I mean, I understand the need for a more darker, serious et professional tone, so to speak, in Season 2 and Season 3 (Since it's the history of Cuba et DPRK that we're talking about, who've been terrorized by the U.S.A)
But that makes me all the more excited just wondering what's to come when listening to them talk about Afghanistan in Season 4, since I'm wondering if they'll talk about it in a more lighter or darker tone...
They've been serious since season 2 and that's how it's gonna be. I don't mind, they do it once a year and do a lot of work and are taken pretty seriously, it's better they don't undermine themselves.
Sorry, I think I've got ahead of myself... I just thought that the tone of their podcast on the Iraq War would apply somewhat to Afghanistan, albeit a bit more bleaker...
Season 1 was almost like the first season of The Simpsons, it was finding itself a bit. I do miss the irreverence a bit and Jon Benjamin as Saddam is inspired. I think that's them coming from the chapo zone and starting with that sort of vibe but it then got good reviews, it was super well researched and it was taken seriously by serious people. I think there was a conscious choice to go more in that direction.
I wonder if they’re going to cover the Latin American Monroe doctrine leading to the creation of drug cartels soon. That’s some major blowback with no signs of ending any time
Season 4 doesn't have a lighter tone, it's basically the same as seasons 2 and 3 in that regard. There's some War On Terror stupidity like in season 1, but it was more sad than funny. Also, pretty much everyone they profiled, on all sides, was either stupid, evil, or both.
Egh, well, I guess I have to check on the bonus episodes...
After the first season they realized their audience was 100% internet communists so leaned into that. I don't think they were particularly far left in the first season but they've definitely conformed their presentation to the audience from which they got the most enthusiastic response.
Season 4 is definitely very serious and not particularly light hearted, its the most dense and difficult season to listen to for me in terms of parsing the timeline and involved figures.
Part of that is of course that unlike the previous seasons there is no core party in Afghanistan who events center around, all the previous seasons focus on long running parties and governments, while Afghanistan is characterised by inflicted instability on the country.
4 is super complicated I listened to it 3 times and still don’t get it all. Almost have to take notes
So in the 4th season america made mistakes that blew back in their faces
I was also pretty lost listening to season 4. I really think they should've commissioned some diagrams showing the relationships between the key players and chronological maps and stuff to make it easier to follow.
