Listener sentiment
Behind the Bastards continues to earn strong praise for Robert Evans' deeply researched, darkly humorous storytelling about history's worst figures, with even dissatisfied listeners routinely acknowledging the quality of his work and the show's impressive back catalog. The dominant and most polarizing conversation remains the on-air role of producer Sophie Lichterman, whose frequent interjections—particularly repetitive expressions of disgust during episodes about sexual predators—draw sustained criticism from a broad cross-section of long-time subscribers, including many self-identified women and feminists who explicitly reject charges of misogyny. A vocal contingent defends Sophie as integral to the show's chemistry and dismisses criticism as sexist, and the debate has grown increasingly meta, with some recent reviewers questioning whether pro-Sophie comments are organic or coordinated. Secondary complaints continue to surface around ad saturation, perceived leftward political bias, uneven guest quality, multi-part episodes that spend too much time on background context, and lingering frustration over a Netflix deal that paywalled previously free content, while a few newer reviews raise concerns about the show treating war-crime subject matter too cavalierly without adequate trigger warnings. Despite the friction, the show maintains a deeply loyal core audience who value its unique blend of rigorous historical research and irreverent humor.
Apple3.6 · 1,257
Summary generated Jul 26, 2026
