NPR

What exactly is a spoiler?

Reviewers and audience members may disagree
Source: Carlos Carmonamedina for NPR Public Editor

While it's common to see a "spoiler alert" warning on top of a review, there's no universal agreement on "spoilers." It's up to every reviewer to determine which details are mere plot points and what is an actual spoiler. Reviewers often get advanced access to movies and TV shows, so they know all the details, compared to the rest of us, who see just the trailers.

When a listener posted on social media about spoilers and the lack of a warning in a recent review of the newest season of on Apple TV+, we got curious. Who decides? Are there standards? In asking

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