Hoth Takes: A Star Wars Podcast

When Grace and Haley learned that Eric had stayed at Disney’s new Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser immersive hotel thing, they knew they had to ask him all about it. Join us for a discussion about interactive storytelling, space food, and the moral dilemma of Disney’s premium experiences. Eric shares stories about bantering with the Starcruiser’s top-notch actors, how it feels to be in the middle...

Dive down a rabbit hole or two with us as we explore the zaniest Star Wars fan theories of the past few years. Obviously wesa gonna talk about the big bombad theory yousa probably already familiar with — but some of the others might surprise you. We have strong feelings about these theories, so what happens when we disagree? Plus, Grace reveals why she knows so much about Bob Newhart, Haley gets s...

If you thought we disliked the first half of The Book of Boba Fett , wait until you hear what we have to say about the second half. From Boba and Fennec’s wasted potential to the pointless time-sucking flashbacks to the Mandalorian takeover, we’re as merciless as the Pyke Syndicate. Grace is furious about the show’s missed opportunities, Eric is annoyed that apparently anyone can be resurrected th...

Let’s talk Sith. In this episode, Haley’s Dispatch colleague David French joins us to discuss the 2006 Star Wars novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction , the effectiveness of the Rule of Two, and how different stories depict the dark side’s inherently corrupting nature. We explore the cautionary tale of Bane’s descent into evil, consider whether the Rule of Two was necessary to assure the success o...

We’re three chapters into The Book of Boba Fett , and we still know almost nothing about what’s going on. In this episode, we discuss the show’s pacing, tone, and narrative, including a plotline that’s lasted too long, a crime lord who isn’t violent enough, a city that’s too empty, and speeder bikes that are too shiny. We also vent about virtual sets, discuss romantic possibilities, and praise the...

Let’s face it — the Galactic Senate doesn’t make much sense. For one thing, how do they have enough pods for every senator? And what’s with corporations getting seats? In this episode, we explore why the Senate is so weird and how that weirdness affects the Star Wars galaxy. We look at the strange role of junior representatives, the divide between the Senate and local authorities, and depictions o...

What do Loki and That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana have in common? Every big franchise has cameos and tie-ins, but only the best franchises balance these bits of connectivity with storytelling that can stand on its own. In this episode, Haley returns from her well-deserved maternity leave to join Eric and Grace for a look back at Star Wars: Visions and a look ahead at The Book of Boba Fett an...

Hayden Christensen isn’t just returning to Star Wars in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. According to a recent report, he’ll also appear in the Ahsoka Tano series. Hayden’s return is super exciting, but we do have some questions. In this episode, Eric and Grace discuss the best ways for these two series to expand on Anakin Skywalker’s relationships with two of the most important people in his life...

Droids: They’re everywhere in Star Wars , quietly helping to make the galaxy run, but we rarely think about their needs and wants — or their rights. In this episode, Eric and Grace discuss thorny issues of droid sentience, explore the moral questions posed by restraining bolts, and review how our heroes treat their robotic friends throughout the saga. Plus, we examine the role that battle droids p...

Should Jedi have been allowed to marry? What dangers did romantic relationships really pose to the stability of the Order and the success of its mission? Could the Jedi of the prequel trilogy have learned a thing or two from their counterparts two hundred years prior? In this episode, Eric and Grace discuss the nuances of the Jedi’s prohibition against attachments. Love can make people better vers...

How did the Jedi Order go astray? At what point did its fatal flaws develop, and how did Darth Sidious’ machinations accelerate that corruption? In this episode, Eric and Grace explore the Jedi’s tragic decline and fall, from their restrictive dogmas to their sudden militarization during the Clone Wars. We discuss the effects of the Jedi being so close to the Republic (including whether they reall...

We’re wrapping up our series on the original trilogy with an episode about the delightful but imperfect Return of the Jedi . Does the movie wrap things up too perfectly? Is it more akin to A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back ? Did Darth Vader deserve redemption? Eric and Grace explore all of these questions. Plus, we compare Luke and Anakin’s responses to dark side temptations, discuss Leia and...

It’s all about family in this episode as we try to discuss The Empire Strikes Back without repeating what everyone has said for the past 40 years. With Haley out on maternity leave, Eric and Grace discuss the underappreciated nuances of Darth Vader’s iconic paternity reveal and Luke’s seemingly hereditary impulsiveness and insecurity. Plus, Grace explains why she’s Team Lando, and we look at the m...

Is it even possible to put aside 44 years of nostalgia and analyze A New Hope the way moviegoers might have seen it in 1977? In this episode, Eric and Grace explore why the first Star Wars movie worked so well, how it fares as an introduction to the universe, and how it differs tonally from later films. Plus, Eric shares a truly stunning statistic about a major character’s screen time, and Grace s...

As The Bad Batch gets underway, we look at the ups and downs of the first three episodes. The Empire gets recruits, Kanan’s backstory gets retconned, and Clone Force 99 gets a Grogu. Did we think this was a “bad batch” of initial stories? Tune in to find out what issues and themes are in our “crosshairs.” Plus, find out which one of us identifies with Hunter and, more specifically, his knives.

Somehow, our podcast has returned. In our breakdown (or perhaps we should say teardown) of The Rise of Skywalker , we discuss Rey’s nonsensical lineage, deuteragonist Kylo’s unsatisfying fate, and Palpatine cycling through grand plans faster than you can say “The dead speak!” Plus, Grace has a controversial opinion about Leia’s presence in the movie, and we break out our magnifying glasses to try...

There’s so much to say about The Last Jedi that we’re devoting a second episode to it, but this time, we have a special guest: New York Times opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie, who ranks The Last Jedi behind only the original two Star Wars movies on his list. We discuss Jamelle’s view that The Last Jedi is the only sequel film with something profound to say about Star Wars , the value of subverting...

The Last Jedi ’s character development was pretty uneven. It added new layers to Rey’s loneliness, Kylo’s inner turmoil, Poe’s impulsiveness, and Finn’s search for purpose, but it suffered from a compressed time frame, and many of its choices were controversial. In this episode, we talk about Rey Rando, Disgruntled Luke, and the rest of our merry band. Plus, we split two-against-one over Holdo’s a...

Was The Force Awakens a carbon copy of A New Hope ? And how much does that matter? In this episode, we review the first Star Wars sequel film with the benefit of hindsight and discuss what worked (space bread), what didn’t (Rathtars), and what seemed like a good setup but never got the payoff it deserved (where to even begin?). Eric has thoughts about R2-D2, Grace has praise for Oscar Isaac, and H...

Attack of the Clones is one of the most widely criticized Star Wars films, but there’s actually a lot to love about it. From Anakin and Obi-Wan’s friendship and Palpatine’s political machinations to C-3PO’s puns and Padme’s dresses, the red-headed stepchild of the Skywalker saga doesn’t get enough praise. In this episode, we share our favorite things about the much-maligned second prequel — and di...

We’re kicking off our podcast with one of Star Wars ’ eternal questions: What is the best story arc of the animated series The Clone Wars ? Our picks span the show’s latter seasons and reveal the thoughtful, dramatic world-building and character development that made the series such a hit with fans. (An important caveat: we deliberately excluded Season 7’s Siege of Mandalore arc from this discussi...

In our introductory episode, we briefly discuss how we each got into Star Wars fandom and explain why we decided to start this podcast. You could say we took different hyperspace routes to get to this point in our fandom. But now we've teamed up to embark on this journey together, and we hope you'll join us.