We Were Three
5.0/5
Critic Rating
A story of lies, family, America, and what Covid revealed, as well as what it destroyed. To get full access to this show, and to other Serial Productions and New York Times podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, subscribe at nytimes.com/podcasts. To find out about new shows from Serial Productions, and get a look behind the scenes, sign up for our newsletter at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter. Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Lucy White • Irish Independent • Feb 5, 2023
"Rachel McKibbens’s harrowing story is detailed...McKibbens’s personal grief and anger is sensitively told and well rooted in the wider context of conspiracy theories and American politics."
Score: 5
Mara Davis • Paste Magazine • Dec 19, 2022
"While at first you think it is a series about vaccine hesitancy, it’s more about how family trauma and propaganda can lead to tragedy. There are so many shocking moments, you’ll wonder how she got through it all. The brilliance of We Were Three is that it’s only three tidy, exquisitely done episodes. You’ll want to listen to it all at once."
Score: 5
PR Staff • PodcastReview.org • Nov 2, 2022
"The three-part series is a character-study that takes the tragic deaths of two family members as a starting point for understanding how relationships and beliefs ebb and flow."
Score: 5
Ximena Smith • Stuff NZ • Oct 29, 2022
"The heartbreaking story embodies some of the most visceral human elements of the unknown stages of the pandemic...We Were Three’s appeal lies in the subtlety and delicacy of its storytelling and the personal connection McKibben has with the subject...The series is smoothly-produced, as ever, and its humanity and unrushed nature is notable."
Score: 4.9
Hannah J Davies • The Guardian • Oct 20, 2022
"It’s not an easy listen; aside from its tough themes...the focus here is on understanding the thoughts and feelings of the deceased via texts sent in their final weeks. However, the result is a powerful study of the impacts of Covid scepticism, and the reality that the political is often uncomfortably personal. …"
Score: 5
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Oct 19, 2022
"We Were Three is a slight, quiet piece...even the most quiet Serial Productions piece makes for a formidable listen, operating well above the bar of so many other narrative podcasts. It easily lit up my various podcast-related group chats, inspiring conversation about the show’s choices..."
Score: 5
Stephen O. • Podcast Delivery • Oct 17, 2022
"This three-episode series has a knack for washing over you, so you're bound to binge it. Rachel McKibbens pieces together the fleeting moments of her brother's and father's final days by making sense of their text messages to and from family and friends. "
