2025 Recap

Well, another eventful year has come and gone. And for what we witnessed throughout the year, even I’ll admit that it’s been nothing short of helter-skelter.

Admittedly, there’ve not been many events throughout 2025 that utterly caught my eye. Still, somehow I ended up paying attention to the more disheartening news that slipped into my attention, but that doesn’t mean some positive highlights didn’t work their way in and promise something better and more satisfactory down the line.

I may have done this for the past couple of annual recaps, but let’s take a closer look at all the famous stars who sadly left us.

What I consider the most disheartening loss of the year is David Lynch. Having died at 78, he had a most surreal imagination as a filmmaker, and the iconic imagery that accompanied it was a distinct style all its own. Among his iconic lineup were films like The Elephant Man, Eraserhead, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, and the iconic TV show, Twin Peaks. While I’ll admit there were some things about the show’s third season that I personally disagreed with, I was still impressed with the visually dazzling and tricky craftsmanship Lynch unleashed with his work.

And the second of the memorable stars who passed on was Robert Redford. Aged 89, he was an established actor, producer, and director, becoming memorable for a wide variety of roles he undertook, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Out of Africa, All the President’s Men, and so forth. But one of his most groundbreaking achievements was the founding of the Sundance Institute in 1981. This organization left a mark in cinematic history by allowing anyone interested in filmmaking to dive in and make the magic happen. For that, we are most grateful for his long-term contributions to Hollywood history,

The third star who passed on, and whose death probably shocked me the most, was Diane Keaton. Having died at 79 and made a name for herself as Kay Adams in the Godfather films, Keaton went on to establish a solid reputation as a versatile actress, leaving behind notable performances in films like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Reds, and the modern-day Father of the Bride with Steve Martin. During the last stage of her life, she even took on voice roles, including in Finding Dory and the TV show I had just reviewed, Green Eggs and Ham.

However, that’s nothing compared to the horrifying demise of Rob Reiner and his wife.

When I first heard of it, it called me back to how Gene Hackman died together with his wife out of sickness, Hackman’s wife from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and Gene Hackman from heart disease. However, what Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, suffered was particularly nasty. It was said that they were stabbed to death by their own son, Nick Reiner. By their own son! It’s depressing enough to hear of the death of a beloved filmmaker, but to think that he and his wife had their lives cut short this way was sickening. Fortunately, what I’m sure he’ll be forever remembered for are the classic slew of films he unleashed, especially in the 1980s. You name it, When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, Misery, This is Spinal Tap? These are some genuine hallmarks of film, and Reiner will never be forgotten thanks to these masterful films.

While I’m still on the subject of deaths throughout this year, I believe we’re catching on to a most discouraging chain of casualties when it comes to people bringing about political assassinations, attempted or otherwise.

First, we had Donald Trump last year, when Matthew Crooks shot an incoming bullet at Trump, only for it to pierce his ear during one of his presidential rallies in Butler, Pennsylvania. Shortly after that, we dealt with the assassination of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson at the hands of Luigi Mangione, who is still on trial for his murder.

This year, we had to witness the tragic death of Charlie Kirk.

After hosting a talk in Salt Lake City, Utah, his rally was cut abruptly short, as was his life, when an attendee settled on the top of a nearby building and pointed his sniper rifle at Kirk. Now, Charlie left behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two kids, aged 3 and 1, both of whom were much too young to have dealt with the loss of a father.

The killer, Tyler Robinson, who was talked into admitting his role in the assassination, admitted that he was outraged by Charlie Kirk’s politics and decided to get even with him his way. Once again, this is a sobering example of the futility of political violence and assassinations. All it does is enflame the political competition rather than subdue it, and it spells chaos across America and the world beyond the political spectrum.

Now, some of you might look at this differently because Charlie Kirk was Conservative. In situations like this, the more critical question about political affiliations is… who the hell cares? Political violence is political violence, period, and it should never be tolerated. Bipartisanship is key.

What I’m about to highlight next may not be a death, per se, so much as it is a metaphorical one. Still, another ingrained element of Americana that’s shockingly coming to an end is the American penny.

That’s right. The easiest bit of money you could achieve here in America? The source behind classic phrases like ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’? What will it mean now that the penny is about to be no longer circulated?

I have a hunch that the penny will be valued the same way the $2 bill, the half-dollar, and even the gold dollars are. They are considerably rarer denominations in the American economy, and thus are more valuable than their face values suggest. And soon, the American penny will be valued the same way, too. I understand that this was enacted to save money on financial development costs, but it still doesn’t sit well with me.

What also doesn’t sit well with me about this is that next year will be the United States of America’s 250th anniversary, and it was said that the last printed round of pennies, particularly in this design, was circulated on November 12. With the forthcoming 250th anniversary of the nation in mind, I can’t help but look at this end of circulation as if it were done too soon. I personally believe it would have made more sense if the U.S. Treasury had been willing to wait it out and keep making pennies until after July 4, 2026, and then called it good. But to see the American penny endure such a sudden, almost unanticipated death feels so discouraging somehow.

Finally, the last death I want to address here is Pope Francis. Having died at 88, he was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, and became a memorable figure for his tender nature. Fortunately, after Pope Francis died on April 21, the vacancy in the Vatican City seat did not last long; on May 8, former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from New York City was elected to succeed him as the next Pope. Becoming the first American to have ever taken on the mantle of Pope, he was bestowed the name Pope Leo XIV. Here’s to a long and prosperous outcome under his guidance!

In yet another shocking turn of events, Warner Bros. has officially set itself up for sale to the major Hollywood studio willing to utilize and expand its cinematic and televised library with Warner Bros.’ assets. As of now, the two biggest bidders for Warner Bros. are Paramount Skydance and Netflix. As I’m writing this, it is still up in the air how the deal will go down. 

It all seems so surreal to think about, because the last time a major film company purchased another was when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. But, controversial as this decision was, it still did 20th Century Fox’s film library some favors, for some its franchises have prospered under the Disney management, with sequels like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Alien: Romulus serving as worthy sequels to established Fox-owned properties, and King of the Hill’s newest season, which premiered on Hulu, was a tremendous return of the classic animated sitcom after it wrapped up its initial run in 2010. 

Even before that, the biggest one I would generally think of was the purchase of the majority of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, primarily through Ted Turner’s acquisition of its film and TV library, by Warner Bros. in 1999. Which reminds me: whichever studio purchases Warner Bros., they would also end up with what used to belong to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, too. And not just that, but also Cartoon Network, HBO, DC Studios, etc. 

There has been nothing but controversy and pushback on this deal, particularly regarding its pitfalls. With Paramount, its plan to rearrange Warner Bros.’ library content is considerably drastic and could spell disaster for some of the franchises just getting started, such as James Gunn’s proposed DC Universe. However, if Warner Bros. ends up in the hands of Netflix, it would still operate like normal, except with shorter theatrical windows, which ties back to Netflix’s hesitation to engage in theatrical releases after getting streaming content down to a fine art.

I don’t want to say ‘pick the lesser of two evils’, but if I had to choose, I’d vote for Netflix. For the streaming giant that it became, Netflix is also hailed for its sheer artistic integrity, and should Warner Bros. end up in its possession, everything it brings with it would also have been in good hands, too, especially with the extra funds necessary to provide the extra spit shine to whatever under Warner Bros. would deserve it. Even James Gunn’s proposed DC Universe would have significantly benefitted from Netflix’s creative leadership, considering that the last time Netflix did this, it produced televised superhero gems like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and all of them from Marvel. Chances are, despite the drawbacks that come with the shorter theatrical windows, James Gunn’s DC Universe could benefit the same way.

What I consider even stranger than that is that Warner Bros., a 100-year-old movie studio giant, is about to be owned by a younger streaming giant, rather than a long-standing Hollywood studio operating its own streaming network. But depending on the outcome, I’m hoping for nothing but the best for Warner Bros.’ future and that it finds the right home soon enough.

But now, let’s shift our attention away from the bad or surreal circumstances going on right now and focus on the brighter parts of 2025.

To start, say what you will about Donald Trump’s policies, but the American strikes unleashed on the Iranian nuclear forces, particularly in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, were nicely timed. I consider this a blessing because had we not intervened and stopped the terrorist groups from utilizing their atomic facilities for warfare, it’s possible we would have entered a likely World War III. And it only got better. In the midst of America’s fights with the Middle Eastern terrorist groups, we became successful in rescuing the stranded American soldiers, and they have been safely evacuated and taken back home, safe and sound, to their families.

Again, without veering too deeply into political standpoints, anything that would have guaranteed a safe passage home for America’s bravest fighters and an outreach to prevent the world as we know it from slithering further into worldwide chaos is automatically bound to be evaluated as for the best.

And on a much happier note, what happened earlier this mere month was nothing short of sweet and pretty remarkable.

Born on December 13, 1925, famed actor Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday, especially on live TV. This milestone was even commemorated in the form of a PBS special where Dyke celebrated his birthday with some of his most esteemed colleagues, including Carol Burnett and fellow Mary Poppins co-star Julie Andrews. And judging from his lively energy and relentless spirit, he was a pro at demonstrating that no matter how old you get, you should never stop enjoying yourself or living your life to the fullest. He embodied the notion of staying young despite your age, and his sheer enthusiasm reflects that. He even wrote a book demonstrating the long-term values of this mindset, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.

Happy birthday, Dick Van Dyke, and Happy New Year to you!

And with that said, I wish you all a happy New Year too. With every year that has come and gone, it’s easy to look at the most outrageous events and overlook the good ones. But as long as we take the most prosperous outcomes of this past year to heart, we should all anticipate what joyous moments will surprise us in the new year, too!

Adieu, 2025, and bring it on, 2026!

Works Cited

Baer, R. A. (2025, December 12). PBS honors Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday in new special. Southern Living. https://www.southernliving.com/dick-van-dyke-100-birthday-pbs-american-masters-11868037

Hayes, C. (2025, September 12). Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer arrested after confessing to father. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly7417ge50o

Moore, E., & Pratz, M. (2025, June 22). U.S. strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran, in major regional conflict escalation. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/21/nx-s1-5441127/iran-us-strike-nuclear-trump