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Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting. And today is a very special episode of our show. It's time for the annual Can't Let It Go Extravaganza or Can't Let It Go Paloza. I don't know. We're still workshopping a title. But we are going to look back on the things from 2025 that we cannot stop thinking about politics or otherwise. And to kick us off, my friends and colleagues, Ashley Lopez-Lopez and Dipa Shivromer here. Hi, guys. Hey, hello. So I am going to throw it to you, Ashley. Let's start off the, I think I'm going with Can't Let It Go a Palooza. I think that's the title. That's their working title. So what can't you let go of this

year? All right. So what I couldn't let go of this year is a TV show I watched. I estimate about

15 times. That is like a real like you're holding on. I watched Andor over and over again this year.

I've like Star Wars is a big thing in my family.

And the thing about Star Wars as an adult is, like, you have to, like, you know, put up with a lot of cringe, a lot of bad writing. Char Jar Jar Binks. Like, it really, like, just has to test your patience a lot. I stand Jar Jar Jar. Yeah, not me. Not me. This is like one of my all-time rants is how much I hate that character.

But anyways. a lot. I stand jar jar. Yeah, not me. Not me. This is like one of my all-time rants is how much I hate that character.

But anyways.

But Andor was like a gift to people who like Star Wars and are an adult.

And also ran into politics because it was like a meditation on fascism in a way that I did not expect when this first came out. The last season came out earlier this year. I've had some time with it. And I've just like, I'm back and back. And I just like, I cannot believe how much I hyperfixited on the show. But it is so good. I mean, if someone still has not watched this show, I would say, give it a try, even if you don't like Star Wars. But yeah, I just could not stop watching it. I feel like it's a sign like your subconscious wants to do politics

still, Ashley, but you need to shroud it in fun. Like you're not going to go and binge like

rewatch the West Wing or something. But you're like, if it's kind of Star Wars-ish, I still, exactly.

Yeah, yeah. It's like a fantasy, a different like universe. But you're like, if it's kind of Star Wars-ish, I still, exactly. Yeah, yeah, it's like a fantasy, a different, like, universe. But you know what? There's still fascism. So, like, I can somehow still get into it. It's so weird for me. That's such a good tip, Ashley, because despite our differences about our feelings on Jarger Binks, I, too am a huge Star Wars fan, really big in my family, and I haven't seen Andor yet. Oh, you are in for a treat. It's written by Tony Gilroy, which is like, he's an award-winning, like, playwright and screenwriter. It's so good. I cannot say this enough. I've heard it's great, but I will say, like, I've become a little bit intimidated by, like, all of these franchises. Like, I kind of stop. I feel like I watched, I think I've seen most of the Star Wars movies, not maybe not all the spinoffs, but like definitely all of the main ones, but I haven't, like, followed all of the different franchises on Disney Plus and stuff like that. And so when I heard people like raving about Andor, I think I was a little scared that like, am I going to, it's going to be one of those situations. I feel like if you try to watch a Marvel movie now, it's just references to the last seven Marvel movies. And you actually, it's really hard to figure out what's going on if you don't remember what the like secret stone of whatever is and how Captain America got it or something. I think I was scared that the Star Wars thing would be the same thing, but it sounds like... No, there stands alone. Yeah. And it's also a prequel of a prequel. Like, you could watch this and nothing else in Star Wars and be fine. Yeah. Yeah. Deepa, what can't you let go of this year? I really genuinely believe in my heart of hearts that like 25 years from now, if you were like,

what is the thing you look back on for 2025?

I will tell you about the drunk raccoon in the liquor store in Virginia.

In my soul, I think this is a very fundamental part of my year.

I just feel like this year was very long and very hard.

And I'm excited for things that bring me joy. And it is the drunk raccoon who, well, the regular raccoon who broke into a liquor store in Virginia and then subsequently became a drunk raccoon.

But the best part about this is that I checked up on said raccoon.

And it turns out that he's now a suspect for another break-in into a karate studio.

So he's really on a rampage and apparently has now been nicknamed the Trashed Panda.

And I love him. I think that he's the best mascot for this year for reasons I can't really state right now, but it just feels,

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