True Crime Obessed is a weekly podcast created by Gillian Pennsavale and Patrick Hinds. The hosts discuss true crime series and documentaries. The main feed focuses on single episode documentaries, while the bonus Patreon episodes are multi-episode series.
This podcast contains examples of:
- Anticlimax: Gillian and Patrick find it ridiculous that 'The Impostor ends with a dramatic reveal that the missing boy is... not buried in the garden.
- Arc Words: 'Garbage Bell'. Initially accompanied by a bell, usually now just referred to.
- Berserk Button: They argue that the Scott Peterson case broke Nancy Grace, because in older clips of her, she seems significantly less angry, but her angry persona seems to begin at that point.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Patrick is in disbelief at how goofy Doug Mathews comes across in the first episode of McMillion$.
- Embarrassing Browser History: Since the reveal that browser searches were part of the case against Casey Anthony, Gillian jokingly worries about having looked up how long it takes a body to decompose for episode research.
- Everybody Knew Already: Gillian does not believe in There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane, that no one knows the sister-in-law is a smoker. As she points out, cigarette smoke leaves a long smell on a person. Brought up again with The Vow when a victim of Keith Raniere knew instantly on meeting her. Gillian again points out that smokers generally reek of it.
- Have I Mentioned I Am Gay??: Patrick Hinds's entire persona, matched with...
- It's Personal: Their discussion of McMillion$ begins with Gillian admitting that she played the McDonald's Monopoly game a lot to try and get the 1 million prize, so she feels personally outraged that the game was scammed. It comes up throughout their discussion.
- Police Are Useless: As many documentaries include at least one police officer, there are mainly aversions to this.
- Previously on…: They have a lot of issues with Oxygen and the way all their documentaries have lengthy recaps throughout.
- Recurring Character:
- They often comment on the experts and talking heads who have appeared in numerous true crime documentaries. Examples include forensic scientist Henry Lee, pathologist Werner Spitz, and behaviour analyst Laura Richards.
- They both comment on the very different tone that Billy Jensen has when appearing in Death in the Mansion on Oxygen, as opposed to his more dignified interview in HBO's I'll be Gone in the Dark
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Gillian can't get past the way Patty Peterson in The Staircase repeatedly says the word 'automobile' when referring to a car. Particularly when she overenunciates the word.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: They take issue with the tendency in Oxygen documentaries to add overly dramatic music to already dramatic stories.
- Suddenly Shouting: Gillian's impression on Marjorie Diehl in Evil Dead is of her just suddenly shouting at normal questions. It has become a recurring gag.
- Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: Invoked when they discuss this as a problem with Making a Murderer’s second season. The case isn't solved, there are endless dead ends, and it becomes too depressing to enjoy.
- Unreliable Narrator: Though it could be applicable to many episodes, Gillian and Patrick particularly take issue with how The Impostor is told from the point of view of the criminal, and his narrative on his motivation isn't questioned in the documentary.
