The Strike & Ellacott Files

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

In this week's episode, we have part 2 of our outtakes for this season, and yes, we're just as surprised as you that we manage to get anything done while we're recording.

Next episode (30 July): Chapters 43-44

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 40-42 of The Hallmarked Man with special guest, Kurt. We discuss Strike at Lucy's Christmas party, Robin opening Strike's Christmas gift, and Strike discovering the vandalism on the agency's door.

Next episode (16 July): Season 6 Outtakes, Part 2

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode with Kurt, we...

- eagerly anticipate a chapter Pools has been dreading 🚽

- just can't get over all of Marguerite ☄️

- have anxiety surrounding future plot points after Strike's conversation with Greg's friend

- remind ourselves to give the text the benefit of the doubt

- somehow find Matthew the voice of reason (?!)

- are touched by Robin grabbing Strike's present and her unacknowledged yearning for his presence 🎁

- compare the charm bracelet to a reverse Horcrux

✍️ NEW BLOG POST! ✍️

In a new blog post on our website, Dr Beatrice Groves examines JK Rowling's new Freud-related Twitter header and its possible implications for Sleep Tight, Evangeline, making the case that dreams and healing could be central themes in the ninth Strike and Ellacott novel.

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 36-39 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Strike's interview with Sacha Legard, Robin's argument with Linda, Strike's questionable research, and Robin, her family, and Murphy at the Bay Horse pub.

Next episode (2 July): Chapters 40-42, with Kurt

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 33-35 of The Hallmarked Man.

We discuss Rokeby and Sacha Legard contacting the office, Robin travelling to Masham with Murphy, and Strike thinking about Charlotte and Robin while on surveillance.

Next episode (18 June): Chapters 36-39

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- wonder whether Robin's habit of sitting on toilets during tense moments will come up in Sleep Tight, Evangeline

- are begging Strike to swallow his pride and accept help from Rokeby

- are divided on whether some of the parallel structures are good or painful (or both!)

- can't stop thinking about future parallels for the five Christmas text kisses

- interrupt our episode to talk about the 'open pursuit' tweet

- know Murphy is thrilled about Strike's bout of bad press

- analyze how JKR's themes regarding a mother's love appear in the Strike and Harry Potter series

- are pretty sure no other series' romance plot can compare to the Strike series

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

Today, we cover chapters 31 and 32 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Culpepper's second hit piece on Strike, Strike losing his temper, and he and Robin's talk.

Next episode (4 June): Chapters 33-35

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- are taken on an emotional roller coaster 🎢

- find something we have in common with Murphy

- want Robin to show us her sock drawer

- discuss the loudness of the silence from Strike's friends and family after the Candy story

- are unsure about an aspect of Strike's characterization

- wonder why Strike asks Robin to leave the room while talking to Robertson

✍️ NEW BLOG POST! ✍️

In a new guest blog on our website, listener Sophia delves into the Wizard of Oz-inspired parallels found throughout The Hallmarked Man. She explores whether the novel’s characters are punished for the very qualities that should make them heroic, and examines the devastating impact of reputation.

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

Today, we cover chapters 28-30 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Strike's interview with Jim Todd, Robin's altercation in Harrod's, Robin's interview with Albie Simpson-White, and pickles.

Next episode (21 May): Chapters 31-33

✍️ LISTENER QUESTION! ✍️

JK Rowling recently described The Hallmarked Man as “a very male-focused book,” touching on themes like homelessness, suicide, trauma, heroism, and depravity through the mystery of an unidentified victim.

We’d especially like to hear from the men in the Strike fandom: what parts of JKR’s comments here resonate with you? Are there aspects of masculinity, friendship, pressure, loneliness, or identity in the Strike series that you feel are especially well observed?

Source: https://youtu.be/-B4v5oB38-k?si=LE07NKwZg2ht_vao&t=60

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- discuss how the setting of Jim Todd's interview foreshadows the kind of person he is

- love Strike's power move of flipping back and forth through his notebook to unsettle an interviewee

- analyze how the green and gold where Albie works could connect to alchemy

- were terrified during the incident in Harrod's 😱

- are reminded that Strikes have more rights than Murphys, in the grand scheme of things

- cheer on the additional cracks in Robin and Murphy's relationship 💔

- know where Robin *really* wants to run to 🫂🏠

- have a long-winded digression about pickle terminology

- realize both Strike and Robin are projecting their past pain on to their perception of Rupert Fleetwood

- appreciate how Robin ends her interview with Albie 🤝

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapter 27 of The Hallmarked Man. (Kenz was ill when we were meant to record the second half of this episode together.)

We discuss Robin and Murphy looking at a house, Lindsay and Pools deep dive into whether Strike is a bastard to Midge, and include the partner's chat we recorded for episode 15.

Next episode (7 May): Chapters 28-30

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- don't let Robin's relationship status stop us from being resentful that she and Murphy have woken up in each other's beds

- discuss Robin inadvertently continuing the UHC's work with her continued self-brainwashing

- are ready to love Dr Broccoli 👩‍⚕️🥦

- can't help but notice a difference in how Robin treats a work call for Murphy versus if it had been Strike

- marvel over clues that we missed, and how Jo keeps us distracted while reading

- ponder the idea of a Murphy series (ugh!)

- can't handle Robin's refusal to acknowledge male anatomy around Strike

- welcome back the return of #TherapyEdition

🧬 BONUS EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we have a surprise bonus episode with part 1 of this season's outtakes while we're on break. (See also: what happens when three women with ADHD record a podcast!)

Next episode (23 April): Chapters 27-28