Editor’s note: We didn’t dedicate a section of the episode to discussing this, but we wanted to express our continuing sadness at the recent passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman. A talent as piercing as his brings characters to life in a way that made us at times uncomfortable, at times sympathetic, but always admiring of the person who so fully embodied the words on the page. We saw ourselves in his insecurity, we raged with him at the injustices he suffered, and we worried that there might be more of ourselves in him than we’d like.

Along the way, many of us became transfixed by his performances and failed to note the very real problems that the very real Philip did not hide from the public. We were surprised to learn (or relearn) that he had a long history with a variety of drugs and were shocked when the disease overtook him. In the wake of the tragedy, many of us felt a loss deeper than we’d felt before at the news of a celebrity’s death, sudden or not. Perhaps we all feared vicariously for ourselves one last time. The brightest flames leave us the coldest when extinguished.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out for help. You’re not alone.

The show...must go on.

You thought we were done for good that time, didn’t you? Nope; we just like to keep our fans on their toes. You lose hope in us, you lose a little more hope, then...bam! A new episode—just when you least expect it. Yeah, we’re pretty much the ninjas of unreliable new media distribution.

Anyway, this episode is all about the past year in media, except for the part that’s about the coming year in media. Since the Screeners all have long lists of favorites and least favorites to discuss/argue, we won’t spoil the fun here by summarizing everything in agonizing bulleted list fashion. OK, maybe just one bulleted list:

• Melody should maybe let herself be OK with having a little fun.

• Josh should read a book once in awhile (we’ve given up on Chris, but there’s still hope for Josh).

• Chris hearts explosions.

• Chad might spend more time consuming media than talking to other human people. Not that that’s a bad thing.

The end. Let’s get straight to the fun! Next time on the Screeners:  Maybe some Oscars, maybe some Legos...maybe a little bit of both.