The Retrievals
True crime podcast review — 2026
Reviewed · Updated
"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
- ✓Binge listeners who want something they can't stop at one episode
Pros & cons
- +Rated "Must Listen" by our editorial team — exceptional across all dimensions
- +Exceptional binge factor — near impossible to stop at one episode
- +Serialized format builds a compelling, sustained narrative arc across episodes
- −Must listen in order — cannot dip in and out between 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
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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". It scores 9/10 on binge factor. 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; Binge listeners who want something they can't stop at one episode.
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.
Where can I listen to The Retrievals?
The Retrievals is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR. Search for it by name on any of those apps.
What podcasts are similar to The Retrievals?
If you enjoy The Retrievals, you might also like: Believed, Dr. Death, In the Dark, Wind of Change. 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
- Binge factor
- 9/10
- Country
- United States
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