The Retrievals
True crime podcast review — 2026
"The Retrievals is a short, devastating masterpiece from Serial Productions — five episodes about the women whose pain was stolen from them and the medical system that allowed it to happen."
Who is this podcast for?
- ✓Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish
- ✓Fans of financial crime and corporate misconduct stories
Pros
- +Rated "Must Listen" by our editorial team
- +Serialized format builds a compelling, sustained narrative arc across episodes
About this podcast
Five-episode NPR/Serial Productions podcast by journalist Susan Burton exposing how a nurse at the Yale Fertility Center stole fentanyl from patients' IVF procedures, leaving women to undergo excruciating egg retrievals without pain relief — and the wider story of how women's pain is dismissed in medicine.
Best episode to start with
Episode 1 — must listen in order
Serialized format — listen from the beginning for the full experience
Community ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions about The Retrievals
What is The Retrievals about?
Five-episode NPR/Serial Productions podcast by journalist Susan Burton exposing how a nurse at the Yale Fertility Center stole fentanyl from patients' IVF procedures, leaving women to undergo excruciating egg retrievals without pain relief — and the wider story of how women's pain is dismissed in medicine.
Is The Retrievals worth listening to?
Our editorial verdict is "Must listen". The community has rated it 8.0/10 overall. True crime fans interested in medical crime, systemic bias, and the treatment of women in healthcare; essential for anyone who has ever been dismissed by a doctor.
Who is The Retrievals for?
The Retrievals is ideal for: Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish; Fans of financial crime and corporate misconduct stories.
What is the best episode of The Retrievals to start with?
We recommend starting with Episode 1 — must listen in order. As a serialized show, it's best to listen from the beginning of a season.
What podcasts are similar to The Retrievals?
If you enjoy The Retrievals, you might also like: Believed, Dr. Death, In the Dark, Anatomy of a Scam. See our full "Podcasts Like The Retrievals" page for more recommendations.
Quick facts
- Format
- Serialized
- Host style
- Solo narrator
- Style
- Serious, measured, profoundly important
- Episode length
- 5 episodes; bingeable in one afternoon
- Country
- United States
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