OUR RATING:
More Nightmares? Sure, Bring Them On
Sword and Scale is the true crime podcast that asks the question: “What if we took humanity’s darkest moments and presented them with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the psyche?”. Host Mike Boudet serves up crime stories with the kind of sensationalism that makes Nancy Grace look like Mr. Rogers, and he’s not here to hold your hand through it.
The podcast bills itself as going “behind the scenes” of true crime cases, which is code for “we’re going to play actual audio evidence that will haunt you forever.” Forget dramatizations or tasteful retellings, Sword and Scale opts for the “let’s make everyone as uncomfortable as possible” approach. Nothing says quality entertainment quite like listening to real courtroom testimony about horrific crimes while you’re stuck in traffic, right?
Boudet’s narration style can best be described as “armchair detective meets doom prophet,” with a delivery that suggests he’s perpetually disappointed in the entire human race. And honestly, fair enough, after covering hundreds of cases involving the absolute worst people on the planet, who wouldn’t be? His commentary oscillates between stating the obvious and making philosophical observations about society’s decay that would make your freshman philosophy professor proud. You’ll learn less about criminal psychology and more about how Mike Boudet feels about criminal psychology, which is apparently “not great, folks.”
The episode structure follows a tried-and-true formula: introduce a horrific case, walk through every disturbing detail with the enthusiasm of someone reading a grocery list, insert some audio that makes you question why you’re listening to this at all, and wrap it up with a reminder that monsters walk among us. It’s comforting in its predictability, like a weighted blanket made of anxiety and existential dread.
What has propelled Sword and Scale to heights 99% of true crime shows never reach, is its commitment to being relentlessly bleak. There’s no comic relief, no uplifting resolution, no “but here’s how the community came together” moment. Just darkness, more darkness, and a closing statement that essentially amounts to “sleep tight, knowing this happened in a town just like yours!” It’s the kind of show that makes you want to move to a cabin in the woods with no neighbors, except the podcast has probably covered a case about that exact scenario going horribly wrong.
The show has developed a dedicated following of people who apparently enjoy having their faith in humanity systematically dismantled one episode at a time. The fans are ride-or-die, defending the podcast’s unflinching approach as “telling it like it is” and “not sugar-coating reality.” And sure, there’s something to be said for not sanitizing true crime, but there’s also something to be said for maybe not playing a child’s 911 call for entertainment purposes. But what do I know? I’m just someone who occasionally likes to sleep at night.
Despite, or perhaps because of, its controversial approach, Sword and Scale has become one of the most well-known true crime podcasts out there. It’s spawned countless discussions about ethics in true crime media, the exploitation of victims, and where the line is between informative and gratuitous. Spoiler alert: this podcast doesn’t just cross that line, it demolishes it, dances on the rubble, and asks if you’d like to hear some leaked audio from the police investigation. The show has courted its fair share of controversy, with critics arguing it prioritizes shock value over respect for victims and their families. But hey, controversy equals downloads, right?
Look, if you’re into true crime and you’ve exhausted every other podcast, watched every documentary, and read every book, Sword and Scale will definitely give you something new to experience. It’s not for the faint of heart, the easily disturbed, or anyone who enjoys things like “hope” or “feeling safe in their own home.” But if you want raw, unfiltered, and deeply unsettling explorations of criminal cases presented by a host who sounds like he’s perpetually sighing at the state of the world, then strap in.
Where to listen to Sword and Scale
Pod.link | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Castro
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