Hardcore History podcast: Dan Carlin drops Supernova in the East finale

Hardcore History doesn't operate like your usual podcast. Instead of regularly scheduled, 30-60 minute shows, host Dan Carlin drops a couple of 3-6 hour shows a year, doing so with almost no notice. That makes Tuesday a special day, as Carlin has released a new episode of the show -- the first of 2021. 

It's a special one too: the sixth and final installment of Supernova in the East, his series on the Pacific theater of World War 2. Its runtime comes in at 5 hours and 46 minutes. Fans on Carlin's Reddit page are wishing one another "Happy HH day", as is customary when a new Hardcore History is released. 

"I have the most patient listenership in podcasting," Carlin tweeted on Monday, teasing the episode. "Thank you all. We will be done soon. I have no idea if it's any good at this point... but like most #6 shows we've ever done, it's long. Three years on this subject. It'll be nice to talk about something else..."
The first Supernova in the East podcast was released in July of 2018, and fans (including Elon Musk, apparently) have been waiting since November, when the fifth episode on the series dropped, for the finale. 

Hardcore History began in 2006, in the early days of podcasting, with former reporter and radio broadcaster Carlin speaking for under an hour about historical episodes that interested him. Over the years it's evolved into a far more detailed, polished show that's on almost every "best podcast" list that gets written. Particularly notable shows include Blueprint for Armageddon and Death Throes of the Republic, covering World War 1 and the Roman Republic respectively, each of which were made up of six multi-hour episodes.