Episode Details

Host Sam Roberts talks with Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson about the shocking murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, what Reiner’s mix of hit filmmaking and hard-edged activism revealed about Hollywood’s politics, and why 2025 may be an inflection point for an industry grappling with AI, risk-averse studios, and a new generation of moviegoers heading back to theaters. Then, NYT obituaries editor Bill McDonald reflects on this year’s extraordinary losses, from cultural icons and political heavyweights to overlooked lives. He explains how Times obits are reported, why the section is rethinking whose stories get told, and what these lives say about the era we’re living through.

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