Friends of the Force: A Star Wars Podcast

Brad and Sarah react to the series premiere of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, titled "Aftermath" — directed by Steward Lee, Saul Ruiz, & Nathaniel Villanueva and written by Jennifer Corbett & Dave Filoni. We discuss our favorite members of the Bad Batch, why we love Omega, and much more!  Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in fandom through collaborative in-de...

Bright suns, traveler! This week, author Amy Ratcliffe ( @amy_geek ) joins the podcast to discuss her latest book "The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," which gives readers an inside look at the largest single-themed land expansion in Disney Parks history. We discuss her personal experiences at Black Spire Outpost, what it was like to work alongside Imagineers and Lucasfilm creatives, and much mor...

Brad and Sarah celebrate May the 4th in this special episode by discussing their 10 favorite Star Wars memories from the last year! Plus, we hear from our listeners who shared what has brought them the most joy during a very tough year.  As part of our second-annual Friends of the Fourth content drop, check out our interview with author Amy Ratcliffe, our recap of the Bad Batch series premier...

In preparation for the 93rd Academy Awards, Brad and Sarah examine how the Star Wars franchise has performed at previous Oscar ceremonies dating back to 1978, when ' Star Wars ' took home seven Oscar wins, including Best Original Score and Film Editing. We then try to understand why the franchise hasn't won an Academy Award since 1981. Plus, we host the first-ever Golden Gorg Awards, in which we n...

Brad and Sarah discuss "Caravan of Courage" and "Ewoks: Battle for Endor" after watching both films for the first time! It's time to hop in the Friends of the Force starcruiser and travel to the forest moon of Endor. Join us as we uncover how these films were made, how they explored the fantastical side of Star Wars, and why they still hold up today. Plus, we react to the latest High Republic news...

Brad and Sarah revisit the Emmy award-winning 2003 Clone Wars micro-series from Genndy Tartakovsky after its recent debut on Disney Plus. They discuss the importance of how it bridged Episodes II and III, how it kicked off a new era in Star Wars animation, the introduction of fan-favorites such as Grievous and Ventress, and much more (24:02) . Plus, beard watch continues on the Kenobi series and f...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of THX 1138 , George Lucas's feature-film debut, Brad and Sarah watched it for the very first time! They discuss the concept of freedom in a dystopian society as well as the connections between THX and Star Wars (36:02) . Plus, their reactions to the latest news from Lucasfilm, including the Obi-Wan cast, the Bad Batch trailer, and more books! (02:37)  " Frei...

Avengers... ASSEMBLE! This week, we try something different with an exploration of WandaVision within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brad is joined by Alex, Regina, and Swara to discuss their personal histories with the superhero genre, how Wanda's grief was portrayed, and what's next for Phase 4 with characters like Monica Rambeau, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and many more. Plus, what can St...

Fan-favorite Star Wars author Claudia Gray joins Brad and Sarah following the release of her latest young adult novel, " Into the Dark ," which has become a New York Times Bestseller as part of the High Republic initiative. They discuss the Jedi Order's integrity, balancing the Force, Geode the wild man (well... rock), & much more!  Claudia's links: http://www.claudiagray.com/ , https://t...

**Spoiler Warning for Victory's Price**  Longtime Star Wars author Alexander Freed joins Brad and Sarah to reflect on the conclusion of his Alphabet Squadron trilogy, which was taken over the hearts and minds of readers the last two years. They discuss the roadmap that led to "Victory's Price," tackle philosophical themes of justice and atonement, and much more! "Victory's Price" from Del Rey...

Brad and Sarah say goodbye to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy with "Victory's Price" by Alexander Freed. They discuss why Freed is one of the strongest authors in Star Wars publishing as well as themes of atonement, justice, and forgiveness in a post-war galaxy. What exactly is the price of victory and who carries it? Tune in to find out! Spoiler Section (18:52). "Victory's Price" from Del Rey Publi...

Writer Amy Richau ( @amyrichau ) returns to the podcast to discuss her very first book in a galaxy far, far away, "Star Wars: I Love You. I Know: Lessons in Love & Friendship" (DK Publishing). We discuss the important takeaways from this book—including love, redemption, and second chances—and how they better help us understand our own lives and the Star Wars universe. You can purchase Amy's bo...

Brad and Sarah close out this first month of the High Republic by discussing "Into the Dark" by Claudia Gray. They take an in-depth look at the dissection of the Force, indentured servitude in the Star Wars universe, living outside the confines of the Jedi Order, and much more. Non-Spoiler Review (18:50). Spoiler Section (33:58). Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in...

Brad and Sarah continue their High Republic journey by diving into "A Test of Courage" by Justina Ireland. They discuss what it means to be courageous, why this small cast of characters complement each other perfectly while still providing tension, and who experienced the most trying test of courage. Nothing is off the table in Star Wars's latest middle-grade novel, which deals with leadership, in...

We kick off 2021 with a spoiler discussion on the long-awaited "Star Wars: Light of the Jedi" by Charles Soule. This is one of the first books to kick off the High Republic era, and we're *so* excited to finally chat about why we love it! We start with our spoiler-free review of Del Rey's latest novel before taking an in-depth look at all aspects of this book, including the Republic's vision of un...

In our final episode of 2020, we take our first steps into a larger Star Wars galaxy as we preview the High Republic era before its launch on January 5. Alex and Shannon from Lipstick and Lightsabers join Brad and Sarah to lay the groundwork for this new time period, recap the latest samplers, and rank our top five books from the last five years across Lucasfilm Publishing.  Lipstick & Li...

Brad and Tori discuss the season two finale of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 16: The Rescue" — by Peyton Reed and written by Jon Favreau.  Trans Rights Are Human Rights (This Is The Way): https://www.gofundme.com/f/trans-rights-are-human-rights-this-is-the-way Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in fandom through collaborative in-depth discussions and interviews. New...

Brad and Sarah look back at "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" to celebrate its recent anniversary. We discuss the transformation of Rogue One's vision throughout its early development and late production, the moments we find most beautiful, and the core message that anyone can be a hero and inspire hope within the galaxy. Plus, we hear from our listeners who sent in their own submissions! Friends of...

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ( @bitterasiandude ) joins the podcast to discuss his time playing X-Wing pilot Carson Teva on season two of The Mandalorian . We learn about Paul's first days on set (including when he tried on the screen-used Biggs Darklighter helmet), acting inside the Volume, how geekdom has influenced his life, the importance of representation in the Star Wars universe, and much more....

Brad and Tori discuss the latest episode of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 15: The Believer" — written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa. Trans Rights Are Human Rights (This Is The Way): https://www.gofundme.com/f/trans-rights-are-human-rights-this-is-the-way Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in fandom through collaborative in-depth discussions and interviews. New episode eve...

Brad and Sarah discuss the newest Lucasfilm projects that were announced during Disney Investor Day 2020, including Rogue Squadron, The Acolyte, Hayden Christensen returning as Darth Vader, and much more! Anyone else crying? We thought so. Plus, what does this mean for our streaming habits as well as the future of the Star Wars franchise? (19:34) - Star Wars News  Future Lucasfilm Projects Re...

Brad and Tori discuss the latest episode of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" — directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Jon Favreau. Trans Rights Are Human Rights (This Is The Way): https://www.gofundme.com/f/trans-rights-are-human-rights-this-is-the-way Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in fandom through collaborative in-depth discussions and interviews...

On today's episode, we're joined by Star Wars author Lilliam Rivera ( @lilliamr ), whose short story BEYOND THE CLOUDS appears in "From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back." We discuss why you should never meet your heroes, a social revolution among the working class of Cloud City, and why Rogue One is one of Lilliam's favorite films in the franchise. Lilliam&#39...

Brad and Tori discuss the latest episode of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 13: The Jedi" — written and directed by Dave Filoni.  Trans Rights Are Human Rights (This Is The Way): https://www.gofundme.com/f/trans-rights-are-human-rights-this-is-the-way Friends of the Force is a Star Wars podcast aimed at finding joy in fandom through collaborative in-depth discussions and interviews. New episode eve...

Congratulations! You've made it to the homestretch of our three-part discussion on "From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back." To close out this anthology, Brandon Wainerdi from Talking Bay 94 (@TalkingBay94) helps us sift through Chapters 28 - 40. We hope you packed a blaster and fixed your hyperdrive because it's time to escape the Imperial occupation of Cloud City!  "From a Ce...