Head Number 7 is not for the faint-hearted. No really, it isn’t. If you think it’s probably not for you then you’re right and you should stop reading right here.
For everyone else… yes the head in question is human and no it’s not attached to a body, and yes there’s at least six more where that came from. Head Number 7 is a new show from Wondery documenting the case of Cedric Lodge, morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, who had been selling the remains of people who had donated their bodies to science. The show’s title comes from one buyer’s bank transfer reference.
It’s obviously grim. But for a certain kind of person it’s absolutely fascinating. Just the fact that these communities of buyers and sellers exist, treating human brains like vintage watches or rare comic books, raises so many questions. Head Number 7 sets out to answer them, one by one. Questions like: “who are these people and how did they get this way?”; “What do they do with the body parts they’re buying?”; “Why are they going on podcasts being introduced as ‘the world’s leading expert in leather tanning human skin?’”; And “all of this is definitely illegal right?”
It’s a true crime in the sense that it’s true and there are crimes involved. But without a whodunnit at the heart of the show - we know who and we’re introduced to him almost immediately - Head Number 7 is able to spend more time than most humanising the victims through touching interviews with their loved ones. It’s an excellent choice that elevates the importance of the subject and stops the series from turning into an all-out grossfest.
It's exceptionally made with pacing that keeps you gripped and sound design that adds texture without ever becoming overpowering or distracting. I'm not a crime guy regularly but after two episodes I genuinely can't wait for the rest of the series.
Episode one is available everywhere now and the rest of the season will be exclusive to Wondery+ subscribers.
