And second it’s a fiction in more ways than one. This is pure propaganda. Oh, indeed it is well written, but it’s a fictional story based on a pandemic that was manufactured. Yes, people died. It was a mix of deadly hospital protocols and the lack of early treatments. Incredibly, they managed to smear those who were trying a variety of meds to save lives. Here we are in 2024 and the FDA has been court-ordered to remove all its lies about ivermectin from social media. This story is built to push that very lie (that ivermectin doesn’t work) among many others.

This is nothing but cheap propaganda. I would say more, but at this point, who cares? You are either a critical thinker who can spot blatant propaganda, or you aren't, in which case what I say won't matter in how you perceive this podcast.

My husband and I are in the medical field and struggled to understand why people didn't trust the medical system and vaccine during COVId. This was a great listen and I feel more empathetic and understanding. I enjoyed hearing the story from Rachel's perspective.

Having grown up in LA in the 80’s and 90’s this was like going home with one of the families you meet at school, or church, or walking down the street and being a fly on a wall. The story and story telling are very raw and it’s so much more than polarizing views of a terrible pandemic.

This was like listening to a story about people I know.

Liberal propaganda.

Sad disfunctional family. If you have sensitive ears, I’d pass this one up. Rachel can’t get through to many full sentences without using the f word 2 or 3 times. As a writer I’d think her vocabulary would be a little more expanded.

Starts out interesting and then goes nowhere.

More absolute horseshi* propagated ny the entities responsible for our struggles and pain. Phuk these degenerate subhumans. And may their next 5000 incarnations consist of r@p3 and perpetual suffering. Better yet,tie them down and make them listen to the same type of police state ,federal propaganda that they pedal to thr populous. Imagine ignoring the countless cases of proof that your beliefs are objectively flawed and dangerous, yet persisting to push a narrative based on the single coincidental instance that can perpetuate your cognitive dissonance . In other words all the people passing on with the juice in their system vs. the number of healthy virulent masses without that juice in them!!! Countless studies and research and data from all over clearly showing evidence of guilty actions from americas favorite actor doctor and “health” organizations.

So boring. Nothing exciting happens. I can’t believe this is a podcast. two stars because the host has a nice voice keeps you locked in hoping something interesting happens.

In the first episode, I found the storyline about the impacts of COVID (the division over the vaccine etc.), mildly compelling. Five minutes into the 2nd episode they are talking about a drunk, abusive, racist family. I was very confused…until I saw the correlation she was trying to insinuate. Very disappointing.

I wasted three hours for them to just tell us the same thing over and over kept thinking something was gonna happen nothing ever did except lots of “shedding” don’t listen! Plenty of other better podcasts.

Heartbreaking and frustrating retelling about a complicated family and how ignorance and fear in the time of Covid tore them apart. Ignore the reviewers who want to make this political and still are sadly ignorant about science and facts.

All the one star reviews focus on the anti-vax elements and demonstrates that those listeners did not listen to the podcast in its entirety. The show is about the people we love and how our childhoods shape our lives. It’s about a woman’s reckoning with grief, which like all of us, includes sadness, anger, blame, love, laughter, all of it. Rachel is candid and her story is powerful. Highly recommend.

After listening to these three episodes I feel like I know this family. Very considerate and humane reporting.

Another leftist account of their experience with Covid related deaths and criticism of anti vax. Interesting and well done, but nauseatingly obvious from Democratic Party viewpoints.

I’m only halfway through part 2 but I’m feeling sort of glad this man died a long slow death after what he put his kids through. 😬

I am grateful for this podcast. It broke through my simplified notions of good and bad views relating to Covid by telling a complicated, beautiful, and tragic story of people who love each other.

Stopped after 2 minutes. 🙄 all those nasty anti-vaxxers and they’re dangerous ideologies 🙄🙄🙄

I wish the story would share the the folks who got vaccinated and have suffered many ailments, primarily heart conditions. This is a left wing fight to try and brainwash people into believing that the untested covid vaccines are the only way to fight “COVID” Please.

That was beautiful. The pairing of these 2 women Everyone involved must be very proud. I miss smoking, too.

This was compelling and tragic, and seemed well told until this sister/daughter snuck in a snide comment about health care in America being substandard. I forget the wording, but was stunned at this off-topic stab at the most important part of saving some Covid victims, and preventing many more being created, and so many more deaths. Her hang-up and ignorance in that statement stopped me cold and I had to relisten a couple of times to believe it. That was the end for me. That ignorance-based agenda line didn't belong in the story about her father and brother. Yikes.

Did I miss the part where they stated that Nancy Updike is a medical professional???

Why does the host interject these totally irrelevant personal asides? Not very journalistic. Interesting story but it might have been richer if not told by a Rachel fangirl

As someone who lost her own father during COVID, Rachel’s story resonated, even though our lives were completely different. Grief has a way of being an equalizer; the things missed and the things that can never be said and the things that we hold onto are unifyingly difficult, even while being uniquely our own. Peace, Rachel, grace for the days ahead and peace in your perserverance.

This story is not about a grieving woman; it’s about a woman’s self absorption and political views.

An incredibly sad story in an incredibly sad time.

Trying to tie vaccine hesitance to abusers…the story would have been interesting enough without the blame being put on the medical status of those involved

this was v introspective and the poem at the end was v emotional.

Wow, a must listen!

The poem at the end…what can I say except that this is an incredible piece of radio journalism. As society has opened space for all trauma survivors to talk and feel and share…remnants of a world where beating your kids was commonplace and the story about what it did to them long term is so important- for lack of a better word- but it is a prism to see how we were wronged not only by our parents but their parents and then their parents ad infinitum and …society…and the way of the world. My feelings are raw after having heard this.

I’m so incredibly moved that I’m finding it hard to collect myself. Thank you for using time and money and employment to create this piece of undeniably important communication. It’s because of the team that is very respectfully listed at the end that the arts maintain…themselves. Sustainable. Important. Organic. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Bravo. Standing ovations. Hugs. Kisses. Serious hugs and kisses to the cast and production team.

You have shook my cage with AND WE WERE THREE phenomenal Pod and truths finally revealed. I Thank You! KHF-Albq. NM

I first read the reviews and of course there are comments from conspiracy theorists. I have confidence that the storyteller would not hesitate to tell a story of mass deaths from people receiving vaccines (if the vaccine caused mass deaths). It didn’t of course. Yes, there were some illnesses and I heard if deaths, but not mass deaths. COVID cases see mass deaths. It is sad that the listeners could not penetrate their armor of belief about COVID and vaccines, to enjoy the depth of this family story. Every family has their story, secrets, and tragedies that form their individuality as adults. This podcast provides a revealing look into this family. It is a sad story. It made me sob for all of them.

As an RN that worked directly with covid patients exclusively for greater than a year, this was the reality for some of our patients. Thank you for sharing your and your families story.

This is one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to which explores the grief that comes when an abusives, but still loved parent dies. And the even greater grief at not being able to “save” the sibling that was also abused by the parent. I shared this podcast with my sisters in the hope that we might be able to further defuse the sorrow from our childhoods defined by abuse.

Brilliant podcast — painful too — but reading many of the hateful comments, surprised that low IQers, like the anti-vaxxers, Trumpists, and other discontents, would listen to a NYT production.

Found this to be a really beautiful and human story—taking all the misinformation and the politicized stew and showing how it shows up for actual people and families. I was super moved.

Great story. Thank you.

Nancy Updike should do a podcast interviewing families of healthy young people who have suddenly died unexpectedly from blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Same thing for the families of young children who now have myocarditis or of kids who have dropped dead on their high school football fields.

20 minutes in and I’m out.

Another liberal propaganda podcast.

Short series as it doesn’t take Rachel long to unravel that her cousin was working against her behind her back. The details are infuriating. What are the limits of forgiveness? Good listening for anyone whose circles include only people who already agree with you—exposure to differing points of view can stimulate your empathy muscle growth!

This podcast preamble was a bait and switch. Disappointed. Very anticlimactic. Basically, about a woman who thinks the whole world should listen to her story because she had a bad childhood.

Updike’s voice is so monotone. Just such a boring podcast.

Not 15 minutes into the first episode, we start getting all the “our healthcare system is garbage” line from the author. This isn’t a fact based podcast, it’s just her opinion piece on our health care system and how it is the cause of all these problems. I am not in the healthcare industry. I have my own small business and pay a fortune for my premiums even with high deductibles. But I’ve travelled and seen health in other countries and see our system as not perfect yet offering excellent solutions. Are you still reading? You shouldn’t be! Just as you don’t care to read my opinions on this topic during a podcast review, I don’t want the author’s diatribe when I was expecting a supposed fact based, investigative podcast. With all the professional podcasts out there from bona fide journalists, just move on.

Nancy Updike could read the dictionary, and to me it’s an appointment Pod. Nothing bad ever came out of This American Life- Full Stop. Infuriating, frustrating and voyeuristic at turns, ignore the trolls and naysayers; if you’re bored, it’s because you lack intelligence or empathy. A great listen.

I don’t understand why I’m supposed to care about these people. I made it through the first episode, and half of the second, and stopped right when Rachel started describing having to be silent when her dad beat her. What a guy…? I’m very sorry for Rachel, and her resilience is admirable, but should I be moved by the fact that a horrible father fell into a Covid-paranoia hole and died as a result? I just don’t see the point of this podcast.

Started out great and the. I was waiting for more information or a conclusion

I also couldn’t keep my mind off the kids, especially the daughter she had in high school. Was the baby in the house when all the bad stuff was going on?