Serial Podcast Analysis

For us in 2021, remembering what we did, saw, and said on any given day in the past is more
important than remembering what we did, saw, and said on a particular day in 1999. In 1999,
public places such as libraries used an outdated security system where separate videotape
sureshot for each day of the week and recycled overtime. In 2021, high-definition security
cameras will be everywhere, recorded in systems and stored online.In 1999, the system used
to log into library computers was a piece of paper and a pencil. In 2021, you will have to
enter your name to log into the library computer and this will enter the system. Cell Phones in
1999 were far below what smartphones can do today. For example, you can use your
smartphone to take high-definition, high-quality photos and videos that your 1999
smartphone couldn't. Today, people are constantly taking pictures and videos of what they did
on a particular day, and they are all dated and stored in their camera roll.It Helps you
remember the event. And this is exactly what happens in the Serial Podcast. Sara Koeing, as
the host, tries to solve a murder case back in 1999, and she finds herself in a mess of untold
stories, deleted footage, false testimonies and many other things that ended with an Adnan in
prison for the rest of his life.

In episode 1, titled The Alabi, we get to know the story and everything started, with the
assassination of Hae Min Lee, a bright, beautiful and cheerful girl who lived in Baltimore,
Maryland. She died on the 13th of January, 1999 and a month later on February 9th, her body
was found by a man, later called ‘Mr. S’, at Leakin Park. Six weeks after her death, her
exboyfriend Adnan Syed was arrested for murder. These are the facts of what happened, but
then it comes into picture the many testimonies given by different people, the beliefs each
had and how those testimonies changed from time to time. No physical evidence was given
that Adnan was the actual murderer of Hae Min, just a couple of testimonies from one
specific person. The person who pointed at Adnan was his friend Jay, he went to the police
and told them that Adnan had committed murder reporting that he knew it from first hand
because Adnan had called him and told him that he, himself had strangled Hae Min, saying
‘‘That bitch is dead’’, Adnan then asked Jay if he could help him burry the body at Leakin
park. Jay’s testimony isn't clear to the fullest, as it changed from time to time, but he claims
that he remembers that day to perfection because it was his girlfriend's birthday, Stephanie.
When Adnan was asked for an alibi, he said that he had gone for a present for Steohanie on a
school break, as they were also close friends and that he then went to the library just across
the street from where the school is located. The problem is that the time that he had no
believable alibi, which was at the library, is the exact time when Hae Min was killed. So how
do you prove where a kid was for 21 minutes back in 1999? This question makes us all
position ourselves in favour or against Adnan, who was an adorable kid, good looking and
well behaved from what almost anyone said about him.

A third person comes in the picture, Asia, a girl who says that she and her friends remember
Adnan at the library that day. She sent him letters telling him how they had been together in
the library and exchanged a few words, but these letters, nor the testimony had never been
given in court, therefore, they had no legal value. Asia’s testimony also changed from time to
time and there was a time in which her fiance refused any type of allegations on the matter
and said she’d never speak again about the case. Years later, Asia came forward and said she
wasn't really clear, but claimed she may remember being with Adnan at the library and many
other friends.

Hae Min and Adnan had a break up before she was killed. But they had a normal and
respectful break up. Adnan claims that after the break up he was upset, but never obsessed
with her in any rude or unrespectful way. This is heard and explained in episode 2, titled
‘‘The Break Up’’. This episode focuses on Hae Min’s diary, where she wrote how much she
loved Adnan and that she wanted to marry him and so on. There were parts in which she
stated that sometimes they had fights and that several times he had gotten a little bit
aggressive with her, but overall he was a great guy. She also felt like he had to choose
between her and his religion, which was something she misunderstood from Adnan’s
viewpoint,a s he said that he never meant it in a serious way, just as a joke. In the episode we
get to the conclusion of them having a healthy relationship and nothing out of the current and
normal relationships we know of today.

Lately, in the third episode, named ‘‘Leakin Park’’, we get to hear ‘Mr. S’ speaking, saying he
found the body when he was driving by and, once again giving testimonies that varied from
time to time and that sometimes had no coherence. He is submitted to a polygraph, which he
first fails, but it is then submitted to another one, with totally different questions that he
obviously passes. Mr. S’s testimonies are far from accurate and far from believable, but the
court gave them as valid and there was nothing left to do in order to prove Adnan’s
innocence.

In conclusion and what we get from these three episodes is, is really Adnan guilty of
committing murder? Is he really how Jay, his friend, portrayed him? We can learn that many
people can be innocent and have a squad behind them who is trying to ruin their lives, out of
jealousy or any other feeling. There isn't really any physical evidence that incriminated
Adnan, but court is court and what the judge decides is the final and only decision. After
having listened to many interviews, feature stories and testimonies, I learn that there's two
sides to every story and both sides have to be heard carefully and analysed at the same level.