Binge Bytes: “See Jurassic Right”
“Cereal is no longer an unhealthy bowl of sugar and milk, but a delicious reward that I have earned by being alive.” (Design by Ashlyn Cary | Daily Utah Chronicle)
October 2, 2018
A podcast 65 million years in the making, “See Jurassic Right,” is a captivating love story between a boy and his favorite film, “Jurassic Park.” Hosted by Steven Ray Morris of “My Favorite Murder” and “The Purrrcast,” season one of “See Jurassic Right” documents the fanĀ build-up to “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the newest film in the āJurassic Parkā franchise.
Through interviews, listener voicemails and Stevenās casual yet captivating storytelling and original music, āSee Jurassic Rightā celebrates the āJurassic Parkā franchise in all of its gloom and glory (but mostly glory). Itās a place to connect with other passionate fans of the films, reminisce about a love for the movies and a love for dinosaurs in general, and to explore where the franchise is now heading.
I personally don’t have any specific memory of my first time seeing āJurassic Park.” My first āJurassic Parkā related memory is actually seeing the third film in theaters with my mom. However, my mom loves to tell people about how I would waddle up to the TV in diapers and try to shove our copy of āJurassic Parkā into the VCR saying ādinosaur movie, dinosaur movie!ā It wouldnāt be an exaggeration to say that āJurassic Parkā has significantly impacted my life. My love of science and science fiction was initially sparked by āJurassic Parkā and the film inspired me to pursue a career in writing. I even met my now-husband in a science fiction literature class. āJurassic Parkā is the film I put on when I have a bad day to cheer me up, or even to celebrate a particularly good day.
As someone who has loved the film since I was a baby, it’s incredibly touching to hear the accounts of others on āSee Jurassic Right.ā Iāve always felt like my experience with the way āJurassic Parkā has affected me was unique. The episodes are littered with recordings from fans telling their Jurassic experience, reassuring me I am not alone. Story after story relays how old people were when they saw the film for the first time, and how scared they were when Rexie first let out her iconic roar, and the tattoos that they have and the dinosaur toys that decorate their desks. More than one person recounts walking down the aisle to the āJurassic Parkā theme at their wedding. You might say love, uh, finds a way.
At the end of each episode, Steven prompts listeners to call in with answers to questions. These questions include āwhatās your favorite dinosaur and why?ā or “what are you looking forward to the most about ‘Fallen Kingdom’?” A little less formally, Steven tries to answer the question āWhy āJurassic Parkā?ā Throughout the first seasonās 15 main episodes and various supporting episodes, Steven is able to explain why so many people are in love with the āJurassic Parkā films.
The podcast includes four different episode formats, with an episode in each format released once a month. The main episodes cover specific topics related to the āJurassic Parkā franchise. Then there are minisodes which include extra content not covered in the main episodes. As the season progresses, minisodes are about as long and sometimes even longer than the regular monthly episodes. Fan Fiction Friday episodes feature a different friend of Steven’s every month reading several chapters from the āJurassic Parkā fanfiction he wrote as a kid. Raptor Reactions are Steven’s thoughts on “Fallen Kingdom” trailers and other franchise news. These episodes are released more sporadically as important āJurassic Parkā related events occur.
Season One technically ended with āEpisode 15: Back in this Rodeo.ā However, Raptor Reactions are still coming out, with an episode as recent as Sept. 22. Season Two will cover the build-up to the third and final film in the Jurassic World trilogy.Ā
To Binge or Not to Binge:
If you are a long time fan of āJurassic Park,ā then āSee Jurassic Rightā is definitely worth binging. The episodes are full of interesting facts and perspectives even I hadnāt considered. Even the āJurassic World: Fallen Kingdomā prediction episodes are still worth a listen, despite the theatrical release having come and gone. After seeing the film, itās fun to see what Steven did and didnāt get right.
With the first season over, I suggest listening to all of the Fan Fiction Friday episodes in a row. Waiting month to month for the next installment in Stevenās childhood fanfiction was fun, but it definitely helps keep everything straight when you listen to the whole story at once.
Regardless of your feelings towards the āJurassic Parkā franchise, I think all pop culture fans can appreciate and enjoy the stories from listeners about how this film impacted their lives. Fandoms, in general, are fascinating and āSee Jurassic Rightā is an incredible overview of the āJurassic Parkā fandom in particular. Ā
Best Episode:Ā My favorite episode is probably āEpisode One: Backbone of the Sublime.ā The first episode of the season features Stevenās Jurassic story, seeing the first film in theaters at six years old. Steven also includes an overview of each film in the franchise, from release date to dinosaurs in order of appearance.
Some honorable mentions include: āEpisode Four: Fables For Scientistsā where Steven discusses the Michael Crichton novels the franchise is based on, āEpisode Nine: My Guiding Starā which is dedicated to creativity in the fandom and āEpisode Z: Just Zinj It (Congo),” a special episode about another Crichton novel turned film, “Congo.”
Similar Shows:Ā “The Jurassic Park Podcast,ā āIs It Better Than Jurassic Park?,” āThe Jurassic Park Minuteā and āI Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcastā
Where to Listen
“See Jurassic Right”
“See Jurassic Right” is an Acast podcast and available to stream wherever you get your podcasts.
10-150 minute episodes
51 episodes, approximately 45 hours