Popular Reviews of How it Ends

This show has some really great naturalistic dialogue and performances. At one point, one of the friends makes a joke that the other two burst out laughing at, and it is impressive how natural it sounds. Kudos to the team.

This show starts up kind of slow, but intriguing so you keep on listening. And then - it develops into something thriller´ish, supernatural, mysterious and scary. The great VA performances gives this show a real genuine feeling, it´s almost like being friends with the characters and following along. Really well done!

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I was invited to listen to How It Ends. The premise—a daughter trying to connect with her father through his past, even the parts that predate her—made me assume this would be something soft, reflective, and bittersweet. I was not prepared. What unfolds instead is a slow-burn, daytime-TV-level drama layered with podcaster-investigator energy, slice-of-life storytelling, and a steady undercurrent of unease and paranoia. This show is slow-roasted goodness. The characters are chasing answers to questions they don’t yet know how to ask, and listeners are given the rare opportunity to investigate right alongside them. The level of intention here is wild. From ARG elements to merch, an active Discord, and even season-specific playlists that mirror the emotional state of the characters—everything feels deliberate. The show is patient and confident enough to let its characters breathe, wander, and unravel at their own pace, which means it can take them anywhere and still feel earned. What’s even more impressive is that much of the cast wasn’t classically trained or working actors before this series. You’d never guess it. From Micah’s shaky resolve, to Devon’s grounded steadiness, to Elia’s tunnel-vision intensity, the performances feel lived-in and real. 5/5. One of my favorite discoveries in nearly a decade of listening to audio dramas—and easily a modern classic. Here’s hoping for many more seasons of How It Ends.

Great mystery podcast. The writer definitely knows how to create suspense. When you listen to an episode, you always NEED to know what comes next. Loved this podcast

One of the best portrayals of dissociative symptoms associated with grief and trauma that I’ve heard in any audio drama. The whole cast has a wonderfully natural line delivery style but Micah (the protagonist) is standout for the big emotional moments that so often occur as she pursues the truth about the circumstances of her father’s death. An already fraught topic is skillfully interwoven with a slow burn mystery that grows more sinister as the seasons pass. I really enjoyed the way that Micah’s mental health is entwined with the plot progression — it makes her hard-won coping skills feel even more important. Another favorite element of this show is the genuine friendship that Micah is shown by the people who have rallied around her — there’s no questioning as you listen to them bicker, joke with and comfort one another that the friendship runs deep and that that continues even when they’re not recording. The conversation always flows as it would in real life and each character is given real nuance, often with an episode here or there focused on them so that Micah doesn’t feel like she exists in a vacuum. Definitely one of my top mystery/suspense audio dramas.

I love the naturalistic dialogue and voice acting. It really does sound like people just talking—awkward hiatuses, occasional cross-talk, etc.—but not so much that it's hard to understand what's going on. The understated but clear tension and unease in the voice of the opening voice-over are great, and I really like listening to Micah's husky voice. The plot is extremely slow-burn, but it gives more room for the development of the characters and their dynamics.

How It Ends is an exploration in grief, the turmoil of loss, and the complexities inherent to friends, family, and the people around us. While the world portrayed is fictional, the characters, events, and setting (heavily informed by the rich communities, histories, and cultures of Rhode Island and New Jersey) feel tangible and real. With a diverse cast and crew portraying and creating unique characters, HIE is never boring; this podcast will surprise you as it twists and winds through the stories of Micah and Nolan, mysteries unfolding to reveal secrets hidden even deeper than you expected. This podcast is suspenseful, joyous, bereaved, frightening, haunted, and, above all else: fighting. I recommend How It Ends to anyone who enjoys found families, drama and suspense, mysteries and thrillers, strange or unexplained events, puzzle solving, and learning about new places you may never know exist otherwise.

Damn this show! I was only going to listen to the first season, because there are so many ADs on my list... but that cliffhanger, though! I'm gonna have to continue. So good! The mystery is intriguing, but all the more so because the characters are all so natural and relatable. And I love the effortless, improvisational style of the acting!

Got this recommended to me a few years ago based on a "Podcasts similar to things you listen to..." suggestion, and so glad I did. As others have noted, this is a slow burn mystery with a major emphasis on its characters. The roles feel lived-in and nuanced, not relying on tropes (or when they do, finding ways to make them feel grounded in reality, even when the plot is venturing into less grounded territory). Genuinely stirring performances that get you in the feelings -- the voice acting crew has really matured over the past several seasons, and the production quality (both in-show and in the connected ARG and other materials) is a level beyond what other similar podcasts often put into their productions. So glad to have found this show (and gotten connected into the larger listening community via Discord) and excited for what's ahead!

This slowest of slow burns is full of feelings and emotions. But it's also full of suspense and excitement. That juxtoposition makes for a compelling listen, and their take on the podcast-within-a-podcast framing device plays well to my geekier side. Settle in and enjoy!

Really enjoying it. Especially the realistic dialogue between friends. So refreshing. Interesting story too.

I started listening to How It Ends during the pandemic and was immediately hooked. The characters feel so real which makes the creepy mysterious things happening all the scarier. The further you get in the story, the more you'll want to go back and relisten, because there are hints and clues along the way. This show explores how real people react when inexplicable, life-altering things happen.

How It Ends was an absolute blast to marathon. I really can’t get enough of this show, the mystery and these characters. Loved the scene with Micah exploring her Father’s things for the first time. The drop-in clips (like the song) were brilliantly executed and implemented. Also really loved the interview with the non-fiction writer in season one. Very cool episode design idea. The dialogue delivery is absolutely some of the BEST and most natural sounding voice acting I’ve heard in all of Audio Fiction. No hyperbole, this is some seriously great stuff.