Hoth Takes: A Star Wars Podcast

You can tell a lot about a person’s Star Wars fandom by what they put on a top-five list. In this episode, Eric, Grace, and Haley share, explain, and defend their five favorite examples of various Star Wars themes, debating the best criteria to use and the most controversial omissions from each other’s lists. As we discuss the reasons for certain inclusions and exclusions, we revisit memories from...

We’re wrapping up our discussion of Ahsoka ’s first season with a look at the secondary characters and B-plots that tied the show together. Did Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati break new ground as villains? How much did Hera even matter to the story? And did the series do a good job of exploring the nuances of New Republic galactic security debates, in which our warrior heroes are often working against...

The Disney+ series Ahsoka debuted to high expectations, but did it do justice to the fan-favorite Star Wars characters that it revisited? For Eric, Grace, and Haley, the answer — at least when it comes to three of the show’s most important characters — is no. Join us as we dig into what worked and what didn’t with Ahsoka ’s portrayals of Ahsoka Tano herself, Sabine Wren, and Grand Admiral Thrawn....

There are hot takes, and then there are truly hoth takes. In this episode, Wired security reporter Lily Hay Newman returns to Hoth Takes to defend one of the most controversial Star Wars claims we’ve ever heard: that The Book of Boba Fett was a good TV show. Lily loved how the show played with different forms of storytelling, and she came away from it with a newfound interest in Boba Fett. But her...

How do you tell a story of change without alienating fans who like things the way they are? Disney has faced this dilemma multiple times since buying Star Wars , and the results haven’t always been impressive. From Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi to Ahsoka Tano in her new Disney+ series, storytellers have struggled to depict characters growing and changing while maintaining the core traits that ma...

We’re just about a month away from the premiere of Ahsoka , the live-action series that will continue the story of Star Wars Rebels , give Grand Admiral Thrawn his long-awaited live-action debut, and set up a cinematic Mando-Verse crossover in a battle for the fate of the New Republic. But here at Hoth Takes, we might be more nervous than excited about Ahsoka . In this episode, Eric, Grace, and Ha...

Disney is closing the Galactic Starcruiser, its immersive Star Wars hotel in Orlando, Florida, and here at the Hoth Takes podcast, we have some great ideas for what should replace it. But as you’ll hear, only one of us focused on practical suggestions. The others…well, their ideas have to be heard to be believed. In this episode, we’re talking Resistance missions in kitchens, hotels based on the g...

Now that The Mandalorian season 3 is over, let’s look back at its story arcs, character choices, and major themes and consider how successful it was. For Eric and Grace, the short answer is: not very successful. In this episode, they discuss Din and Grogu’s bond, Bo-Katan’s path to victory, New Republic and Imperial Remnant world-building, Moff Gideon’s return, and some of the season’s lighter mom...

Disney made some big announcements about the future of Star Wars at the recent Celebration convention in London. This time on Hoth Takes, we share our hopes, fears, predictions, and questions about each of the upcoming projects. How will fans react to Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order? Can Dave Filoni save his Mando-Verse crossover movie from Marvel-like synergy fatigue? How weird and mystical will th...

How should the New Republic rebuild after the events of the sequel trilogy? In this episode, we debate issues like galactic representation, collective security, and planetary rights as we try to design the ideal structure for the new government. Does the New Republic need a big military? Should it go back to rotating its capital planet? How should it interface with the new Jedi Order? There are di...

The success of Andor has created a new benchmark for quality Star Wars storytelling. But what lessons can Disney actually learn from Andor ? What does its popularity tell us about the kinds of Star Wars stories that can succeed? And what does its success imply about the strengths and weaknesses of Disney’s existing Star Wars strategy? In this episode, we explore the perils of open-ended television...

Recent Star Wars projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor have shown us the strengths and weaknesses of the Imperial surveillance state. But how effective are the Empire’s cameras, databases, and scanners, and how well do storytellers justify the failure of this technology to snare our heroes and stamp out the Rebellion? In this episode, Wired security reporter Lily Hay Newman joins Eric and Grace t...

Andor won critical acclaim for its gritty and nuanced portrayal of rebellion in Star Wars , but what makes its depiction of insurgency so special? In this episode, The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer joins Eric, Grace, and Haley to discuss how faith and revenge motivate rebellion throughout Star Wars , how Luthen’s approach to insurrection sets him apart, how class shapes the goals and decisions of Andor ’...

Andor season 1 ended with a triumphant run of episodes, and we’re here to break down all the greatness, from the cutthroat political maneuvering to the epic brawls, riots, and space battles to whatever’s going on with Dedra Meero and Syril Karn. Eric fanboys over Mon Mothma, Grace talks about familial love putting Cassian over the edge, and Haley discusses the genius of making Dedra sympathetic an...

Eight episodes into Andor , we keep finding more things to love. Join us as we discuss the Disney+ series’ surprisingly stark treatment of the surveillance state, police brutality, and the prison-industrial complex, tackling issues that Star Wars has either ignored or relegated to the background. We also cover Diego Luna’s extraordinarily expressive face, the many layers of Mon Mothma, the intimat...

We’re one-third of the way through Andor ’s first season, and so far, things are looking incredibly good. In this episode, Eric and Grace break down how Andor is hitting all the right notes, from its grounded setting and its darker tone to its nuanced portrayals of heroes, villains, and everyday people. We talk about Mon Mothma’s unexpected vulnerability, the office politics of the Imperial Securi...

Podracing: to paraphrase Qui-Gon, it’s very fast, very dangerous, and very possibly the best sequence in The Phantom Menace . In this episode, Daily Beast congressional reporter Sam Brodey joins us to discuss the podrace sequence’s uniquely excellent world-building, the racers’ bizarre backstories, and the high-octane competition’s best sound effects and strangest moments. Plus, we celebrate Fode...

How will the new Disney+ series Andor balance its ambition to be a political thriller about insurgency and migration with its imperative to serve a mass audience and respect Star Wars’ kid-friendly roots? In this episode, Eric, Grace, and Haley discuss their hopes and expectations for Andor , including a spotlight on Mon Mothma, an exploration of Imperial loyalism, and a focus on more grounded her...

We’re mixing things up in this episode of Hoth Takes and turning the reins over to a special guest: Washington Post health-care reporter Dan Diamond. Dan, a self-admitted Star Wars novice, asks us a series of pressing questions about the galaxy far, far away, from how people get their news to why stormtroopers can’t hit anything. We also discuss the role of Star Wars in the real world, including w...

Now that we’ve had plenty of time to digest the second half of Obi-Wan Kenobi , we’re diving into how everything went down and whether the series lived up to its potential. From Obi-Wan and Anakin flashbacks to Reva’s secret agenda, find out what we thought worked and what disappointed us. Plus, Haley gives us a new way to think about the finale’s Star Wars Rebels ripoff (perhaps “homage” is a bet...

Who’s your favorite Jedi? In this episode, Eric and Haley make their cases for two very different characters — one young and irreverent, one experienced and solemn. What can Ezra Bridger teach us about the Jedi quest for selflessness amid the temptations of family, home, and power? And how much was Mace Windu to blame for the success of Darth Sidious’ plan to corrupt Anakin Skywalker? From Loth-wo...

He’s one of the most popular characters in all of Star Wars , immortalized in countless action figures and endless fan art. But what makes Darth Vader so cool and interesting? Why can’t fans ever get enough stories about him? With Vader back in the spotlight thanks to the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi , Eric and Grace explore Anakin Skywalker’s journey from selfish downfall to selfless redemption...

We’re halfway through the new Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi , and here at the Hoth Takes podcast, Young Leia is giving us life. But while there’s a lot to love in these first three episodes — Ewan McGregor’s performance, the depiction of Darth Vader, and everything Leia — we still have some questions. Haley is surprised that Obi-Wan hasn’t gotten up to much in the ten years after Revenge of the Si...

Star Wars meets politics in this episode as Eric and Haley discuss how the Republic government should be rebuilt after the sequel trilogy. How much control should it have over planetary affairs? Should it have an active military? How should law enforcement be handled? What should the government’s relationship with the Jedi be? And speaking of the Jedi, what should they look like in this new era? H...

The sequel trilogy may be over, but we could still see Rey and the gang in future stories. In this episode, Eric and Grace chat about what they want to see next from Rey, Finn, Poe, and their allies. Plus, Grace pitches her plan for bringing Ben Solo to justice, and we imagine R2-D2 and C-3PO’s married life in their Coruscant condo.