Growing Up Skywalker

It doesn’t get more packed than this plot-filled sandwich. The Mandalorian’s nineteenth chapter, “The Convert,” takes us through two action-packed plotlines: Bo-Katan and Din Djarin’s acceptance into the Children of the Watch, and Dr. Pershing’s struggle to assimilate into the New Republic. We dive DEEP into World War Two-era denazification programs as we parse Dr. Pershing’s journey, asking how t...

How scary could the troglodyte-indested mines underneath a thoroughly bombed wasteland planet really be? With a lot of “But wait, there's more” energy, this week’s episode, “The Mines of Mandalore” (Season 3, Chapter 18) brings the action! Our conversation dives into the multiple massive lore dumps we receive, and how they open new questions into Bo-Katan’s motivations, what it means to be a M...

New quests, who dis?  The Mandalorian’s third series opens with a tempting array of side quests: Spelunking into the Mines of Mandalore, rebuilding IG-11, rejoining the Children of the Watch, and actively parenting Grogu. What will Mando choose? In our recap of The Mandalorian’s Season 3 premiere, “The Apostate,” we talk through Nevarro’s glow-up, the Mandalorian covert’s new digs, and Bo-Katan’s...

The Book of Boba Fett finishes with a bang (and a whimper, if your name is Cad Bane). In our recap of the series finale, we discuss Boba Fett’s big Mandalorian energy and how he has truly been reborn a Tusken. We talk about war—and what comes next—and chart out the possible ramifications of Grogu’s choice. The vibes? Hopeful. The aesthetics? Impeccable. This is a stellar way to close out a show. N...

Spaghetti Western truly meets space opera in The Book of Boba Fett’s “From The Desert Comes a Stranger” (Season 1, Episode 6). This week, we dive deep into Luke Skywalker’s attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order and the Pyke Syndicate’s attempt to bring about a swift victory in their war on Tatooine. We think about Cad Bane’s reasons for buying in with the Pykes, Mando’s decision to leave the Child whe...

Is this Book of Boba Fett episode…also the best episode of The Mandalorian?? In “The Return of the Mandalorian” (Season 1, Episode 5), we get exactly zero Boba Fett—which is a surprisingly low number, given the whole clone thing, but we digress. We do, however, revel in Din Djarin’s return to the small screen, Peli Moto’s utter hamminess, and the deep lore of the Children of the Watch. This episod...

As The Book of Boba Fett hits its midpoint in “The Gathering Storm” (Season 1, Episode 4), we take a critical look at its structure and debate whether this story would have been stronger told chronologically.  We also sing the praises of its practical effects, talk through body modification culture in Star Wars, and discuss the horrifying effectiveness of Fennec Shand.  New to Growing Up Skywalker...

How about that speeder chase? If you’re all about vengeance, style, and speeder scooter gangs, "The Streets of Most Espa" is the episode for you. The Book of Boba Fett’s third episode takes on the fun topics of colonization, organized crime, and violence—and makes them thrilling, stylish, harrowing, and even somewhat silly. In our deep dive, we cover the post-World War II mod culture of...

Is “The Tribes of Tatooine” the best live-action Star Wars episode yet? If not—it’s pretty dang close. The Book of Boba Fett’s second episode delivers a transcendent work of art that dives into the colonization of the Tusken people, ritual and rebirth, and the optics of power in Mos Espa and across the Dune Sea. In our deep dive, we parse the language of power spoken by the Hutts, the Pykes, and B...

The comic book vibes are strong with this one. Watching in chronological order (like we do), The Mandalorian’s Season 2 finale leads straight into The Book of Boba Fett’s premiere, “Stranger in a Strange Land.” It’s not as pulpy or epic as Robert Rodriguez’s previous Boba Fett-centric episode (“The Tragedy”), but some shots—like Boba Fett’s fist punching through the sands of Tatooine—are straight...

The Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian (Chapter 16, “The Rescue”) sweeps to a stunning conclusion. Prepare to weep. This week, we celebrate THAT cameo—and the way this episode works for both new and veteran fans. We sing praises to the all-gal attack squadron that takes Moff Gideon’s light cruiser, discuss Imperial calcification in the wake of the Death Star(s) being destroyed, and look forward to...

What line would you cross, and why? In this week’s episode, “The Believer” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 15), we go deep into that question—plumbing the depths of honor, extremism, and vengeance. Like a Clone Wars or Rebels episode brought to life, this episode is an utter treat and absolutely kicked up a notch in preparation for the finale. “Pulpy” and “iconic” are words that come to mind as Mando ge...

The tragedies of “The Tragedy” (The Mandalorian Chapter 14) are as follows: The Child is stolen. The Razor Crest is disintegrated. Boba Fett only gets to shatter the helmets of, like, 15 Stormtroopers, when we could watch it all day. This week, we’re covering themes of honor, promises, life debts, and what we owe each other. We also talk about cool Force hotspots/seeing stones, and the tension bet...

The Mandalorian’s thirteenth chapter, “The Jedi,” picks up Morgan Elsbeth’s story right where it left off in Tales of the Empire. Ahsoka’s tale, though, is another story. This week, we rehash the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff of Ahsoka’s journey, and discover just how alone she’s been since The Clone Wars. We sing Rosario Dawson’s praises, develop a hearty suspicion that Grand Admiral Thrawn and...

In “Tales of the Empire: Morgan’s Tale,” we wind through the paths of fear, anger, and finally hatred to tell a tale of witches, genocide, ambition, and revenge. But we definitely haven’t reached the end of the path yet, because Moran Elsbeth’s great destiny is still definitely a mystery??? We thread our discussion of “The Path of Fear,” “The Path of Anger,” and “The Path of Hate” with analysis of...

Is it a siege, or more of an infiltration? Regardless, The Mandalorian’s Chapter 12, “The Siege,” brings us back to Nevarro—and a plotline we thought we’d seen the end of. This week, we’re diving back into Project Necromancer and all of its implications. We talk through the twin difficulties of transferring both consciousness and Force affinity, question who is directing Dr. Pershing’s efforts, an...

We met the Marshall, we escorted the Passenger, and now we’re encountering…the Heiress. (It’s Bo-Katan, baybee!) In this week’s episode, we tell the entire bloody tale of Mandalorian history: Tracing the Darksaber’s path through Mandalorian society, tracing Bo-Katan’s journey from radical to royal, and asking how Din Djarin ended up in a religious extremist splinter cell. We also dig into the (ala...

Anna’s been dreading having to recap this episode for 4 ½ years. But it turns out it actually has some lovely themes of parenthood and what we’ll do for love?? In our recap of “The Passenger” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 10) we watch as Mando walks ten thousand miles in the desert heat and wades through at least one million ice spiders—and has to learn that real parents maybe, possibly, generally try...

With twists, turns, and one of the largest monsters ever seen in Star Wars, The Mandalorian’s second season starts with a cannonball. In our recap of Chapter 9, “The Marshal,” we gather a basket full of Easter eggs—and identify how they serve the plot, not just the vibes, of this dragon versus cowboys mashup. We weigh the influence of both Camelot-era fantasy and spaghetti Westerns, discuss percep...

If you could live, but only without your heart’s desire, would you still choose life? Asajj does in “Tales of the Underworld,” and the shroud of her love affair with Quinlan Vos from Dark Disciple (2015) hangs heavy over her tale. But it’s also full of surprising tenderness, self-determination, and a willingness to start new. More than any of the Tales, Asajj’s story feels like a fully realized wo...

Cad Bane is bound to a life of blood and money. (And blood money.) Will it be his only legacy? Deeply out of chronological order, we’re venturing five or six decades before the Battle of Yavin to watch Cad Bane grow up in “Tale of the Underworld.” We examine how, and why, Star Wars chose to tell a police drama, a spaghetti Western, and a Mafia crime ascendancy in the same story. We parse the fanta...

It’s the end of an era. And so many lives. This week, we trace the ways that Andor knits itself together into the wider tapestry of Star Wars, specifically by tying itself to Rogue One. We question whether the Rebels’ sacrifices are cheapened by Luke Skywalker’s heroism in Episode IV, define heroism through two key characters—Bix and Nemik—and investigate the reasons why Rebel High Command…is like...

We feel pretty confident that most sane Andor viewers skipped right from “Who Else Knows?” (S2, E11) into the finale. Turns out, there’s still a LOT to discuss in the penultimate episode of Andor ever. We spent significant time this week digging into ISB hierarchies, and how the rise and fall of ambitious Imperials has hollowed out the Empire’s institutions. We dissect ISB politics and competency...

And the death count grows. This week, in “Make It Stop” (Andor S2 E10), everyone is either leveling up, going rogue—or shuffling off this mortal coil. As we get booted another year forward in time, we talk through Lonni’s growth into a true spymaster and Dedra’s grief curdling even deeper into fanaticism. Then, looking deeper into the past, we examine Luthen and Kleya’s father/daughter relationshi...

Two ferocious monologues close the penultimate chapter of Andor, “Welcome to the Rebellion” (Andor S2 E9). To do a proper recap of this week’s episode, we also rewatched Rebel’s “Secret Cargo” (S3 E18), showing the conclusion to Mon’s journey to unite the Rebellion. We talk through Senate corruption, Luthen’s role—or lack thereof—in the Rebellion proper, and just how many conspirators it took to d...