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This is an early review of Ear Hustle, Season 4.
The Ear Hustle podcast has only published two new episodes of its latest season (episodes come out every other Thursday), but the anticipation for this season is almost as big as it was for Season 2.
That's because this season will be different. One of the co-hosts of Ear Hustle, Earlonne Woods, is no longer incarcerated at San Quentin prison in California. He was released back in late 2018, and he's now employed by PRX to produce and host the podcast from outside of prison.
There was a ton of buzz about this several months ago, as fans speculated about what this means for the podcast, and if it will still be as good.
After Ear Hustle dropped a short preview episode/trailer in late May, the buzz started back up again.
Some of the comments had me rolling my eyes, as "fans" of the show tweeted about how the show just wouldn't be the same without Earlonne.
I roll my eyes because those fans clearly hadn't listened to last year's update episode, or this year's preview. The hosts made it clear that Earlonne would still be co-hosting and sharing his story about adjusting to life after prison.
Season 4 will still feature conversations between Woods and his co-host Nigel Poor, as well as:
- a new co-host inside of San Quentin and the usual stories and interviews with inmates
- interviews between Woods and other men, and women, who have re-entered life after prison
Review: Season 4 of the Ear Hustle Podcast
I don't typically review a podcast after just two episodes, but they were two really good episodes.
The first episode, titled Excuse me on the tier, seemed to go back in time, introducing the concept of "reception".
Reception is the first place inmates go when they enter the prison system after county jail. It's where they sleep in their first cell, get their first prison clothes, learn the rules, and wait for their long-term prison assignment.
I had never heard of reception before. I didn't have a clue what it was. And the fact that it's only being introduced in Season 4 gave me a jolt.
It was like I had become familiar with the prison life that Ear Hustle has introduced to me, and now they were throwing me back to Day 1. And I think that's a good thing. I don't want to get too comfortable.
A lot of Ear Hustle episodes have high points and low points. There's usually both laughter and sadness. But this episode also had moments that gave me chills. Sometimes I forgot to breathe. Parts of it have a "true crime" feel to it.
Other parts - like when they ask folks what they spent money on when they first got out of prison - were both sweet and relatable.
A lot of episode 1 gave me some of the same feelings I got when watching the recent Netflix series When They See Us. There's a lot to digest about entering, and leaving, prison life.
The new co-host
In stark contrast to episode 1, the second episode of Season 4 had me laughing and smiling. It was probably the funniest episode of Ear Hustle they've ever made.
Episode 2 is titled Respect the paper, and is all about the importance of mail to inmates. Ear Hustle has covered mail in plenty of episodes, but this episode put a new spin on stories about incoming and outgoing letters.
This is also the episode in which you really get to hear the new co-host, Rahsaan “New York” Thomas. He's in episode 1, but this is where he really gets to do his thing.
Rahsaan's voice and presentation style are perfectly suited to Ear Hustle. He fits into the show perfectly.
For fans who were worried about the new co-host replacing Earlonne on the inside, don't worry; New York is the right guy for the job.
I don't want to spoil the episode for anyone who plans to listen (and you should), but I'll just mention that there's a special message from Lt. Sam Robinson at the end of this episode.
Verdict
I've been pleasantly surprised by the first two episodes of Season 4 of Ear Hustle. Not because they're producing great stuff without having Earlonne on the inside; I expected that to be the case.
What's surprised me is that they've dug a little deeper on these first episodes. They've interviewed a lot of guys on the inside in just these two shows. I like it when they have a lot of voices in each episode. I want to hear about as many experiences as possible.
I also think that Earlonne's release came at just the right time for Ear Hustle (although it was probably long overdue in terms of his real life). I think the show was due for a "shake up"; something to force them to tweak the format and explore other avenues within their limitations. And they're doing it well.
I'm looking forward to the rest of Season 4, especially Earlonne's perspective on life post-incarceration.
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Have you listened to the Season 4 of Ear Hustle? What do you think? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.