The Idiot podcast review: Unpicking family ties
A real-life custody battle turns into a gripping investigation of manipulation, violence and betrayal
The Idiot is a revolving door of devastation, betrayal and love, told with an intimate eye on one man’s downfall. It recounts the legal battles of Allen Gessen told via his cousin, M Gessen, who created the series with one question in mind: are Allen’s actions purely idiotic or something much darker? Because when you are being charged with conspiring to kill your ex-wife, and your cousin is a New York Times writer, the truth will likely come out.
Narrated and written by Russian-American journalist M Gessen, the episodes detail events which ripped a hole in an idyllic family portrait. These began with Allen (a businessman with a questionable jetsetting lifestyle) arriving at M’s father’s house in Cape Cod with his overbearing mother and five-year-old son in tow having left his ex-wife in Moscow. As a custody battle begins, M employs their journalistic skills and contacts Allen’s ex-wife Priscilla, discovering a narrative of violence and deception. Alleviating the mood, M’s intermittent interviews with their father are charmingly straightforward and mostly unruffled. In contrast, we move on to Allen, who can’t stop talking.
M lays out Allen’s communications before and after the situation grows beyond group chat messages and into an FBI operation. Despite having inside knowledge, the research is meticulous and M’s voice brings an intimacy to the narration, with a mix of disgust towards Allen’s pompous behaviour while grappling with his status as a family member. Captured in just five episodes, The Idiot is a tremendous tale of complex relationships, suspicious dealings and an international custody battle that erupts at a peaceful family retreat. With a Bob Dylan credit song as the cherry on top, this is an addictive spiral that’s well worth your time.
All episodes of The Idiot are available now.