Aggressive Negotiations: A Star Wars Podcast

Thanksgungan 2024. It’s time for the greatest #StarWars podcast tradition of the year: Thanksgungan! Matt & John engage in their annual discussion of all the things they’re #thankful for in 2024, from great #collectibles to #animated series like #TheBadBatch to #books to people they treasure who work to make the Galaxy Far, Far Away a reality. Join us for our most wonderful tradition! Host Joh...

Galactic Reviews. It’s a quick-hit warmup for the big feast of #Thanksgungan next week as John & Matt  explore whether online ratings in the Star Wars Galaxy Far, Far Away would be ignored in favor of word of mouth, because of a lack of trust in Galactic Reviews. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdPar...

Soul Posture. What makes a Force power good or evil? Are certain powers inherently open to Sith and other Dark Side users, and others open only to those who follow the Jedi path? John and Matt explore this topic in the way only they can. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  Email: http://www.thenerd...

Jedi Book Club: Darth Plagueis. It’s a special Halloween episode, with Matt and John looking back on and discussing James Luceno’s 2012 Star Wars Legends novel, Darth Plagueis. Listen in as they discuss the #Sith Lord who discovered many things that some would consider…unnatural. What did they think of how the novel ties everything together? Is it a deft reworking of the known story, or a lore bri...

A Special Message. A brief special episode this week to remind listeners about an important discussion coming up at the end of the month…Matt and John will be revisiting James Luceno’s 2012 Star Wars Legends novel, Darth Plagueis, for their special Halloween episode! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdPar...

Star Wars Merchandising. This week Matt and John explore the role of merchandising in Star Wars’ enduring popularity through the decades, and debate whether the treasures of the past hold a key for the franchise’s future as well. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  Email: http://www.thenerdparty.co...

Jedi Repopulation. John and Matt explore a topic only they could, as they discuss the possibility of Jedi after Order 66 who didn’t just consider it a noble duty to survive, but to procreate in order to ensure the training of a next generation of light-side Force users. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerd...

James Earl Jones: A Legacy. This week Matt and John take a moment to reflect on the tremendous impact of James Earl Jones, not just within the StarWars series, but within the acting community and culture as a whole.  They nod to his immense influence on how they have come to appreciate all the facets of the acting craft, and the place he holds within the firmament of pop culture. They look at his...

The State of Star Wars. The Chancellor has dispatched 2 guardians, John + Matt, to see if peace can be restored with some Star Wars love and understanding in this episode of Aggressive Negotiations. They look at the state of the franchise, the overall success of the projects,  the growing pains that have strained the fans’ communications, and how the nature of online interactions has changed how f...

The Sinister Sith. Join Matt & John on a deep dive discussion about the ultimate Star Wars villains - The Sith. They explore what made them great villains, what makes it necessary to move on from them, and why no attempt to recreate or echo them onscreen has truly reverberated outside of Lucas’ six films or the Clone Wars animated series.  It’s time to kick off Spooky Season with the a close l...

The Anakin Decision. This week John + Matt explore one of the core quandaries of the Star Wars saga - if Anakin’s training was so important, why didn’t Yoda handle it? If not Yoda, why not another member of the Council? If it was going to be Obi-Wan regardless, why not break tradition and have another Jedi Master train alongside? You might be surprised by some of their insights! Host John Mills an...

The Acolyte. This week we have another epic crossover with The 602 Club to discuss the first and only season of the latest Star Wars series on Disney Plus, The Acolyte. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  Email: http://www.thenerdparty.com/contact Subscribe in Apple Podcasts Make sure you follow us...

The Implications of Omega. John and Matt reunite to discuss the implications of Omega as a character for the larger story arcs & themes of Star Wars. What does she mean for midichlorians and the lineage of Jango Fett? How does her own found family relate to others we’ve seen? Host John Mills and Guest Tristan Riddell Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.face...

Special Guest, Special Edition. While Jedi Master Rushing is out negotiating in the Outbound regions, John is joined by Nerd Party founder and special guest Tristan Riddell to discuss his point of view on the Star Wars Special Editions. It’s a fun discussion, and some special Nerd Party history is shared along the way! Host John Mills and Guest Tristan Riddell Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJ...

Kentucky Fried Pork. We all love grabbing a bite to eat, and we all assume that it’ll be a safe and clean (enough) experience. But on a galactic scale, whether a Republic or Empire, how could a central bureaucracy even hope to manage the regulations necessary for multiple species to safely eat across thousands of systems? John and Matt try to figure out how difficult it would be, and how much real...

Issue 365: Force Radar. In the wake of The Acolyte’s 6th episode, Teach/Corrupt, the contentious question arises once again on how accurately sensing Force users really is, given what’s been shown onscreen. Matt & John debate - as longtime fans - how to make sense of how detecting someone else through the Force must work. #StarWars [Light Spoilers] Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us y...

What if Padmé Stayed? Recently we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Episode I: The Phantom Menace! This set John to ask Matt to ask an unexpected “what if” about the story: What if Padmé had taken Palpatine’s advice and stayed on Coruscant to allow the Trade Federation to maintain their control of Naboo? The chain reaction that sets off takes them down some interesting paths to ponder! Host John...

Jedi Fashion Show. Feel the Force…of Fashion! Matt Rushing + John Mills look closely at the fashion of the prequel-era Jedi as compared to The Acolyte, and how those costuming choices can continue to inform audiences about character, story and themes. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  Email: http...

The Death Star Cell Block. Explore the GFFA again as John Mills + Matthew Rushing discuss the moral implications of the cell blocks on the Death Star, and what the Rebel responsibilities were if prisoners other than Leia were in them during the Battle of Yavin! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  E...

Tales of the Empire. In this very special crossover with The 602 Club Matt and John discuss the new animated series Tales of the Empire, digging into the 2 character arcs and so much more! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdParty/  Email: http://www.thenerdparty.com/contact Subscribe in Apple Podcasts Mak...

The Bad Batch: Season Three. In this very special crossover with The 602 Club Matt and John discuss the final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, digging into everything the season gave us, what made us cheer, what made us cry and what made us hopeful for the future! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdPar...

The Summit and Plan 99. Tune in as Matt + John wrap up their The Bad Batch Season 2 rewatch with a discussion about the 2-part finale! They discuss heartbreak, loss, action, character cameos, design, and the trick of editing a two-parter that clearly wanted to be one long episode. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://www.facebook....

Turning Point. This week Matt + John encounter a “Turning Point” during their The Bad Batch Season 2 rewatch and they discuss all the storytelling, animation, and editing accomplishments of the episode as it tees up the end of the second season and acts as a perfect setup for the final season. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Facebook: https://...

Pabu. This week John + Matt visit “Pabu” for the first time as part of their The Bad Batch Season 2 rewatch and they assess their feelings on the episode and its importance for the rest of the series. Have their feelings changed since their first viewing, and how do they feel about Pabu Cuisine? Tune in and find out! Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMaste...

The Outpost. TheBad Batch has always been committed to showing the toll of war, duty, and point of view on its core characters as the galaxy changes around them. Join Matt + John as they revisit “The Outpost” for their Season 2 rewatch and discuss the depth of art, storytelling, and meaning discovered there. Host John Mills and Matthew Rushing Send us your feedback! Twitter: @TheJediMasters    Fac...