Fail Better with David Duchovny

Dr. Jason Giles is an addiction specialist and a helper and friend to many, including me. When the rigors of life in the ER became too much to cope with, Jason turned to the very narcotics he was trained to supply to patients as a trauma anesthesiologist. As his successful life disintegrated, he was forced to face his own doubts and delusions, and his journey through them is what made him who he is today. Now he’s working to help others understand and heal their addictions. Jason and I talk about accepting help, the power of forgiveness, and how closely the definition of insanity can resemble the act of persisting. I’m immensely grateful for Jason’s support over the years, and I’m excited that this week I get to bring his story and wisdom to you.

I’ve known for years that the actor and filmmaker Justine Bateman had prescient thoughts about art and society. But now, we need her (and her complementary background in computer science) more than ever. Far-removed from her teen stardom on Family Ties, Justine and I talk about how artificial intelligence threatens the existence of movies, books, and even our creative souls. I knew there was something to opting for privacy, and it turns out that Justine specifically sees it as a way to protect art as we know it. Plus, we discuss how fickle fame can be and why she finds beauty and practicality in aging naturally.

The X-Files was always about turning something mysterious and untraceable into something known — so what better time to capture the elusive podcast interview on camera? That’s right: Fail Better is now on video, and we’re kicking off this new chapter with the one and only Chris Carter, the creator of The X-Files. And he came prepared, alien embryo and all. There’s so much to discuss about the show, and I even reveal my newfound theory about Mulder’s motivations. We also trace Chris’s labyrinthine career path from surfer to sculptor to writer, and he opens up about the critical response to the reboot — and why no one truly understood the ending, despite him leaving clues in plain sight.

Hey, everyone. Today I wanted to share a special conversation from another Lemonada show: Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso.

For those who aren’t already familiar with this great podcast, the show started all the way back in 2016 and airs every Sunday. The episode you’re about to hear is a recent one. It’s a great talk between Sam and the broadcast legend Ira Glass, from May 2025.

Thirty years. Over 850 episodes. Nine Peabodys. One Pulitzer. And yet somehow, three decades in, This American Life (and its creator, Ira Glass) remains as innovative and timely as ever.

We begin with a week in the life of Ira: a typical Monday at This American Life, the rigorous notes process, and how the team selects the stories it wants to tell that Sunday. Then, we unpack Trump’s ongoing threats to slash government funding for public media, Glass’ formative days as a teenage intern at NPR, and the radio mentors who shaped his ideas around narrative.

On the back-half, we discuss how his taste and talent eventually converged, what makes a good interview, the guest he most identifies with, the episode he’s most proud of, and, naturally, the future of This American Life.

The journalist Maureen Dowd has many notches in her belt, from feats like winning a Pulitzer Prize and writing pivotal profiles on some of the world’s most powerful people. She shone light on Elon Musk before DOGE and Uma Thurman’s emotional struggle with Quentin Tarantino, all of which is captured in her latest book, Notorious. Even for her, though, the process of writing remains fickle. Both Maureen and I want our writing to place readers in conversation with the greats who came before us, and whether we succeed is always up for interpretation. We never stop trying, though — and only occasionally read the comments. We also commune over a shared value of education once Maureen tells me I was the reason she decided to pursue graduate school.