The guy mocks the victims…

Nothing but grandiose pontificating with no actual content. The podcast’s anger and misogyny manages to dominate each and every episode. There are so many well researched and objective true crime podcasts out there. This one is just nonsense.

I used to enjoy this podcast. The host has ruined it for me. He’s insufferable and rude.

I love this podcast but I find myself skipping the stories about kids being horrifically abused or tortured and or killed some of them are great like the school for boys in Florida very insightful but it’s like every story after episode 60 to 100 is just about kids it’s just personally not interesting and would like to here more about serial killers their lives and what got them to that point less about kids who were sacrificed because of wacko parents

I love true crime and I’ve listened to this show for awhile. But I’m deleting it now. The host is getting worse and worse. He keeps interjecting his political views for no reason, and it takes away from the story. Like he literally can’t stop himself. If I wanted to listen to politics I would subscribe to the hundred other political podcasts out there.

Hands down the best true crime podcast in the industry!

Mike does an amazing job covering every case with playing 9-1-1 calls, interrogations and doesn’t try and sugar coat anything. I think this is the best true crime podcast out there! He gives me “full body chills”.

I could go without mikes opinion on most verdicts/ people involved. Don’t hate it, don’t love it either. I appreciate a more unbiased approach but evidently this podcast is successful so I don’t want to give up on it.

This was one of the better true crime shows, sadly, the turmoil of a polarized nation has seeped into this podcast. Sad!

Sorry I can’t with the William Shattner pause every 3 words and victim blaming(son who killed mom). I also don’t need a 2 min summary every-time a commercial ends.

You know you’ve done something special when your most loyal listeners are the biggest haters…it’s so good, they can’t turn away

First let me say how shocked I am by the rating on this podcast!! Absolutely ridiculous! This is a great podcast, the stories are original in that you haven’t heard them ten times before.. and I love the banter and his voice. Honestly, I don’t normally write reviews but the 4.1 blew my mind and I felt like I had to say something. Keep up the good work!! Love it!! THIS IS THE BEST TRUE CRIME PODCAST EVER!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Hi Mike your podcasts are almost unbelievable!!!🥺but I still listen all day long I’m addict !!! The worst I listened too physically made sick !!the neighbors that kept the little girl in his closet and no one knew… he molested the poor little girl and buried her in the backyard of his mobile home. Very low shallow grave. It was absolutely horrible, but I still keep listening Mike…

I’m leaving my old review below to show I was a fan. I subscribed for years. Suddenly there’s nothing but old crimes that any true crime fanatic knows. Week after week of old cases that have been covered by everyone else on you tube or by other podcasts months or years ago.I got bored and unsubscribed . Here I am checking in and it’s another over exposed case that’s been done to death. Kinda sad that this show has become stale, searching for cases on YouTube I suspect. Here’s my old review before they got boring: The show is a high quality true crime podcast, one of the best. Thanks for all your hard work to make an entertaining but serious show. Plus is worthwhile, pay for it! Twice as much content and no commercial breaks. I’m not sure why people get on here to slam the host. He does a professional job covering crime issues relevant to women with empathy and useful info. Do I agree with everything Mike says, “no” but that’s real life. Does he dislike pedos, yes but why don’t you? This podcast is consistently excellent and one of the originals.

Just showin some love for Mike and his team. You guys are the best!!!!

Truly the best true crime podcast out there. Unfortunately it’s hosted by a hyper opinionated dolt.

Could bring awareness to domestic violence in all of its many forms, and mental illness but doesn't. Everyone is just a stupid moron lol

I’m pretty sure I’ve heard every murder story by now- sadly I know that isn’t true. I’ve listened to numerous podcasts. This one is the absolute best. I just want the story with of course Mike’s thoughts bc they almost always match mine. The music, the production.. all perfection. Great job y’all! Highly recommend this podcast if you listen to true crime.

Wow, Kenzie reminds me of someone. Who could it be? Oh ya, Donald Trump. Never been told no, narcissistic, baby like grievances. Figured y’all would love her!

really wish this podcast researched and shared true facts, and was hosted by someone with common human decency.

I’ve listened to all episodes of this show and really enjoyed it in the beginning for the police interviews and other audio clips, but the host has really ruined it. He randomly insults the listener and constantly puts down women. I feel like an idiot for listening to the show for so long when he clearly doesn’t want me to. I’ve also grown tired of his slow, sarcastic, halting speech and bitter, hateful attitude. What could’ve been a great show is now a venting space for this wounded Male-Karen. Try Casefile instead. It’s a fantastic show full of facts that sticks to the story. Casefile’s host is also smart enough to remain anonymous and not interject his two cents everywhere.

I have tried to listen to this podcast several times, but the host stands in the way. I don't care how he continually inserts his opinion and needless commentary. I had to stop listening.

It’s like they gave up. Ads come in at random points in the episode - even when the host is mid-sentence! It’s bizarre. Doesn’t anyone care enough to check the program before releasing it? Also - the narration is increasingly a rehash of whatever the detective/criminal/family member just said. This show has gone downhill. I can’t even listen anymore.

5 stars, if you can tell these stories so well (the way you do) you should get into graduation speeches!! Love it, keep it up bruddha!!!! -Cory from Delaware

I'm a huge fan of this podcast. The host is incredibly knowledgeable, and his thorough research, supported by the team, makes for an excellent and entertaining listen. I admire the speaker's wit and the way he presents information. The stories are well crafted and always leave me eager for the next episode.

Can’t stop, won’t stop!

I’ve been a subscriber to Sword And Scale for a few years now and genuinely enjoy the content, and the host. They get into the cases quickly, and don’t spend time on chatting with a co-host which I really appreciate. Thanks for continuing to bring great content to us Mike!

I started binging this show and giving it 4 stars, but the more I listen, the more I can’t stand this guy and his hateful, unnecessary comments. It’s like there’s an imaginary, caricature of a liberal that he’s fighting with during the show. He can’t help leaking his views and hateful rhetoric into the stories. As much as I loved the details in the story telling, the audio clips and interviews, I can’t continue to support a person who’s making money off the tragedies in other people’s lives while being totally insensitive to them. Victim blaming, misogyny, racism, and then gas lighting if a viewer calls him out. I don’t ever wish failure for other people, but if I was a family member of some of these victims, I’d be livid that this guy is making money off their stories. Go find another podcast to listen to, supporting someone like this isn’t worth that icky feeling. A similar quality of story telling without the slimy commentary can be found at “invisible choir”. And in case he thinks this is a take from another “sensitive libtard”, I’m not a liberal, I’m a libertarian. I grew up in Idaho in a tight knit, Christian, conservative community that I love.

Mikes the best. Trump 2024

I’m not sure this man understands (or cares) what is inappropriate to come out of ones mouth. Today I listened to the harrowing case about Jessica Lynne Reale and her sister (Ep 259). Her sister is murdered, dismembered and burned in this episode, and Mike Boudet sees this horrific happening as a chance to mention the smell of burning bodies and his preference of bbq pellet grill (direct quote: “me? I like the Traeger. It’s easy to keep your temps regulated and there are all sorts of flavors of pellets to choose from. I like the hickory. A lot of people like apple, but I like hickory. Smells pretty good. Leaves a nice, sharp, smoky taste on your meats. Anyway….”). Needless to say, comparing a toddler’s burning body in a fireplace to a “backyard bbq cookout” might be one of the most foul and disrespectful things I’ve ever heard on a true crime podcast. You, Mike Boudet, are a disgusting human being and should be canceled.

“Former and future president”… and your show is supposed to advocate for victims and you support a rapist. Shame on you! Been a follower for many year and now I’m done as your just a fake idiot like all the other MAGA losers

I have listened to S&S from very early on and loved when it was great storytelling intercut with real recordings, it was so well done! Now it seems to be mediocre true crime as a vehicle for venting blatantly misogynistic and racist opinion and cultural rage. 2 stars instead of 1 because I remember what it was a long time ago.

I’ve listened for a long time, but especially lately he keeps making out of the blue comments that make me say ‘wait, what?’ For multiple episodes it’s comments about women also? I kept thinking ‘okay maybe it was just one’ and when I looked and thought about it, it had been several. Do you really think telling a story about a woman dying is the time to slip in essentially a ‘but what else do you expect because she was doing ______’ kind of comment? Even if you think that, does it really seem necessary? Glad I scrolled past the 5 star reviews at the beginning to see what people said so I could see I wasn’t the only one. The guys got a lot of anger it seems.

Like someone else mentioned, this podcast is done by a very stupid man who thinks he is very smart. Had to stop listening finally after all these years. The political rants about hating women have become intolerable and the victim-blaming is apparent in every single episode. Can’t even get through it anymore. I hope this guy seeks help for his mommy issues.

If you like racist, misogynistic, and transphobic comments every 10 seconds in a true crime podcast, this is the one for you! Otherwise, if you’re a decent human being I would recommend skipping this podcast and exploring the many, many alternatives.

I’ve been a true crime podcast listener for years and I only just found this show. It’s hard to find shows that tell the story without injecting personal irrelevant commentary or injecting opinion. I really just want the story, and I want a good story teller. Interviews with law enforcement and individuals add to this show when included, but the storytelling and production is so good it doesn’t even need it. Sword and scale has all the features that have made the classic true crime giants like Dateline and 20/20 last— thought-provoking stories, great writing, and, of course, a talented a narrator with a powerful, yet soothing voice. Unlike the big names however, it’s modern, avoiding the melodrama and sensationalism we’ve come to see as cliches. At the same time they’ve managed to avoid falling into the pitfalls so many “modern” true crime shows have, no tangents about dogs, no chatter between hosts, just great storytelling. The host is intelligent and authentic. The only reason I can imagine this show isn’t as popular as Crime Junky or (the criminally overrated, Morbid— I can’t even listen to that one the hosts are way too chatty and distractingly unintelligent) is because this show requires a pretty expensive subscription to get full access. To me, it’s well worth it. Great work SAS.

Amazing commentary, tells the truth even if not in standards with the politically Correct

I used to really like Sword and Scale. I tolerated the rants about politics, the cringiness of the music (like we’re at a rave in 2012), but the racism and misogyny has just gone off the rails, and the quality really has gone downhill. The episodes sound rushed, every 2 to 5 minutes Mike is whining about something. There are just too many really well done podcasts out there for me to keep going with this. I have listened for about six years, but I think episode 273 was it for me. I don’t generally get offended by somebody saying the “C word“, but again, when a dude who clearly hates women does it, it’s the last straw.

Mike is the most entertaining, informative and skilled podcast host by far. Love all the podcasts in the Sword and Scale universe. And the new TV show is legit. Keep them coming. I am more then happy to pay my membership fee each month to S&S and i will continue to do so as long as they keep making new episodes/shows.

Did this fool just compare a true crime podcast to npr? Yes, he did.

I read 2 reviews that came up so listening to episode 175 again (3rdX). I’m reminded of the wicked amazing podcasts and “cool Mike Boudet“ that I listened to for months (the 2nd podcast I was hooked on). Now, during every new episode, I have to force myself to ignore his anger, thinly veiled racist comments, and blatant misogyny. It’s so disappointing after supporting him through the difficult times & attempts to replace him. Mike, I’m sorry you went through tough times that clearly affected you.. But you’ve forgotten that not all your audience is MAGA, anti-choice, and misogynistic. S&S is your podcast & you have the right to say what you want. But, as the review title states, I just miss the “old Mike“. The Mike who presented and told the best true crime stories available. without alienating the rest of us. Food for thought from a (soon to be) former listener. And I’m not alone, I promise.

Used to be my favorite podcast. He cares more about being divisive than telling a story. It’s sad.

I have followed this podcast for about two years. The story telling and details are great. However as of today, I will know longer listen. The host constantly disparages the victims and the victim’s families. His lack of respect is disgusting. Not to mention he can not make it through an episode without letting his misogynistic and racist beliefs creep into the episode. If you want a great true crime podcast that is respectful of the victims while giving amazing detail, listen to Small Town Murder.

Fun show for the morbid true crime fans. But the political views and misogyny and getting in the way of what I starting listening for. Not everything has to be tied to political parties. Mike you are becoming the “Florida Man.” Stick to the story.

The petty passive aggressive comments have made me turn off multiple recent episodes. Long time listener & definitely disappointed with the direction the show has taken

I really enjoy the show and how they do everything. It’s a good podcast. What’s strange though is the host constantly adds in weird commentary about women and you can tell based on how he talks about women just how much he holds animosity.

Too much music too many rants. 1.15 hour podcast is half taken by music and rants. Decent content though but always behind other shows. Host isn’t funny, thinks he is. Politics thrown around I’m done.

I have subscribed to this podcast twice now and you’d think I’d have learned my lesson. The content is good, the research and interviews are excellent and well researched, victims are mostly regarded with respect except for the occasional comment out of left field that says more about the host than the subject matter. This host continually drops political bombs and obvious bias against women, stereotypes and even seems to enjoy smearing small towns. His arrogant opinions have no boundaries. What a miserable human being. This podcast has the potential to outshine the rest but this host just can’t help himself. His mouth keeps it from excelling. That’s unfortunate.

One of my favorite podcasts. However it hasn’t been “edge of your seat” lately.

Such a good story teller but all that gets over shadowed by the awful music and the unnecessary pettiness. The show was good at first, try going back to the basics.