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The Shallow End
The Shallow End
Author: Schnebly and Toth
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From the Webby Award-winning creators of The Box Of Oddities Podcast comes The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth.
Friends since childhood, Lindsay Schnebly and Jethro Gilligan Toth have always shared a love for stories of people doing ridiculously dumb things. They found it wildly amusing as young boys. They still do today. This is your invitation to pour a strong drink and join them for true stories that are tragically hilarious.
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On this episode of The Shallow End, the guys dive headfirst into two stories that prove reality is often stranger—and far funnier—than fiction. First, a bizarre crime spree in Gwinnett County, Georgia where a man allegedly attempted a series of car thefts while wearing nothing but a tablecloth and fuzzy blue slippers, turning a routine police chase into one of the strangest wardrobe choices in criminal history. Then the conversation shifts to a surprisingly controversial business experiment in New Jersey, where Girl Scout cookies were briefly sold outside a cannabis dispensary, creating the perfect collision between entrepreneurial scouts and customers experiencing the legendary munchies. Add listener mail about unfortunate names and the hosts’ signature humor, and you’ve got a hilarious mix of weird news, bizarre crimes, strange stories, and odd moments from everyday life that only The Shallow End could deliver.
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In this episode of The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, two unbelievable real-life stories prove that sometimes the most ridiculous headlines are absolutely true.
First, we head to Skull Valley, Arizona, where a sheriff’s deputy responds to a strange crash and discovers a driver who insists he’s “totally perfect”… despite crashing into a guardrail and somehow getting his finger stuck inside a can of White Claw hard seltzer. The situation only gets worse when authorities determine the driver is well beyond the legal alcohol limit—earning himself one of Arizona’s rare “super extreme DUI” charges. It’s a bizarre collision of questionable decisions, desert highways, and the world’s least helpful beverage container.
Then the story shifts from roadside chaos to the friendly skies with the surreal case of Svetlana Dali, a woman who has repeatedly managed to board international flights without a ticket, boarding pass, or passport. Yes—she simply blended into boarding groups and walked onto planes headed across the Atlantic. Not once… but multiple times. How does someone bypass airport security, TSA checkpoints, and airline gate agents to become a transatlantic stowaway? The answer may reveal something deeply strange about how security—and human behavior—actually works.
Along the way, Schnebly and Toth wander into their usual philosophical territory, including why airports make perfectly innocent travelers feel like criminals, how confidence can get you almost anywhere, and why every trip through TSA feels like a scene from a dystopian thriller.
From White Claw–related highway chaos to international airline stowaways, this episode explores the strange places where human behavior meets unbelievable circumstance.
Welcome to The Shallow End, where true stories prove that reality is often stranger—and far funnier—than fiction.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, Jethro and Lindsay dive headfirst into two true crime stories that feel less like reality and more like a stress dream fueled by bad decisions and poor time management.
First up: a record-setting criminal spree that unfolded during a single nine-hour Greyhound bus layover in Nashville. One man somehow managed to cram 11 felonies into less time than most people spend binge-watching a season of television—including arson, armed robbery, carjacking, Walmart shopping on stolen credit cards, a hotel robbery carried out in a disguise, and a final attempt to evade police by hiding inside industrial equipment. It’s a bizarre, fast-moving case that raises an important question: how much trouble can one person get into before missing their bus?
Then, the show turns to a workplace dispute that escalated far beyond anything HR could possibly handle. At a Popeyes restaurant in North Carolina, an argument between managers over burned biscuits ended in gunfire. What began as a kitchen disagreement spilled outside, resulting in a shooting, attempted murder charges, and a reminder that sometimes the smallest conflicts carry the most catastrophic consequences.
Along the way, Jethro and Lindsay riff on free will, crime efficiency, poor impulse control, and why absolutely no one should be committing felonies by the hour. As always, the stories are real, the reactions are unfiltered, and the humor is just dark enough to make you question whether you should be laughing—right before you do.
If you enjoy true crime stories where everything spirals wildly out of control, criminal logic collapses under its own weight, and bad decisions stack up at alarming speed, this episode of The Shallow End delivers.
No felonies. No burned biscuits. Make good choices.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, Florida once again proves it’s not just a place—it’s a mindset.
First: a birthday fishing trip off the coast of Florida takes a sharp turn when a six-foot lemon shark becomes an unwilling Instagram prop. What starts as a triumphant catch turns into a 911 call, a tourniquet, and a helicopter ride—because nothing says “memories” like underestimating a living torpedo with teeth.
Then: a peaceful Sunday morning pickleball match inside a gated country club spirals into what police reports describe as a full-blown melee. A rules dispute over “the kitchen,” a paddle repurposed as a weapon, multiple injuries, felony charges, and the sobering realization that pickleball rage is, somehow, very real.
Along the way, the guys unpack performative confidence, the curse of documentation, the strange logic of bad ideas that begin with “watch this,” and why the universe seems to take personal offense the moment a smartphone enters the equation. There’s also a listener email that derails the show into an unexpectedly deep debate about logic, grammar, and whether the phrase “pour yourself a strong one and buckle up” accidentally implies a felony.
It’s a classic Shallow End episode: wild true stories, dry humor, sharp observations, and a gentle reminder that nature, sports, and sharks do not care if it’s your birthday.
Make good choices.
Your life—and possibly your pickleball reputation—may depend on it.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, the universe appears to clock in early and enforce consequences with zero paperwork.
Schnebly and Toth break down a surreal Milwaukee incident in which a man attempting to set a Cadillac Escalade on fire instead ignites his own pants—an act of instant karma caught entirely on surveillance video. What begins as felony-grade arson collapses into slapstick physics as flaming trousers, panicked decision-making, and a perfectly timed police cruiser converge in what may be the most efficient arrest on record.
From there, the episode widens into a greatest-hits reel of bad ideas and questionable judgment. A listener email recounts a sober college sledding adventure that ends with injuries, hospital visits, and the realization that alcohol isn’t always required to make terrible choices. The hosts share their own youthful snow-related miscalculations, proving once again that age and common sense rarely arrive together.
The episode also dives into a Texas burglary attempt that goes sideways when a man breaks into a car dealership, injures himself on the glass, calls 911 for help, and—while waiting for first responders—helps himself to candy from a sales desk. Because of course he does.
Equal parts dumb criminal behavior, misfired confidence, and real-world absurdity, this episode is a reminder that when plans collapse, they often do so loudly, publicly, and on camera.
Make good choices. Don’t play with fire. And for the love of God, don’t try to outrun your own pants.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, Schnebly and Toth dive headfirst into the kind of poor decision-making that only extreme weather, youthful confidence, and suspended driver’s licenses can produce.
It starts in Vermont during the infamous Blizzard of 2010, where a 23-year-old man was caught driving more than 60 mph down Interstate 89 while towing a friend on a plastic sled. When police attempted a traffic stop, things somehow escalated further—as the driver tried to switch places with the person on the sled mid-incident, apparently believing legality depends on where you’re physically sitting at the moment you get caught.
From there, the episode spirals delightfully into listener stories and human misjudgment, including a jaw-dropping email about two beer-buzzed teenagers who accidentally witnessed an armed jewelry store robbery—and laughed through the whole thing. The lesson? Alcohol, adolescence, and crisis situations are a dangerous cocktail.
The episode wraps with another true crime oddity involving attempted bird smuggling at the U.S.–Mexico border, featuring parakeets hidden in pants, chirping during inspection, and a defense that somehow made things worse. Because of course it did.
Equal parts dumb criminal behavior, bad luck, and baffling confidence, this episode is a reminder that common sense is often the first thing lost in cold weather, stressful situations, and moments when someone asks, “What if we just tried this?”
Pour a strong beverage, make better choices than the people in this episode, and wade into The Shallow End—where real stories prove that someone, somewhere, is always doing something worse than you.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, human decision-making briefly leaves the building—and gravity takes over.
First, we head to downtown Vancouver, Washington, where a routine disturbance at a restaurant escalates into a full-blown aerial performance. Instead of running from police like a normal person, one man chooses a bold new escape strategy: climbing onto a rooftop communications cable, dangling 20 feet above the street, taunting first responders, and—because why not—removing his shirt mid-sway. For 45 minutes, cops, firefighters, and stunned onlookers watch what can only be described as a bootleg Cirque du Soleil audition, before physics ends the show in the most slapstick way possible.
Then, we travel back to Everett, Washington, for a classic case of criminal ingenuity meeting basic chemistry. Two would-be thieves attempt to break into an ATM using an acetylene blowtorch—successfully cutting their way in, accidentally setting the cash on fire, and then attempting to extinguish the flames using the only tool they apparently planned for: their own urine. Surveillance footage confirms every bad decision.
Along the way, we discuss panic logic, commitment to terrible ideas, firefighters who literally “caught” a suspect, and the many ways stress can unlock brand-new genres of stupidity. Plus, a listener email sparks a discussion about naming the show’s mysterious lifeguard voice.
It’s a reminder that when humans are under pressure, they don’t rise to the occasion—they dangle from cables, pee on burning money, and give first responders stories they’ll be telling forever.
Pour a strong beverage, make better choices than these guys did, and dive into another episode of The Shallow End.
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Episode 192 of The Shallow End delivers three perfectly unhinged true stories that prove human decision-making collapses completely under mild pressure.
First, police in the UK respond to a routine burglary investigation—only to discover their suspect hiding inside a washing machine. Not running. Not mid-cycle. Just vibrating slightly with shame. When officers lift the lid, the man doesn’t flee or panic… he politely waves. Because of course he does.
Then, listener Ben from Springfield, Massachusetts shares his own bizarre brush with human nonsense after arriving at his riverside boathouse to discover his entire dock has vanished. Security footage later reveals two strangers and a dog untying it, floating it upstream, and casually tying it to a tree—apparently deciding the dock needed a change of scenery.
Finally, we head to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a rejected liquor purchase escalates into an armed robbery using an 1850s derringer, also known as a “muff pistol.” Pajama pants, hoodie, antique firearm, and stolen IDs—because if you’re going to commit a crime, you might as well do it with Civil War flair.
No one is hurt. No high-speed chases. Just grown adults, questionable choices, and appliances that were never meant to be safe houses.
Lesson of the week: appliances are not hiding places, docks are not community property, and blunderbusses do not improve your odds.
You’re in The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth—where confidence routinely outruns planning.
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In this episode of The Shallow End, we ease into the morning with half-finished coffee, mild grogginess, and a deep philosophical discussion about a very specific human flaw: the irresistible urge to acquire objects we absolutely do not need—and will almost certainly never use.
From abandoned French press coffee makers to unopened hologram fans quietly aging in closets, the boys unpack the strange comfort of possession without follow-through, the sacred importance of keeping boxes “just in case,” and the moment you realize you’ve officially become your parents.
Things take a darker turn with a true crime story from Italy involving pension fraud, family deception, and a high-profile attempt at impersonation that has been dubbed the real-life “Mrs. Doubtfire scheme.” It’s a story that somehow manages to be disturbing, absurd, and baffling all at once—and proves that bureaucracy will eventually notice… even if it takes a while.
Then, a listener email delivers a classic Shallow End cautionary tale involving college logic, expired Mello Yello, gravity, and a car hood that never knew what hit it. It’s a story about impulse, regret, and the long shadow cast by a single bad decision made at the top of a staircase.
Finally, the episode closes with a quintessential Florida Dumb Criminal Story: a man who tried to delay his flight by calling in a bomb threat—using his own phone, his real voice, and airport Wi-Fi. What follows is a quietly perfect example of impatience, overconfidence, and how modern surveillance does not reward shortcuts.
It’s an episode about bad choices, unintended consequences, and the universal belief that maybe—just maybe—we can outsmart the system this one time.
Spoiler: we can’t.
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What happens when you don’t take the win?
This episode of The Shallow End delivers two unforgettable stories about poor decisions, improbable survival, and the fine art of knowing when to walk away.
First, a Texas man is released from jail, handed his belongings, and given the one instruction that matters most: leave. Instead, he realizes something is missing—his confiscated marijuana—and makes the baffling choice to climb back over the jail fence to retrieve it. The result? No weed, more charges, and an instant promotion to the Shallow End Hall of Fame. A perfect lesson in why some exits should never be re-entered .
Then, the episode pivots from modern misjudgment to 19th-century audacity with the astonishing true story of Professor Thaddeus Lowe, a self-taught scientist who accidentally drifted by hot air balloon behind Confederate lines at the dawn of the Civil War. Shot at, nearly arrested, and mistaken for a demonic flying contraption, Lowe somehow talked his way out—then turned the entire ordeal into a meeting with Abraham Lincoln and the creation of America’s first military balloon reconnaissance program .
Along the way, listeners are treated to a jaw-dropping listener story involving gasoline, a bonfire, a Kiss music video, and the Milwaukee River—plus a reminder that eyebrows do, in fact, grow back.
Equal parts absurd, historical, and painfully relatable, this episode explores those fragile moments when the universe says, you’re done here—and what happens when someone ignores it.
Life lessons included. Jail fences should not be climbed. Fire tricks should not be attempted. And when freedom hands you the door… take it.
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Here’s an SEO-optimized episode description for The Shallow End, written to perform well on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts while matching the tone of the episode and the show’s brand:
As 2025 limps toward the finish line, The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth dives headfirst into a fresh batch of gloriously bad decisions, near-miss disasters, and criminal incompetence you truly have to hear to believe.
The episode opens with a painfully relatable moment of modern panic: losing your phone… while actively talking on it. From there, things escalate quickly with a near-catastrophic kitchen mistake involving a laptop and a microwave (spoiler: MacBooks are not microwave-safe).
But the real headline story comes out of small-town Ohio, where an ordinary bank drive-through transaction turns into one of the dumbest criminal stories of the year. A man accidentally sends methamphetamine through a pneumatic bank tube, triggering a sheriff’s department response, a canine alert, and instant internet infamy. No getaway plan. No criminal mastermind. Just a jaw-dropping lapse in attention that lands him squarely in Shallow End legend.
The episode also features listener-submitted stories, including a Florida man who attempts yard work with a sword and accidentally enters a real-life medieval snake encounter, plus a stunning double-whammy crime story involving COVID relief fraud, a stolen U-Haul van, and a defendant who shows up for federal court already in handcuffs.
If you enjoy true dumb criminal stories, real news absurdity, and laugh-out-loud moments fueled by human error, this episode delivers. It’s a reminder to double-check what’s in your pockets, return your rental vehicles on time, and for the love of all that’s holy—don’t mail illegal drugs to a bank.
The Shallow End is where bad ideas float, good judgment sinks, and the stories are always true.
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year—when you’re permitted (and strongly encouraged) to sip eggnog and pretend you forgot that embarrassing childhood performance of “Jingle Bells” on your parents’ camcorder. But guess what? We didn’t forget. And we’re bringing you something just as classic and cringey—a rerun from three Christmases ago!
Join us as we sleigh-ride back in time to an episode packed with questionable decisions and awkward outcomes, like what happens when you attempt to steal a trailer, but you're not too bright or why we should never fiddle about with the weather. It’s our Christmas gift to you—and the best part? You can re-gift it guilt-free to your friends, family, or that random coworker who keeps forwarding you cat memes.
So, don your ugly sweater, grab a candy cane (or something much stronger), and tune in for a holly-jolly re-gifted serving of The Shallow End. No matter how you celebrate, at least you’ll have this greatest hit to amuse you while Uncle Gary attempts his 47th retelling of “The Night Before Christmas.” Merry Reruns!
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What happens when a man calls 911 to report a wrong-way driver… and discovers he is the wrong-way driver? In this episode of The Shallow End, Schnebly and Tom share a jaw-dropping true story of drunk driving irony, a listener’s unforgettable fast-food bathroom disaster, and a late-night McDonald’s drive-thru in Florida that escalates from impatience to gunfire. Real stories. Bad decisions. Maximum shallow end.
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The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Garbage Heist and the Fire Truck Joyride
When it comes to dumb criminal stories, this week’s episode of The Shallow End Podcast might just take the trash-covered cake. JG and Linds explore two jaw-dropping tales of grand theft municipal—one featuring a pair of Alabama geniuses who used a stolen garbage truck as their getaway vehicle in an ATM heist gone gloriously wrong, and another involving an Australian man who took a fire truck for a joyride… sirens blazing.
From sparks flying down Birmingham streets to a cross-jurisdiction chase through New South Wales, it’s a masterclass in bad ideas—where optimism bias meets municipal machinery. The guys dissect what drives people to commit felonies in the least stealthy vehicles possible and find surprising poetry (and Shakespeare) in the stupidity.
Plus, listener mail brings a “petrified wood curse,” an unexpected toddler interruption during mommy and daddy time, and a conversation about Maine slang that’ll make you rethink your “door yard.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth is a wildly entertaining podcast that revels in people's absurd and often hilarious mistakes. In each episode, hosts Schnebly and Toth delve into true stories of misadventures and miscalculations, from everyday blunders to spectacular
gaffes. With a keen eye for the funny side of human error, they explore how even the most straightforward decisions can spiral into comedic chaos. The show combines storytelling with witty banter, offering listeners a laugh and a gentle reminder of our shared imperfections. Whether it’s a failed science experiment or an office mishap, Schnebly and Toth are here to celebrate the humor in life’s Shallow End.
If you would like to
advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact
advertising@airwavemedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices




the story out of Shillington is near where I live now and I wondered if it would be part of this section of the shallow end
my grade school had a cloakroom it even said cloakroom on the door
So happy you got to sit at Mr Chaplin's table ! That's EPIC !! Anyone that's a fan of old movies, especially of Chaplin's work would give their bowler hat,cane and mustache to sit there ! Hope you got pic's 😁♥️
I just love this podcast, When you need a good laugh, shocked by stupidity, and amazed, listen to this podcast!Stupidity
I know you guys aren't here anymore but I sure love love love you !!! I tried to get all 3 of the podcasts on Himalaya but they said they don't have podcasts anymore. WTH ??
I absolutely LOVED this story !!! I will be smiling for the rest of the day ! Thank you Lindsay 💋
OMG! If he comes to the Chicago show I'll straight up die. Getting to meet them all at once would be happiness overload!!
"I'm sure it was tagged for evidence, but not sure."
30 story??? I used to watch those guys in Seattle no less on those scaffolding much higher than 30 stories or on the dome roofs, etc. those guys ... i was always impressed. and very thankful about them doing their jobs! my windows were clean!!
Should have had a warning before Jethro's deer story. Brutal & graphic.
The beginning of the episode just proves how perfectly observant Lindsay is lol
ha! a k-car. mine was a stick shift on top of the k-caredness of it all 😜
LOL "A plumbing betrayal ' Omggg...I'm dying here !!!
So glad to hear Lyns & Nan are safe and home. Our hearts go out to your fellow Cali neighbors and loved one's who are struggling with the fires.
not every dam thing has to be overly embellished. getting old
given your story, the film was popular due to its intimacy. though I haven't seen it. thanks for doing what you do.
it's in 80s here in Ga.and I'm sick of it ! I'm from the glorious Pacific Northwest. I miss it.Mt Rainer reaching for the sky,smell of the ocean,lakes,rivers,creeks,mountains... sigh. Unfortunately I've seen pic's of areas around Seattle that break my heart. Olympia also.
omggg !!! Nobody stopped this jackass Doctor when he had the liver and spleen mixed up BEFORE the surgery started ? Or even when other Doctors said he didn't have the necessary skill to perform the surgery !? Or when this killer got ready to slice an artery??? Listen to the podcast Dr Death. You'll never be the same.
I love these two !!!!
Ya'll I cringed so hard during JG's part! Oh that was painfully funny to listen to lol.