“Dr. Goodvibes” is an audio drama podcast that tackles sexual taboos in a fictional talkshow format. From consensual BDSM to more illegal acts, no topic is too risqué for Hal Kitchener AKA Dr. Goodvibes. To add a bit of a depth to the story — writer, producer and director — Richard P. Doyle has this late-night Australian radio show go beyond the scope of its subject matter and branches out to get a bit meta with its setting.

The story dropped its first three episodes on March 16, 2024. It proceeded to drop one episode once a week until its midseason finale on June 6. The second half started June 27 and ended on August 1 with episode 12. While the first half of the show is engaging with its mystery, the second half ends in relatively a safe way. Considering the podcasts themes, the last episode in particular felt lacking in the climax department. Pun not intended. First half is setup but still engaging. This both hurt and helped the show.

Talking More Than The Birds and Bees with Dr. Goodvibes

On the hand the late night radio talkshow format keeps the mystery of what happened to Ruby Amal tantalizing. In the same way switching to another point of view in a work of prose works for hiding something from the reader. The pacing is perfect for what the people over at the Jawbone Podcast Network are seemingly going for in the style and tone of the series.

While it borrows the radio format from shows like King Falls AM, the shows couldn’t be more different in tone. King Falls is lighthearted, while “Dr. Goodvibes” by the nature of what the show is about feels much darker. This is true In the second half especially. The early episodes are formulaic in that there’s not a lot of variety until the inciting incident when the circumstances surrounding Ruby Ama’s death comes back to torment Hal all over again.

Fake People with Real Problems

The conversations with fictional characters about real problems a lot of people wonder about feels genuine. That feeling of tension when talking about sex with a stranger, not being certain about what is going too far in a healthy relationship. The anecdotes never push the envelope too far in one direction.

Topics like sex and the related, often controversial, taboo actions people can take in sexual intercourse are often viewed negatively. Dr. Goodvibes neither glorifies, shames or pokes fun at these actions. In a world where porn stars are becoming celebrities on podcasts and where OnlyFans is a viable way to make money, this audio drama came out in the perfect cultural zeitgeist. Obviously there’s a content warning for this show. Something the podcast itself mentions at the beginning of each episode. This is for mature listeners, but can also be triggering for those same people.

Dr. Goodvibes Gone Bad

The mid-season finale ends with the mystery surrounding Ruby Amal and Hal Kitchener’s past boiling the water inside the pot to a boil, but then not putting in any food and serving it. There was little substance in the whole visit with Hal’s mother. She is cryptic and hysterical for some unknown reason that feels real in the moment. However, once you finish the story you’ll wonder why she was so hesitant to divulge information as nothing changed.

In between episodes 6 and 7 was a “best of” episode. I had taken a break after finishing the mid-season finale, but the reel seemed like new material. The bonus episode acted as a nice refresher into the back half of the story. While having bonus content between a gap in the story’s plot isn’t new. However, the show’s setting makes the episode feel like part of the world and not a bonus that has nothing to do with the story. This makes the world feel real, but at the cost of a more impactful ending.

Multiple Tones and Endings

One can’t deny “Dr. Goodvibes” had the gumption to tackle a story rife with inherent controversy and handle it with care and compassion. Perhaps because the creators were focused on playing it safe, they made the final few episodes feel disconnected tonally from each other. From the one-off true crime episode titled “Roleplay” to the final story beat being about Hal and his producer’s working relationship. Story beats that while present, didn’t feel like plot points.

The reveal episode where the listener discovers who attacked Ruby Amal and their motivation was too rushed. In fact, the entire second act felt like that. It answers the question to the mystery plot involving Ruby Amal, but it feels bland and contradictory based on episodes in the first half of the show. Most of these first six episodes do a good job at getting the listener to understand the characters and the world of radio. The final six opened too many subplots that related to the main plot. However, they are either left open or closed so fast any emotional impact is gone.

Overall, “Dr. Goodvibes” bit off more than it could handle. But for what it does get right, the result is damn near impressive considering the odds.

8/10 Stars