet adaptation is excellent and season 2 episode 10 is the best episode of the show, though due to music rights issues, they made the confusing decision to kill the pacing by having the penultimate episode of the season be one of the showrunners explaining what happened interspersed with clips rather than releasing the episode sans music for the time being). As the first season develops, its theme becomes the morality of true crime. Season 2 also delves into the consequences of true crime reporting, as well as unreliable perspectives, mental health, and the inability to let go of the past. The show also includes some commentary on the power of big business. The comedic tone shifts sharply to seriousness in season 1 episode 11 (though season 2 is still a comedy with serious points). The protagonists are complex and at times unlikable as their determination to discover the truth no matter the cost has human consequences. The first season's conceit is that everything you hear is the in-universe podcast, while the second season does away with a bit of that format; this would likely work better if the whole thing was about the behind the scenes of the in-universe podcast, since it would make more sense to be listening to the extraneous details. The banter is entertaining as are some of the meta hijinks, though those jokes can go on for too long. The acting for the main characters are good, and the sound quality is often fine, but sometimes the volume level varies.

Seems like it is a real true crime podcast. However it's not. The "host" don't get along at all, which makes it all the more entertaining. Season 2 was spectacular.

I just got started on this, four episodes in, and am hooked - where has it been all this time? Still waiting to hear what happened to Julie Capsom. Was pleasantly surprised about the commercials - which are sort of part of the story? Looking forward to the rest!

I listened to the whole show over the Christmas holiday and could not put it down! Expertly crafted story and relatable, lovable characters that reflect the diversity of real life. I love Bea and Brenda so much, and I am so excited to hear where their story goes in season 3.

A fun duo podcast with a lot of intrigue

The main seasons are great. Great writing, acting, and sound design.The Radicalization of Julie Curdface is rather weak in comparison. I didn't finish that spin-off.

I marathoned season 1 as quick as I could and really enjoyed it. I don't usually care for 'true crime' type shows but this one is certainly an exception. The story is so elaborate, I love it!

While I’m generally a fan of horror based podcasts, this one was brilliant and managed to hold my attention.Good, fun podcast with some great laughs

This is just a really great show and I love it already! The stellar performance of Bea and Brenda makes their relationship almost as intriguing and exiting as the disappeance of Julie. Tell me more, please!

Just started seems interesting

I love this show. I love the humor, I love trying to figure out all the Shakespeare references - the things that stay the same and the things that get taken in a different direction, I love the meta-commentary on true crime and podcasting and on storytelling in general, I love how it engages so deeply and carefully with mental health issues, I love Bea and Brenda and how queer the whole podcast is, and I love the love that gets put into all these characters. I love that this show is operating on about 20 different levels at once, and they all seem targeted right at so many of the things I love. It's very special.

Cried at the last episode and it took me waaaay too long to realise it was a Shakespeare thing... 'eat his heart in the farmers market' But really fun ! Good! Makes you forget about real world consequences and wish for just a moment that they could have stayed free.

An interesting comedic take on the whole true-crime podcast craze and if the narrative had a tighter focus I would love Arden but for now I think it is okay. The acting is very good even if they scream too often and blow out the audio, the main issues I have is pacing, focus, and tone. I still feel like at the end I didn't fully understand or at the very least care about the case because the show would drift off into something else like parody of ads, meta gags, or character drama, all of which are fine if paced better and tonally finer tuned. Many episodes feel like they are padded out and that is often pointed out in the show but just because you point out the padding doesn't mean it isn't still just padding. I am coming across harsh on this show because I do like it and what it is trying to do but I just wish that episodes wouldn't come to a screeching halt so often for some lazy gags or forced character drama.