Up And Vanished is one of the most successful true crime podcasts ever recorded, evidenced by the incredible real-world impact the show has had.
The show was envisioned as a short documentary series from Payne Lindsey, as she set out to investigate a cold murder case in her home state of Georgia.
However, the podcast proved so successful that it exceeded its initial episode count and led to further developments in a case that had been cold for more than ten years!
Now that you’ve heard just how incredible this series is, you likely want to experience it for yourself. The tricky part is finding the perfect episode to start with.
Well, read on because I believe the following episodes represent the show’s best.
Up and Vanished made our list of The Best True Life Podcasts; check it out.
Table of Contents
Season 1, Episode 1 – Cold As Alaska
Where better to start than with the first-ever episode of the series?
This first episode sees Payne starting his first investigation as he goes through the facts he currently has and then looks at some clues that could potentially lead him to something undiscovered about the case.
Slowly, Payne begins to build a strong profile of the case and even begins to dig up some details that had never seen the light of day before.
However, problems soon arise as the mystery becomes more complicated with the arrival of new clues.
This leads the episode to end on an incredible cliff-hanger. You’d have a hard time not wanting to get right on with the second episode!
This episode will perfectly set the stage for the rest of the series and establishes the tone and style so that you are ready for everything the next few episodes may throw at you!
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Season 1, Episode 24 – Black Out – Part 1
This penultimate episode of the first season sees Payne heading back to the start of the investigation to get a greater sense of how far the series has come and how far the research has managed to dig in.
This episode will make you nostalgic for the first episode and will make you very appreciative of the entire season that preceded it.
You’ll feel like you were involved with Payne throughout the investigation, giving the episode a great sense of potency and energy.
There’s a reason this is considered one of the series’ best episodes, and that’s why you should check it out.
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Season 1, Episode 19 – Brooke’s Story
This episode represents a significant milestone in the investigation into this case.
In this episode, the girlfriend of Bo Duke, the primary suspect in the murder, finally tells her story as she seeks to explain his motives and the kind of man he is.
This episode is not just a great character study of Bo Duke but also Brooke, who has an infatuation and a desire to defend him to the ends of the earth.
Love her or hate her, Brooke tells her story in an interesting way that makes this episode worth tuning into.
Getting a description of Bo Duke from someone with an intimate experience with him helps to make the case seem all the more real and will help you feel as though you are personally involved with the investigation as you begin to piece together the clues yourself.
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Season 1, Episode 2 – White Rabbits
This episode has a very intriguing title that will have you guessing what it touches on until the very end of the episode.
This episode sees Payne traveling to Ocilla, where he meets the enigmatic Dusty Vassey, who reports for a newspaper in the area.
What Dusty can reveal and the advice he can give to Payne is genuinely incredible. It sets the episode into motion, making it a perfect follow-up to the intriguing first episode.
After that, he also meets with his grandma, who has intriguing clues to add to the case.
However, Payne soon begins to wonder whether any of the clues he has been given in the past few days hold any weight or if they are ‘white rabbits’ that send you right down deep rabbit holes that lead to nowhere.
This crucial episode teaches Payne of the challenges that wait ahead, which sets up the stakes for the rest of the series and helps to make it all the more potent and engaging.
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Season 1, Episode 23 – Who Is Bo Dukes?
This episode sees us getting much closer to Bo Duke as a person so that we can better understand who he is and what may have motivated him to do what he did.
This fascinating episode is one of the best that the series has ever produced, and the tension throughout the episode is palpable as we dive into the mind of a dangerous man.
This episode also comes towards the latter end of the season, when the mystery is inching towards a solution, making it feel as though you are constantly teetering on the edge of some grand revelation.
If you want an episode that is masterfully constructed and makes the season more powerful, this is the one for you.
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Season 1, Episode 3 – The Alibi
This early episode is excellent because it sees the investigation getting started, and the pace begins to slowly ramp up.
This is also the episode where everything gets a little more interesting as Payne looks at the evidence he has collected to analyze its credibility.
This helps you feel much more involved and will make you feel like you have had some role in the investigation!
It’s a very effective and powerful episode that represents the series at its best.
Listen on upandvanished.com.
Up and Vanished made our list of The Best True Life Podcasts; check it out.
