The road to Hell
We Came To The Forest review
Production company – Campside Media/Wondery
Rating – 
I was lucky enough to get all the episodes for this in advance (thanks Mackenzie!), although my schedule didn’t allow me to get on to a review until now. As such, I’m not too sure how many episodes have been released as I write this, but I’ll keep it as spoiler free as possible. Unless, you know, you actually remember the case being on the news (if it was, I should think it was), and then you’ll know how it goes. But I digress.
So what’s it about?
A disparate group of protesters create a camp in the forest to try and disrupt the construction of “Cop City”. A huge training facility to accommodate a new style police force. The camp was home to a disparate group of people from all walks of life with one thing in common. They all felt at home. The camp had its own support structure, shops and pretty much everything that you could need to survive.
The camp itself was situated on public land, most of the protesters didn’t want the hassle of trespassing. Some of them however, did make their homes on the private land earmarked for development. They didn’t their best to protest peacefully. A lot of the group arrived in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, and they were well aware of what could happen if the police got overzealous.
As time draws on and the protesters become more active though, the police decide to move in and make everyone leave. As the tension rises, shots are fired and someone unfortunately loses their life. This show investigates exactly what happened on that fateful day, and why.
Is it any good?
This is a huge story, with many different viewpoints. It starts out as what seems to be a simple (and somewhat stereotypical) case of police going in heavy handed (again). As the story develops though, it becomes so much more. I can’t think of a show quite like this, where the actual topic isn’t quite so cut and dried as you’d think. The tragedy affected many people, and it ultimately shows what happens as those supposedly in control become desperate.
As you would expect from Wondery, the production values are top notch. There is really nothing I can think of to criticise here. Even the balance of opinions are pretty central. Emotive subject matter like this gets all too easy to pick a side. Look at the modern media, especially that which prides itself on “ balance”, and you’ll know what I mean.
Whichever side of the argument you ultimately fall on, this podcast presents such compelling angles that you can’t help but sympathise with both sides simultaneously. That is the mark of truly great writing and investigation.
Final thoughts
This is a fascinating story that is guaranteed to shift your opinions on the subject matter. In a world where we are bombarded with information specifically designed to polarise our opinions to ever more extreme lengths, this story is a refreshing change. One that shows that nothing is black and white (no matter how much you may want it to be).
There’s a reason why Wondery produces such great shows. They didn’t win an award from me in December for nothing. They have come into 2025 with a big hitter already. I can’t wait to hear what else is in the pipeline for the year.
You can get We Came To The Forest here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods