Pop Culture Happy Hour: 2025 Pop Culture Favorites
Podcast: Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR)
Episode: 2025 Pop Culture Favorites
Date: December 4, 2025
Panel: Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, Glen Weldon
Episode Overview
Each December, the Pop Culture Happy Hour team gathers to celebrate their favorite moments in pop culture from the year. In this 2025 round-up, the hosts highlight their most memorable films, shows, performances, and iconic moments—ranging from viral K-pop cinema to introspective indie films and beloved TV. The discussion embodies the show’s signature mix of warmth, specificity, humor, and thoughtful critique.
Key Segments & Discussion Highlights
K Pop Demon Hunters – Musical Phenomenon
Segment starts: [04:13]
- Stephen Thompson kicks things off with the year’s breakout Netflix hit, "K Pop Demon Hunters," where a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, are also demon hunters.
- The movie’s central musical moment comes when Huntrix moves past their hit "Golden" to perform "What It Sounds Like," a song of self-discovery and emotional catharsis.
“It's like Shaun White at the Olympics, learning he's already won gold and deciding to put on the run of his life anyway... Seeing it stick the perfect landing gave me one of my favorite pop culture moments of 2025.” — Stephen Thompson [06:11]
- Aisha notes the Side Jo Boyz’ songs were catchier, but agrees "What It Sounds Like" is ‘the song’ for real fans.
- Glen Weldon humorously shares his husband's skepticism at the title—won over in 10 minutes.
Sinners & Ryan Coogler’s Theatrical Pitch
Segment starts: [08:11]
- Aisha Harris highlights "Sinners," seen three times in eight days, lauding both Ryan Coogler’s film and his viral video explaining various cinema formats.
- She describes how Coogler demystified technical jargon for regular audiences, making IMAX a must-see for even casual viewers—including her own skeptical dad.
“Ryan Coogler’s pitch for all those Sinners formats, that is one of my favorite things of this year that I think will go down in marketing history, in cinema history. It is amazing.” — Aisha Harris [10:56]
- Stephen draws parallels between Sinners and K Pop Demon Hunters as original, music-driven, non-franchise success stories.
Fantastic Four: First Steps & the Joy of Embracing Source Material
Segment starts: [12:15]
- Glenn Weldon goes hyper-specific, championing the hemline of Galactus’ skirt in "Fantastic Four: First Steps"—because it’s comic-accurate.
- He expands to praise the film’s embrace of superhero comic-book aesthetics, unafraid of being “corny” or “cheesy,” and how films stopped apologizing for their origins.
“What if we stopped apologizing for the goofiness, the corniness, for the cheesiness? What if we stopped chasing cool and just captured the stuff that caused these characters originally to imprint themselves on the public consciousness and we didn't get in the way?” — Glen Weldon [14:06]
- Linda and the group relish Glen’s comic and philosophical take.
Severance Season 2: Milchick’s Choreography & Merriment
Segment starts: [15:05]
- Aisha zeroes in on Severance’s Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) and his energetic marching band routine in the S2 finale—a moment of style, charisma, and ambiguity.
- The team celebrates how the show and actor channel cryptic company-man energy into physical artistry.
“It's hands down the best moment of the season, dare I say maybe the entire series so far...” — Aisha Harris [16:38]
The Lowdown: Ethan Hawke’s Chaotic Genius
Segment starts: [19:07]
- Linda Holmes picks Ethan Hawke in "The Lowdown" (FX), a Tulsa “truthstorian” with a unique voice, caught in comic and affecting situations—including a comedic attempt at disguising a black eye.
“The way that he says ‘in a brief makeup tutorial’ is such comedic specificity and it's something that I associate with my very favorite comedy writers of film and television.” — Linda Holmes [20:34]
- The crew celebrates Hawke’s late-career renaissance and the show’s vivid character work.
Dying for Sex: Balancing Comedy and Pathos
Segment starts: [22:49]
- Stephen lauds Hulu’s "Dying for Sex," a cancer dramedy based on a podcast. Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate deliver nuanced performances.
- A favorite scene blends slapstick and emotional gravity as an attendant disrupts a bedroom encounter.
“Their last scenes together are sex scenes that are also playful and conversational and sad and silly all at the same time.” — Stephen Thompson [25:20]
- Glenn and Aisha agree the series deserves more attention.
Murderbot: Acting Through Eyebrows
Segment starts: [26:41]
- Glenn highlights Alexander Skarsgård’s micro-expressive acting as android SecUnit in "Murderbot" (Apple TV) — particularly the panic visible in just his eyebrows when faced with awkward social interaction.
“He can't react... so the actor conveys dread and fear and anxiety with just these little facial micro movements, like panic in the eyes, a furrowed brow.” — Glenn Weldon [27:38]
- The team appreciates Glenn’s ever-narrowing specificity.
The Residence: Uzo Aduba’s Detective Cordelia Cupp
Segment starts: [28:33]
- Linda celebrates Uzo Aduba’s witty, confident detective in "The Residence" (Netflix), loving the dry humor and fresh take on whodunit conventions.
“She comes from a place of supreme confidence... the voice of that character becomes unmistakable as his own.” — Linda Holmes [30:52]
Fight or Flight: Laptop Knockout and Comic Timing
Segment starts: [34:28]
- Linda brings up "Fight or Flight," starring a resurgent Josh Hartnett. The film’s blend of action and comedy peaks in a scene where a laptop-smash triggers a perfectly-timed computer reboot sound.
“He hits him so hard that as you can hear, the computer restarts. I don't know why, but I found this the funniest sound design moment of the year.” — Linda Holmes [35:54]
Sorry Baby: Apologizing to the Next Generation
Segment starts: [37:16]
- Aisha selects "Sorry Baby," Ava Victor’s raw debut about trauma, friendship, and care. The emotional high point arrives as Agnes quietly tells a baby, “I’m sorry that bad things are gonna happen to you...” capturing both the weight and hope of human experience.
“It just captures so well just the uncertainty and the sadness of living, but also the joy of living and being able to have people who will support you when things get tough.” — Aisha Harris [40:04]
- The team praises the film’s moving, unsentimental honesty.
No Other Choice: Park Chan-wook’s House
Segment starts: [41:04]
- Glenn becomes obsessed with the house in Park Chan-wook’s "No Other Choice," praising it as “beautifully ugly” and the film’s emotional core.
- Discussion veers (hilariously) into whether any of them would kill to own this striking piece of architecture.
“Hot take: This house is a character in the movie... and I'm not saying I would murder anyone for this house. But, Aisha, remember that staircase? That's a great staircase.” — Glenn Weldon [41:19, 42:37]
Rosalia – ‘Lux’: Album of the Year
Segment starts: [43:43]
- Stephen closes with Rosalia’s album "Lux," singling out the track “Ria” as the moment he knew he’d heard his album of the year.
- The album is described as “unbelievably audacious,” blending genres, languages, and collaborators, with a sound that feels instantly classic and emotionally resonant.
“This is art piled atop art piled atop art. It's unbelievably audacious, but... the result is just breathtaking. It's accessible. It lands emotional gut punches…” — Stephen Thompson [44:40]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “It's literally viral in the sense that it takes over its host.” — Glenn Weldon on K Pop Demon Hunters [07:13]
- “You think you won, you didn't win. I don't know. It's such a great moment.” — Glenn Weldon on Milchick’s dance, Severance S2 [17:53]
- “Representation matters, right? SecUnit represents all of us who have found ourselves drawn into deeply personal, one-sided conversations and just desperately wanted to go check the munitions.” — Glenn Weldon on Murderbot [28:05]
- “Linda, you didn't have me then you brought me in with Toad Venom.” — Glenn Weldon on Fight or Flight [36:53]
- “Yeah, sure. Would I murder? No, I'm not gonna. No, but I get it.” — Aisha Harris, on whether she'd kill for Park Chan-wook’s cinematic house [43:06]
Structure of Picks
Panelists made two picks each, spanning:
- Breakout movies and original soundtracks ("K Pop Demon Hunters", "Sinners")
- Small details and performances ("Fantastic Four" hemline, Skarsgård’s eyebrows)
- Scene-stealing TV moments ("Severance", "The Residence", "The Lowdown")
- Underappreciated and emotionally powerful series ("Sorry Baby", "Dying for Sex")
- Grand cinematic gestures ("No Other Choice" house, Rosalia’s “Lux”)
Closing Thoughts
The hosts’ choices showcased the year’s pop culture vibrancy—from joyful blockbusters to deeply moving indies and razor-sharp TV. Specificity, emotional resonance, and unapologetic appreciation for pop culture’s weirdest corners framed a conversation full of laughter, insight, and affection for the year’s best.
For Listeners
To share your own pop culture favorites, visit the team on Facebook at facebook.com/pchh. For bonus content and more, consider NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus.
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