The Puzzle of Poe- Edgar Allan Poe

·50 min·5 clips

It starts with Poe. The cold open quotes him, gets heckled for laying it on too thick, and locks in the episode's rhythm: gloomy literature, then a friend cutting through the fog. Matt introduces Shane with a packed compliment run that lands on "balmy," so of course the show detours into bald jokes. Then Baltimore takes the wheel. Poe is aware enough to name Dr. Joseph Snodgrass when asked if he has friends nearby, and yes, Snodgrass becomes its own attraction. The hosts treat the name like it showed up in disguise and asked for a spinoff. The letter is urgent. Joseph W. Walker writes that a man using the cognomen Edgar A. Poe is in great distress and needs immediate assistance. Snodgrass arrives fast, brings in Henry Herring, Poe's uncle by marriage, and both men assume Poe is drunk before medical help takes over. The description is rough. Snodgrass later remembers Poe as haggard, unkempt, badly dressed, and so weak he has to be carried to the coach almost like a corpse. The hosts hear the roast immediately. They also note that a man named Snodgrass might have gone easier before calling Poe the object of his care. Washington Medical College comes next, with Poe under Dr. John Moran. The hosts fold his weakness back into Poe language, start poking at "rapping," and somehow arrive at rap battles. A bleak medical handoff turns into whether Edgar Allan Poe could hang with Tupac and Biggie. By the end, the episode fully loosens its tie. After plugging Raving Lunatic Media shows including Sci-Fi Malady, Zodiac Task Force, Lost Transmissions, and The Janitor, it walks out through sunscreen advice, barbecue fire safety, bald-head SPF, and a happy "he did the thing" callback.

As heard by us

Poe's final mystery gets a joke-prone retelling that still keeps the facts in view.

The episode gives Edgar Allan Poe's final Baltimore mystery a clear, energetic retelling and keeps the central question steady: what happened to him?

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Why you'd press play

You want Poe's final days with side-eye, banter, and odd-name obsession.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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