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

It'd take you barely any time to watch them, but the two High Republic character videos so far tell a story that goes beyond simply introducing you to two Jedi from the era. Punch it! Here's the first two videos from the "Characters of Star Wars: The High Republic" series, featuring Vernestra Rwoh and Avar Kris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnWuQAYBp24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRz7bDyoRg0 ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

What makes the Nihil so dangerous, aside from their, um, nihilism? The "Paths." Think of it as the particular way they can hack hyperspace. We'll discuss further 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 insider rewards.***

The Nihil we meet in Light of the Jedi are scary enough as it is. But when Marchion Ro shows his true colors... We'll talk about the Nihil and how they evolve 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 insider rewards.***

From hyperspace travel to medical breakthroughs, from peacetime defenses to "Great Works" of infrastructure and culture, let's have a look at the state of the Galactic Republic in the High Republic era of Star Wars. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Light of the Jedi handles the heavy lifting admirably. It has to world-build for The High Republic era, introduce a raft of new characters, and create a credible threat for the Jedi, and succeeds on nearly all counts. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Our second "Mando Memos" installment focuses on what we learned about Dr. Pershing in season 2 of The Mandalorian. And we also learned there are many HUGE unanswered questions surrounding him. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Trying out a new feature/series today! For "Spinner Sundays," we're looking back at seminal story arcs from comics, and kicking off with a big one - the "Son of Dathomir" Maul story that's part of the Clone Wars Legacy project. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Debuting prior to The Rise of Skywalker, and with one final set released in 2020, Star Wars Roll Out ran for six story arc and 16 total episodes. And The Mandalorian picked up a thing or two from them... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

So, EA's exclusivity agreement with Lucasfilm Games is coming to an end. But EA is still working on Star Wars titles! Today, what's in the works, what's not, and what's rumored... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The very good, very big week for Lucasfilm Games continues with the announcement of an open-world, story-driven game coming from Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment. But rest assured, EA isn't going anywhere. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

You might look at Star Wars elements of The Sims or Minecraft and never wonder whether what you're seeing is part of 'canon' storytelling. But there's a little more complexity to the story of what goes into Star Wars video games... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Lucasfilm just announced that its organizing its video games under one big brand identity umbrella, Lucasfilm Games. What does it mean, and what doesn't it? And what was left out? We'll explore today... 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 a new weekly series, I'm going to take some deeper dives into specific topics related to The Mandalorian! Today, a look at what we learned about Greef Karga in season 2. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

On episode 2,378, I explored potential answers to the critical High Republic question, "What scares the Jedi?" The answer I arrived at was hiding in plain sight, and today I look to the prequel trilogy to explain what it means to lose control of the Force. 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 story crossed my radar that reminded me that Empire Strikes Back had a re-release in theaters in 2020 for its 40th anniversary - even with the pandemic! And it did surprisingly well for a 40-year-old movie... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

First reported by Deadline and seconded by Variety, the two Hollywood trades are reporting that Michael Waldron will be writing the script for Kevin Feige's Star Wars movie. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Star Wars - in particular, the prequels and Revenge of the Sith - is helping me process what happened in the real world yesterday. And it was bad enough yesterday that I couldn't do the show without addressing it...

One of the foundational questions the High Republic storytelling creatives asked themselves was, "What scares the Jedi?" Today, we consider that question in light of recent reveals, and our own psychology, and arrive at an answer... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Three distinct (and titled) phases! More novels, short stories, a graphic novel, and even a manga! The High Republic launch event revealed a massive scale and scope for this "interconnected mega-story." Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The era of High Republic storytelling begins tomorrow! On today's episode, I'm taking one last look at the timeline with some new details, considering how and whether the Sith will get involved, and more. 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 our final look back/look ahead episode for 2020/2021, we're looking at five categories of Star Wars storytelling: comics, video games, VR, experiential, and merchandise. 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 our penultimate look back/look ahead episode, I'm focused on books and audiobooks. In addition to January March, May, and July are shaping up to be pretty big deals... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The long-awaited High Republic launch is the banner event of January 2021, but there's even more to look forward to in the world of Star Wars storytelling this month. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

We're continuing our series of looks back at 2020 and ahead to 2021 today, this time heading over to Star Wars animated storytelling - and covering something we haven't yet on the show, the new news about The Bad Batch. 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 what's generally an annual episode, we honor the lights we've lost from the Star Wars galaxy this year, including folks from behind the scenes who helped make Star Wars the amazing franchise it is today.

One series live, two more in the works, a bunch of rumors, a few announcements, and a lot of questions! That's the nutshell explanation of Star Wars live action in 2020 and looking ahead to 2021. We'll dig deeper today... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

2020 started with the final movie of the Skywalker Saga in theaters, and ended with the announcement of the next movie due in theaters. We're recapping the year and looking forward to 2021 today... 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 Lando "event series" was revealed during the Disney Investor Day, but what does that mean? That's one of the questions we're considering, while we also recap the announcement. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.*** https://vurbl.com/station/3HLH3NOdMPf/

"How Star Wars Conquered the Universe" author Chris Taylor argues that Grogu should not return to The Mandalorian. The question we'll consider today is whether there's any reason for him too - and if so, what it would have to be. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

It took an intervention of sorts to get past my concerns about how the return of Luke Skywalker could be viewed, and to reconnect with the joy my 12-year-old self would have felt on seeing his arrival. On today's episode, I'll explain/confess further, and talk about how wonderful it was - from both a left brain and a right brain perspective - that Luke's arrival seems to be the best and most logical story choice, despite anyone else's opinions. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Season 2 of The Mandalorian compares very favorably to season 1. To be fair, season 1 had a lot of heavy lifting to do, and did it well. Once past that, season 2 was able to soar. 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 lot of time unaccounted for in the life of Luke Skywalker right now! On today's episode of the show, we're going to place his actions and whereabouts in context with The Mandalorian series. 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 only two ways Bo-Katan could have lost the Darksaber that would require combat to get it back. The Great Purge may factor into it. And there may another Mando with a claim on it, who we haven't seen since Chapter 3. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Not all the surprises in The Mandalorian's season 2 finale took place in the show itself. The mid-credits stinger revealed one more new series, "The Book of Boba Fett." To set the baseline, here's what we know so far... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

On today's episode, we honor the life and work of Jeremy Bulloch, who helped bring the role of Boba Fett to life, creating a compelling on-screen persona that paved the way for the character's legendary appeal. We'll share statements from Bulloch's website, from castmates, and from George Lucas himself. We'll also revisit a write-up from Alan Arnold's Once Upon a Galaxy: The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, which helps to draw a line all the way from Bulloch's performance to Pedro Pascal's in The Mandalorian.

The season 2 finale of The Mandalorian was filled with action and surprise, and also did something similar to the end of season 1 - wrapped up most of its story arcs without major cliffhangers. We'll compare the endings of season 1 and season 2, and talk about what the ending of the second season offers for storylines in season 3. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The Mando season 2 finale is out, but you can still get a spoiler-free dose of Star Wars joy by checking out today's show about Leslye Headland's upcoming Lucasfilm series, "The Acolyte." Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Let's dig into the Disney Investor Day announcements about the two shows to be spun off from The Mandalorian - at least, the two we know about so far, Star Wars: Ahsoka and Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic. 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 casting announcement confirms an ongoing rumor, and a timeline change opens the door for some interesting crossover potential. Let's dig deeper into the Kenobi series news from Disney's Investor Day. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Now that it's been a few days, we can add more context to the biggest of the announcements from last week's Disney Investor Day - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron as the 2023 Star Wars movie. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

"The Believer," Chapter 15 of The Mandalorian, has two distinct purposes: to complete a functional task (setting up the finale's confrontation) and achieve a character arc milestone. Today, the Mandalorian Briefing on season 2, episode 7. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Today, the second half of my conversation with Dan Zehr, host of Coffee With Kenobi and co-author of The Star Wars Book: Expand Your Knowledge of a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Dan Zehr returns! The Coffee With Kenobi host joins me to discuss the journey to co-authoring his first book, The Star Wars Book, alongside Cole Horton and Pablo Hidalgo. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

I walked into this episode with at least a dozen questions unanswered about the return of Boba Fett in The Mandalorian, but they mostly spring from one central quandary that reflects on his (alleged) bounty hunting skills... 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 Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka spoke of letting Grogu's powers "fade." If that happens to untapped Jedi powers, that affects how many people can come to Grogu's aid... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

As further Star Wars stories have been told, Yoda's comment about Luke being "the last of the Jedi" has become more difficult to understand. I think I may have hit on a solution for it, involving the Jedi Order itself. 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 "The Tragedy" (season 2, episode 6 of The Mandalorian - or Chapter 14, if you prefer), Grogu activated the seeing stone at the Jedi Temple on Tython! He sent a message out to the galaxy, but who's out there to answer? The shortlist, 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 insider rewards.***

Today, the second half of my latest conversation with Amy Ratcliffe! She's back to discuss her latest book, Star Wars: The Jedi Mind. And we're going to dive deep... Punch it! Here's where you can learn more about Amy and her work: Instagram: https://instagram.com/amy_geek Twitter: https://twitter.com/amy_geek New! Newsletter: https://amyratcliffe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.amyratcliffe.com ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

I'm thrilled to welcome Amy Ratcliffe back to the show! She's the author of Star Wars: The Jedi Mind, and we're going to catch up and talk about the book in the first of this two-part conversation. Punch it! Here's where you can learn more about Amy and her work: Instagram: https://instagram.com/amy_geek Twitter: https://twitter.com/amy_geek New! Newsletter: https://amyratcliffe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.amyratcliffe.com ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Crazy surprises, non-stop action, and shocking story beats fill "The Tragedy," Chapter 14 of The Mandalorian. Full spoiler alert in effect for this Mandalorian Briefing... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***