Season two of The City, set in Reno, is a great, informative listen. I definitely preferred it to the first season in Chicago. Learning about the seedy details of Reno was both surprising and not so surprising.

Decent listen, but I think I wanted more of a deep dive into the corruption of Chicago politics. Pacing also felt kind of weird. One minute it's about garbage, then it's about bribing officials, then back to health concerns. Could have been more smooth. Also felt like there were a lot of details that were just said over and over again, making it a little boring in some parts that could have been filled with more, interesting details. Season 2 definitely is more interesting, set in Reno.

The City: Wow this podcast is the best non-murder investigative series I’ve ever heard. It looks at how authority and power works in American cities and had two seasons before its producer USA Today canceled the show. The first season looks at a Black Chicago community’s fight to get rid of an illegal dump across the street from an elementary school. The story is made up of many different parts, some expected and some unexpected, including bizarre legal technicalities, corrupt politics, mob crime, a six-story debris pile, and a twist I couldn’t have predicted. Told through the voices of those who lived it the podcast provides an intimate and detailed look into one neighborhood’s struggle for equality. Host Robin Amer created and narrated the 10 part miniseries. Each episode is on average 29 minutes long but the show has no commercials. I loved the reporter’s voice which I felt wasn’t trying to be a Dateline host and the music is very professional. Script is of an excellent quality and is supported by secretly recorded conversations, first person testimonials from high ranking public officials, and witness accounts. Similar Pods: Criminal, Empty Frames, The Pope’s Long Con, Dear Franklin Jones, Disgraceland, Breakdown, The Fall Line, The Grift, Secret Time, Crime in Sports, Heist, Fake Heiress, wecrashed, Shedunnit, Slow Burn, Swindled, Uncover, Mugshot, The Dream More reviews on insta @themastercast