Crystal Bernardo joins the show to take a winding (and very on-brand) journey through mysteries, modern IP, and the career arc of Rian Johnson. From meeting through Titan TV to debating recognizable franchises versus original ideas, the conversation quickly turns into a full-blown exploration of the whodunnit — past, present, and future. We dig into the golden age of mystery stories, detective TV, true crime, and prestige films like Clue, before zeroing in on how Knives Out reinvigorated the genre.

Along the way, we unpack Johnson’s controversial time with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, his creative resurgence, and how Knives Out embodies a modern twist on classic mystery storytelling inspired by Hitchcock’s famous table philosophy. The conversation branches into escapism, mid-budget R-rated hits, all-star casts, the future of movie theaters, and what upcoming films like Wake Up Dead Man signal about audience appetite for smarter, more complex stories. It’s a wide-ranging, passionate discussion about why mysteries endure and why, somehow, Rian Johnson keeps coming back stronger.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

2:50 - Titan TV, Meeting Each Other 

7:11 - Funny Segway, Recognizable IP, and Original Ideas

8:20 - Knives Out 

11:20 - Golden Age of Whodunnit Mysteries

12:51 - Detectives on Television, True Crime

14:25 - Clue (1985), Prestige Mystery Movies 

16:17 - Law and Order and the Many Other Cop Procedurals

21:02 - Recent Mystery Movies and Subversions to the Crime Procedural, Rian Johnson 

23:56 - Dark Knight Rises Tangent 

25:00 - Rian Johnson’s Career

26:17 - Rian Johnson and Star Wars

28:00 - Rian’s Resurgence, Screen Life Movies

30:58 - How Knives Out Subverts the Whodunnit, Hitchcock Table Philosophy, Benoit Blanc

38:55 - Escapism and Current Events

41:43 - Mid-Budget R-Rated Hits

43:44 - All-Star Casting

46:03 - The War With Grandpa 

49:07 - 2025 Movies

49:27 - Final Destination 

51:29 - Future of Movie Theaters 

52:26 - Wake Up, Dead Man, Complexity in Storytelling 

56:43 - Knives Out 4 Idea

57:54 - Rian and Joseph

58:47 - Crystal’s Plug and Outro