Honestly, I thought the podcast was outstanding! The podcast tackles, a complicated and sensitive matter, and I think it does a good job at presenting both sides of the issue. I understand why men like Eddie Gallagher exist, and I also understand the value that the Gallaghers of the world bring to special ops. I thought the podcast did an interesting job of presenting the mental health aspect of the special ops. Are they Hitmen? Are they assassins? If not, what is their role? And how do these men process their experiences, and the cumulative effects of of their trauma?

I will say the Apple TV show was very good, but this podcast takes five second sound bites and forces it’s own narrative. I thought it would be more informative and allow the listener to come to their own conclusion, rather than trying to add more to the “guilty” narrative. If you want to come to your own conclusion with more unbiased information, watch the show on Apple TV.

Very interesting and well-written (seemed fair in reporting). Kept me engaged.

Very well done. Listened with my veteran brother who also felt it was compelling and captured nuance that is often missed in these kinds of conversations. Highly recommend.

This is a look into a world that I don’t know much about. I found it very interesting and empathetic to both sides

Really well told story. Dan Taberski, the host, handles these guys really well, which isn’t always easy when dealing with guys that have been through what they have. He challenges them in a fair way, without ever accusing them of anything or losing his objectivity. I have HUGE questions and doubts about the conclusion of this whole saga, as I’m sure many do. I think if anything, this story illustrates how toxic an extreme sense of nationalism

This podcast is the best so much story and truth ! Amazing work !

I have never thought about the ethical and moral dilemmas our soldiers face every day. I already had a tremendous amount of respect for our servicemen and women, but this podcast made me respect them even more. Well done, covering both sides of the story, and making us all think about ethical scenarios that occur every single day in war.

SEALS are NOT the quiet professionals. Special Forces, aka Green Berets, are The Quiet Professionals. Getting basic information regarding special operations wrong is not a great way to start a podcast.

I started watching the series this week and didn’t start listening to the podcast until I watched episode 3. I didn’t even know there was a podcast or that it came out first. The podcast goes everywhere I hoped the series would…the psychology of Seals, their upbringing, the trauma of war and the toll it takes on soldiers, the effect of modern warfare, and the ethics and confusion of curvy lines. You don’t get the whole story if you just watch the series. I got so angry watching this tragedy unfold and this podcast helped me feel better. Dan Taberski is everything I hope for in a journalist and storyteller. All of his podcasts are great! And this one might be the best.

This show is excellent. It doesn’t take sides (at least not directly), so you are listening to each episode and hanging on every word from each participant, understanding that war is ugly… on all sides.

I have so much respect for our Navy Seals. They are a rare breed and achieve what few can. I salute them and all our men and women in uniform. Thank you for your service!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸Great podcast!!

Powerful podcast here where we get to hear from those who’ve served our country speak for themselves and hear for ourselves what our nations policies have asked out of our men and women in uniform in what is now known as the forever wars. Gripping and powerful narrative here that is fair to those who were interviewed for it. I recommend it to everyone and especially for those of us who love and cherish our country and our troops. Sometimes quite jarring and graphic, it pulls no punches on the brutality of war and what exactly our national policies ask out of those sworn to protect us. Thank you for making it!

Amazing I’m speechless

I expected a left-wing screed. It was super well-balanced and expertly produced. Engaging all the way through!

Kept me hooked from beginning to end, and the follow up to the story before there Apple TV doc was released was telling.

Great American. Oh crap that was a stunner.

Yep Dan. You are good at your job.

When a sheep does a podcast/series on a wolf they’re perspective never strays from their pre-conceived narrative. There is no world in which this author could ever truly be objective because he’ll always be a sheep, and has perspective of the prey. These men are wolves and then live and operate in a world most of us could never understand. They’re trained to be wolves for us, to poor tech us from other wolves. The ISIS fighter despite his age stepped on the battlefield and surely wouldn’t dine the same or worse to a SEAL if the opportunity arose. The difference would be he would’ve have be heralded for his actions and not paraded in front of the sheep.

It’s interesting that there are so many people saying that this podcast is biased against Navy SEALs. I most definitely went into this believing that Eddie Gallagher is a straight up psychopath who committed the war crime of murdering an injured teenage combatant. Yet never have I changed my mind so many times through the course of one podcast. I didn’t think it possible to feel empathy for him, but this podcast really addresses a lot of the nuance and complexity of what makes a good special ops soldier. Taking people with a certain psychological makeup and exploiting that to make them into uber soldiers with just enough restraint to be controlled and then repeatedly putting them in combat for decades is going to have consequences. I really appreciated how well this podcast was constructed and how persuasive it was for multiple perspectives.

No matter which side of the line you’re on, there are some serious questions we need to ask ourselves as Americans. Thanks for bringing this story more attention, Dan. As always, amazing writing and reporting.

The story reveals a part of military operations that does not make it to the mass audience. It saddens me that our military does support our soldiers after their sacrifice of mind and body. Your story is compelling in terms of activating my attention to current events and consideration to devoting my voting rights to treatment of the men and women Compton serving in the military.

First let me say that Dan Taberski could put out a podcast about goldfish and I would tune in attentively. Excellent story telling and narrating that allows you to feel one way, and then change your mind as the story unfolds. I recommend this particular podcast to everyone and anyone because I think no matter how you view war, this allows us to really look at the human aspect that is often overlooked to avoid the conflicting feelings about it. This story really gets good conversation started in my opinion, I always have the best debates with people about their opinions after hearing this, and I have yet to find another story that really makes me feel like I’m understanding both sides. I’ve listened to this over 3 times in the past year and would listen again because it’s so good even if it covers really terrible things. Cannot recommend enough!

I read “Alpha” before listening to this podcast, which delves into the specifics of what happened in the Alpha platoon and the trial of Eddie Gallagher. He’s a psychopath in my opinion, and it’s a gross miscarriage of justice that he’s suffered almost no consequences for his crimes. He and his wife are two peas in a pod. This podcast takes a different view of the story, which was interesting. I highly recommend the book “Alpha” by David Philipps.

I hope all these men know that their are some of us that really care about their well being. I hope any of these guys would open up and take a chance before they self harmed or worse. We all thank you for your sacrifice.

Don’t mind listening to the last minute or so of each episode, it’s him reading the credits. Even if he would’ve shot the guy after capturing him I don’t see a problem with it. The fact there are “rules” to war is absurd especially when you are fighting someone who doesn’t follow “rules” and uses guerrilla tactics.

Dan is a fantastic podcaster with an amazing voice! Easy to listen to, in fact I have binged all of his podcast’s.

Nicely done. New territory for me but i thoroughly enjoyed

Well done series paints an interesting portrait of trauma and manifestations ppl adopt to survive it. We need more guys like this platoon who stand up against all odds against a psychopath in their midst and the blind hierarchy who supports & promotes psychopaths because to do otherwise would make them hypocrites. Gallagher should be in jail. He is a psychopath, his wife is textbook narcissist, I fear for their kids. Does the military complex create these monsters or merely reward them for being monsters, that is the question of this series.

I am surprised Gibney is behind this weak apology for a war criminal’s actions and a host who says the Seals who came forward “dimed out” Gallagher. The “dude” host isn’t up to the job and lacks the smarts and gravitas this subject matter deserved.

Great journalism, great writing. Really fascinating and disturbing. A must listen.

I really appreciated this podcast. I found the host to be thoughtful and nuanced in his exploration of this case, and it was particularly compelling to hear from Eddie Gallagher himself. Over the course of the show, Dan Taberski slowly and methodically brings larger questions about how we ask our military members to fight wars in the modern era and what price they pay while carrying out these deployments.

This is a great podcast telling an important story with a nuanced and comprehensive approach. But even if it wasn’t, Dan Taberski (and, by proxy, everyone he interviews) is so remarkably likable that I’d give it 5 stars anyway.

The podcast and TV show of the same name offer valuable insights into the prolonged psychological toll on our veterans. Eddie seems to be a symptom of a larger problem worth looking into, but can we unwrap this aggression from the situation? Pretty thought provoking and scary stuff. If you haven’t already, you should also check out the show which is the better of the two productions.

The stories and viewpoints are a great introduction into ethics during war, especially if you are a family member of someone who is currently serving (or who has served). The interviewer does a thorough job of researching and asking opposing questions to try to understand and/or oppose a storyline or action related to the accusations discussed in this podcast. If at the end of this podcast you can’t see or understand that the weapons are the individuals that are controlled by a centralized group then re-listen. The affects of war are discussed at the end and if for some reason you oppose this podcast because you are blinded by something that offends you in the description or players, at least listen to the last episode so that you can understand what soldiers bring home and ways that we can help soldiers. We have the first amendment for a reason but do not allow our freedom of speech cause you to be deaf and ignorant. Just listen.

This complicated story makes for a very listenable podcast. It also seems to be well-researched but the interviewer's bias is clear. He gets giddy when talking to this war criminal and basically says he agreed with the not guilty verdict. Journalists are not supposed to be buddies with their subjects.

This is a very important podcast. So well done, thoughtful and balanced.

I am so impressed with Dan’s reporting and narrative. I only hope he keeps this type of media coming. I was first introduced to him in running from cops, but this is even better. Can’t wait to hear more.

Excellent production and story-telling, even if I thought it went too easy on Chief Gallagher (SEALs don't invent war crime accusations because their Chief "drove them to hard"). Was also a breath of fresh air to listen to an (Apple!) podcast without the woke proselytizing. Will listen to more from Dan Taberski.

Compelling ethical issues reported in a compelling way. One of the few podcasts I will reposted to.

Brilliantly produced and researched, this podcast is both gripping and maddening. Eddie Gallagher and his wife are horrendous human beings but I feel this is important to listen and understand what went on-especially in the light of current events.

He is a war criminal. And the fact that people celebrate him is an indictment of the dysfunctional conservative movement in this country.

I read a few reviews while listening because I wanted to see where this was heading…I was very confused because it seemed most of the comments were defending Gallagher…then when I finished I realized this was likely family and friends. I found the entire pod/report extremely fair to all parties involved. Very good investigative reporting.

I was disappointed when I heard the change in tone in Mr. Taberski’s voice when he interviewed Mr. Gallagher. This is a heartbreaking and morally complex case and bringing in comparisons to McDonalds in Canada is deeply disrespectful to the material. Having said all that, it was a phenomenal podcast.

This extraordinary podcast provides an incisive, well-reasoned, even-handed investigation into the many facets of Eddie Gallagher’s case. I give it 5 stars for many reasons. Above all, for three that one too rarely finds in long-form podcasts: its political neutrality; its intelligent philosophical exploration; and its refusal to leak important plot points. At several points, I thought I knew what would happen next, only to find myself surprised at a plot twist. I found the narrator remarkably neutral, as compared w/many others who report with an obvious political angle, whether right- or left-wing. Last, I encourage listeners to continue through the final episode, which may have been my favorite. It challenged all of us to consider what our society expects from its military, and it explored the likely effects of modern warfare on its practitioners. The podcast presented these issues in fascinating ways I haven’t encountered elsewhere, and for that, I commend its writers and producers.

Insights abound in this beautifully presented podcast. It is about the Navy Seal, Eddie Gallagher. But so much more. It touches on systemic issues, brain trauma, and indeed war itself. Dan Taberski has created a masterpiece.

Thank you for presenting this story from all sides. We cannot become the country that tortures our enemy for than we are just a mirror reflection of them. The honor of being in an elite group is knowing when to stop breaking the rules & having the strength to stay with the rules.

Compelling, deeply researched and well produced. Asks the important questions: what do we value? How did we get here? What have we lost in order to be “number one”? This podcast inspires deep disappointment (and recognition) in humans and our systems, but makes its point successfully.

I am not even gonna give this podcast a chance considering the comments I’ve read about Trump

I initially thought it was a balanced piece but let’s be honest it’s a seal that got away with stabbing a prisoner to death… And I don’t think that’s how this wrapped up