Love the content and the support it brings to families. But just give 1 star bc of the limited access to missing peoples’ stories due to the Wondery paywall

Really wanted to like this show but the quality has gone down hill since Amanda stopped producing.

This is truly a series about who gets left behind. There’s rarely much mystery or ‘who done it.’ Lots of addicts, suicides, accidental deaths. You really understand why police rarely give much attention to these people. Sad, but no mystery here.

It’s nice to give the families of the missing a place to tell their stories. It’s not very entertaining though. If you’re looking for resolution you’ve come to the wrong place. This stuff just goes nowhere.

It’s a interesting podcast. I have been listening for about a year but there are few stories involving people of color.

There’s something very comforting about this podcast in that it somehow gives validation to a person’s existence even if no body was found. I love hearing the nuanced lives of the missing from the people who loved them most- even if the interviews do ramble- it makes it so much more authentic. I feel like the missing can live on in these stories even if they are never found- they mattered! I love the narrator’s voice- it’s very consistent and soothing- professionally told and with a lot of care and sensitivity for the families/loved ones. If I can’t sleep, her lovely voice will lull me to sleep in no time- then I’ll relisten to the episode to catch all the parts I missed! Thank you for the detailed, amazing work you do in telling these stories! If I ever go missing, I do hope you tell my story..

There are some good episodes on here. But holy heck - enough with the addicts. We all know where they are and how they got into their situations. 90% of this focuses on druggies and it’s so depressing. Real, innocent, victims deserve a platform far more than these people do.

I miss the older episodes. Her voice sounded more natural back then. Now her voice is too monotone and distracting.

I love the details & information provided and the sense of deep empathy Marissa has for the families of the missing. This is one of my favorite podcasts! Keep up the good work.

Just finished Jeremy Lawrence story, very strange that nothing was found, I wish you’d do updates on stories occasionally. You’ve had some good ones.

Weird rambling interviews that go nowhere. More of a platform for families to vent with no direction or resolution.

Thank you for your honest ethical content creation approach

The individuals featured on “The Vanished” aren’t your typical cases of someone simply disappearing one day. Many of these families are dealing with significant issues, and the missing individuals often struggle with mental health, substance abuse, or other serious challenges. The podcast tends to feel more like a “he said, she said” narrative. While my heart goes out to these people, I find that 90% of the family members come across as emotionally draining.

The Vanished Podcast was my first experience in listening to a true crime podcast! To this day and after becoming a fan of countless more - THIS is still my favorite. The episodes are incredibly well thought out, the interviews are compelling, and all put together it’s an incredibly immersive experience!

I thoroughly enjoy this show! What I like about it is the host gets right to the point, there’s no small talk. But what I mostly enjoy is the fact that you hear directly from the families of the missing. The stories are real, and hearing from the families really makes you feel like you are there, in the midst of what is happening. I do wish that the host would invest in better equipment so that when she is talking to family members of the missing person, we can understand everything that the person says. Sometimes it’s a bad connection and I cannot for the life of me. Understand what the victim’s family is saying! I am sure she is aware of the issue, and when she hears that there is a bad connection, it would be helpful. If at least she translates afterwards to tell us what the person is saying. But that is my only negative. I have listened to a lot of of these realistic, criminal podcast, and so far, I like this one the best!

I throughly enjoy listening to the vanished podcast. No paddle or empty talk before she settles in to tell us a story. A story told with feelings and respect to the victims family. Very good researched and honest facts.

I love this podcast. Wondery does a good job with this. Great stories and great interviews.

They’re able to share heartbreaking stories and remain informative at the same time.

Consistent, my favorite podcast. Keep up the good work Marisa!

I love true crime and this is the best podcast out there. I have such a difficult time, listening to poorly done broadcasts and hosts that make a lot of jokes and side conversation during shows about the missing. I find it disrespectful to the family of the missing. This is done very well and so professionally. She is so compassionate and always has her facts straight. I think I have listened to every Vanished episode! Thank you for being an advocate for the missing.

While I appreciate the editing (I can’t stand listening to the host responding to the guest) and I have no problem with the hosts voice I have grown tired of most every missing person having a history of mental illness, drug use or both. What makes a missing person case interesting is that the person is unlikely to disappear. I’m at the point where I listen to every episode but once I hear drug use or mental problems I stop listening.

Jessie’s mom is a complete moron. I can’t believe she didn’t do more. She failed her daughter.

I have tried to listen but I can’t get past Marissa’s flatlined voice. The episodes are drawn out way more than they need to be and the monotone narration is like nails on a chalkboard. Families want to get their stories out but I don’t think this is the right platform if they want people to actually listen. Show could be better if Marissa’s voice wasn’t part of it.

I can’t imagine any other podcast has done more to help humanity than this one. Perhaps there are others but this woman has single-handedly changed so many peoples lives. Her delivery is professional with the right amount of journalistic empathy. Annoyed by the three star review that mentions her lack of emotional intonation. How shortsighted. Not only are you wrong but you’re going to give this woman’s work three stars because she didn’t deliver some Academy award winning performance for you? Do you realize how much time and effort goes into every one of these episodes so you can casually give it some Siskel and Ebert level thumbs down? Sorry she didn’t ‘entertain’ you enough but these podcasts are so much more than amusement.

No matter how intriguing the stories are this podcast is poorly read. The narrator speaks with little inflection and ends every sentence on the same tone. A little intonation goes a long way. Put a little character into your voice.

Not Feb YOU ary. Please educate yourself and stop.

Vanished has continued to excel and be true to their mission of helping find out why and how people went missing. Marissa and the staff perform extensive first hand research and leave no stone unturned. Anyone giving this less than 5 stars must be a perpetrator in one of her stories because allowing victims and family to talk without pushback is all that is required. She isn’t a prosecutor or law enforcement. Her neutral narrative provides the utmost integrity to this show. Keep up the hard work.

I can’t believe people take issue with the “editing” in other reviews. The interviews with the families is what sets this podcast above other true crime podcasts in my opinion. Marissa is an excellent interviewer/orator and this is my favorite true crime podcast by far!

I used to like this show, but it needs better editing. The sound quality in the interviews is terrible and the host lets the families ramble on and espouse urban legends and conspiracy theories without pushback. Or the guests just malign people without evidence. I doubt the good this show does outweighs the exploitative harms.

Really, the best podcast in true crime period. The depth that Marissa brings to each person you can’t help but care about them and want to help. This show is deeply researched and almost always has a close relative on to share the story of who this person was. It is the opposite of sensational and always focuses on the vanished themselves. I love that if a case calls for it they will spend two even three or four episodes on making sure that we get all the information anyone might need. If you haven’t tried this podcast, I highly recommend you do. You will not be sorry. Marissa herself, the quality of the sound engineering, and the focus on the victims make this a must listen show, best in class.

Way too much of family and guests speaking. Audio of them is quite poor, that ramble on, repeat themselves, too many filler words, stories jump around. Host should summarize stories of families, NOT have families speak and in addition host summarize. Don’t have families speak on episode. Host can interview them and then summarize Toni’s. Play short clips of guests, if any at all. Edit the “ums”, “ya knows” and all the pauses and fillers. Too disorganized for me to enjoy listening. Also, when distraught, sad, angry, and stressed families state law-enforcement isn’t doing enough, I see it as the host job to present reality. The host should explain police procedure, protocol, due diligence and educate the families and the listeners of the podcast on civil rights and practices for search and seizure and obtaining evidence lawfully. Rules, laws and regulations are put in place to protect everybody. They should be respected and protected, and not bashed by people who know not of what they speak or speaking, purely from emotion.

The only thing unfortunate about is that there really isn’t much of a buildup, she says a few things then straight to interviews like we’re supposed to know what she’s talking about

I love that she actually research on the missing individual and isn’t bias regardless of race or the persons past .

I commend the host and team for highlighting missing person cases that otherwise may not receive much attention, but it would be nice if the host were to summarize what law enforcement can and cannot do sometimes for listeners after families express their thoughts and concerns about what is being done. For example, in the Cynthia Bah-Traore case, of course the family is upset that she is still missing, but law enforcement cannot just seize devices and accounts and search them just because the family wants them to. It would be a great opportunity to educate listeners instead of sensationalize what sometimes feels like speculation on corruption or not doing their work. For audio - this podcast has many ads, please use some of those funds to send cheap microphones to your guests so listeners can actually hear them clearly.

Love this podcast and look forward to it the most every week. Perfect combination of story telling by Marisa in combination with the guests. Keep up the excellent work !

I’ve been a listener since day one. I really appreciate this podcast and the fact that she gives a voice to the people frequently unseen and treated subhuman by society. As a person with siblings and parents who suffer from the disease of addiction, it feels nice to know that some people see them and understand that they are loved, and their lives mean something and matter.

I love this podcast so much. The host is excellent, the stories are so intriguing, and it’s all put together, very nicely. Only minor thing that annoys me is the long times of music in the end and beginning lol. Very minor!

The host lets the families blather on about insignificant details, bash LE, and paint the rosiest of pictures when in most cases it sounds like the person either purposefully ran away or was living a high risk life. Getting the background of the missing person is important, but play a few clips or summarize the interview-it shouldn’t be the bulk of the episode. In many episodes, there is rampant, unchecked speculation and wild accusations. Altogether awful.

Extremely simple approach to giving the missing back their voices.

My husband and I listen to the show together and we appreciate the hard work and efforts to highlight real stories and supporting the families that have lost loved ones.

This podcast is on the podium as the gold standard as far as missing person podcasts are concerned. Far and away the best.

The host’s repetitive intonation pattern is just too distracting and grating for me.

This show takes on difficult cases and does great research. I only wish that their recordings of interviewees were clearer, louder, and sharper. They sound far away. The narrator sounds fine but everyone else are difficult to understand.

Only on season one but I'm hooked!

I do not like how lately it seems as though the narrator purposefully tries to imply foul play or a coverup without evidence to support such. Unfortunately, sometimes things are exactly as they seem. Things get overlooked, mistakes are intentionally made and sadly some people wander away- it’s not always some kind of malicious coverup or oversight. That’s all.

This podcast is a shining light of true victim centered advocacy for the missing, as told my the ones that actually know them. So many podcasts could learn something from this one - allow friends and families to speak for themselves, amplify their voices and allow others to hear them. These are not rewritten or sensationalized by a podcasting team, they are straight from the families and friends of the missing. The host has created a safe space so others may tell stories of their loved ones in their own words, she empowers them to speak their truth in the name of the missing. I am in awe of the work she does and I send so much love to those that are waiting for others to come home.

When did this podcast go the AI narrative route? Used to love it but I can’t get down with the AI voice. Great story writing, but the delivery matters and is severely damaged by the shortcut use of AI.

I started listening to older episodes from the very beginning of the podcast. Marissa’s voice is way different - her tone and cadence are much more natural in the early episodes - and nice to hear. Very curious as to what led to the change.

I love this podcast and have been listening for YEARS! It is very in depth and sheds a lot of light on people who are missing. I don’t know why, but lately, I have noticed that the guests seem to talk way too long. Instead of capturing important information, I find myself drifting off and not listening anymore because it goes on too long. It is kind of making listening become dreadful. Otherwise, the work and everything you do is great!

I find the topic interesting, but the guests on the show go on and on, making the same points more than once. I noticed when people have issues with saying things several times, for example, “what have you,” or “you know,” it is not edited out. It is so annoying! I tried to like this podcast, but it’s just not for me.