888: Not Today, Hades!
This American Life | 07 jun 2026 | 00:58:06
Regular people trapped inside Greek myths. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
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- Prologue: When a mysterious, ripped-open package arrives on Pablo's doorstep, he takes it as a sign. (4 minutes)
- Act One: Pablo flies closer to the sun. (14 minutes)
- Act Two: In Greek mythology, there's Hades, where everyone goes when they die. You have to cross the river Styx to get there, and there’s a gate with this three-headed dog. He’s guarding the entrance and he’s supposed to make sure only actual dead people enter. This story is about a real person in America who stood at those very gates. Which is not the easiest job it turns out, at least not right now. (24 minutes)
- Act Three: A mortal gets the assignment of a lifetime — to go interview an actual god who is living on earth, traveling under the name of Lionel Messi. (11 minutes)
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🎬 SEE THE STORY UNFOLD:
Want to see the original photos, documents, and the faces behind this week's acts?
👇 View the visual archive for this episode here:
https://goo.su/XwNQm
(Updated for each story)