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

It's time for our monthly Patron Q&A session! This time around: Why Leia didn't become queen after the destruction of Alderaan, and what being Padme's daughter got her on Naboo; the changing story of why Vader didn't (or did) sense the Force in Leia in A New Hope; and my favorite Star Wars ship... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to...

I don't approach Star Wars Celebration like the average fan, or even the average podcaster. I'll explain in today's episode, and reveal the theme for this Celebration's one-question interview. Plus, I'm asking for your support in making this show possible... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards...

Just because it's the last day of Star Wars Celebration Chicago, don't go thinking there won't still be some major news and story updates to reveal. On today's show, I'm flagging my top three panels in that regard, naming two honorable mention panels, and adding a couple of last highlights. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus e...

Disney+ is taking center stage on Sunday at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, with the main newsbreaking highlights of the day coming from two panels related to content on the upcoming streaming service. Plus, one stage at Celebration we haven't talked about yet, which has some pretty stellar programming... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get acc...

Saturday will be the first of two Star Wars Celebration Chicago clusterfest days in terms of attendance, but luckily there's a handful of must-attend panels to keep you away from the crowds. Here's my top five list, along with three very honorable mentions. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards....

There's a ton of amazing things happening on Friday at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. Here are my selections for the top 5 events of the day, including one that hasn't been getting anywhere near the level of attention it deserves. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

This week, a preview of the biggest happenings at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, and what you can expect to hear and see from me and Star Wars 7x7! Today: the Thursday, April 11th events of #SWCC. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

Fans got a little nervous about the cold Chicago nights when they heard that lining up overnight for Star Wars Celebration panels wasn't going to happen. But now they've announced a new online panel lottery and reservation system, and here's how it's going to affect the show and what you'll catch on Star Wars 7x7 during the event. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://P...

A lot of announcements dropped that I'll be talking about next week, but one of them is a stand-alone thing that I'll cover today - new news about the novel "Black Spire" and how it applies to that currently mysterious time between Episode VIII and Episode IX. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewar...

Eagle-eyed observers saw new Disney job postings tagged with "Lucasfilm Games" and got all worked up over it. Were they taking gaming in-house? Was EA in more trouble? The answer's "no" on both counts, and the job descriptions for these new postings made that super-clear - as well as flagged a big priority for Disney in the coming years. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at h...

How could an apparent throw-away line in a comic book from last year turn into a driver of events in Star Wars Resistance this year? The connection explained, plus thoughts on what will greet the Colossus when it emerges from hyperspace, and two First Order characters whose prospects for appearing in season 2 seem grim. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/...

Sure, we knew the First Order was armed to the teeth and could take control of the galaxy in a matter of weeks after the Hosnian cataclysm. But how did they build up to that point? Star Wars Resistance offered us some answers, and shed some more light on the First Order in the process. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episod...

Now that the first season of Star Wars Resistance is in the books, let's take a look back and see what we've learned about the Resistance itself over the course of these 21 episodes, and how it fits into what we already know from other media sources. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

A choice of loyalties, a major death, and a cliffhanger that opens up a whole new realm of possibilities - that's what's in store for you in "No Escape, Part 2," the season 1 finale for Star Wars Resistance. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

In movies, they'd call it a post-credits scene. It's an apt comparison for the epilogue of E.K. Johnston's "Queen's Shadow," since the epilogue doesn't wrap up the events of the novel - it takes place several years afterward. And it hints at some juicy new storytelling opportunities. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes...

Not only does Queen's Shadow tie into other Star Wars stories, it also features surprise character appearances, deepened appreciations, and - most shocking of all - the revelation of an attempt to right a wrong that didn't work out (but could have changed the course of the galaxy if it had). Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus...

Mary Franklin, leader of Star Wars events for Lucasfilm and ReedPOP since 2001, has left to take on a new challenge. Today, a tribute to her tireless dedication to Star Wars fans, and the incredible effort she put into making the new Star Wars Celebrations as awesome as humanly possible. Also, great news for fans looking to buy and sell Celebration tickets... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! J...

What I've been telling you for months has finally been confirmed! The Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago will take place on Friday, April 12. Who will appear, who's already scheduled to be there, and who's yet to be announced? I'll run it down today. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider...

Last month it was JJ Abrams. This month it's Oscar Isaac, promoting something else entirely and getting asked about Episode IX. Oscar had his own single-word description of the movie, repeated a detail or two, and shared a few new ones... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

Turns out the makers of Star Wars Resistance have even crazier things planned for the season finale than we know, because they sank the Colossus two episodes before the finale in "Descent," episode 19 of season 1. As Neeku says, "Or it's so crazy, it's crazy." Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewar...

A personal tragedy has been hiding in plain sight all season long, and it comes to devastating fruition in "No Escape, Part 1," episode 20 of the first season of Star Wars Resistance. I'm recapping the major points today for you... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

What does Episode IX have to do with Captain Marvel and the vote brigading going on during its opening weekend? It's a preview of how things are going to go in December, and how the concept of "Audience Scores" may be becoming a thing of the past. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

New guests and a trio of animation panels make the picture of Star Wars Celebration Chicago much clearer than it was during our last update. I'll be sorting through all the details on today's show for you... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** 

Opening dates and phases for Galaxy's Edge were revealed at the Disney shareholders meeting yesterday, and some shots from Episode IX appeared in a sizzle reel. The mildest of mild Episode IX spoilers, with ample warning and delivered from a hammock, on today's show. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other inside...

Mild spoilers continue in my discussion of E.K. Johnston's Star Wars: Queen's Shadow. We know from Attack of the Clones and the Clone Wars cartoon series that Nute Gunray holds a grudge against Padme Amidala. Johnston's novel fills in more of that backstory, and how it affects Padme's first year in the Senate. Plus, the fate of Captain Panaka, and a Battlefront II tie-in... Punch it! ***I'm listen...