Star Wars 7x7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy

Reveals about Canto Bight and its denizens have come to light recently, and I'm rounding up those news stories for you in today's podcast! It's not anything from spoiler social media folks - in fact, I've reached the point where I'm pretty much "spoiler averse." News from official sources? Fine. Outside of that? Not so much. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to do...

Can Hera convince Alliance High Command to attack the TIE Defender factory on Lothal - and rescue her crew in the process? Can the Rebels find their way back to the northern hemisphere in time to coordinate a ground assault? And what's with the ominous news that the Empire has invoked Protocol 13 - the same protocol invoked on Jedha just before the Death Star arrived in Rogue One? Most is answered...

Action, romance, a mind-blowing lightspeed escape, and the most mystical moment this side of the Mortis Arc! "Kindred," the seventh episode of season four of Star Wars Rebels, really had it all. The Rebels got away with the TIE Defender flight data recorder, but now they need to go back for its hyperdrive - and hope it'll work when grafted onto a U-wing. Meanwhile, Thrawn has sent his assassin Ruk...

Kylo Ren may be the obvious answer, but there are others to consider: Vader, Palpatine, Snoke, even Rey herself as a little girl. Whose "raw strength" do Star Wars fans think Luke is talking about? And what is it about "raw strength" that scares Luke, anyway? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some fabulous rew...

Theresa Cheung is the author of more than 20 books on spirituality and personal transformation, and conducted multiple interview sessions with Church of Jediism founder Daniel M. Jones in order to bring "Become the Force: 9 Lessons on How to Live As a Jediist Master" to the world. My conversation with her about the book, the church, and Star Wars is right here for you. Punch it! ***I'm listener su...

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Church of Jediism and the upcoming release of "Become the Force: 9 Lessons on How to Live As a Jediist Master," I had a conversation with author and church founder Daniel M. Jones about how the church and the book came about, what the plans are for the church in its next decade, and what the founder of a church based on the Jedi teachings thi...

What happened after Han, Finn, and Chewie stuffed Phasma down the garbage chute on Starkiller Base? Writer Kelly Thompson handles that question immediately, which means that there's a lot more compelling story space to fill in the Captain Phasma miniseries for Marvel. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some fab...

We got the international trailer we were looking for! Unfortunately, it didn't give much of anything away that was new or exciting. A couple new shots of characters and three words of dialogue, and that's about it. Meanwhile, the new 45-second commercial "Awake" is a lot more satisfying in terms of new sights to behold. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate...

"Flight of the Defender" isn't really just "The Occupation Part 2," even though it is the second part of a two-episode night for Star Wars Rebels. This is episode 6 of season 4, and we get to realize that when Ezra says he's there to stay, he might very well mean it. Plus, one hyphenated word: Loth-wolf. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars...

"The Occupation" is not also called "Part 1," but it might as well be, since it's the first of a two-part story in season 4 of Star Wars Rebels. You can think of it as episode #5 if you like, too. The Rebels return to Lothal to discover the secret of the upgrades to the TIE Defender, but Ezra starts out the mission by saying he's "there to stay." Does this mean the first member of the Ghost crew i...

When Luke zooms away to discover the fate of Beru and Owen, Obi-Wan calls on the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn for some much-needed, last-minute advice and reassurance. In the process, we get to learn what it's like to be a Force ghost, to separate from the living Force and become part of the physical world, and just how substantial Qui-Gon can get. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreo...

The Tusken Raiders didn't just happen upon Luke, and he didn't just randomly cross their paths. And Aunt Beru finally gets her say - and she has a lot to say (including something that might freak you out). That's what's happening in the stories I'm covering in "From a Certain Point of View" on today's podcast. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Sta...

Is an international trailer on the way? Can you trust the international translations of the main trailer? What does Rian Johnson have to say about Finn, Poe, and Leia in The Last Jedi? Plus, what's Ron Howard up to these days? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some fabulous rewards for your pledge.***  Check o...

A lot of blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments were featured in the latest behind-the-scenes reel for The Last Jedi. This one came from an unusual source: USA Today, previously only known for their exclusive Star Wars book excerpts. But it's a welcome surprise nonetheless, and I'm highlighting the key takeaways here. That includes new insights into which characters appear together and where, and clos...

Imagine this: If you were unfamiliar with Star Wars and watched it from Episode I onward - through Clone Wars and Rebels even - and you deleted just two scenes, you could create a situation where Saw Gerrera's quest for discovering the truth of the Empire's potential "superweapon" looks very much like a Fox-Mulder-like X-Files obsession, with a wild reveal in Rogue One. Punch it! ***I'm listener s...

The second half of "In the Name of the Rebellion" comes to an explosive conclusion! It's a Briefing on Episode 4 of Season 4, the final season of Star Wars Rebels, and once again, Saw Gerrera is up to his old double-crossing, innocent jeopardizing ways. Unfortunately, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper have to go along for the ride - until Saw alters the deal. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to htt...

Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma get into it during the first half of "In the Name of the Rebellion," and we get to see just how deep the divide is between them. This is the Star Wars Rebels Briefing on the first half, which is Episode 3 of Season 4 of the Star Wars TV series. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some...

When Luke said, "It's time for the Jedi to end," you didn't actually believe him, did you? You probably thought that was borne of some as yet-unnamed pain and suffering over the loss of his fledgling academy. But what if the fine folks at Lucasfilm are quietly preparing us for a galaxy beyond the Jedi and the Sith? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to th...

This is my second in a series of looks at "From a Certain Point of View," the 40-story collection that opens up new windows of understanding on the events of that significant story. Today, there was a lot of drama in that sandcrawler, and couple more amazing near misses that show you just how lucky the Rebels were to take down a Death Star. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon...

In a way, it's like comparing apples and oranges. But in another way, both had an enormous impact on pop culture of the time. And even that was different. Star Wars may have kept all the glory for itself, but the Blade Runner aesthetic has become equally as pervasive - just underneath other guises. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 p...

For your Friday enjoyment, an extended conversation about The Last Jedi trailer courtesy of an interview I got to do for Viewpoints, a syndication radio show from north of the border (that would be Canada, folks). Plus, what's the scoop on the new photo Laura Dern shared from The Last Jedi on The Ellen Show? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star...

The first half of "Heroes of Mandalore" - the premiere of the fourth and final season of Star Wars Rebels - made you think the creators were will to shake everything up. The second half pretty well put that idea to bed. If they're going to play it safe, then it's time to rethink what the endgame of the Rebels series will be. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to do...

That sense of danger and uncertainty I had about the final season of Star Wars Rebels? It's pretty well gone thanks to the events of Part 2 of "Heroes of Mandalore," which for official purposes is Episode 2 of Season 4 of the Star Wars TV series. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some fabulous rewards for your...

What a lovely way to wrap up principal photography on the previously untitled young Han Solo movie! Ron Howard makes it official - the title of the film is "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Go to http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to donate to the Star Wars 7x7 podcast, and you'll get some fabulous rewards for your pledge.***  Check out SW7x7.com for full Star Wars 7x7 show not...

Remember how I've been saying that the Star Wars Rebels creative team isn't taking any prisoners with season 4, based on the first episode they showed back in April at Star Wars Celebration Orlando? Well, if you weren't at SWCO to see it, now you finally can. "Heroes of Mandalore" debuted on Disney XD last night, and I've got the recap of Part 1 right here for you. Punch it! ***I'm listener suppor...