Aggressive Negotiations: A Star Wars Podcast

Space Married. Star Wars fans were first introduced to Hera and Kanan via John Jackson Miller's book, "A New Dawn" and their story picked up in the fall of 2014 as the newest animated series was released. Fans immediately picked up on the chemistry between the characters and the hashtag #SpaceMarried was born. This week John and Matt talk about this relationship, it's implication for the Star Wars...

Henry Gilroy: Star Wars Rebels. Henry Gilroy has been an important creative force in the Star Wars galaxy for decades, and has been involved in the creation of some of its most beloved work, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Matt and John welcome him to Aggressive Negotiations and discuss his starting points in the industry, his experiences, and his legacy. Hosts John Mills...

The Last Temptation of Vader. Marvel recently launched a new Darth Vader comic, examining the earliest development points of his first mission as a Sith Lord. Emperor Palpatine sends out his new apprentice to win a new lightsaber through battle, and the audience gets to see the final moment of Vader's full turn to evil...and so much more. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback!...

Give Anakin a Hand. John and Matt explore an important question to the Star Wars galaxy, as they try to figure out why a galaxy of clones can't give Anakin a real hand again. Do the midichlorians figure in? Is it a question of bureaucratic nonsense? They ponder these questions, and more. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.f...

Book Club: The Mark of the Crown. Matt and John return to their Star Wars book club to discuss Jedi Apprentice: The Mark of the Crown by Jude Watson. They discuss the perfect characterizations, the authentic feel, and echoes of what came in The Clone Wars series. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty...

The Mortis Arc. Star Wars: The Clone Wars explored and expanded on the core principles and philosophies from perspectives fans didn't anticipate. A shining example of this storytelling urge is the Mortis arc from Season 3.  To celebrate their official “100th Issue,” Matt and John offer a special commentary track for the entire Mortis arc, with act breaks and discussions between each episode. Hosts...

Replicants v. Clones. Star Wars changed the cinematic landscape, but a few short years afterward, Blade Runner made an impact and introduced the world to “Replicants.” John and Matt discuss what place Replicants could have had in the Star Wars saga, whether there's still a place for them, and how clones stack up as a similar concept. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twit...

A Youngling's Take: The Last Jedi. In the endless debate about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it's important to hear from the younglings. Aggressive Negotiations welcomes back special guest “Saber Goddess,” last heard giving her thoughts on The Force Awakens and its novelization. She comes back to share her thoughts on Episode VIII, Porgs, Luke, Captain Phasma's return, Snoke, and Canto Bight, among ot...

What Good is Redemption? The Star Wars saga has a history of defying expectation. One of the primary, and most indelible, reversals of expectation was the redemptive arc of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. Matt and John discuss the meaning of that redemption and what place it occupies as the sequel trilogy continues to develop. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twi...

The Luke Skywalker Enigma. Star Wars: The Last Jedi has spurred a great deal of discussion around one of the central mythical figures of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker. With the new information conveyed in this latest chapter, John and Matt revisit a question they've posed before...and discover how their answers may have changed. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @The...

The Last Jedi with Nic Anastassiou. Star Wars: The Last Jedi has garnered a wide variety of reactions from fans since its release. Matt and John welcome back a special guest this week, Nic Anastassiou, to get his reaction to the film and to discuss his perspective on the many philosophical points - as well as technical choices - presented in the newest chapter of the Skywalker saga. Hosts John Mil...

Chosen One? Star Wars: The Last Jedi begged just as many questions as it answered. One lingering question left from the Skywalker Story is the Jedi prophecy of the Chosen One. For years it's been debated who the Chosen One really was. John and Matt ask not just whether it might be Rey, but whether the prophecy was true at all. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @T...

Who is Rey? "Who are you?". This is the question that everyone meeting Rey seems to ask. Starting with Maz Kanata’s simple question in The Force Awakens, everyone from Luke Skywalker to fans online has been asking the question of who Rey is for two years and now The Last Jedi seems to have answered it. Or did it? We delve into this latest layer to the mystery of just who Rey is and what she means...

What Happened to Phasma? Get ready for The Last Jedi as “The Jedi Masters” review and analyze the limited-issue series Star Wars: Phasma, which sheds light on how the enigmatic silver-plated super stormtrooper made her way out of Starkiller Base and into Episode VIII. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdP...

You Must Be This Tall To Ride. John and Matt explore another foggy corner of the Star Wars galaxy this week as they ask whether the denizens of that magical place would seek out thrills in theme parks or on roller coasters. Hear what they think, and then offer your own perspective by contacting the show! Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebo...

Rogue One Commentary. Get ready for The Last Jedi by breaking out your copy of the smash hit Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and syncing up to a special commentary track from The Jedi Masters, John and Matt! Or, just listen along as they discuss the film and debate their own points of disagreement about it. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Faceb...

Thanksgungan 2017. The Jedi Masters' annual tradition continues as they celebrate “Thanksgungan,” where they share what they're most thankful for as Star Wars fans and friends who  talk about it every week. Let's gather around and enjoy each other's company, pondering all the things  that make us glad to be Star Wars fans and hopeful for the future.   Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us y...

Droids, Droids, Droids. Whether a golden butler, rolling Swiss Army knife, or cantankerous power 'droid, people came to understand the humanity of Star Wars characters through the surrouning automata. Matt and John discuss a question about 'droids submitted by a listener, and also discuss  their thoughts on Lucasfilm anointing Rian Johnon as the creative force behind Star Wars' next era. Hosts Joh...

Live by the Lightsaber. Star Wars' lightsaber battles dominate the imagination of generations. The distinctive hum and unmistakable blades  create an unmatchable thrill, changing with each era. In this issue of Aggressive Negotiations, Matt and John discuss what they love most about this evolving - and unique - form. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMast...

Star Wars Twilight? Shmi Skywalker told Anakin, “You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” But change can be difficult; and so, changes to Star Wars franchise can trigger a host of reactions. John and Matt discuss those reactions in light of a post online that garnered its own strong reactions, what they mean, and what it means to be a Star Wars fan in the “Disney Er...

Book Club: The Hidden Past. Matt and John return to the legends line to discuss the third book in the Jedi Apprentice series, "The Hidden Past". They look at the eternal Star Wars themes explored, the development of Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan's relationship, and other pieces of history revealed - and whether they could be worked back into the general story. They also discuss the shocking result of a poll a...

Mandalore Arc: Season 2. John and Matt revisit a classic arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars to find fresh insights and story expansions. Starting with “The Mandalore Plot,” they look at revelations about Obi-Wan's past through Duchess Satine, the meaning of Anakin's development, and the critique of what the Jedi are becoming. Hosts John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @Th...

The Rey/Ezra Connection. Star Wars is a tone poem, with echoes of each generation finding cyclical resonance with the next. In this light, the Jedi Masters ask, “Is it possible Ezra and Rey are an echo of each other?” They look at other echoes in the saga to see if maybe Ezra is a hint of the unknown journey we know Rey has just begun. They also discuss the results of an online poll asking what th...

Lucas IS Lando. An entrepreneur ventures out beyond the boundaries of an Empire hoping to escape its control and build a peaceful life among cloudy dreams. Lando Calrissian? George Lucas? Or maybe both? John and Matt explore the idea of Lucas as Lando (metaphorically) in this episode of Aggressive Negotiations. They also go over the results of a poll asking, “Would you be disappointed if Luke does...

Henry Gilroy: Star Wars Comics and Animation. Matt and John discuss the results of show polls about JJ Abrams returning for Episode IX, and if Disney should continue making Episodes after the sequel trilogy is complete. Then, they share a panel from Dragon Con featuring Henry Gilroy, a veteran writer of Star Wars comics, as well as Batman: The Animated Series, The Clone Wars, and many others. Gilr...