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Binge these 7 episodes of the Love Letters podcast before the new season
After listening to these stories, even a few, you’ll be in the know for our new season, which asks one big question: Can people change?
Not long ago I asked my sister to watch “Better Call Saul,” the prequel to “Breaking Bad.”
I watched it for the first time last year, and now it’s one of my favorite shows.
My sister said she’d try it – so we could discuss. The only issue: she did not want to have to watch all of “Breaking Bad” first. She wanted to jump right into “Saul.”
But you can’t really enjoy one without the other.
That’s why I told her I’d come up with a short list of “Breaking Bad” episodes to binge before moving on to “Better Call Saul.”
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(I am still working on this list, by the way. “Breaking Bad”/“Saul” fans: feel free to email me your suggestions for an informative binge watch. It hasn’t been easy to pick the most important ones.)
A much easier list for me to assemble is one for my own Love Letters podcast.
As we launch our new season (Jan. 14), I realize that many Love Letters column readers haven’t tried the podcast.
They might be intimidated to start – because we’re more than 100 episodes in.
To be clear: you can start with any episode, but it is nice to have some background.
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Today I present what I’ll call the “7 Love Letters Podcast Episodes You Should Binge So You Can Hop Into Our New Season With Ease.” (Rolls off the tongue, right?)
After listening to these stories, even a few, you’ll be in the know for new episodes. By the way, our new season asks one big question: Can people change? I’d like to change for the better. This season, we try to figure out how.
Here’s your binge list – and why each episode is important.
1. Boyfriend person
Trenni Casey, of NBC Sports Boston, is my friend. She’s also someone whose life became very different in 2020. She embraced change that year, and realized she might have been seeking it for a long time. This is a good starter episode, especially if you’re into sports, running, or being single … and then coupled.
2. The Parent Trap
In this story, a Boston guy changes his life by being more honest with the people who love him most – his parents.
3. Ah, Those Opportunity Costs
Dating is expensive. In this episode, two single people break down their dating lives by the dollar. To be honest, I kind of wanted to set them up, but they lived in different cities … which … would have been expensive.
4. Ana in Paris
We have two episodes in our new season about geography and change. A good warmup is this 2022 episode about what it feels like to move away from everything you know. Even if you’re desperate to leave home, it’s hard to be elsewhere.
5. The Best Partner I Ever Had
This is one about loving vampires and your mom. It features a hilarious guest named Kumar, whose story about love and grief will heal your heart.
6. The Role of a Lifetime
This episode features one of my favorite storytellers in the world, Marianne Leone, who you might know from “The Sopranos” or from her books. Marianne has played many roles. But this story is about the one she plays in a long, loving relationship.
7. Beware the Fairy Tales
This one is very personal; it’s mostly about my family. I’ll be revisiting a family issue toward the end of our new season. This older episode will give you some background … so you’re all caught up on the gossip.
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Meredith Goldstein hosts the Love Letters podcast and writes the Love Letters advice column. She can be reached at [email protected].
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