The Good Whale
4.9/5
Critic Rating
Fans of the movie “Free Willy” are outraged to learn that the real whale who played Willy lives in a tiny pool at an amusement park in Mexico City. So well-intentioned experts embark on an epic science experiment to try to teach one celebrity orca how to be free — while the world watches. Sign up for our newsletter to see photos and videos of Keiko, and get a behind the scenes look at the making of The Good Whale. Sign up at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter Subscribers to the New York Times can listen to all episodes of The Good Whale, and acc...
Critic Reviews
Score: 4
Rebecca Lavoie, Kevin Flynn, Lara Bricker & Toby Ball • Crime Writers On • Jan 16, 2025
"Toby thought it did a good job raising questions about the ethics around taking an ill-prepared orca and sending him back out into the ocean to fend for himself. Kevin stood alone in praising the podcast's boldest creative choice...said the music and lyrics expressed a loneliness and vulnerability that were surprisingly relatable."
Score: 5
Devin • Podstack • Jan 5, 2025
"...hearing about the bonds people formed with this whale is heartwarming. I know the ending of this story has been known for years, but I didn’t know it and I’m enjoyed all the details they reveal as Keiko’s journey unfolded."
Score: 5
Anastasia Sanger • Glamour • Dec 25, 2024
"...this podcast has been a welcome breath of fresh, sea-soaked air from Serial Productions... it’s an engaging story that will make you really consider the role of humans in animals’ lives. There’s also a musical episode..."
Score: 5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • Dec 21, 2024
"God, this is a weirdly moving, engaging tale. I knew it would be beautifully made, but also earnest through and through. How could that tone work for a whale tale? Also Keiko’s story is relatively low stakes compared to most Serial shows. And yet, The Good Whale is great: impeccably researched, hosted and paced."
Score: 5
Chloe Walker • PodcastReview.org • Dec 10, 2024
"That nonjudgmental acknowledgment of human fallibility in the face of even the best intentions, combined with one hell of a central story, is what makes The Good Whale such a compulsive listen."
Score: 5
Chiara Sagramola • Orecchiabile Newsletter • Nov 28, 2024
"Volendo leggerci qualcosa in più, possiamo anche vedere tutto il podcast come una grande metafora di quanto scelte fatte nel passato diventino ingombranti e di come ci vogliano anni per risolverle...quello che rende The Good Whale un gioiellino per le orecchie è l’eccellente qualità della produzione, come di costume per tutto quello che arriva da Serial Productions. ///////////////////////////// If we want to read something more, we can also see the whole podcast as a great metaphor for how cumbersome choices made in the past become and how it takes years to solve them. ...what makes The Good Whale a gem for the ears is the excellent quality of the production, as is customary for everything that comes from Serial Productions."
Score: 5
Stephen O. • Podcast Delivery • Nov 25, 2024
"The Good Whale feels like something out of a Hollywood drama – fame, captivity, and a second chance at freedom. But this story isn't fiction, and that's what makes it so enthralling."
Score: 5
Lauren Passell • Podcast The Newsletter • Nov 25, 2024
"What a creative idea to make a podcast that was already so strong something completely innovative and memorable. …"
Score: 5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Nov 17, 2024
"I have heard the whole series, this barely takes you to the end of episode one. Even if you already know whether Keiko got his Hollywood ending, or a more nuanced indie film one, this is still worth diving into for Alarcón’s enjoyable storytelling. There is lovely colour...I was tickled by the genre-pushing spirit embraced in episode five when the podcast pivots into a musical imagining of the whale’s perspective..."
Score: 4.5
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times • Nov 17, 2024
"...has the feel of a big-budget yet tastefully unshowy production. I’m not keen on showtunes at the best of times. ...literary chops are clear from the writing, which is atmospheric, expansive and lyrical...for long stretches Alarcón’s voice is the only one we hear, which gives the project the immersive feel of an audiobook. "
