There seems to be a lot of dislike for the boys and their family in these reviews but I really appreciated the amount of empathy Sam Mullins showed for everyone involved. Yes, the family is a bit woo-woo and believes in a lot of far out conspiracy theories. But they were also a family very worried about their son/brother not getting the help he needed. I battled an eating disorder while in high school in the mid-1990s in the U.S. and my (wonderful) therapist worked very hard to keep me out of the hospital for the very same reasons Roan ran away in the first place. I really empathized with him as he described the treatment he received in the U.S. hospital as opposed to the one in Canada. I’m glad he finally received the help he needed and was able to recover.

NOT PAYING - to hear the rest. Paywall/subscription fatigue🙄

The second half was frustrating to listen to the family encourage the delusions of one another. While Roen got the treatment he needed, his health anxiety has spiraled into other avenues, and unfortunately is spreading his atrocious ideas online.

What an interesting story!! Awesome writing. Twists and turns with a fantastic ending.

What really turned me off - almost as much as the boys and their parents - was Mullin’s attempt at making this sound like two rogue boys, through their odd behavior and worldviews, became heroic icons of freedom, resistance of “the establishment” and kicking societal norms to the curb. No. This is not a dreamy fairy tale. It’s instead a sad story about family dysfunction and mental illness. In fact, it’s a classic case-in-point depiction of it. I am a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with similar adolescents and adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings for nearly 20 years. There are personality disorders, clinical syndromes, probably thought disorders, and likely substance abuse happening here. So PLEASE DO NOT romanticize the Wild Boys saga. I stopped listening to this series several times because of how disgusted I was by it, but I kept going back to it until the end because I wanted to know how this train wreck ended. I would not have wasted my time on it if I had I known in advance.

While Sam is an incredible storyteller, and the personal connection he has to this tale makes him a very worthy narrator, there is nothing he can do about the fact that this story ends in the gutter, with not a single redeemable character left, outside of everyone in Vernon. I’m not a conspiracy theorist per se, but I’m definitely not one to blindly accept what the American government is telling me. I can appreciate independent thinking that is critical of authority. Nonetheless, it is evident that we were listening to something quite different: very extreme generational trauma, definite signs of abuse, and deep mental illness beyond an eating disorder. And I’m not just talking about the boys. I wish I would have known ahead of time that this was actually a podcast dragging me down the rabbit hole of someone else’s deranged thinking and not a suspenseful story about a scam. Poor Sam got stuck with just the facts. And they aren’t good. Probably a story that shouldn’t be told without a thousand warnings.

Wow this family has to be the biggest bunch of uneducated morons ever. Imagine thinking you’re healthy when everything you’re doing is actually the opposite of that. This is what happens when you come from a cult and are a cult in and of yourself. Stupid people. Can’t feel sorry for any of them since they choose to live in a world of ignorance and make believe. Bunch of entitled brats raised by subpar, low intelligence humans. Some stories don’t need to be made.

My thoughts ran the gamut throughout the series, being informed by my own beliefs, discriminations, the perilous world we’re now in. I almost skipped the “post-script” episodes, not because I was no longer interested, but because I figured I “got the gist”. I’m so glad to have followed this tale to the end. I get it now! Conspiracy theorists are existentially afraid! And then I realized I, too, have had an existential fear from a very young age. I, however, have responded in the opposite manner, flaunting safety, leaping into the abyss. Anyway! Thank you, Sam Mullins. This was extraordinary storytelling.

These poor kids wow their parents sure did a number on them! It’s so obvious that Row cannot face any kind of reality, it’s sad. Great work on the podcast though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

pretty great though this family borders between being interesting and insightful and insufferable. the family's pro-conspiracy approach impacted the children deeply. i went to roan’s page where he posts anti-vax stuff. endless life is silly. they let fear dictate their lives. its not cute. i feel bad for roen but by the last episode i felt that drying up FAST. you are privileged and obsessed with finding a oppression to assume.

So good! This pod is so fascinating

The most recent study in of a group of in a particular area is that people with schizophrenia have a greater chance for

Pretty lame to be surprised by having to pay after listening to the first episode.

Interesting story that is very well told and developed!

This is a binge worthy podcast. I couldn’t stop listening. Superb storytelling. Because I don’t have to be objective- those parents have manifested these beliefs and behaviors and have (since they are so religious and should understand this concept) reaped what they sowed by instilling distrust and conspiracy validation in their sons.

Annoying that the first episode is available and then you have to pay for the rest. I already pay for Spotify/Apple so definitely not paying for Binge +

I hate when a narrator tells me everything to think. The parts 1-4 were captivating and I told my friend to listen. Then after that I’m just like shut up! I quit.

This story was heart wrenching. Thank you for getting Kyle and Roen on tape. When you hear their side of the story, you can see the why of what they did. Two boys doing what they thought they needed to do. Incredible reporting, and beautifully put together.

The first half of the story is worth listening. The boys stories told through the town was compelling. The story told from the families side was over the top absurd. The mother is a looney tune. The brothers giggle about the story like little kids remembering a night they camped out in the backyard. The family is mentally ill as a unit and individual.ly. I’m still pondering about the story teller from Vernon. He seemed a bit off his rocker sometimes in the second half. He gave no pushback or even a reason to tell a story you can read quickly at SFGATE.

Not what I expected from a podcast under “true crime”, but very well received! You can get a little burnt out on the murder mystery podcasts, so it was refreshing to hear a mystery with many twists and turns but with a lighthearted ending about community. Well done!

Where/ How do I get season 1-2???

This is the first “wow” series I’ve found in a while, it tells such a unique, sad, but ultimately very human story in a really compelling and fair way. Going from part 1 to part 2 is such a lesson in things not always being as they seem in ways you would never expect. Really great podcast. Total Canadian (deserved) propaganda. And Tammy propaganda that lady deserves the Nobel

Absolutely captivating. Couldn’t stop listening.

Incredible story & value the twists/turns and the updates at the end. Great host & production team!

well executed - fully formed and investigated story, paced perfectly, sweet story that is actually 2 stories in one, narrator doesn’t chew your ear off.

An interesting and ultimately sad story in many ways.

I was so interested in this story, but I just didn’t think the resolution (episode 4 and on) was very interesting.

Where are seasons 1 and 2

This story is compelling, surprising, frustrating, emotional, poignant. Sam Mullins conducts really skillful interviews and gives perfect narration. The music is appropriate but not overwhelming. The pacing is just right. I have never heard a story quite like it. It may be come the first podcast I ever listen to twice.

This is one of the few ones so good you want to share with friends.

Binged it in like two days. Great storytelling, production, ending. Thank you.

This is done very well. The narrator did a fantastic job of showing the boys’ sides as well as the town’s. I loved the linear storytelling, as some podcasts I have listened to lately don’t seem to take the time to get the full layout of the story. I’m so glad Roen & Kyle, as well as the parents, agreed to talk to Sam. Hearing their perspective really does show how not everything is so black & white. Wishing the best for them and their family, as well as the kind people of Vernon. I would definitely listen to more podcasts by Sam- good voice and cadence, without the nonsensical chatter so common these days on podcasts. He also did a good job of combining actual audio clips/interviews with summarizing people’s stories. Some podcasts just play interviews without a lot of editing, and it’s too long and boring with bad sound quality. Definitely recommend this podcast!

Loved this story and the host did a fantastic job. New Fan!

Came for the intriguing and unique situation, stayed for the excellent storytelling. Host Sam has a wonderful way of delivering the details of this story with thoughtful insights made even more meaningful by his personal connection to the town where it all took place. It’s clear he went to great lengths to be able to provide a well-rounded depiction of these events. The townspeople we meet along the way feel genuine, and the story progressed at a pace that held my attention and kept me immediately pressing play on the next episode. I hope other seasons of Chameleon are this good!

The hero of this story is Tammy. Could have told it from her perspective: how a kind and compassionate person gets sucked in by grifters and frauds.

I can’t say enough good things about this podcast! I love this narrator’s voice, his use of music, his writing, they WAY he tells the story! Unique, interesting, top notch, quality. I am on the hunt for everything this writer does. Fantastic!

Good story well-told with an ending, rare in this genre. Second half did not hold my attention.

Entertaining to listen to but does not really build to much. Well narrated.

Loved it It kept me wanting more

Fascinating, really well told story. I like how it turns in the middle and you see that things weren’t quite as they seemed,

The host does a wonderful job telling this story, and it is a riveting story! I would absolutely recommend this podcast to anyone. Remember, being compassionate speaks volumes about your character. If someone takes advantage of your compassion, that says nothing about you and EVERYTHING about THEM. Don’t let people tell you otherwise. We need more compassion. I had a very abusive childhood, and I always wish I had a parent who just simply loved me. I wish I had a mom like Tammy 💖 My mom actually has a lot of similarities to Roen in terms of disordered eating and spirituality. She believes she’s a prophet, she would panic about any stomach ache or nausea and believe the food she ate poisoned her which would lead to essentially not eating. When I was in high school she only ate peanuts because she thought everything else would give her food poisoning and she worked out every day. So often I would have to call the ambulance because she’d get so weak that she’d start blacking out and thinking she was dying. And that’s the just the tip of the iceberg, not mentioning the temper, cruelty, physical violence, and whatnot with her lol. She’s really into conspiracies now. I am a Christian, but I’m nothing like either of my parents.

Fastest binge ever. I just listened to the whole story( season 3 lost boys) in one day. It was so interesting and soooo well told. Happy to have found such a great podcasts. I can’t wait to check out the other seasons. And voices were so familiar that to see they were part of “the truth” another podcast I couldn’t stop binging till I binged every single one was a great surprise!

This compelling story about compassion, fear, and the ravages of an eating disorder held my attention all the way through. The narrator guides us expertly through this true suspenseful mystery, and in the end, answers all our questions. This podcast demonstrates the author’s masterful investigative reporting, but also, his true gentleness when dealing with hurt and fragile people. I left this feeling satisfied, but sorry that it was over.

Fascinating story, well told. But those boys (and possibly parents) have major mental illness, extremist views. Entitled and had no accountability for taking advantage of a loving community.

Host and pod team are great. It’s an entertaining and interesting season. The kids & family at the center are the epitome of privilege and main character syndrome. Consumed by “research” and misinformation. Neither the kids nor the family are willing to accept that they are the creators of their own problems - always looking to place blame on the bogeyman of “authority” and mainstream culture. Too “smart” for their own good lol.

Wow! I listen to this story, it was fascinating story. It boils down to understanding of another persons why. Don’t we all want to be understood of our why. When there is a problem or oddity of a person, there is always a WHY! The compassion of the community to help two boys. The writer did a great job of explaining the the WHY of the boys.

Good

Binged the entire series - very well done.

the Canadian townspeople were so kind and sympathetic. The second I heard the truth about their home life, I became infuriated. To grow up in that environment, it is no wonder they had trauma and acted it out. Even worse, it appears the parents haven’t learned from their mistakes and are still spewing the same harmful message. I became so angry I also stopped listening.

Thoughtful and well told story of some eccentric, if not mentally disturbed, brothers who con a small Canadian city about their backgrounds and circumstances. The most compelling and unaddressed aspect of this show is how gullible their Canadian hosts were throughout the entire encounter. Even the one person who can see through their fabricated story (a Canadian law enforcement officer) stands by and does nothing for months. These two aliens should have been treated as such from the moment they were discovered. One could even argue that through negligence and incompetence of the Canadian community writ large, Rowan’s life was nearly compromised. But the Canadians are a really nice people and their hearts were seemingly in the right place.