I was looking for a podcast that would immerse me into a fictional story, scrolling through endless spotify podcasts, Classified by Qcode jumped out at me, and it was a perfect fit. 

The way that they're able to surround you with sound makes you feel like you're right there with all of the characters—a door opens and you can hear footsteps walking toward you from behind, or a group of people are talking and you feel like you're the center of the conversation, with everyone talking around you.  

The podcast episodes are extremely short, so you can listen to an entire episode on your way to work or school.  

This story follows Ivan Harris, played by Wyatt Russell, a paranoid assassin who finds himself trapped in Ravenholm Institution.  Ivan says he is sane, but Dr. Bell thinks otherwise.  This is because of Ivans “Imaginary” friend that he keeps saying is here but no one else sees. Ivan wants to get back to his girlfriend Odessa—but is she real? Are any of his memories real?  Ivan and other patients, Eli, Penny, and Stringer formulate a plan to escape this institution with the help of Ivans imaginary friend Lark.

When I first listened to Classified, I was instantly hooked.  Wyatt Russell was a perfect fit; he makes Ivan extremely likable and funny. They end every episode on a cliffhanger with a new plot twist.   The way they format the episodes makes you say “just one more”.  The way they are able to portray a character one way, then throw a plot twist and it makes you rethink that character entirely.  Like the way Dr Bell portrays Ivan makes everyone think that he is crazy, even though Ivan knows he is sane.

My only critique of this podcast is that Qcode media isn't always diligent about following up on specific storylines.  This podcast came out in 2022, and even though other more recent podcasts by Qcode have gotten another season, Classified still hasn't heard anything about getting a 2nd installment.  This is extremely disappointing because the podcast was amazing and left me wanting more after the first season ended.  

I really recommend this podcast to anyone who has the time to listen—I just wish that Qcode media would create a second installment to further the storyline of our characters.