Finally! Serial Season 2 Is Here, and This Is What You Need to Know
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There are so many unsolved mysteries out there, but Serial host Sarah Koenig can only investigate one of them for the second season of the popular podcast. Months ago, news broke that the Serial team had settled on the case of Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who was held by the Taliban from 2009 to 2014. While the Serial team wouldn't confirm it at the time, the first episode of season two has been released, and — surprise! — it is indeed about Bergdahl. Here's what you need to know about Bergdahl's controversial story.
Who is Bowe Bergdahl?
Sgt. Robert "Bowe" Bergdahl is an American soldier who disappeared from his post in Afghanistan under mysterious circumstances in 2009. He was held captive by the Taliban for nearly five years, until the US government negotiated his release in exchange for five Guantánamo Bay detainees. President Obama himself appeared with Bergdahl's parents to explain the development to the public, but the media questioned the five-for-one deal, especially since the five prisoners who the US released were prominent members of the Taliban.
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What's the mystery?
A 2012 Rolling Stone story brought Bergdahl's case into the public light. Contained in the article was a letter Bergdahl had written right before his disappearance to his father, saying he was "ashamed to even be American," among other complaints that expressed his discontent with the military and America on the whole. He also told his family that a box of his personal items would be arriving for them: "Feel free to open them, and use them."
Remember those "mysterious circumstances" I mentioned? Well, this letter implies that Bergdahl may have deliberately gone AWOL, then happened to be captured by the Taliban. This intent to desert his crew adds a whole new layer to the story. Upon his return, Bergdahl was charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Is Bergdahl guilty of the charges? What really happened on the day he disappeared, and why are the details so murky? Most importantly, what happened in the five years that he was gone? Hopefully, Serial will bring some new information to light.
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What is going on with the case right now?
Weeks ago, a preliminary hearing took place to determine if Bergdahl's case would be tried in a court-martial. Koenig, along with Zero Dark Thirty writer Mark Boal, was spotted at the hearing. Boal is separately working on a movie about the case, and the Serial team has partnered with him for this season, as he was willing to share a lot of his previous research.
Here's the teaser!
The podcast shared this very cryptic teaser on Dec. 10, with a link to the new season.