The Black Tapes

Season 1

Well, Belles & Beaus, I started another one.

After binge listening to the first season of Limetown, I decided to jump in on The Black Tapes. I’m sad to say that season three is the last just because this could make a really great long term podcast. I say this because the hidden story that seems to continue bringing itself back up is really interesting and would be amazing as the podcast continued.

The Black Tapes is a bi-weekly podcast from Pacific Northwest Stories and Minnow Beats Whale, and is hosted by Alex Reagan. The Black Tapes is a serialized docudrama about one journalist’s search for truth, her enigmatic subject’s mysterious past, and the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both.

The story begins with the idea of covering different jobs but then soon becomes a podcast dedicated to the paranormal and Richard Strand’s black tapes. These tapes happen to be interconnected though it takes Alex some time to figure it out. Though she questions this thought process, I don’t think she’s wrong so far. I’m starting season two as I write this as well so I’m going to try really hard not to blow the lid of season two if you haven’t started listening.

The two begin with the first of the black tape that is on his shelf. The best description for these is that these are the cases that Strand cannot fully debunk, which has become the work of his institute. He has many cases that have been completed – all their information found in white VHS tape cases. These black cases carry the information of those that Strand has been unable to complete debunk. This is what led to the name of the podcast.

The first season will hook you quickly if you’re into the paranormal – like I am. But be careful. There’s one episode that made me accidentally squeak at work while listening to it when someone came to my desk to ask me something. In other words, if you’re going to listen while at work, I highly recommend listening with one ear listening to the real world so you don’t get scared. It’s just best that way.

But right now, I’m enjoying it. I hate the fact that I know season three is the last season. It’s going to kill me. But I can always hope that one day they will pick it up again depending on the ending… Then again if it ends weird I might not want it to come back.