Talking Star Wars

Concluding this initial series of episodes providing a broad survey of Star Wars visual media, Connor and Alex delve into three of the more recent shows that have expanded the Star Wars Universe: Kenobi, Tales of the Jedi, and Andor . For Kenobi , our hosts outline the somewhat-unexpected plot and discuss which scenes felt a bit uneven and which absolutely shone, all while lauding Ewan McGregor’s...

After the losing their recording about The Mandalorian, Alex and Connor commiserate by continuing their survey of the Star Wars visual media outside the films with other series. They start with an exploration of the themes, timeline, and characters in The Bad Batch , following the story of a group of non-normal clones and their survival in a post-Order-66 world; continue with a discussion of the c...

Alex and Connor continue their survey of the Star Wars visual media outside the films by tackling two additional animated series: Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: Resistance. The first, a story of a motley crew and Rebel Alliance cell becoming a found family and engaging with antagonists that include Agent Kallus, The Grand Inquisitor, and Grand Admiral Thrawn himself receives high marks; the seco...

In this episode, Connor and Alex begin a survey of non-film visual media in Star Wars, including all animated and live-action shows. They start by discussing the original microseries Clone Wars by Genndy Tartakovsky (now in the Legends continuity), and then move into a discussion on the long-running Star Wars show, The Clone Wars. The hosts discuss how the show contextualizes and rehabilitates cha...

For their first-ever bonus episode, Connor and Alex take time this May the Fourth to celebrate all the positives of Star Wars. They survey their personal favorites in several categories, including: films, heroes, villains, television show episodes/arcs, scenes, duels, battles, inter-character relationships, visuals, and endings. Looking across the full spectrum of Star Wars media, from the movies...

Connor and Alex continue their ongoing series on exploring Force powers displayed by Jedi, Sith, and other individuals in the Star Wars universe by today investigating the precognitive abilities Force-sensitive individuals almost universally display. Granting the ability to peer into possible futures, these precognitive abilities can extend from a few seconds to full visions of the future of month...

Connor and Alex explore the intersection of the tropes and conventions of the noir genre and the pieces that Star Wars has included in its storytelling. Beginning with an exploration of the different aspects of Noir itself, the hosts then take a chronological walk through the varied noir influences on Star Wars. From Lando Calrissian’s double-dealing smile and Obi-Wan’s tense investigation into th...

In this episode, Connor and Alex discuss one of the most iconic parts of Star Wars: the lightsaber. A weapon synonymous with both the wisdom of the Jedi and the power of the Sith, the lightsaber symbolizes the fusion of mysticism with science fiction technology that is so vital to the soul of Star Wars. Our hosts explain how force wielders bond with the kyber crystal in each place, the difference...

Connor and Alex resume their review and discussion of each work in the current Star Wars canon with a continued survey of expanded universe novels. In this episode, they discuss the following books: Ahsoka, Catalyst, Join the Resistance, Thrawn, Guardians of the Whills, and Rebel Rising. For each work, Connor and Alex provide an overview of the plot and discuss the quality of the novel both as a p...

Connor and Alex resume their review and discussion of each work in the current Star Wars canon with a continued survey of expanded universe novels. In this episode, they discuss the following books: Aftermath, Aftermath: Life Debt, Aftermath: Empire’s End, Battlefront: Twilight Company, Before the Awakening, Adventures in Wild Space, and Bloodline. For each work, Connor and Alex provide an overvie...

This week, Alex and Connor dive into the labyrinth of world-building that is the Star Wars sequel trilogy and work on piecing together information from Episodes 7 through 9 and various expanded universe material to try to answer this surprisingly-elusive question: just what is the First Order? From the flotsam of the Imperial Remnant that flee into Wild Space, to the breakaway factions of the weak...

This week, our hosts Connor and Alex do a brief survey of droid characters in Star Wars, from the helpful to the villain and from the experimental to the mundane, before digging into the narrative role of droids and the uneasy space these artificial being play in Star Wars. Are droids slaves, possessions, simply advanced computers, or something more? Listen to learn more about the role of droids i...

Connor and Alex continue their survey of the role of The Creature in Star Wars, touching on the appearance of beasts in the sequel trilogy and other expanded universe shows and materials. Listen to them discuss how the Ice Spiders in the Mandalorian are similar to Theseus’s Minotaur and how the racing fathiers in The Last Jedi turn natural creatures from a threat to something exploited…and more! T...

Connor and Alex begin a survey of the varied and fantastical alien creatures that pepper the landscape of most Star Wars stories and serve as adversaries and threats to survive and overcome for the heroes. From the hungry Wampa to the shrieking Acklay, hear the hosts discuss how these creatures vary the type of conflict in each film, call back to ancient Greek and biblical stories that use creatur...

Connor and Alex discuss the appearance of Luke’s lost lightsaber - the fabled blue blade originally crafted by Anakin Skywalker - as it appears in the sequel trilogy. They compare the role the gifting of this important weapon plays between the original and sequel trilogies and discuss how the ambiguity in the sequel trilogy impacts the dynamic between Rey and Kylo Ren. After deciding that this is...

Connor and Alex continue their ongoing overview of each work in the current Star Wars canon and proceed with their survey of expanded universe novels. In this episode, they discuss the following books: Lord of the Sith, Dark Disciple, Lost Stars, The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure, Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo and Chewbacca Adventure, and Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure. For e...

Connor and Alex begin the long journey of providing a high-level overview of each work in the new Star Wars canon, starting with the first handful of novels published after the Disney acquisition of Star Wars. In this episode, they discuss the first five novels in new canon: Ezra’s Gamble, A New Dawn, Servants of the Empire, Tarkin, and Heir to the Jedi. For each work, Connor and Alex provide an o...

Description: From the many capes of Lando Calrissian to the color symbolism of Luke’s tunics, and from the elaborate headdresses of Padmè Amidala to the simple robes of the Jedi, Connor and Alex delve into how clothing choices, fashion, and the garb of various characters support and enhance their narrative function and character development. Learn about how Palpatine’s elaborate outfits help obfus...

Description: Connor and Alex do a deep dive into a unique force power introduced in the sequel trilogy - the Force Dyad that connected Rey and Kylo Ren which allowed them to speak to each other, see each other, and even translocate objects across seemingly infinite space. They then go on to compare and contrast this connection with other unique depictions of the ways The Force has connected both i...

Description: Alex and Connor explore the intersection of science fiction and the western genre in Star Wars, where tropes intermingle and overlap to produce a piece of the unique aesthetic key to the identity of Star Wars. From shootouts in cantinas, gunslinger duels at high noon, heists, train robberies, and the consuming emptiness of revenge, the hosts survey the most prominent ways western stor...

Description: In this episode, Alex talks through the plot of the expanded universe novel Lords of the Sith while Connor asks questions to illuminate the novel’s themes and impact on the rest of the Star Wars universe. Learn more about the twisted partnership between Darth Vader and Darth Sidious; watch a nascent Rebel cell blow up a Star Destroyed; and watch how oppression twists and turns toxic a...

Description: Connor and Alex explore the character of Luke Skywalker as depicted in The Last Jedi - no longer the savior of the galaxy, but instead a bitter and exiled hermit cast in the mold of his own mentors Obi-Wan and Yoda, tucked away on a far-off planet and reluctant to pass on any knowledge to a new student. They discuss how Luke’s trauma informs his character, how even as a old man Luke s...

Connor and Alex explore the depictions of two unique force powers and their narrative and thematic impact on the stories they inhabit: Force Healing and its ability to mend injuries with an exchange of life force on the light side of the Force, and the destructive might of Force Lightning as wielded by many of the Sith on the dark side of the Force. This episode contains spoilers for: The Mandalor...

Connor and Alex discuss the struggle, strife, and refusal to change that characterize Darth Maul, from his first appearance in The Phantom Menace through his reappearance in The Clone Wars and beyond. They review the details of his life and analyze Maul through the lens of Greek mythology’s boulder-pushing Sisyphus: viewing Maul as a man who continually loses everything he has gained at the cusp o...

Description: Connor and Alex continue their discussion of missed opportunities for characters in the sequel trilogy; this time focusing on Finn, former stormtrooper and compelling individuals unfortunately left on the sidelines and underdeveloped for two movies. They discuss how Finn’s character could be improved, what actions he could have taken, and where they hope the character goes in the futu...