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Sunday Special: The Best TV of 2025

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

Sunday Special: The Best TV of 2025

The Daily

2025/12/21
The Daily

The Daily

2025/12/21
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

In these final weeks of 2025, The Sunday Special is looking back at the year in culture. Today, we’re talking about the TV we watched this year — the best shows, the most popular ones and the ones that allowed us to just enjoyably veg out. Gilbert Cruz ta...

Highlights

As the year draws to a close, television reflects both our anxieties and our desires — from intimate character studies to sprawling genre experiments. This conversation unpacks the shows that defined 2025, exploring how they captured cultural shifts, personal truths, and the evolving landscape of storytelling in an era of endless content.
02:47
Severance returns after three years with divided critical reception.
07:35
‘Common Side Effects’ blends hallucinatory animation with real-world critiques of pharmaceutical greed.
12:56
'Dying for Sex' makes Jim's top 10 list for its bold storytelling
16:15
Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate deliver powerful, authentic performances in 'Dying for Sex'
20:09
'The White Lotus' Season 3 is the worst season of the series.
31:55
Andor stands out as a rare IP-based show with original ideas and emotional depth.
41:45
An alien RNA virus infects most humans, creating a collective mind in 'Pluribus'.
57:34
James Poniewozik wins the Star Wars quiz and receives the 'Gilbert' trophy.

Chapters

What made 2025's TV feel so obsessed with secrets and conspiracies?
00:00
How did a talking mushroom expose the dark side of big pharma?
06:17
Why are romantic comedies making a serious comeback?
09:53
Can a show about dying teach us how to live — and love?
15:53
Why do rich people keep ruining their lives on screen?
20:09
What happens when an animated comedy tells quiet family truths?
26:11
How did 'Andor' rise above typical franchise storytelling?
31:55
Who’s resisting the hive mind — and why does it matter?
38:25
What does it mean to stay human in a connected world?
44:16

Transcript

Gilbert Cruz: Welcome to the Sunday Special. I'm Gilbert Cruz. We're spending this last several episodes of the year looking back on some of the big cultural moments of 2025. And today, we are talking about TV. Here with me to consider some of the best sho...