Growing Up Skywalker

In the Rebels Season 2 finale, the Force users of the Rebels crew head to Malachor to find answers. However, between a new Inquisitor, MAUL, DARTH VADER, and a ton of lightsaber fighting, things get pretty scary this week too! But whose twilight is this? Depa Billaba’s apprentice, recently blinded? Palpatine’s apprentice, shaken in faith? Kanan Jarrus’ (and possibly Maul’s apprentice) taking steps...

There’s only one crew member of the Ghost who hasn’t fulfilled their Season 2 recruitment goals, and it’s Chopper. Fortunately, he fills his quota this week—so let’s give a warm leg of applause to the newest Spectre recruit, AP-5! “The Forgotten Droid” (Rebels S2, Ep. 19) shows the bravery and honor of droids and how metallic brethren become friends. With a bench full of recruits and a safe base a...

Dive out of your escape pod and into an enemies-to-lovers DREAM. “The Honorable Ones” (Rebels S2, Ep. 17) strands Zeb and Agent Kellus on a dangerous moon. And there’s only one heating cube. ;) Our discussion centers on whether or not there’s space in literature for males to have intimate friendships without intimacy, and the dual theories on whether Kallezub is canon. We’ll see if there’s a conti...

Avast, ye scurvy spacelubbers, join us on our Moby Dick-themed Rebels tour! We start—well, we actually started our discussion this week with “Homecoming” (Rebels S2 Ep. 15), but bear with us, because we also recapped “The Call” (Rebels S2, Ep. 14). Our discussion there centered on the confluence of nature, science, technology, and magic, all of which intertwine with Ezra’s growth as a Force user a...

In our two backstory episodes this week, we gain allies, freedom from self-recrimination, and some of the best music Rebels has to offer. Hop in, we’re going on a field trip! “The Protector of Concord Dawn” (Rebels S2, Ep. 13) asks the Rebels to decide whether to show force or try diplomacy to win new allies against the Empire. Unfortunately, they’re both dangerous games, and Kanan and Sabine have...

“Legacy” and “A Princess on Lothal” (Rebels S2, Ep. 11–12) dive deep into why and how the Force calls—and how it moves the universe. It also introduces us to sassy, 16-year-old Leia Organa on her very first mission. Cue absolute delight. We centered this week’s discussion on heritage, both Ezra’s and Leia’s, and the gifts they’ve gotten from their families. We also call back to the many ties that...

“Stealth Strike” (Rebels S2, Ep. 9) starts out all fun and games. Then it continues to be fun and games. Then, in “The Future of the Force” (Ep. 10) Ahsoka comes down on the Inquisitorius like an avenging angel and WE. ARE. HERE FOR IT! In our discussion, we dive deep into the gravity well technology of Interdictor-class Star Destroyers. We talk about how these episodes are remixes of classic Clon...

Come fly with us! This week offers inspiring examples of womanhood as well as good old-fashioned vroom vroom/pew pew space action. In our recap of “Wings of the Master” and “Blood Sisters” (Rebels S2, Ep. 7–8), we soar through the misty spires of Shantipole to watch Hera prove that she's not just a pilot, she's the pilot. Then, Sabine’s past bites back in the form of legendary Black Sun bo...

This week takes us on a wild ride from “too spooky” to “too goofy.”  In our recap of “Always Two There Are” and “Brothers of the Broken Horn” (Rebels S2, Ep. 5–6), we crawl through an abandoned medical station that almost certainly isn’t infested with brainworms, but IS infested with Inquisitors! But as a palate cleanser, crazy drunk uncle Hondo Ohnaka shows up with a plan that will certainly pay...

Calling the “crying over clones” club! This week, we reunite with our old (and we do mean old) faves: Grandpa Rex, Grandpa Wolffe, and crazy Uncle Gregor. And boy do they still got it. In our recap of “The Lost Commanders” and “Relics of the Old Republic,” (Rebels S2, Ep. 3–4) we talk through the decade since we last saw Rex and pick through major themes of this arc: betrayal, trust, and what it t...

With the Empire reeling from the uprisings on Ferrix and Lothal, things are looking bright for the Rebellion. Then Darth Vader shows up. In “The Siege of Lothal,” (Rebels S2 Ep. 1), Darth Vader all but rubs his hands together and cackles gleefully as he squeezes the life out of the Rebels, one A-wing at a time. Fortunately, the Spectres are made of sterner stuff. Our recap centers on the DRAMATIC...

What game is this? No game—just the beginning of the fight of the Rebels’ lives. The Rebellion is about to take a new shape so it can take on the Empire at large. In our recap of the Andor Season 1 finale, we dive deep into the many meanings of Andor’s ending, and what it signifies for Luthen, for the Empire, and for the Rebellion. (We also discuss if it was an effective ending for all fans, or ju...

This week, we recap “Daughter of Ferrix” (Andor S1, Ep. 11), where each character is looking down the barrel of a loaded gun and wondering what they’ll decide. Will Cass return to Ferrix, or warn the galaxy about Narkina 5? Will Bix give up her final secret to the Empire? Will Maarva live up to her promise to join the Rebellion (from beyond the grave)? In our recap, we talk about how to link up wi...

The only way out is through. Our recap of “One Way Out” (Andor S1, Ep. 10) takes us through a discussion of Andor’s chain-linked, escalating structure. We talk about freedom, prison, sacrifice, and the mental calculus of ethics. We also ask who Andor wants us to see as a hero—and who is a hero behind the curtain. Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon...

Such a jaunty title for such a dark episode. “Nobody’s Listening!” (Andor S1, Ep. 9) is a meditation on suffering, and power, and and breaking points. Fortunately, we do get to lighten up the conversation by talking about not one, but TWO toxic crushes (sorry Vel, Cinta may not be the one???) (also sorry not sorry that Deedra Meero had to fend off romantic overtures at work, she deserved it). In o...

Welcome to the darkest timeline. “Narkina 5” (Andor S1, Ep. 8) throws Cassian Andor by the scruff of his neck into the prison-industrial complex. And given how the surveillance state is working for the Empire so far, the rest of the galaxy doesn’t seem to be far behind. In our recap, we talk about Cassian’s Hero’s Journey, what Saw Gerrera really wants, what drives Dedra Meero, and how Andor is a...

The Rebellion has made its announcement: It’s in this fight for real. In response, the Empire made several terrible announcements back. Welcome to a totalitarian galaxy. This week, our recap of “Announcement” (Andor S1, Ep. 7) focuses on the rapid slide of the Empire from an authoritarian state to totalitarianism—and why Luthen is intentionally pushing it that direction even faster. We also dive d...

The train heist in Solo walked so the Aldhani heist in Andor could run. And that just scratches the surface of why “The Eye” (Andor S1, Ep. 6) is phenomenal television. In our recap, we talk about the aftermath of the grand plan to secure $80 million credits for the Rebellion. We discuss the Empire and its gleeful colonization, military spending siphoning away funding for medical science, Cassian’...

Andor is a show that loves grassroots revolution. And we love that for Andor. “The Axe Forgets” takes us deep into the psyches of the people choosing to rebel against the Empire. We have Skeen, from whom the Empire took a childhood (and a brother). And we have Nemik, a true, hotblooded philosopher-rebel. And we have Lieutenant Gorn, who lost his love to Imperial control—and, of course, Cassian, wh...

“Aldhani” (Andor S1, Ep. 4) is an episode cut with surgical precision.  The four looping subplots of Aldhani draw us through one of the most beautiful and intricate Star Wars episodes we’ve ever seen. The dialogue? Perfection. The scenery? Flawless. The depths of Star Wars lore plumbed? Fathomless. We are BIG FANS. In our recap, we talk about the 10,000 Easter eggs and pieces of trivia saturating...

This is what a reckoning sounds like.  In this week’s episode, we recap “Reckoning” (Andor S1, Ep. 2). Cassian and Luthen heist their way through Ferrix, Syril Karn cements his status as a wet noodle, and Space Timm receives his comeuppance for being a snitch—plus, after tying up the Kenari plotline, we’re ready to hurtle into the unknown. We talk about Andor’s stance on police brutality, religion...

Star Wars goes domestic in “That Would Be Me,” the second episode of Andor. (Incidentally, so did we: The Growing Up Skywalker team is officially getting married!) “That Would Be Me” gives us sneak peeks into what life is like for regular people on Ferrix. We see booty calls, money problems, crappy work schedules, and messy houses. It’s a big vibe shift and a perfect contrast to the deeply unsettl...

Welcome to a new side of the galaxy—a very dark one. The Season 1 premiere of Andor (“Kassa”) is the grittiest Star Wars we’ve seen so far. Planets are ruled by corporations, sentient beings are for sale on the street, and people are just eking out a living however they can. Also, everyone in the show is already 100% fed up with Cassian Andor, which is…pretty great. In our recap, we talk about Cas...

The Spectres are out of the frying pan and into the fire—a fire that’s spreading across the galaxy. Our recap of the Rebels Season 1 finale centers on metamorphosis, rebellion, how a Padawan becomes a Jedi Knight, Kanan’s incredible dad energy, and what it will take for a galaxy to rise up against the Empire. We also cover the breadcrumb trail that leads to Fulcrum’s identity, and our thoughts on...

Calling all Tarkin stans—Rebels S1 is the man’s time to shine. This week, we covered the two episodes leading up to the Season 1 finale: “Call to Action” and “Rebel Resolve” (episodes 13–14). And Grand Moff Tarkin is displeased with EVERYBODY’S job performance. In our recap, we cover Tarkin’s job description, the strategic importance of the Outer Rim using a pizza analogy, and everything we know a...