Hoth Takes: A Star Wars Podcast

Recent news reports about Jon Watts directing the first movie in a new Skywalker saga trilogy have us thinking…do we really need more movies about this family? Eric, Grace, and Haley have strong feelings about this development — and blunt advice for Disney about how not to mess it up. Has Disney learned from its past mistakes? Will John Boyega come back? And what’s the best way to tell a fresh sto...

Remember Ahsoka ? The teaser trailer for season 2 debuted in August, giving us new glimpses at Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and other heroes and villains. But in the show headed in the right direction? In this episode, Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Haley to break down the trailer and predict where things are headed. We discuss what we expect Anakin’s role to be, how we’re fee...

Villains play a vital role in Star Wars , but we don’t often see stories from a villain’s perspective. On the heels of the recent animated series Maul – Shadow Lord, Eric and Grace explore what villain-centric stories add to Star Wars and what separates good villains from bad ones. Why did Syril Karn succeed while Kylo Ren failed? What are the key differences between Maul and his former master, Da...

Star Wars fans love to debate whether controversial characters are sorely misunderstood or rightfully condemned, and we at Hoth Takes are not immune to that temptation. In this episode, Eric and Grace each present a character they think deserves to be reconsidered. Our conversation delves into Star Wars ’s trickiest moral and metaphysical issues — light and dark, fate and free will, emotion and lo...

Star Wars is back on the big screen for the first time since 2019. But is Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu any good? Eric, Grace, and Haley saw it together on opening weekend and then recorded this discussion minutes after the credits rolled. It’s safe to say we’re still stunned by what we just saw. As we process our thoughts, Eric praises an emotional storyline, Grace critiques the fight s...

We’re bringing you something a little different this time. In our first-ever Star Wars quiz show, Eric, Grace, and Haley take turns quizzing each other on topics of their choice, with questions range from mainstream to incredibly obscure. The competition is intense, expectations are upended, and along the way, we all learn useful information about tasty desert creatures, misleadingly named beverag...

For all the attention that the Star Wars movies and TV shows get, one of the biggest ways that people engage with the saga on a daily basis is through video games. Hoth Takes isn’t exactly known for our obsession with that corner of the Star Wars franchise, but that doesn’t mean we don’t respect it — or occasionally partake in it. In this episode, Eric, Haley, and Haley’s friend Chris Estep discus...

Kathleen Kennedy has left Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan are now co-running the company. What does that mean for the future of Star Wars ? In this episode, Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Grace to discuss Kennedy’s legacy, Filoni’s creative style, and how the new leadership arrangement will actually work. Plus: We speculate about the future of artificial intelligence in Star Wars storytelli...

The start of 2026 means we’re only a few months away from the first Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker . And speaking of the final film in the sequel trilogy, we thought it would be a good time to look back at the original plan for Episode IX: Colin Trevorrow’s “Duel of the Fates” script. In this episode, Haley’s friend Jack Merritt joins us to discuss the highs and lows of Trevorrow’s st...

Between Andor and the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Star Wars is currently leaning into stories about the “regular” people of the galaxy. But what about the Jedi and the Sith, the people at the core of the Skywalker saga that started it all? In this episode, Wired ’s Lily Hay Newman joins Eric and Haley to discuss the Jedi and the Sith stories we want to see, the challenges of superhero pr...

The teaser trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu makes it pretty clear that the first Star Wars movie in seven years will be a popcorn flick for Baby Yoda fans of all ages. But how much will hardcore fans get out of the film? Will it meaningfully expand the universe or shed light on the state of the galaxy? And if not, is that even a bad thing? Politico’s Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Haley to analy...

With few Star Wars film or television projects on the horizon, it’s time to think about how we would fill the void if we were in charge. In this episode: three pitches for revitalizing the Star Wars franchise on the big and small screens. Eric offers a redemption story for an Andor villain, Haley proposes a subversive culinary journey, and Grace imagines a better sequel trilogy. Our ideas lead to...

Star Wars is in a strange place right now. Many movies have been abandoned, several TV shows have ended or been canceled, and it’s unclear how the projects on the horizon will mesh together. By all accounts, Lucasfilm doesn’t have an overarching vision for the franchise. But does it need one? In this episode, Eric’s old friend Justin Bolger joins him and Grace to discuss the direction of the Star...

Strong women have been part of the Star Wars saga from the very beginning, but the franchise has often struggled with how it portrays them. In this episode, we compare and critique how storytellers have written Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Rey No Surname, and other female characters; share our disappointments about these and other women’s narrative arcs; and explore how the franchise h...

Andor season 2 is over, and we have strong feelings about it! Join us as we debate and disagree about Cassian’s destiny, Bix’s trauma, Luthen’s amorality, and Mon’s eye-opening escape, plus two other, very different relationships. Andor raised important questions about the balance between idealism and pragmatism in a rebellion, but how well did it address this tension? Did the second season get to...

With the premiere of Andor season 2 just a few days away, we’re sharing our hopes and predictions for the long-awaited return of Cassian Andor and company. We discuss the show’s increasing political relevance, its unconventional release schedule, and our excitement about everything from Rebellion tensions to weird aliens and cool food. We also talk about whether Andor should stay away from the For...

Inspired by one of our favorite TV shows, we’re diving into the world of alternate universes and unexplored possibilities. Eric and Grace each pitch several ideas for “what if?” storylines that explore Star Wars ’s most tantalizing roads not taken. From the end of the Clone Wars to the Sequel Trilogy, these alternate storylines have our imaginations running wild. Plus, with the Andor season 2 teas...

With Skeleton Crew , Disney told a Star Wars story unlike any other, but still rooted in the themes that make the franchise so successful and endearing. In this episode, we discuss our favorite storylines, analyze the characters at the heart of the series, and consider its depiction of morality, obedience, and bravery. We also share our favorite jokes, speculate about the show’s future, and debate...

We’re less than five months away from the premiere of Andor season 2, so what’s in store for us when the best live-action Star Wars TV show returns? In this episode, Eric, Grace, and Haley try to predict the twists and turns that lie ahead for Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, Luthen Rael, and the other characters we’ve come to know and love (or love to hate). We consider how far Mon will go, how Luthen...

Would independent journalists have prevented the events of Star Wars from happening? In this episode, we unpack a topic at the precise intersection of our fandom and our professional lives: the role of journalism and media in Star Wars . How do people in the Star Wars galaxy get their  news, and how does news consumption affect their lives? How do three successive galactic governments use HoloNet...

It’s a bleak time in Star Wars fandom, as the community processes the news that Disney has canceled The Acolyte following lackluster viewership and relentless online hate from bigoted trolls. What does the cancelation mean for the future of Star Wars storytelling, and what does it say about Disney’s corporate philosophy and the larger issues with streaming television today? Politico’s Bill Kuchman...

It’s rare that we at Hoth Takes are so overwhelmingly critical of a piece of Star Wars media, but The Acolyte’ s final two episodes definitely earned that treatment. Listen in as we critique Osha’s fall to the dark side, the show’s moral message, and Vernestra’s coverup. We also discuss the Jedi’s culpability for the events on Brendok and the Republic’s interest in overseeing Jedi business. Plus,...

Things have taken a turn on The Acolyte , as a ruthless villain reveals himself — in more ways than one. In this episode, we discuss the middle act of The Acolyte , including a stunning fight on a forest planet and a fascinating dark-side seduction on a hidden world. We delve into Qimir’s insidious ideology, Mae’s messy behavior, and what, exactly, Osha could possibly be thinking. Plus, we’re nerv...

Three episodes in, The Acolyte is taking Star Wars in a bold new direction with fresh characters and a disturbing but thought-provoking premise. Join Eric, Grace, and Haley as we break down the complicated relationships between the main characters, debate the portrayal of an exiled witch coven, and try to predict where the show is heading. Grace is on a social media break, so it’s up to Eric and H...

What’s it like being in love with a huge Star Wars nerd? To celebrate our fiftieth episode, we’re talking about the role that Star Wars plays in our personal lives, and we’re joined by three special guests: our partners. From first dates and pandemic TV marathons to naming cars and doing bad impressions, our significant others pull back the curtain on how our love of Star Wars manifests beyond the...