The creators of the hit podcast Serial may have settled on a case to explore in the upcoming second season. Numerous sources have told Maxim that the Serial team is looking into the case of Sgt. Bowe Berghdal, a U.S. soldier charged with desertion and misbehavior after leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009.
Serial host Sarah Koenig reportedly attended a preliminary hearing for the case at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio last week, according to one of the Maxim sources, along with at least one of the show’s producers. Screenwriter Mark Boal, who is reportedly working on a film adaptation of Bergdahl’s story, was also said to be among the crowd. The sources say he has collaborated with the podcast’s team by sharing his research material and taped interviews with Bergdahl.
Two members of the unit Bergdahl served with in Afghanistan told Maxim that they’d been interviewed by Serial producers, but neither seemed to be a fan of the podcast potentially focusing on the case. One told the magazine that, “Serial is trying to make a nifty diorama for hipsters to marvel at, but I think it’s the height of crassness for them to do this when it could potentially affect the legal proceedings.”
For its part, the Serial team has yet to confirm that they are indeed making this “nifty diorama.” A rep for the podcast told EW, “The Serial team hasn’t confirmed their topic for Season 2 yet. Over the last few months they’ve been reporting on a variety of stories for both seasons 2 and 3 of Serial, along with other podcast projects.”
Whether or not Bowe Bergdahl’s story is ultimately the focus of an upcoming season of Serial, the case is certainly an intriguing one. His reasons for leaving the base have been hotly contested and subject to intense scrutiny, leading to the charges of desertion and misbehavior. On top of that, he was captured and held as a POW by a group affiliated with the Taliban, and then ultimately handed back over to the U.S. government in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees in May 2014.
Serial season 2 will air starting this fall, and season 3 will follow in the spring of 2016.
