117: Leavenworth and Criminal #77, "The Escape"

The five-part documentary series from Starz, Leavenworth, looks at the very complicated case of Clint Lorance, and after the first episode, guest Jeb Lund and I were a little impatient with the painstaking set-up -- but mostly because we wanted more of the textured, compelling stories that all converge on a single incident in 2012. Will we keep watching? And should you? Later, we revisit what's probably an all-time top-ten true-crime topic: the 1962 escape from Alcatraz, this time as considered by Phoebe Judge on Criminal. I'm seldom NOT going to recommend a Criminal episode, and this one's no different -- so why is that? What sets Criminal's treatment of this well-trodden ground apart? And what do Jeb and I think happened to the three who got out? Dig, dash, dive into The Blotter Presents, Episode 117. SHOW NOTES Leavenworth on Starz: https://www.starz.com/series/leavenworth/featured Daniel Fienberg for THR on Leavenworth: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/leavenworth-review-1248478 Mike Hale for the Times: nytimes.com/2019/10/18/arts/television/leavenworth-review.html Dr. Nathaniel Frank, Unfriendly Fire: https://amzn.to/2oUAB1o Dexter Filkins, The Forever War: https://amzn.to/2BuIfCe Ep 078 on Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/078-leah-remini-scientology-aftermath-apostate/id1213321943?i=1000425653050 Criminal #77, "The Escape": https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-77-the-escape-10-20-2017/ Spitting Image IS getting a reboot: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49865406