Listener sentiment
Behind the Bastards remains one of the most polarized podcasts in its category, and the defining fault line has not moved: producer Sophie Lichterman's expanded on-air presence dominates the review section to the near-exclusion of everything else. A large and diverse group of long-time listeners — many explicitly identifying as women and feminists to preempt accusations of sexism — contend that her constant interruptions, repetitive expressions of disgust during episodes about sexual predators, and habit of talking over host Robert Evans and guests have made episodes increasingly hard to finish, with several reviewers describing a ritual of skipping forward whenever she speaks. An equally vocal camp pushes back hard, calling the criticism misogynistic and praising Sophie's chemistry with Evans as essential to the show's appeal; the dispute has become deeply self-referential, with reviewers on both sides directly addressing each other's arguments and some questioning whether pro-Sophie comments are organic or coordinated. Outside that debate, listeners consistently praise Evans's deep research, dark humor, and ability to make bleak historical subjects both informative and entertaining, while recurring criticisms touch on ad saturation, perceived leftward political bias, uneven guest contributions, overlong multi-part episodes that spend too much time on background context, and lingering frustration over a Netflix deal that paywalled previously free content. The overall sentiment is stable compared to the prior window: a loyal core remains devoted, but a growing share of formerly enthusiastic listeners report listening less or dropping episodes partway through, almost entirely citing the co-host dynamic rather than the quality of the reporting itself.
Apple3.6 · 1,270
Summary generated Sep 4, 2026
