'Serial' Episode 9 Preview: Is Adnan 'To Be Suspected'?

Update: Read our "Serial" episode 9 recap here.

The "Serial" podcast detailing Sarah Koenig's investigation into the 15-year-old murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan is the fastest ever to reach 5 million downloads and it's a weekly obsession for many. The show is unlikely to slow down and in episode 9, "To Be Suspected," Adnan returns to the spotlight.

In "Serial" episode 8, "The Deal With Jay," Koenig investigates what made Jay a credible witness. For some jurors, Jay seemed like someone who could be trusted while another juror thought Adnan not testifying during the trial hurt his case. Koenig also brought in Jim Trainum, a former homicide detective, to discuss forced testimony and how Jay could have tailored his statements during a three-hour stretch of the interview that was not recorded. The episode ended with Koenig teasing some insights into Adnan during the trial that the jury did not know.

Last week's episode was probably the first time since "Serial" premiered that the focus was on something other than the investigation. Race was a huge component in "The Deal With Jay." In many ways, racial politics shaped how friends described Jay and this issue led to the Awl publishing "'Serial' and White Reporter Privilege," which BuzzFeed followed up with a look at the "model minority myth."

Rabia Chaudry, who first brought up Adnan's case to Koenig and publishes her own recaps, addressed the controversy with Refinery 29. The interview with Chaudry led to some new insights into Adnan and the current investigation. "We all come with certain privilege, that doesn't make you a manipulative or malicious person. To me, that’s not a condemnation of Sarah. It just means she’s a white woman. She put more time and energy and nights away from her family into this case than other Muslim Pakistanis who just walked away," Chaudry said.

While Adnan is currently in jail, he is receiving transcripts of "Serial" but does not really understand just how popular the series is, notes Chaudry.

Every aspect of "Serial" and Koenig's investigation is being scrutinized, which has led to some interesting insights on the Reddit subthread dedicated to the podcast. For something so minor as Koenig's comment about Crab Crib has led to posts about the restaurant's menu and the never-ending "sale." The blog on the "Serial" website also has an interesting look at Asia's story and the weather reports for Jan. 13, the day she said she saw Adnan at Woodlawn Public Library.