Listener sentiment
The First Degree continues to enjoy strong loyalty from long-time listeners, who praise the hosts' chemistry, the unique first-degree interview format, and the increasingly ambitious deep-dive episodes that tackle conspiracies and pop-culture controversies. However, the deep dives remain a clear point of division: some fans consider them the show's best content, while others feel they pull focus from the core crime-interview premise that drew them in. A recent episode featuring a grieving mother drew notable pushback — even among five-star reviewers — for being an uncomfortable, hard-to-listen-to interview. Persistent criticisms include Alexis Linkletter's on-mic delivery (mouth noises, throat clearing, and choppy phrasing), recurring factual and pronunciation errors that undermine credibility for detail-oriented listeners, and a minority of reviewers who perceive a left-leaning political bias in the hosts' commentary, particularly around Epstein-related coverage. One listener also flagged discomfort with ad partners whose values seem misaligned with the show's tone. The earlier Billy Jensen controversy has fully faded from audience discussion, with the conversation now centered squarely on content quality, format direction, and production polish.
Apple4.3 · 269
Summary generated Jul 4, 2026
