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October 14, 2025 8 mins

A new villain and a new frontier. Crocodile Tears throws Alex Rider into the jaws—literally. We open in Scotland, meet philanthropist-on-paper Desmond McCain of the First Aid charity, and quickly discover a disaster-profit scheme that weaponises tragedy for donations. From GM-food labs and biodomes to fake cops, forced travel and a crocodile interrogation in Kenya, this one moves.

Highlights we cover:

The McCain playbook: create chaos, cash in on sympathy
The school sequence & realism check (fun, if implausible)
Nuclear-plant scare, dam finale, and why the collateral “cost” is part of the message
Big idea: Urgency is non-negotiable—how to build it into your day without burning out

00:00 – Cold Open: “New villain, new frontier” hook
00:25 – Meet Desmond McCain & the First Aid façade
01:00 – Scotland opener: party, near-drowning, immediate stakes
01:42 – GM lab & biodome chase (the white-line injury)
02:20 – School sequence & “could that really happen?”
02:55 – Kidnapped by fake police → drugged transit → Kenya
03:35 – Crocodile pit interrogation: the plan revealed
04:20 – Indian intel ally, nuclear-plant scare, jets & fields
05:05 – The dam decision & collateral damage question
05:40 – The philosophy: Urgency is non-negotiable (applied)
07:00 – Verdict: who should read Crocodile Tears (and why)

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
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Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

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