In Research Of
The show where we watch the 1970s TV show "In Search Of..." and look at possible explanations the producers didn't consider.
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S05E04 - Daredevil Death Wish
05/28/2026
S05E04 - Daredevil Death Wish
Note: This episode briefly touches on the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Blake and Jeb crash headlong into S05E04 of In Search Of... on the topic of Daredevil Death Wish. Episode Summary This In Search Of episode asks a surprisingly straightforward question for this show: what drives daredevils to risk their lives? Rather than chasing aliens or cryptids, the episode plays it remarkably straight - functioning more as a documentary about stunt performers than the paranormal-adjacent fare we've come to expect. After a montage of vintage stock footage the episode profiles several working daredevils: Pat Jackson, a 42-year-old housewife who rides motorcycles through flaming boards; Roger Kober, a 22-year-old whose "slide for life" goes wrong on camera; Hank Wise and his "Iron Man" act (letting a truck drive over his body); and Chuck Strange, a demolition derby natural turned pickup-truck pilot whose Astrodome crash nearly killed him. The episode's most substantive segment features Kim Kahana's stunt school in California, where the veteran stuntman trains young performers in the difference between a daredevil ("a guy who just says, let's do it") and a professional who uses illusion and safety. Psychologist Dr. Samuel Z. Klausner provides the academic frame, describing stress-seeking as almost addictive - the euphoria of overcoming fear becomes a need that grows stronger with each attempt. Notably, the episode is produced by the same team behind That's Incredible!, yet takes a far more restrained, documentarian approach than that show's sensationalist style. The result is one of the most credible episodes of In Search Of we've encountered - and, consequently, one of the least weird.
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S05E03 - Lee Harvey Oswald
05/03/2026
S05E03 - Lee Harvey Oswald
Jeb and Blake tackle In Search Of...'s S05E03 topic of Lee Harvey Oswald. Episode Summary This In Search Of episode examines the assassination of President John F. Kennedy through the lens of (at the time this aired) newly discovered acoustic evidence and Cold War intrigue. Rather than accepting the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, the episode presents "new evidence" suggesting a conspiracy involving multiple gunmen, potential Soviet involvement, and even the extraordinary theory that the man killed by Jack Ruby may not have been the real Lee Harvey Oswald. The episode relies heavily on acoustic analysis of the Dallas police motorcycle tape (1978), testimony from KGB defector Yuri Nosenko, handwriting analysis of Oswald's Soviet diary, and the fringe theory of British investigator Michael Eddowes that a Soviet lookalike carried out the assassination. Notably, this episode aired just three weeks before the election of Ronald Reagan, and sits chronologically between two major investigations: Dr. James Barger's acoustic analysis work (1978) and the National Academy of Sciences' debunking of that analysis (1982).
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S05E02 - Faith Healing (EXPLICIT)
04/20/2026
S05E02 - Faith Healing (EXPLICIT)
Blake and Jeb discuss ISO's coverage of FAITH HEALING. The episode goes to places new and old. Jeb gives us historical context. Blake gets angry. Nimoy wears a lab coat.
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BONUS: Weirdumentary with Gary Rhodes
03/08/2026
BONUS: Weirdumentary with Gary Rhodes
Weirdumentary has a forward by Stephen Bissette who wrote a book also likely to be of interest to listeners: (affiliate link) (A follow-up to that book is under construction and will include research by your's truly about the "4-walling" tour of the PGF.) I linked to page for Weirdumentary above at the request of Gary. If you're curious about their catalog, we talked with their owner recently about monstrous food and they also produced Al Ridenour's new book about Carnival. This is not a complete list of the films in the book - and it also covers a few TV series including In Search Of... and Arthur C. Clarke's _____ (he had three ITV series covering topics similar to ISO with each season getting a slightly different name). 1970: , The Unexplained 1971: The Hellstrom Chronicles, 1972: Bigfoot Man or Beast, Monsters! Mysteries or Myths?, The Devil's Triangle, The Legend of Boggy Creek 1973: 1974: Deadly Fathoms, In Search of Ancient Mysteries, In Search of Dracula, UFOs: Past, Present and Future 1975: Mysteries from Beyond Earth, , The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond, The Man of Miracles, The Outer Space Connection 1976: Beyond Belief, In Search of Noah's Ark, Mysteries of the Gods, The Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena, The Legend of Bigfoot, The Legend of Loch Ness, The Miracle Healers, The Mysterious Monsters, World Beyond Death 1977: Aliens from Spaceship Earth, Journey into the Beyond, Mysteries of the Great Pyramid, The Lincoln Conspiracy, The Underground Doctors, The Unknown Force 1978: Are We Alone in the Universe?, Beyond and Back, Curse of the Mayan Temple, Manbeast! Myth or Monster?, Mysteries from Beyond the Triangle, Mysteries of the Mind, Mystery of the Sacred Shroud, Secret of the Bermuda Triangle, , The Late Great Planet Earth, The Lost City of Atlantis, The UFO Journals, UFO - Exclusive! , UFO: Top Secret, Unknown Powers, World of the Unknown 1979: Attack from Outer Space, Charles Berlitz's The Bermuda Triangle, Death: The Ultimate Mystery, Encounter with Disaster, Hypnosis and Beyond, In Search of the Historic Jesus, The Doomsday Chronicles, The Prophecies of Nostradamus, UFOs Are Real, World of Mystery 1980: Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World (TV), Land of Celtic Ghosts, Mysteries of the Mind, UFO Syndrome 1981: Search for the Titanic
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S05E01 UFO Coverups
01/29/2026
S05E01 UFO Coverups
Show less Jeb and Blake kick off Season 5 of In Search Of... by researching UFO COVERUPS! Links: and Reddit - and (not a saucer!) Nimoy Fashion Alert! UFO Crash Sites in New Mexico: There is a lot of Top Secret in this episode: Col Donald Burggrabe Raymond Fowler Peter Gersten Donald Ritter Jesse Marcel Sr. Col Robert Friend And was the model UFO in this episode a guest star from Lost In Space?
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S04E24 - Past Lives
12/09/2025
S04E24 - Past Lives
Blake and Jeb go In Research Of PAST LIVES with Leonard Nimoy. Subjects include reincarnation claims, past-life regression therapy, and some truly baffling Nimoy wardrobe choices. Topics we cover include: Nimoy wandering a Los Angeles graveyard in a strange quasi-military sport coat, and Blake’s detective work tying the filming location to Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. The famous Pollock twins case from Hexham, England, where two girls were said to be the reincarnations of their deceased sisters — and how later research complicates the story. Dr. Lucia Capacchione’s art-therapy / inner-child work and how the show uses regression narratives to explain modern psychological problems. Playwright A.J. Stewart (Ada F. Kay), who became convinced she was James IV of Scotland and wrote as if from the king’s own perspective. Whether past-life regression therapy produces evidence of reincarnation or just vivid, therapist-shaped fantasy, and why skeptics are so wary of hypnosis-based “memories.” NFA (Nimoy Fashion Alert): Cemetery Detective Work: Using the 2nd NFA shot, I was able to decipher the tex on the dark tombstone. It is a lot darker in real life with a modern shot. includes for this episode's cemetery shot. Jeb asked for an animated gif of the woman in the castle with secret doors: The cover of Robert and Loy Young's book about reincarnation: The twins at the heart of the British (Hexham!) reincarnation story: And I can't help but scream - DON'T GO NEAR THE EDGE!!! This episode is such a cliffhanger. Deeper reading & sources mentioned: Pollock twins case write-up at the (including A.J. Stewart / Ada F. Kay): (reincarnation claim & Falcon background) – history and the Japanese “Garden of the Pines” section and inner-child / expressive-arts therapy (Harriet Hall, Science-Based Medicine): General background on and why psychologists consider it pseudoscientific
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S04E22 - The Bimini Wall (Explicit)
07/19/2025
S04E22 - The Bimini Wall (Explicit)
Jeb and Blake ponder Atlantis and "healing holes" in the waters off the coast of Bimini. (Weirdly this is almost literally true as Blake ended up actually in Bimini just a week before this ep released. More on that soon.) Links for Shownotes: (Cayce related) Nimoy Fashion Alert: Other interesting images from the episode: Hemingway's Healing Hole: Robey Yong and Irene Hughes re-enact their experiences. Doc Raymond Brown and his crystal ball and some crystals - he was also in S01E01 on talking plants.
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Alien Intrusion and the UTH
07/14/2025
Alien Intrusion and the UTH
Flashback to January 2018:In this episode of MonsterTalk, we return to discussion of the Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis (UTH) and what seems to be its growing influence in paranormal circles. It’s been used to explain UFOs, mothman, bigfoot, fairies, dogman, ghosts and many other phenomena which defy scientific demonstrability. Now it crops up again in a new film event titled which turned out to be a stealth evangelical creationist film which suggests that aliens and UFOs are actually demonic. We are joined by MonsterTalk alum Joe Laycock, Natasha Mikles and Jeb Card to discuss the UTH and Jeb’s Paranormal Unified Field Theory (PUFT) as it relates to this film and the work of John Keel and others. Music Monstertalk Theme: Monster by Peach Stealing Monkeys
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S4 Bonus: The Mothman Prophecies part 2
06/08/2025
S4 Bonus: The Mothman Prophecies part 2
This is part 2 of our 2-part coverage of The Mothman Prophecies movie. If you haven't listened to Part-1, . Additional show notes available (for free) on our Patreon page:
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S04 Bonus: The Mothman Prophecies Part 1
06/08/2025
S04 Bonus: The Mothman Prophecies Part 1
This is part 1 of our 2-part coverage of The Mothman Prophecies movie. This is in lieu of S04E21 (see below) but we hope you enjoy the content and after part 2, we return to our regularly scheduled episodes list. "So... , Jeb? What do you think we'll get?" Well it turned out to be more than we expected. During our research for this episode we ran into a bit of a puzzle. It turns out that one of the key figures in the episode is still alive and has become an important figure in the world of conspiracy and out of an abundance of caution for our own sanity (as regards potential litigiousness) we've decided to shelve this one for a while. Will we come back and fill in the gap when we think the coast is clear? I don't know - but we didn't want to leave a hole in your listening so we decided to do something... more ambitious. So what we did instead was we recorded a 4+ hour deep dive into the 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies. Extensive show notes available (for free) at our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/posts/s4-bonus-mothman-126932315
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S04E20 - In Search of John the Baptist
02/19/2025
S04E20 - In Search of John the Baptist
Jeb and Blake go in search of John the Baptist's resting place. Content Warning: Human remains on screen. Discussion of murder. In 2018 took place and rocked the religious community -- not important for this episode but it popped up a lot in my searching. Nimoy Fashion Alert (NFA Wardrobe consulting by , Pedro Mendes) The "head" of John the Baptist at San Silvestro: Art historian Michael Patroconni (Petroccione?) I think Jeb and I found this to be the most fun part of the episode:
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S04E19 - Earth Visitors (Explicit)
12/14/2024
S04E19 - Earth Visitors (Explicit)
Blake tries to talk Jeb off the ledge as we return to the classic theme of "ancient astronauts" in this throwback episode titled: Earth Visitors. Some links relevant to our discussion: We mention . A bunch of this episode comes from the work of Maurice Chatelain, who we shall refer to as "Shadowlane." His book Our Cosmic Ancestors sports one of the more interesting book covers we've seen while researching this show. He also wrote Our Ancestors Came from Outer Space. credentials appear to have been in the episode. We'll be talking about several "Out of Place Artifacts" or OOPAs in this episode. Let's start with the "Boot Print" aka . (pictured below) Very compelling stuff. I guess. I mean it sort of looks like show print. This interesting looking skull also sent us down some research holes. The text of the episode seems to be talking about but the image doesn't look like a close match. A lot of "shapes on the earth" are discussed. The shapes require you to do a lot of work. We'll get into that in the episode. But one is the Maltese Cross that is absolutely stunning, so long as you ignore that some of the points are hundreds of miles from the alleged anchor points and that the temples allegedly at each point were centuries apart. Also - this is supposed to be a "pyramid" but seems to be more of what geometry wonks call a "triangle." I'm trying to find the type of terminal behind our statistician. And - behind the scenes I've managed to contact him and he assures me that the episode required many takes and that his students reported they made him sound like he believes in the whole ancient astronauts thing... More on this if I hear back from a rather lengthy email I sent him today (12/13/24). Read even more about the ! Vintage ad for the The Outer Space Connection. According to the idea that indigenous Americans were here for a very long time (from across the Bering sea) really kicked off in the 1930s. Read more about This montage of Kachina dolls really impressed Blake: Nimoy Fashion Alert! Engineer Charles Ruggles Could he be LARPing J. Allen Hynek? Finally we get to And - of course,
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S04E18 In Search Of... The Ghost Ship
10/18/2024
S04E18 In Search Of... The Ghost Ship
Jeb and Blake head out to sea in research of the mystery of what happened to the crew of The Mary Celeste. Links: Nimoy Fashion Alert (NFA Wardrobe consulting by , Pedro Mendes) In 1913, provided from one supposedly Mary Celeste's steward. (1913 article) Per "WhatTheFont" website identifier, that font is (appropriately): ! Meanwhile on Skull Hut Island... Pop Culture: Read it, it’s a time. Hammer film -Jeb
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S04E17 - Wild Children (Explicit)
09/12/2024
S04E17 - Wild Children (Explicit)
Jeb and Blake go into the jungles of California and France in search of WILD CHILDREN! This episode of ISO contains a lot of disturbing content and our commentary is laced with expletives, hence the Explicit tag. Tarzan is raised by a fictional ape species known as The story of Mowgli is LOOOOSELY based on the . (BBC) (and Sham Dev/Shamdeo) NFA - Wild Children: It's supposed to be a Bear but it has some other possumbilities.
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S04E16 - Vincent van Gogh
08/25/2024
S04E16 - Vincent van Gogh
How could Vincent have been a creative genius - yet also "insane?" Jeb and Blake take a look at Nimoy's very personal thoughts about this question. This episode deals with the topic of self-harm and suicide. If you're struggling with thoughts of self harm, please get help immediately. You can reach trained and empathetic counselors (in the USA) by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK. We care about our listeners and want you to be around for many years to enjoy life - and our work. Links for Show Notes: Early montage sequence shows: Self Portrait (1888) Starry Night (1889) Vase with 15 Sunflowers (1888) Bedroom at Arles (1888) Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles (1888) Encampment of gypsies with caravans (1888) Langlois Bridge at Arles (1888) Fishing boats on the beach at Saintes Maries Wheat FIeld with Cypresses (1880) You can find all these and more at the Meanwhile... Could be loosely based on Paul and Vincent?
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S04E15 - The Missing Heir (Explicit)
07/31/2024
S04E15 - The Missing Heir (Explicit)
Jeb and Blake learn all about the riveting world of stock certificates and inheritance law! It may not be the most mysterious episode of In Search Of... but it's certainly one of the episodes we watched. Show Notes: Pembroke: Nimoy Fashion Alert (red-shift corrected) The case of the missing hair! Jeb was confounded by this man's barberian style choices.
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S04E14 - San Andreas Fault [EXPLICIT]
06/30/2024
S04E14 - San Andreas Fault [EXPLICIT]
Jeb and Blake are joined by to get shook by the San Andreas Fault! Cover to guide for SF geological tour: Dr. Tim Hall - One of the founders of the n 1977. Featured in Dr. Kerry Sieh The very sexy from DEC. NFA San Andreas edition:
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S04E03 - The Dark Star
06/18/2024
S04E03 - The Dark Star
In order to understand In Search Of… The Dark Star, Jeb and Blake will first need to get Sirius; Sirius-B, that is! Links from this episode: Jeb discussed a couple of evocative artworks: Regarding Temple, Puhairich, Young, and The Nine by Robert Temple Pop Culture References (affiliate links): ===== Images: The "orbit" of the Dogon dark star. Nimoy posing with a tribal mask - our initial NFA image. Later we get to see his legs in this seated NFA supplementary: Hans Guggenheim initially appears in just a vest and pants. Later, he too is in more of a Safari look, and has a professorial pipe as well. Dr Gary Chapman, Astronomer The man who first photographed Sirius B - Dr Lindenblad A little of the FORTRAN code that powers the orbit animation in the episode: We don't have enough information to know who made Nimoy's safari clothing, but if you want to try and track down a very close approximation, this example from is as close a match as I've seen. You would still need to find it in a because at present they don't sell these.
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S04E12 - Ten Commandments (Explicit)
05/29/2024
S04E12 - Ten Commandments (Explicit)
Blake and Jeb look for the real location of Mt. Sinai, where Moses was supposed to have received the Ten Commandments from God.
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S04E11 - In Search of D. B. Cooper
05/02/2024
S04E11 - In Search of D. B. Cooper
Jeb and Blake extinguish our cigarettes, put our trays in the upright position, and head out the back of the plane in search of the elusive skyjacker known as D. B. Cooper. Nimoy Fashion Alert - dimly lit corporate office edition. (Movie) - we get a few pennies. Blake's friend offered some opinions on vintage round parachutes. Later we meet Nimoy outside where you can make out more of his ensemble. Of course this is an episode about D. B. Cooper - who for Jeb and I, evokes the classic "MIB" look. This ain't deal-a-meal. This is a different Richard Simmons. There is some great photography in this episode. I liked seeing the reservoir and dam. Imagine landing there on a stormy November night without jump boots... Finally - kudos to the faceless Cooper stand-in who lugged stuff around in the anonymous re-creations.
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S04E10 - Pompeii (Explicit)
03/29/2024
S04E10 - Pompeii (Explicit)
Jeb and Blake join Leonard Nimoy's search for Pompeii! (Well - is it really about finding Pompeii? Or is it about finding a possibly Christian cross in Pompeii? Tune in and find out!) Links: Nimoy Fashion Alert! Hey - it's NOT a Jumpsuit. We complain but there really is WAY too much red-shift in the majority of this episode: You need pumice? WE GOT BUCKETS OF PUMICE!
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S04E09 - The Abominable Snowman
02/23/2024
S04E09 - The Abominable Snowman
Jeb and Blake track the last cryptozoology episode of the original In Search Of… as we join the late Peter C. Byrne in a search for "The Abominable Snowman." NFA - "Proof of Life" Crevasse photo we mention from the episode.
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S04E08 - Mexican Pyramids
02/01/2024
S04E08 - Mexican Pyramids
Jeb is right at home as we go In Search Of... Mexican Pyramids! Links from research movie about the robbery - affiliate link Nimoy Fashion Alert! Jungle Cotton Blend edition: There are actually subtle stripes on that shirt! This episode has some amazing models - so cool: And - of course - it wouldn't be ISO without some reenactments...
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Bonus: Joe Nickell on The Shroud of Turin
12/17/2023
Bonus: Joe Nickell on The Shroud of Turin
Dr. Joe Nickell recalls his experiences working on the dealing with The Shroud of Turin. note: This interview will be cross-posted to MonsterTalk. The interview contents will be identical, but the framing intro/outro will be unique to the respective shows. (YouTube) (YouTube) (affiliate link)
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S04E07 - The Shroud of Turin
11/22/2023
S04E07 - The Shroud of Turin
Jeb and Blake unwrap the mystery of the shroud of Turin! (Which might, it turns out, be neither a shroud, nor from Turin - talk amongst yourselves!) Link to ISO on YouTube: The bucket brigade saves the shroud in re-creation... NFA - A return to "the Night Gallery?" Young Joe Nickell at work in Alan Landsburg's NYC apartment: The Rev. Francis Filas () Secondo Pia, photographer who discovered the "negative effect" on Shroud. (also, dead ringer for Seth Myers) Just saying... More on Dr. Harry Gove ()
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S04E06 - The Lost Colony of Roanoke
08/26/2023
S04E06 - The Lost Colony of Roanoke
S04E06 - The Lost Colony of Roanoke The ISO team take us back to Colonial Virginia to investigate the cold-case of the lost colony of Roanoke. Jeb and Blake learn about armadas, plays, and rock diaries. Beach Action Nimoy Fashion Alert! The Money Shot... Blake thinks the ISO actor is giving off Keenan Wynn vibes. And we've already discussed the ties between Rod Serling, Leonard Nimoy, Night Gallery, and more, so the visual similarities to this scene and Planet of the Apes might not be 100% coincidence. The famous "Dare Stones" preserved with all the decor and pomp appropriate their historical significance: Links for this episode: on topic
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S04E05 - Immortal Sharks
07/17/2023
S04E05 - Immortal Sharks
We're going to need a bigger boat! Jeb and Blake head to Australia to investigate the idea that Great White sharks are immortal! Links: 1977 San Diego Henri Bource - NFA - on the beach! Sharks are famous for their teeth - and Nimoy's have improved since season one as well. Nimoy just walking on the beach manages to attract a diver's audience. Diving pioneer and explorer, Hugh Edwards. Ray Keys at Sea World has lots of great shark information. And don't forget researcher Dr. William Gladstone! (You can find him on twitter at )
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S04E04 - UFO Australia
05/16/2023
S04E04 - UFO Australia
Jeb and Blake have a look at the Season 4 episode UFO AUSTRALIA which covers the Kaikoura UFO Sighting and the Nimoy Fashion Alert shot on location at the
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S04E03 - The Amityville Horror
04/02/2023
S04E03 - The Amityville Horror
Jeb, Blake and Alex French go in research of ! Nimoy gives us the calm and rational look in the midst of so much weirdness! So many faceless re-enactors in this one! Horror writer Jay Anson and his trusty typewriter! And this episode is quite notable for giving us a look at Father Mancuso from the book. Aka Father Ralph Pecoraro. Aka Father Delaney. Aka "Jimmy the Shadow" <I made that last one up.>. The Lutz couple at the table. The two versions of Jodie the Pig: And we gotta include the super creepy ISO doll. Kudos to the prop dept.
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S04E02 - Carlos, The Most Wanted Man in the World
03/02/2023
S04E02 - Carlos, The Most Wanted Man in the World
Jeb and Blake look back at the ISO team's coverage of the global manhunt for the terrorist known as "Carlos." This episode gets an Explicit tag because of language. Nimoy Fashion Alert: (Wiki) (Wiki) (Wiki) (Wiki) (Obit)
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