Home Podcasts The Turning - Seasons 1, 2 & 3

The Turning - Seasons 1, 2 & 3

iHeartPodcasts and Rococo Punch 42 episodes Latest Oct 20, 2025

The Turning: River Road (Season 3) tells the story of Lindsay Tornambe, who at 13 was chosen as a Maiden in the River Road Fellowship cult in rural Minnesota. After a ritualistic marriage to the cult leader, she endured years of abuse before escaping with a friend. Their whistleblowing led to an international manhunt in 2014 and the collapse of the cult. The series is produced by Rococo Punch and iHeartPodcasts.

Episodes

Introducing: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall Oct 20, 2025 2346 We're sharing an episode of a new podcast from CBC, called The Devil You Know. In The Devil You Know, Sarah Marshall explores the tangled web of the Satanic Panic, a journey that will take you everywhere from Victoria, B.C. to rural Kentucky to San Antonio, Texas. This is a show about the people who experienced the Satanic Panic in real-time—the believers, the skeptics, the bystanders, the w

S3:EP 12 - Postscript: Christa Sep 9, 2025 2860 Christa was born into River Road Fellowship. In our final conversation, she remembers how she first realized she was in a cult, and tells us parts of the story we haven’t covered yet. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 11 - Postscript: Lindsay Sep 2, 2025 3166 A year and a half after our first interview, we sit down with Lindsay one last time to ask her the questions you’ve been wondering about. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 10 - Beyond Fear Aug 26, 2025 2844 PART TEN - “There were moments when I remember being in such a dark place, feeling so hopeless, and the curiosity of the next day I think helped keep me going. It doesn't matter how dark the day is. Just be curious about tomorrow.” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 9 - Jess Aug 19, 2025 2029 PART NINE - "The trees would be swaying, and you could almost feel the leaves moving. Maybe we would start humming, making up a melody. The worries and the fear just melted away. All the bad things, and all the good things, none of it mattered. I could sit back and relax and breathe. It was this moment of just feeling – safe and almost – loved by her. just a true sister and friend, not

S3:EP 8 - The One Thing Aug 12, 2025 2585 PART EIGHT - “It was absolutely the one thing – the one thing, if I can pick one thing – it is the one thing that allowed me to begin to heal.” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of child sexual abuse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 7 - Manhunt Aug 5, 2025 2669 PART SEVEN - “When I think of it now, it was almost like he prophesied his own demise. For all those years, Victor was the predator and I was the prey. And then he became the prey." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of child sexual abuse and self-harm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 6 - The Choice Jul 29, 2025 1867 PART SIX - “It was like I was kept underground for so long and then just spit out at 23. I call it when I entered the real world. And it was a whole other world than what it had been.” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of child sexual abuse and self-harm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 5 - Paradise Lost Jul 22, 2025 2598 PART FIVE - "I was totally in. Totally committed. Ready to take a bullet for him if needed." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of the dynamics of child sexual abuse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 4 - Predator and Prey Jul 15, 2025 2744 PART FOUR - “He would say, 'Lindsay is the old flesh, and you need to become a new man in Christ. Lindsay has to die.'” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of fatphobia, extreme dieting and disordered eating behaviors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 3 - The Maidens Jul 8, 2025 2706 PART THREE - “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a description of child sexual abuse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 2 - Summer of Love Jul 8, 2025 3008 PART TWO - “He was more important than their husbands. He was more important than their children. He was more important than anything.” For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch. Content note: This episode includes a description of child sexual abuse. Please listen with discretion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3:EP 1 - The Camp Jul 8, 2025 2161 PART ONE - "I never thought it would develop into what it was." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing The Turning: River Road (Season 3) Jul 1, 2025 127 When the most vulnerable within a community go unprotected, how can they find the strength to push their way out?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Swans of Harlem | Part Two May 7, 2024 2079 Today we present the second of two episodes featuring Karen Valby, author of The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History. The book records the largely forgotten stories of five Black ballerinas who changed the art form. Their stories are surprising and vivid and poignant… and totally worth your time if you enjoyed our mos

The Swans of Harlem | Part One Apr 30, 2024 2859 As we work on Season 3 of The Turning, we have something special for you: two episodes featuring Karen Valby, author of The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History. The book records the largely forgotten stories of five Black ballerinas who changed the art form. Their stories are surprising and vivid and poignant… and tot

S2 Ep Bonus - Behind the Scenes May 9, 2023 2563 A grab-bag of stories and extras. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2: Ep Bonus - A Day in the Life of a Dancer Apr 27, 2023 1793 The countdown to curtain begins. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 10 - Révérence Mar 21, 2023 3264 PART TEN - "If it is going to stick with us forever, it matters that we get it right." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 9 - Pas de Deux Mar 14, 2023 2636 PART NINE - "I remember thinking, am I the only one like me who's ever walked these halls?" For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 8 - American Ballet Mar 7, 2023 2914 PART EIGHT - "Blackness is a vehicle. It's a vehicle to get people where they need to go."For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunchTRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 7- The Line Feb 28, 2023 3197 PART SEVEN - "Who decided this? ... Did the skies open up, and the ballet God said, 'This is how it has to be'? No, it's just what we've all been programmed." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 6 - A Golden Year Feb 21, 2023 2564 PART SIX - "It feels like this hazy distant silhouette of a thing that doesn’t feel real, like a wild dream that I can’t fully recall." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2:Ep 5 - The Prince Feb 14, 2023 2690 PART FIVE - "Gone unchecked, bad things can happen. And they did." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2: Ep 4 - The Muses Feb 7, 2023 2831 PART FOUR - "Balanchine was so fond of perfume that leaves the scent of that dancer behind, and it still permeates." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2: Ep 3 - Risk All Jan 31, 2023 2439 PART THREE - "There are no windows, because we don't need windows, because the outside world doesn't matter. He was God in the theater. Ever observing, ever present. Are you a patriot? Are you a citizen? Are you willing to do whatever I ask you to do?" For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for pr

S2: Ep 2 - Ritual Healing Jan 24, 2023 2306 PART TWO - "I would experiment a little. I would go to the theater, and the lights would go down, and I would say, 'Okay, I'm going to give you my mood. I'm going to give you all these troubles, and you do something with it,' said I to the stage. And then I would walk out, and I felt like somebody had rinsed me."For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunchTRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopu

S2: Ep 1 - Only I Can See You Jan 24, 2023 2673 PART ONE - "He used to say, 'What are you looking at dear? You can't see you. Only I can see you.'" For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscriptsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing S2: The Turning: Room of Mirrors Jan 17, 2023 171 A closed, elite group asks for sacrifice and extreme devotion from its members. It produces elegant dancers, but at what cost?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1: Ep Bonus - Bride of Christ Sep 15, 2021 1667 BONUS - Jenna Cooper is a 36-year-old consecrated virgin who lives in Winona, Minnesota. She tells us what that means, what her life is like now, and what it’s like to feel called when you’re 12 years old.For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunchThis series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTe

S1: Ep 10 - Out There Jul 20, 2021 2761 PART TEN - “I couldn’t come to any clarity unless I took off the habit and was seen.”For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunchThis series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeOTRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw

S1: Ep 9 - Highway of Broken Glass Jul 13, 2021 2820 PART NINE - Is this a cult? How do you leave?For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunchThis series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeOTRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for p

S1: Ep 8 - Saint of Darkness Jul 6, 2021 2767 PART EIGHT - "She used to tell us, ‘If ever I will be a saint, I will be the saint of darkness.’ ... And we didn't know what she meant."For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunchThis series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeOTRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/transcripts Learn more abo

S1: Ep 7 - Silence Jun 29, 2021 3181 PART SEVEN - This episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.We meet two former sisters who say they wanted more than anything to be part of the Missionaries of Charity. Along the road to taking their first vows, they allege their mistresses took advantage of the vow of obedience. They claim they were sexually abused by the women tasked with guiding them

S1: Ep Bonus - Kelli Jun 22, 2021 2154 BONUS - You know Kelli Dunham from previous episodes. Kelli joined the Missionaries of Charity looking for a life that made sense. That’s not what she found. She had a painful exit from the MCs. But there’s so much more to her story. We talked with Kelli about her life before the Missionaries of Charity and after. About her faith. About her comedy. But mostly about her complicated relationship wit

S1: Ep 6 - The Third Floor Jun 15, 2021 2687 PART SIX - Siblings Joan and Sue both join the Missionaries of Charity, and they steal secret moments on the third floor — the only time they can be alone to talk. Like all MC sisters, they live by the vow of obedience. Their story shows how power works in the order: who has power, and what happens when you push back on it. Sue grapples with this from above, as a superior; Joan from below. Content

S1: Ep 5 - Particular Friendship Jun 8, 2021 2737 PART FIVE - MC sisters are forbidden from having “particular friendships.” They’re not supposed to get close to anyone. They’re supposed to detach from their human relationships so that they can focus on God. They live a vow of chastity to the extreme. But even in the convent, secret love emerges, and two sisters begin a forbidden relationship.For additional content and information, follow the sho

S1: Ep 4 - The Devil's Advocates Jun 1, 2021 2196 PART FOUR - The world’s most admired woman lived a life dedicated to helping the poor – but was it always in their best interest? After Mother Teresa became famous, controversial claims about her work began to emerge. Dangerous medical practices? Secret baptisms? In this episode, we meet Mother Teresa's biggest critics and hear from sisters who were there.For additional content and information, fo

S1: Ep 3 - Mother May 25, 2021 2527 PART THREE - She wasn’t always a saint. When Mother Teresa is 36 years old, she hears a mystical voice on a train. Then she has visions — visions she believes are sent by God to tell her to bring souls to Jesus. Little does she know these moments of near ecstasy will lead her to international celebrity. But her path to founding her own religious institute is dotted with challenges and skepticism,

S1: Ep 2 - Love, To Be Real, Has To Hurt May 18, 2021 2782 PART TWO - The sisters learn more about sacrificial love and what it means to be married to Jesus. Mother Teresa believed suffering brings you closer to Christ, so the sisters look for opportunities for sacrifice – including sacrifices Mary never expected. She also meets a charismatic sister who makes her question whether God’s love is enough.For additional content and information, follow the show

S1: Ep 1 - No Turning Back May 18, 2021 2968 PART ONE - We enter a hidden world behind convent walls to learn what it’s like for a young sister to join the Missionaries of Charity. MC sisters take strict vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor. As aspirants, they start to learn the rules of this closed society, one that contains secret ceremonies and countless ritualsFor additional c

Introducing S1: The Turning: The Sisters Who Left May 6, 2021 198 If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it? Can you truly give yourself to God or will your humanity get to you first? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Turning - Seasons 1, 2 & 3

Episodes

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