Serial Is Eyeing the Bowe Bergdahl Case for Season 2, but They're Not Very Happy the News Is Out

But they're not happy the news is out.

By Seija Rankin Sep 23, 2015 4:22 PMTags
Sarah Koenig, Bowe BergdahlMike Coppola/Getty Images for Peabody Awards; U.S. Army via Getty Images

There is some big news for Serial fans this morning!

After months (and what felt like years) of speculation over the podcast's next case, Maxim is reporting that host Sarah Koenig and her team will be tackling the mystery of Bowe Bergdahl. The magazine has several secret sources (soldiers who served with the ex-POW) who say they've been interviewed by Serial staffers in preparation for an upcoming season. 

It's not yet known whether this case will be used for season two or season three, but Koenig and her producer were spotted at Bergdahl's hearing last week, which in our minds means this is a done deal. Those of us familiar with the ex-POW's mysterious case are pretty intrigued to see what Serial comes up with—but if you're struggling to remember just what the deal is, here's a little refresher.

Bergdahl was a United States Army sergeant who was held as a prisoner of war by the Taliban in Afghanistan for five years, only to be freed last year in a prisoner exchange with inmates at Guantánamo Bay. Heavy stuff, right? The whole situation was made even more complicated (and, as we mentioned, mysterious) by the fact that he walked off his base (and into danger) on his own volition, and was charged with desertion and endangering the soldiers who searched for him. There are certainly a lot of moving pieces and conflicting stories here, which is right up Serial's alley.

There are also a few Serial naysayers out there. Several of the Army sources told Maxim that they're worried the podcast won't be able to do the story justice, and there's also some concern about the team's reporting getting in the way of the active case against Bergdahl. But we all know Sarah Koenig is a fan of complications. 

Another thing we now know that is that Serial is not a fan of inquiring reporters. The team at New York Magazine tried to get some clarification on the Maxim reporting and let's just say their questions weren't exactly welcomed with open arms. 

"We'd very much appreciate if fellow journalists would give us some room and not feel the need to attempt to dig into and try to figure out what you think we might be doing," a Serial spokesperson told the mag. "Especially since we're actively reporting stories, and having a bunch of wild speculation out there makes our job reporting harder. Doesn't feel very menschy."

Well okay, then. Duly noted. Looks like we'll just have to wait until the next leak to get more juicy tidbits.