Gutted these episodes have gradually been veering downhill. I know season 1 was like lightning in a bottle and would be difficult to follow but smh season 4 is painful to finish. Really miss the original vibe- Humble and honest journalism, which Payne had in the beginning. Recently all the back and forth between cases and layered on false buildups, season 4 comes across as reaching, desperate… maybe a little egotistical.

The repetition this season is ridiculous. You don’t need to repeat what your interviewee says, if they say it clearly, not even for emphasis. It feels like you’re just filling space because there isn’t anything else to say. I’m done at episode 3.

I used to really enjoy listening to this podcast. I thought it did an excellent job of highlighting and bringing awareness to these cold cases; however, the last couple of episodes I have started to question the intentions of this podcast. Between the really intense and accusatory, interviews and the polygraph episode that was live streamed on Instagram, I feel this was completely unethical to do. I felt physically ill listening episodes. I am very disappointed and frankly disturbed that you chose to highlight a technology that has no scientific evidence that can prove if someone’s lying or not. I assume that you have not read any of the studies surrounding the ineffectiveness of polygraph exams and the very real harm, it can do to people, because otherwise you in production would not have chosen to use this let alone livestream it on instagram. This appears to me to be just for clout and not actually making meaningful steps to try and solve this case. We don’t know if he did it or didn’t do it, but this surely is not the way to find it out. The examiner also decided to conclusively state that he was being deceptive and also diagnosed him with narcissism. Neither of those things can be deduced from a polygraph test, and it is incredibly frightening that you chose to publish these podcasts. Real people can get hurt by this and I would encourage you to read stories about wrongly convicted people and the damage that polygraph testing did to their lives. I hope you take this as an opportunity to learn about taking caution when handling these types of cases; pseudoscience and bad investigation methods serve no one well. I’m unsubscribing.

I have to agree with one poster. The polygraph lady repeated the same thing over and over and over. We get it. He answered no and was truthful. Why did we need to have it over explained this way. I have enjoyed this podcast since the very beginning, but this one episode was incredibly annoying.

I’m sorry but I would prefer you sharing your conversations with Oregon John without the entire phone calls or transcripts. I hated that aspect of Season two and would really rather just get the information from Payne with clips here and there. I don’t find the ramblings of these men interesting or that credible.

Episode 36: why are you using 100 different sound bites of someone saying the same thing? We only need to hear it once, not over and over agin filling out 10 minutes. It’s painful. These recent episodes are embarrassing. I don’t know what happened to Payne but it seems like this bit of fame has clouded his ability to edit content or even himself really. Tell me what could possibly be the benefits of a LIVE interview with a suspect? You don’t even have the ability to discern what is interesting for an audience or even follow basic story telling methods anymore. The few episodes that aren’t bts anymore just go in circles and your awkward excitement is just confusing. Take a step back dude. People are making these comments for a reason and you’re clearly too submerged to see how hollow these episodes feel. I know this is harsh but I’d want someone to tell me these things if I were in your situation. Also, put the glasses back on! That new unsolved panel show is cringe for many reasons but you should at least look good… imho.

I have been a loyal listener and subscriber for a long time. The antics this season have lost me. Postponing for groundbreaking information that never comes feels disingenuous. The episodes are repetitive and unnecessarily drawn out. Jumping back and forth between cases has done a disservice to both cases.

How is it deceitful if you don’t know the answer to a question? If you don’t know, you don’t know. If you have to answer yes or no, and don’t know either way, then it shouldn’t be included in the results. That’s not deceit. That woman is dumb. And this whole test should be voided because I don’t know who that woman was asking about. Florence who? Y’all couldn’t tell her how to pronounce her name? He could have gotten it all correct and it would be her fault because I’m sure he never met the Florence that that woman was asking about. I don’t know if he’s guilty or not, and I know polygraphs don’t count. But that was a huge waste of time.

This podcast used to be top notch. Cohesive storytelling, easy to get sucked into and binge, and just overall fantastic. But this mess of season 4 has me wondering what happened. The audio I hear now just sounds so egotistical and arrogant, completely opposite of seasons 1 and 2. I hope these reviews are seen and taken seriously, there is still a lot of potential for this show. I’m out for now though.

Episode 36, “What the Body Reveals” - what is even happening? I’m 20 minutes in and have only heard the polygraph person say the same 2 things over and over and over. Is this a mistake? What a waste of 20 minutes of my life when I thought there would be actual information. I can’t bring myself to listen to the last 13 minutes, and may not be able to stomach any more episodes at all if they continue like this. Do better!

Payne is a good interrogator If a little self important .

Payne never stopped. It never was about getting famous or he wouldn’t still be at it. I wouldn’t want to deal with Oregon Jon. Payne does this for answers. It’s admirable and a great pod.

Your pods are usually excellent… This one is jumping all over the place. You’re revisiting old pods that have nothing to do with this story. Just adding filler buster. You should finish your story before releasing it. Then drop it like Netflix all at once. I can’t tune in every week when you’re jumping all over.

I’ve been listening since day 1 and every season gets better and better. Payne’s way of unraveling the story is so good and he holds your attention so well. Easily my favorite true crime podcast. Keep it up yall!

Another badly edited podcast with awful, inaudible audio that drones on forever. I had to quit after ep. 6 because of pot heads and drug addicts droning on and on about nothing. Please learn how to edit a story! I don’t need to know the life story of the search dog owner that turned up nothing.

Like others who are weighing in, I’ve been a fan of this podcast and Payne until this season, and it was this last drop featuring Jon’s lie detector test that put the nail in the coffin for me. The admin of the test didn’t pronounce Florence’s name correctly. I physically flinched each time she audibly struggled to say her last name. Not only could this skew the results, but it’s incredibly disrespectful to Florence and her family. You can’t take a minute, either one of you, to practice saying her name? On one of the breaks, you can’t get this straightened out for the next time? Completely discredits the integrity of the administrator to not handle this, in my opinion. This has turned into the Payne Show. Get over yourself and do right by these people who are trusting you with their stories.

It feels like people would rather have a fabricated story for the sake of an action packed podcast and an ending with a pretty bow tied on it. The podcast is happening currently which is going to lead to a drawn out season. People are so unreasonable and impossible to please. Great interrogation, great follow up. Thanks for showing real life and not just fabricating events to make others happy.

You lost me with the ridiculous polygraph of Oregon Jon. The polygraph, though notoriously unreliable has some utility for interviews. This polygraph appears to have been done without any necessary preparation (none of the questions should be a surprise and should be reviewed prior to beginning the test). Jon clearly had not heard the questions prior to the tests. When he changed his answer on the one question in a subsequent test, the proper procedure is for the examiner to address it and possibly do an additional chart to try to work it out. This, in addition to Payne’s incorrigible narcissism, flat out inability to even pretend to have journalistic integrity, and obsession with proving this unfortunate homeless man guilty all mean you’ve lost me.

I feel like the question regarding if John has withheld any information to anyone that has asked, is a very broad question. I feel like I could understand being bombarded by multiple people 1 million questions and not in the mood to explain or defend myself from everyone, therefore at times I don’t bother answering all of their questions, but that does not mean that, to the people that matter and during the times that it matters did he withhold information. Anyways, just wanted to give my two cents because I found myself speaking to the podcast after I heard Payne make an assumption based on John’s response or change in response (which could be due to the 2x him having a different and/or a better understanding of the question) **btw, this does not mean I believe John per se, just my opinion based on that particular mixup

Could you drag this out any longer?? It’s getting really old and annoying now. Get to the point. Your credibility diminishes with every episode. Aren’t you getting bored with yourself?

just canceled my tenderfoot subscription and unfollowed this show, for the same reasons others have been commenting about. tired of being strung along and treated like a dumb dumb. As a longtime loyal Payne listener and diehard fan of true crime overall, I’ve never seen anyone betray their loyal followers like Payne has. I’m done being part of it.

The season with missing person Joe and main suspect Jake is SO REPETITIVE! Why do we hear the interviews 3-4 times? I can’t care about a case when I hear the same stuff over and over.

Stop over promising and under delivering. String listeners along to build suspense and create 30 minute shows for more sponsorship

I believe Jon was high or drunk during this interview. Poor judgment to record an “interrogation” when the subject is not in their right mind. It’s considered unethical in most situations when you’re trying to get the real story. Your brain is fully functioning - Jon’s is not. It’s confusing to follow. He just keeps getting lost.

I love this podcast!! Once you start listening you cannot stop!

I fell in love with the podcast during season 1 but this season has taken a nose dive. It’s become less of a storytelling and investigative podcast and more of Payne rambling his own internal dialogue with his production team chiming in periodically. It’s been tough to listen to, especially when the episode descriptions don’t match what you actually hear.

Wow. This is so chaotic and unorganized. No clear story line, jumping around constantly, “emergency” episodes which are nothing more than them shooting the breeze. Feels like a vanity project gone really bad. I’m done.

Emergency episode so pressing we didn’t have time to edit Payne repeating himself 4 times

This episode was so uncomfortable. I am a long time fan of up and vanished and Payne, but the tactics used while questioning Jon was awful. Whether he is guilty or not, it is not up to to Payne to decide this. And the questioning is unbearable. Might have to check out of this podcast for awhile.

I used to LOVE this series but now every episode is just a bunch of commercials and then Payne reeaallyyy dragging things on. It’s so disappointing because this series was amazing but now it feels like a money grab

This podcast went downhill.

Podcast started almost a year ago and hadn’t been new episode in months. Between this break snd the previous one loosing me. Still dragging it out.

This is more than a true crime podcast. Payne goes all-in on these cases and you get the sense he really cares about the victims and their families in his search for the truth. Admittedly the timing that the universe unlocks some of this information can be slow and frustrating, but there’s never a jump to conclusion for the sake of making a podcast

"Up and Vanished in the Midnight Sun" brilliantly stands out in the saturated true crime podcast genre. Set against the backdrop of remote Alaskan towns where summer daylight stretches endlessly, this podcast masterfully investigates mysterious disappearances with both compassion and journalistic rigor. What makes this show exceptional is its atmospheric storytelling and refusal to sensationalize tragedy. The host weaves complex narratives that examine each case within the context of tight-knit communities living in extreme conditions. Stunning production quality captures the haunting beauty of the landscape while expert research provides depth without resorting to speculation. This isn't just another true crime podcast—it's an immersive journey into a world where people can vanish without a trace, leaving listeners with profound insights long after each episode ends. Simply put, it's the best in its class.

If you have been an Up and Vanishes fan from day ONE, you KNOW that the wait is always worth it! Payne is the OG of solving unsolved cases. I have faith that this one will be another success. Either you are in or you aren’t! Buckle up and hang on tight!

This show used to be SOO good. It was my favorite podcast. Now I feel like 75% of the episodes are just Payne voicing his every thought. I’d prefer if they skipped a week of releasing an episode rather than just blabbing in circles.

Season 1 of this show was so good and I recommended it to a lot of friends. Season 2 and 3 got progressively worse and season 4 is a complete joke. You introduce a case, take a hard right turn to another case, then months of no updates… then you come back with recaps of previous seasons? Too many commercials and not enough content. Payne loves to hear himself talk about nothing and we’re all paying the price. I’m done.

What happened??? Chopped up episodes here and there, the same thing over and over again for more ads it seems, episodes promised and now still not out? What is happening, this used to be a good podcast and it's going downhill so fast

It’s been 15 months and 29 episodes bouncing between two cases and no real new info since the beginning. It’s just re-hashed and re-spun info in each episode. This is really tough to listen to.

Hey guys I know I told you we were gonna take a really long break, do our research and come back with a lot of new info for the second half of the season but after 2 30 minute episodes I was gonna put the finale out but something has come up (I got a phone call) so out of the kindness of my heart we’re gonna take another really long break and then probably let you guys down in the end with information we’ve already went over but don’t question the little bit of material I release in the future because what do you expect me to do? Give you guys a quality podcast to listen too? You act like you’ve paid me money or something so get ready there will be a lot of Q&A and behind the scenes to come. Your welcome

Theres a lot of filler, and feel like some of these episodes could have been captured in 1/2 the time. Patience wore thin towards the end of the season, so many clips repeated over and over and over. Feel like there was little progress after waiting a week and listening for 30-40mins, and could have been summarized in 5 minutes.

Best true crime podcast out there. It’s not just another true crime podcast though. Payne goes all in to try and solve the case. He truly cares about the people involved and you can definitely tell when listening. The production aspect is great too.

Payne has become the worst part of this show. I’d rather listen to ANYONE else. It feels a lot more Payne-centric than victim focused. Over it.

I love how committed Payne and his team are to the missing and their families. Although some of the episodes have recapped material, each episode gives more exposure to these cases. This is entertainment for many, but for the loved ones of the missing, this is a last glimmer of hope. Keep doing excellent work, Payne and the Up and Vanished team. Hopefully, you’re one step closer to the truth and justice for Florence and Joseph.

Payne has forgotten why he got into this. The game had gone to his head and the audio editing quality has gotten worse

The first seasons were pretty good. Really interesting stories that deserve coverage. I understand there isn’t usually resolution but this season 4 is too click baity and nothing is happening, episodes of explanation of how podcasts work, too much review of evidence with nothing new. If you don’t have anything, just wrap it up. I’ve stopped listening at this point.

I have listened to Up and Vanished since the beginning. I absolutely love Payne and admire his dedication to these cases. But I just listened to season 4 “Emergency Broadcast“ and I’m so frustrated! The episode starts with “we have this call and he all but confessed”… And then just goes on and on ad nauseam about nothing. About oh this is coming and that is comingand I talk to this person but I can’t release it. I’m about to give up on this. This episode, and several others are an absolute waste of time.

I have seen the reviews recently about how Payne is really drawing this out and it used to be a good show and blah blah blah. He is doing a real time investigation everyone calm down. Things are messy and won’t be on time. You should be thankful he’s trying so hard to find justice for these families and less about your schedule. Payne, keep on rocking, people appreciate what you do and we look forward to when you solve these cases!

Keep up the good work. Us true die hard fans appreciate the work and the actual effort and thought into solving these cases. Not just dumping a show out. I loved the recap episodes with the new info. Didn’t think I would, but I did. Real life plays out the way it does. So let’s go for the ride. Trust your gut and we’ll be listening.

I recently about a month ago just started listening to season 4 and became a huuuuge fan of your work. I hope Joseph and Florence will finally get the justice they deserve soon! Your work is incredible Payne, very inspiring. Love you and your crew, Payne!!!!