And?

To get things started, damn, what a hell of an opener.

[REDACTED] has the kind of first episode that wastes no time trying to grab your attention and ticks off just about every box there is to earn your investment: a clever mislead in the beginning that ends up being morbid foreshadowing, a solid introduction to a down-on-their-luck protagonist, and all of it wrapped up in some pretty well-written jokes.

It sets up some intrigue, we're introduced to some villains early on and things are vague and menacing—it's really good stuff, and most definitely the kind of first episode that gets you excited for next week.

And yes, I did say next week—not the week after that, not next month, setting it apart from most audio dramas that stick to a bimonthly format.

Calling back to my Supernatural comparison, [REDACTED] with their cozy spot of releasing episodes on Friday nights at 8/9 P.M. Central, certainly evokes this feeling of tuning in to watch the newest episode of a TV show—if [REDACTED] would be on FOX or be one of the more ambitious CW shows, I haven't decided yet.

The whole thing just makes you want to turn out the lights and curl up with some popcorn, maybe order a pizza or something.

Working to its benefit, the general vibe and presentation [REDACTED] aims for is pretty spot-on for a sort of casual get-together with friends, especially if you're in the mood for a binge, and if there's one word I would use to describe [REDACTED], it's definitely "snacky".

Bear with me, I've been trying to coin these phrases for the sake of journalistic trademarks, and, by my personal definition, snacky shows best describe fast-paced, short, and more simplistic storytelling that you can listen to back-to-back.

Snacky shows come in various types and flavors and your personal definition of something worth listening to for hours on end can be up to your personal preference.

It's the exact opposite of the more weighty, lore-dense shows like Malevolent or The Silt Verses, that's the equivalent of a full-course meal you only have every once in a while, and personally I wouldn't mind something a little lighter on my stomach.

It also helps that [REDACTED] is a smooth, easy listen with some pretty good sound design, and very exceptional music that honestly didn't have to be nearly this catchy for how short the snippets are.

And with its monster-of-the-week plot with hints of a longer, denser mystery hanging in the background, you go in and out of [REDACTED] always ready to jump into another one.

And I did, gladly, but did this mini-marathon I pursued keep me full and satisfied, or did I just invest in a bunch of empty calories? Well, much like blindly grabbing a handful of trail mix, that's a mixed bag.

For you see the snackiest of shows are a double-edged sword, and it can be easy for shows that fall under this description to suffer from any number of shortcomings.

[REDACTED] falls into the most common pitfall of all, some episodes sometimes feeling a little half-baked with anti-climactic conclusions, often not providing much in the way of meaningful character beats, worldbuilding, or any truly impactful moments.

And while I can excuse a show filled with random, mostly unexplained paranormal phenomena as being just that, I think that leaves a lot of the heavy lifting to be handled by the characters, and the cast of [REDACTED] just leaves a lot to be desired.

The character archetypes really do feel like what they are, archetypes, and though there are efforts to further characterize this unlikely group of occult investigators, some of the mini episodes being particularly charming, they often come off as a bit cliché, a smidge generic at their worst, this problem being especially prominent with the supporting cast.

The nerdy one is nerdy, the grumpy one is grumpy, the ditzy one is ditzy, leaving a lot of the heavy lifting to be carried by Jacob and Eli who have a pretty solid dynamic as far as unlikely duos go, so I often found myself looking forward to their solo endeavors.

Their chemistry feels much more natural and their time together is enough to carry a whole episode, even if I find the particular spooky source of conflict to be a little underwhelming.

But are they funny together? In a buddy cop sort of way, I suppose.

A question I realize I must always ask myself when it comes to comedy audio dramas is this: did they make me laugh? And [REDACTED] did, a few times, at least.

While I don't think the humor really fits my palette, and many of the jokes can just boil down to overly long conversations or endless rambling with a delayed punchline, it doesn't take long for the writing, paired with some already exceptional acting, to work its magic and earn a few laughs.

I'd say episode six's "Wallpaper" got the biggest reaction out of me, maybe because it felt the combination of supernatural horror and comedy was meshing together in such perfect sync, with all the weirdness acting as a complement to the humor rather than a distraction or vice versa.

As for the horror, I can't say [REDACTED] ever shook me to my core, which I'm assuming was never the intention, though I do like some of the ideas at play, even if I like some much more than others.

Aside from "Wallpaper", the creepy house episode, "Home Sweet Home", really stuck out to me and is easily the best of this season, proving the show could pull off a psychological edge if it ever wanted to.

As I said with Malevolent, I find ideas of creeping uncertainty, trauma, and discomfort far more disturbing than monsters, and environments and forces of nature that exploit those fears have infinitely more staying power and narrative weight.

So it's a shame these bright spots are so few and far between and that the relationship [REDACTED] has with comedy and horror often has to suffer for the sake of the other.

Because while I didn't find [REDACTED] particularly scary, I didn't find it particularly funny either, and as endearing and competently put together as it is, I think that's the main reason why I couldn't fall in love with it. And that's a real shame because my expectations were set so high from my first impression.

All the pieces I look for in my more recent audio drama finds are definitely here, just not arranged in the way I can get behind, and it would only take a few minor tweaks to get it just right.

I just didn't get the same kick I get out of somewhat similar horror-comedy combos like Less is Morgue or Brimstone Valley Mall or Death by Dying that are an absolute splendor of style and substance.

So while I may have felt stuffed by Malevolent, [REDACTED] left me feeling a little undernourished, but maybe something that's the best of both worlds would better satisfy my appetite.