Based on a real person who studied things some people think aren’t real, the “Tom Slick: Mystery Hunter” podcast is the perfect blend of pulp adventure and serialization techniques found in today’s media. But with all the potential good that mixture implies, there must also come the baggage that comes with telling a story about a person who did exist. Most people don’t exactly lead fantastic lives. Tom Slick, based on his profession, is not one of those people.

Frame Narratives and the Biography of Tom Slick

The present day frame narrative of Tom Slick’s descendants preparing for his funeral gives this story a certain flavor instead of a bland biopic drama. That kind of story has its place, but if you’re going to do a dramatization of a moment in someone’s life, sometimes narrative techniques beat historical accuracy. With a story about a cryptozoologist, that decision feels warranted if not necessary.

The frame narrative honestly grabbed my attention more than the Owen Wilson scenes. While I don’t think it’s perfect casting, I can see why Wilson signed on to act in the lead role and be an executive producer. If I had to guess Tom Slick’s actual personality based solely on his profession, Owen Wilson wouldn’t be the first, but he’d be in the top 3. The character wouldn’t work without Wilson’s goofy, lovable charm. A more serious performance would’ve just felt off and go against the writing.

Fighting Nazis and Finding Yetis and He’s All out of Nazis

The story feels disjointed. There’s the frame narrative of present day, the mini adventure at the beginning and the yeti hunt. It’s obvious the creative team were going for an Indiana Jones opening. It works on its own, but takes two episodes to complete. Fortunately, they are some of my favorite ones as they’re fighting nazis during WWII. The line: “You’re a nazi. You bleed narcissism” from Wilson as Tom Slick would’ve been a great indicator of what this series could be. After episode three, some of that golden age charm is found in the frame narrative and a couple times near the beginning of the yeti adventure. As a whole entity, however, it doesn’t fit the structure.

Overall the “Tom Slick: Mystery Hunter” podcast does humor well, but tries to also portray cryptozoology as a serious profession. Without opening that can of worms, all I’ll say is these two elements don’t mix well in this particular instance.

7.5+/10 Stars