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

"Fugitive" is episode 3 from season 6 of the Clone Wars, and we're now going from battlefield action to medical investigation to sci-fi thriller in our genre-busting first story arc of the season. It's a wild ride, and it works fantastically well. Fives is supposed to be undergoing one last test before he's shipped back to the 501st, but medical droid AZI-3 says he's heard Fives is going to be reprogrammed and kept on Kamino as a sanitation worker. That, obviously, doesn't go over well with Fives, who overpowers his escort and goes on the run with AZI-3. During the course of the episode, Fives learns that the rabbit hole related to Tup's "tumor" goes very, very deep indeed, and leads to a shocking revelation - one thqt can't end well in any way, shape, or form, unfortunately. And it also raised the question for me about viewing order. We all like to discuss the best order in which to view the Star Wars movies, but this series of episodes makes a strong case for recommending that they be seen before Revenge of the Sith. I'll be talking about all of that and more in today's Clone Wars Briefing, but settling the matter of the proper pronunciation of "Kaminoan." Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

"Conspiracy" is the second episode from season 6 of the Clone Wars, and the second of a four-episode arc. Instead of being a sort of fog-of-war episode with lots of action like the last one, this episode is more of a medical investigation drama. That in itself is remarkable - it goes to show how flexible the Star Wars storytelling universe can be, and it also goes to show how unusual this is for a supposed kids cartoon. This really seems more like young adult storytelling and above. Also, the sense of dread that you may have started to feel about the situation in the previous episode is only going to get worse in this one. Rex and Fives accompany Tup to Kamino, but while Rex is sent back to fight, Fives is kept in quarantine, in case he has the same problem that Tup does. (Why they didn't keep Rex also, since he was exposed, doesn't make sense to me.) Tup and Fives both come up negative for any virus, and a debate over Tup's fate develops between Jedi General Shaak Ti, who wants Tup to undergo an atomic brain scan, and the Kaminoans, who want to "terminate" Tup and investigate after the fact. But we find out that the reason why the Kaminoans don't want Tup to undergo an atomic brain scan is because of what it will reveal... We'll talk about that today, and about a change to the model of how these seasons are released. 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 we move into the Lost Missions! That's how Lucasfilm referred to season 6 of the Clone Wars. It was originally intended to be a 22-episode season, but then it was pulled from the Cartoon Network lineup as of the end of season 5, in March 2013. But - good news! Production was still ongoing, and they ultimately completed 13 episodes, which were first released in Germany and later via Netflix in the US and Canada in early 2014. On today's Clone Wars Briefing, we'll examine "The Unknown," episode 1 and the first of a four-part story arc. It's a story that, if you've already seen Revenge of the Sith, might fill you with a certain kind of dread. A clone named Tup has a mental breakdown and shoots a Jedi dead at point-blank range. When Count Dooku hears about it, he realizes that one of the big plans he has with Darth Sidious is in danger of being discovered. (Today I learned: Count Dooku knew about Order 66. I knew he knew about the creation of the clone army, but I didn't know he knew that particular secret about it.) Thus begins a cat-and-mouse game for possession of Tup, which we'll talk about in today's episode, as well as the stunning visuals, and also a bit of Star Wars news I never got to in yesterday's roundup episode. 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 have been a few decent-sized bits of news about Star Wars recently, not the least of which was the Disney earnings call earlier this week, when Bob Iger spoke about the future of Star Wars storytelling. I'll share the clip of him talking about that on today's show, and we'll talk about a few other things, too, including Rian Johnson, Project Luminous, and two names you might never have heard of - one who played a number of onscreen Star Wars roles, and one who helped the original Star Wars succeed from behind the scenes. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

And now, we come to the end of the Jedi Temple bombing story arc, and the end of season 5 of the Clone Wars, and the end of episodes of the Star Wars animated series on Cartoon Network. "The Wrong Jedi" - a title inspired, yet again, by an Alfred Hitchcock movie title, and yet again with not much to do with the actual content of the episode - features the final fate of Ahsoka Tano (at least, as depicted in the Clone Wars to date). On today's Clone Wars Briefing, we'll explore the events of the finale, including a little moment or two that make all the difference in the emotional storytelling; the question of what rank Ahsoka would have had if she'd rejoined the Jedi Order; Barriss Offee's shocking confession; and whether Ahsoka already knows Anakin's deepest secret. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Again with the Alfred Hitchcock-inspired titling! But To Catch a Thief doesn't offer any clues to the events of "To Catch a Jedi," which is episode 19 from season 5 of the Clone Wars animated series, and the third of a four-episode story arc that will conclude the season (after episode 20, "The Wrong Jedi"). Ahsoka is on the run, and the murders for which she's been framed - plus the presumption that she has something to do with the Jedi Temple bombing herself - are being described as an act of "sedition" by *that* Admiral Tarkin. And man, "sedition" is a pretty big word for a kid's cartoon show, which this increasingly seems not to be... Anakin and Plo Koon are assigned to track Ahsoka down and bring her back to the Jedi Temple, both very logical choices. Ahsoka is Anakin's padawan, of course, but Plo is the Jedi who found a young, Force-sensitive toddler Ahsoka all those years ago and brought her to the Jedi Temple to become a Jedi. So they have a long-standing bond as well. Now, if you thought things weren't complicated enough, Asajj Ventress decides to work her way into this whole business. Barriss Offee passes on a clue to Ahsoka that doesn't quite work out as intended - or does it? And the episode also plays around on levels above and below 1313, the infamous level that was supposed to appear in a previously partially developed Star Wars story project. We'll talk about all of this and more on the show 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.***

"The Jedi Who Knew Too Much" is the second of a four-part story arc that concludes season 5 of the Clone Wars cartoon series. Today, it's a Clone Wars Briefing on this episode, episode 18 from season 5. Influenced by Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Kimble, this episode finds Ahsoka unwittingly maneuvered into a very bad position. Letta Turmond, the prime suspect in the Jedi Temple bombing plot, has been remanded into Republic military custody, but she'll only talk to Ahsoka. When Ahsoka arrives, Letta will only talk to Ahsoka alone, and tells Ahsoka that she (Letta) was told to reach out to Ahsoka if she (Letta) ever needed help. Do you sense the trouble brewing already? Letta reveals that a Jedi is actually behind the bombing, because there are unhappy Jedi who don't like how they've become weapons of war in the conflict with the Separatists. But before Letta can reveal the true culprit, she's Force choked to death by an unknown assailant. Perfect timing for a smarmy Admiral Tarkin (yes, *that* Tarkin) to arrive, and how convenient, there's video of the murder, but no audio. So Ahsoka is taken into custody. And later, when she finds a key card has been left behind for her to escape, she REALLY steps into it. Dead clone troopers and her lightsabers at hand, right when more clone troopers arrive? Now she's framed for multiple murders! She goes on the run, and even Anakin can't convince her to stop and help sort everything out. We'll talk about all of this on today's episode, and explain the Hitchcock and Kimble references, too. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

With season 7 of The Clone Wars coming to Disney+ starting February 21, I thought it would be a good time to catch you up on some of the stories that you may want to be aware of, or be refreshed about, prior to the debut of the final season. So we're starting with the final story arc of season 5, and the first episode thereof, which is "Sabotage." That's episode 17 from season 5, to be specific. Personally, I haven't seen an episode of The Clone Wars since the middle of season 3, so I'm dropping in a bit ahead of where I was - like, two full season's worth of episodes - and I have to say, I'm super-impressed. The complexity of the animation for the opening space battle, even for the few seconds it's onscreen, rivals the complexity and fill-your-screen madness of the opening battle in Revenge of the Sith. Additionally, the types of issues they address - either head-on, or with a side comment to let you know they're thinking about these things - is also rather complex, too. I know this was intended for an older audience than, say, Star Wars Resistance, but it was still intended to be for kids. And yet, we're getting nods to the poverty on Coruscant, the ethics of war and the Jedi's involvement in it, and holographic re-creations of a bombing crime scene. This is pretty heady stuff. So we'll run the Clone Wars Briefing on this episode today, and we'll also talk about what genre Star Wars actually is, or could 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.***

There won't be a new episode of Star Wars Resistance tonight, because the season has ended, and the series has ended. And in the opinion of your humble Star Wars 7x7 host, the ending has come far too soon. On today's episode of the show, I'm going to be highlighting a lot of the positives from the show, especially those that came in the second half of the second season. I'll also talk about the timeline of Star Wars Resistance, from the announcement of its second season renewal to the announcement that the second season would be its last, and related points in between and since. Mix in a dash of speculation, and a round of kudos to the cast and other creatives, and you have a eulogy of sorts 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.***

Happy February! On today's episode of the show, we're going to look ahead at this month about talk about Star Wars storytelling in movies, live-action TV, animation, books, comics, and more. What's going to be released? What can we expect announcements about? And what is the deal with Project Luminous??? We'll cover it all 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.***

We had some seriously in-depth questions from Patrons of Star Wars 7x7 this month! So in this, the second of two podcast episodes dedicated to answering those questions, we're going examine prophecies from the novel Master & Apprentice, and see whether they predicted Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker; consider whether Luke's green lightsaber should have been buried with the Anakin blue lightsaber on Tatooine instead of Leia's lightsaber; and talk about John Boyega's comments about Disney+ and the potential of appearing in future Star Wars projects. 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 month on the Patreon Q&A episode, there will have to be two episodes! Why, you ask? Because the questions our Patrons sent in are awesome, and there are enough of them that go deep enough with the answer that I won't be able to get to them all on this episode. So, today: An exploration of how Chewie's family, first introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special, has been re-canonized over the last few years; the story about the possibility of splitting The Rise of Skywalker into two films, and whether Disney/Lucasfilm made the right choice in keeping it as one movie; exploring the reveal of Finn's Force sensitivity and the potential of it being fodder for future Star Wars stories; and the deal with the giant multi-colored hula hoop you see in the background of the video version of the 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 20+ minutes that make up part two of "The Escape" are also the final moments from the series run of Star Wars Resistance. When we broke for the first half, the Colossus was waiting in the Barabesh system, hoping to get word from Kaz or Yeager about their mission to help Tam defect from the First Order. Torra was ready to lead the other Aces on a follow-up mission to investigate, but Captain Doza wasn't ready to act, and remained unaware of the danger headed their way... ...thanks to Jace Rucklin, who managed to gain consciousness just in time to get that info on the Colossus' location, before being taken into First Order custody as a presumed accomplice to Tam's defection attempt. Not that the First Order will believe him. And Kaz, Yeager, and CB-23 are on the run inside the Star Destroyer (which, curiously, still hasn't been named for us in the series). So, the task at hand - Kaz, Yeager, and CB-23 have to somehow escape the Star Destroyer with Tam, and the Colossus has to escape yet again from the approaching Star Destroyer. How that unfolds is what we'll be talking about on today's (final!) Resistance 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.***

The series finale for Star Wars Resistance kicks off with the first of a two-part adventure, "The Escape." Since the ending of season one, the big question has been about Tam Ryvora: Would she stay with the First Order and help them destroy the Colossus, or would she have a change of heart and try to rejoin her friends? Well, I think we all anticipated what the final answer would be - the only unknown was how season 2 would navigate us to that result. And the final straw happens in the opening moments of this episode, as the First Order returns en masse to Aeos (last seen in "The New World" and "No Place Safe" two weeks ago) and bombards the planet for their role in assisting the crew of the Colossus. It's similar to First Order behavior we've seen in other media (books, comics), and it's very satisfying for Jace Rucklin (Elijah Wood, who's played this perfectly awful character to perfection). But for Tam, it's the breaking point. She can't be a part of this any longer. On today's Resistance Briefing, we'll talk about what happens next, including the disturbing appearance of a major Sequel Trilogy villain. 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 Rise of Skywalker just concluded its sixth weekend in theaters, and though the numbers have gone down again - as they do for every movie - the movie crossed a new milestone threshold on Saturday, and may overtake another Star Wars movie on the global grosses list within another week or so. On today's episode - which will be the last weekly edition of the Jedi Business feature related to The Rise of Skywalker - we'll go over the numbers to date, where it could end up, and talk about how much money it could make between now and the end of its theatrical run. Which, incidentally, is much farther away than you might guess. 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 Celebration takes place August 27-30, 2020 in Anaheim this time around, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to attend again. Today, I'm starting a series of monthly looks at what we know about the event so far. They haven't announced any guests as of yet, but we do know a lot of the stage elements, and the open applications give us more information as well. And even though they haven't announced the hours for the Exhibit Hall, they've given us a very good indication based on another element of the 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.***

Here we are, a couple of days after the venerable Hollywood trade publications announced the rumors about a delay on the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and there's been exactly one new development - and it's a pretty big one. No, there's still no statement at press time from Lucasfilm or Disney about the stories published earlier this week, and rumored the week prior. But Ewan McGregor was at the premiere for Birds of Prey, and you know how it is with actors in Star Wars - it doesn't matter what press they're doing, they're going to be asked about Star Wars. So you could consider this perfect timing! On today's show, I'm going to highlight three interview clips with Ewan from the premiere, and as a last little thing, I'm going to flag a surprise cameo from The Clone Wars trailer the other day that we haven't yet talked about. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Well, it's one thing when a website you've never heard of before say they hear the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has been canceled, and after a storm erupts on social media, they update the story to say the Kenobi series has only been "delayed." But then when the big-time Hollywood publications start looking into it ... let's just say that things totally start to get real. Like, executive-level realness. Collider first reported yesterday they were hearing from sources that production on the Obi-Wan Kenobi series had been put on hold indefinitely, and people at Pinewood Studios had been sent home. Then The Hollywood Reporter got involved, and their sources not only confirmed* what Collider's sources were saying, but added a few more important details to the story. *Confirmed meaning that The Hollywood Reporter heard what Collider heard. That doesn't mean this delay, hold, whatever you want to call it, has been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm or Disney - at the time of recording for this episode of the show, they hadn't commented at all. On today's episode, I'll recap all the details from last week as well as what's changed this week, and we'll also talk about Lucasfilm's track record for these kinds of creative changes. 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's finally here! The final trailer for the final season of The Clone Wars dropped on Wednesday, and it's a doozy. Action-packed, to be sure, but also including some very thought-provoking moments as well. I'll be talking today about some of those highlights, as well as what story arcs we might be seeing (or not seeing) in this final season, the release schedule for the episodes, 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.***

Well, the fifth weekend is in the books for The Rise of Skywalker, and the results are showing the beginning of the end of the box office run. That's not pessimism talking, necessarily - that's a reflection of a couple of facts that are showing up in the numbers. For a start, TROS lost about 1200 screens this past weekend, meaning fewer opportunities to be making money at the box office. That said, the reason why it loses screens is because it's not making enough money to keep it on all of those screens. It's all about efficiency, you know, and movie houses want to make as much off of their screens as possible. So TROS went down to about 3000 screens this weekend, and also dropped from second to fifth place at the box office. $21.5 million over the weekend is nothing to sneeze at, and not only has it crossed the $1 billion mark overall, it's also cracked the top 15 of domestic box office earners. As far as beating Rogue One or The Last Jedi, we'll talk about that and more 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.***

Since Kaz couldn't get to the Resistance in the previous episode of Star Wars Resistance, the Resistance is coming to him - sort of! In "Rebuilding the Resistance," Captain Doza's wife Venisa returns, along with the rest of her Jade Squadron Resistance fighters. They're hoping to evacuate some new Resistance recruits from - wait for it - Dantooine! And stash them on the Colossus for a few days. But Captain Doza has other plans, as does the First Order. They're taken over the planet and blockaded it, so this evacuation is going to be dangerous... Featuring more starfighter battles (another recent strength of the series), this 17th episode from season 2 also features the second showdown in as many weeks between Kaz and Tam Ryvora. For the second time, she gets a target lock on him, and for the second time, she doesn't take him down. But we'll get to all of that and more in today's Resistance 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.***

"No Place Safe" concludes a two-part story arc for Star Wars Resistance, and today's Resistance Briefing digs into this episode, which is number 16 in season two of the Star Wars animated 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.***

The countdown to the final episodes of Star Wars Resistance begins! Today, it's a Resistance Briefing for "The New World," episode 15 from season 2 of the Star Wars animated series. The Colossus has been on the run from the First Order and survived a mutiny attempt staged by the pirates on board, but have they finally found a place they can call home? Aeos Prime sure looks pretty sweet - and it's tucked away on the edge of the Outer Rim, far from prying eyes. But there's evidence that the First Order has been there recently, and possibly because the planet used to house an old Rebellion outpost. Uh-oh... If you remember the "Martha!" moment from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, you might find (like I did) that someone in the writer's room (or the designers or animators or *someone*) had a similar realization about Griff Halloran's pilot helmet. It's a detail that's been kicking around for a season and a half, and there's finally been a plot point payoff for it. And we'll have a few more things to talk about, too... 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 can't leave the Internet alone for a few hours without people losing their minds over unsourced rumors these days! The most recent case happened yesterday, when a Twitter account and a website each reported (not sure which was the chicken and which was the egg, so to speak) that the Obi-Wan Kenobi series had been canceled in the wake of Ewan McGregor's departure over "creative differences." So I thought we were going to be talking about Star Wars Resistance today, but instead we need to take a moment and set the story straight. The tl;dr is that the Twitter account is a fake one, the website is one I've never heard of until yesterday, and a bunch of industry people have been coming out to confirm that the story is false. As we get into the details of the situation on today's show, we'll also talk about what we do know for sure about the upcoming 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.***

As first announced by The Hollywood Reporter, Taika Waititi is in early talks to helm an upcoming Star Wars movie. That news broke yesterday, and Variety and Deadline Hollywood later "confirmed" the story. But what does that "confirmation" "actually" mean? I'm going to dig into that on today's episode. For now, I can tell you that, as of the time of the recording of the show, everyone else seems to be referencing one of those three publications, and no one else is breaking news on it. Neither Lucasfilm nor Waititi have responded to the stories, but Waititi did post a picture of the cover of Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album on Twitter late yesterday, without further comment. So make of that what you will. If it does turn out to be true, then I can tell you when it which previously announced Star Wars film date it can hit at the earliest, and - as a result of that, plus a few other things we'll discuss - we can make some guesses about the 2022 and 2026 movies as well. 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've done four 2020 preview episodes so far - for movies, live action series, animated series, and books - and now it's time to take a look at the comics! 2019 was a big transitional year for the Star Wars brand. Not only was it the year that saw the end of the Skywalker Saga, it also saw the end of a couple of long-running comic series. The flagship Star Wars title ended its first series, set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. And the wildly popular Doctor Aphra series that spun off from the first Darth Vader series also ended. Yikes! On today's episode, we'll talk about what's coming next for Star Wars, Aphra, and Vader, as well as other existing series and miniseries. Also, there's even more time with announced situations than there is for the books! But based on past history, I can make some guesses - some reasonable, some less so - about what's to come. 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 Academy Award nominations were announced on Monday, and The Rise of Skywalker has been nominated in three categories: Visual Effects, Original Score, and Sound Editing. Intriguingly - at least to me! - all the nominees for Sound Mixing are the same as for Sound Editing, with the lone exception being that Ad Astra was nominated instead of The Rise of Skywalker. On today's show, we'll see how this compares to the rest of the Sequel Trilogy movies, the other Disney-era movies, and the rest of the Skywalker Saga as well. We'll also talk about how long it's been since a Star Wars movie won an Oscar in these main TV-broadcast categories (not counting "Special Achievement Awards," but acknowledging them while we're at it). And finally, we'll celebrate the work of one very special person who's been nominated for his work on six of the nine Skywalker Saga movies - and examine why he wasn't nominated for the other three. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Well, it was going to happen sometime, it was only a matter of when. The Rise of Skywalker did not top the box office during its fourth weekend of release. That honor went to 1917, the World War I movie from Sam Mendes, which won a couple of Golden Globes two weekends ago, and opened "wide" for the first time this past weekend. (As in, it had ben in limited release previously and before the end of 2019, so it could qualify for the Academy Awards this year.) On today's episode, we'll talk about how long the four previous Star Wars movies commanded the top of the box office by way of comparison, plus of course we'll go over the numbers so far, and talk about when The Rise of Skywalker will reach its next box office milestones - $1 billion global, and $500 million domestic. Also - it's early yet, but I'm already thinking about it - a brief thought or two about whether any of the reactions to The Last Jedi had a noticeable impact on the performance of The Rise of Skywalker. Then finally, a moment of gratitude about the comments on the family mini-series of episodes that concluded yesterday, along with time-traveling thoughts about episode 2,022. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

With it being the end of the "Skywalker Saga," and with it being called The Rise of Skywalker, it's probably no surprise that this whole movie hinges on family dynamics. And as we've done for the other 10 Star Wars movies whose release years coincided with our episode numbers, the final episode of that mini-series has arrived. One of the fascinating things, though, is that the movie's dynamic is driven much more by the Palpatine family line than it is the Skywalker line. Sure, there are squad goals for the Skywalker lineage - like dealing with Ben Solo's descent to the dark side, and how any other Skywalkers (Luke, Leia, Anakin) would factor into the resolution of that character arc. But really, this is all driven by the Palpatine story, which kind of a dark mirror of the Skywalker story. To wit: Palpatine uses a dark side acolyte to try to destroy the most powerful/only light side acolyte out there. If said light sider can't be destroyed, perhaps they can be turned instead. Thus, Palpatine is up to his old tricks, pitting light against dark, and all he cares about is who's stronger. But this time, he tries the seduction route a bit more. He offers the might of the Sith fleet to Kylo Ren in exchange for killing Rey. When that doesn't work, he tells Rey to strike him down so she can save her friends at Exogol. When Palpatine was egging Luke on to strike him down, he never dangled the carrot of saving his friends at Endor. We'll talk about this and lots more, plus we'll address - as conclusively as it can be addressed right now - the Lando/Jannah father/daughter rumors. 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 this series of episodes looking at family dynamics in the Star Wars movies, one of the main things upon which I've been keeping an eye is how family becomes a driving force for the story of a movie, or of a specific character's story, story arc, and/or development. Yesterday, I said that The Last Jedi was one of the movies with the least amount of its story driven by family dynamics, and that was true. In fact, it's driven to a large degree by a lack of family - Rey finally admitting out loud that she has no family left to go home to or to come back for her, and Kylo/Ben having killed his father, allowed his mother to nearly be killed, ready to kill his uncle, and having his affinity for his grandfather ridiculed to the point that he destroys his own mask. Well, Solo, by comparison, has none of those dynamics at all. It's the Star Wars movie with the least amount of story driven by family dynamics, hands-down. But there are brief conversations about parents, which I'll explore in today's episode, and I'll also share a fun fact I learned about Warwick Davis' character in Solo that would make for a great trivia question down the road. 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 episode didn't quite go the way I thought. It's the episode number that matches the year of release for The Last Jedi, so we're exploring family themes (as with previous number/year matchups). But my first instinct was to say that family was less of a driver in this Star Wars movie than any other Star Wars movie we've discussed so far. And in a sense, that's right. Rey has accepted, somewhere inside of her, that her family isn't coming back for her, so she's forging ahead with the Resistance and training (hopefully) with Luke. Meanwhile, Kylo is still reeling from having killed his dad, and instead of it solidifying his journey to the dark side, it's split his soul, and Snoke is using it to drag Kylo about his adoration of his grandfather. Well, Kylo gets a shot at redemption, so to speak - literally and figuratively. But he can't do it, he can't kill his mother. But he won't save her, either, which means that he, too, is totally alone in this galaxy. Except that he isn't. And that's where family suddenly comes into the whole equation in an unexpected way - and it's the kind of family we've talked about in previous episodes, though it's usually a good-guy phenomenon. That's the part I wasn't initially thinking about when I started the episode, but that's where it's going to go 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.***

2016 is the year of Rogue One's release, so we're going to talk about that movie here on episode number 2,016 as well! As with our previous year/episode number matchups, family is the topic of the show, and in the case of Rogue One, family is a key driver of the action. Sure, you can make the case that family is important in most, if not all, of the Star Wars movies. But in this case, the father/daughter relationship between Galen and Jyn Erso is at the heart of the movie. I noticed some parallels and follow-ups looking at the movie through this lens that I hadn't before. For example, Krennic calls Galen a terrible liar in the opening. Later, in Galen's hologram message (which Jyn hears in Saw Gerrera's hideout), Galen reveals that he learned to lie, in order to hide the flaw in the Death Star. And Jyn telling the Rebel leaders in her initial briefing that it's easier for her to think of Galen as being dead, juxtaposed with Galen saying in his hologram that he tries to only think of Jyn when he's "strong enough"? Beautifully connected. We'll be talking about this, and how Jyn's relationship (or connection, or lack thereof at times) drives her journey in the movie on today's episode. We'll also touch on the family situations only hinted at for three other characters as well. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

And here we go! As with the episodes that corresponded to the years of release for the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy movies, we're now about to enter the final run of episodes focused on the theme of family in the Star Wars movies. Today, The Force Awakens is on tap. We've talked on the podcast before about how many, MANY of the story beats from The Force Awakens mirror those from A New Hope. Well, it turns out that, seen through the lens of family, there's a similarity between the two as well. Both movies feature people from broken families banding together to achieve one great victory against a galaxy-threatening evil. The primary difference is that The Force Awakens is much more overt about putting family front and center as a driving element of the story and its character arcs. The most significant reference to family you get in A New Hope is Obi-Wan telling Luke that Darth Vader killed Luke's father. Meanwhile, Rey's waiting for her family to return to Jakku, flagging the possibility that her lineage will prove significant; Kylo Ren is the estranged child of Han and Leia; Han and Leia themselves are estranged; and Leia has spent years searching desperately for her missing brother. We'll discuss the finer points on today's show, including two other cast members for whom family plays a significant role. Ultimately, this is the most brutal Star Wars movie to all of its characters, as seen through the lens of family. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Time to get back to our series of looks at what's to come in Star Wars storytelling for 2020! This is our fourth in the series - we've already covered movies, live action series, and animation. Now, we're on to novels, short stories, and children's books. On today's episode, I'll be going through the announcement we have so far, in chronological order, and sharing what we know about the titles announced so far. I'll also talk about what's NOT on the calendar as of yet, since nothing has been announced for September and beyond. That includes one potential title that seems logical, when you look back at the 2017 Star Wars releases, and one very large project that's still quite mysterious... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Welcome to another Resistance Briefing! With this one, we're all caught up on Star Wars Resistance, as today's episode of the podcast breaks down "The Mutiny." I have to say, I'm wondering if there was more to this episode - the log line at Disney's website says Ax Tagrin (Joe Manganiello) and Norath Kev (Daveed Diggs) were also supposed to appear in this episode, but they did not after all. I've got a theory about how they could have been involved, which I'll be sharing on the show. We'll also talk about the cameo appearance of a cameo character from The Force Awakens, a confusing bit about the Colossus lockdown, and what's coming up next for the 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 third weekend is complete, and The Rise of Skywalker is on track to easily clear a billion dollars at the global box office. That said, it's still tracking behind The Last Jedi's numbers, which could be a function of the better reviews received by TLJ as compared to TROS ... at least in part. We'll talk about this today, as well as other factors that could and will affect TROS's final box office totals, including how well the counter-programming by other studios worked out this time around, and what's coming up at the box office that could potentially draw attention away from TROS. Also, if you were anywhere near social media last week, you may have seen calls for an "Abrams Cut" of TROS trending. The deal is that a user on Reddit claimed to have access to a source with intimate knowledge of the TROS production, who said (in summary) that Disney undermined Abrams by increasing degrees, to the point that he was "blindsided" by the version of TROS that arrived in theaters. Further, the source alleges that Disney did this in part to ruin Abrams' reputation as he moves on to his nine-figure deal with Warner Brothers (home of DC, a potential direct rival to Disney's Marvel). Well, there's some truth to what was posted, but some of that truth was already out there, to borrow from another franchise. So we'll talk about all of that today, too. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Well, here's the cliffhanger that could easily also have been a mid-season premiere if it had been held for a few weeks more. "Breakout" is the 13th episode from season 2 of Star Wars Resistance, and as I noted in yesterday's show, this is now three episodes in a row that are at the peak of Resistance episodes overall. They really seem to be hitting their stride with the show - more's the pity that it's going to end with this season... When we last left our heroes, Yeager, Synara, and CB-23 had been captured and would be turned over to Commander Pyre, Agent Tierney, and the First Order's tender ministrations. (Ironically stated - they actually show all three being tortured with electricity in this episode, which seems like a step older from their previously-stated younger audience perspective.) Kaz and the other Resistance spy Norath Kev have to figure out how to rescue them - and do it before the First Order finds and destroys the Colossus hiding nearby. This podcast features a full-spoiler breakdown, and also looks ahead at episode 14 - because apparently we're not done with the bounty hunter Ax Tagrin just yet. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Well, with all the hoopla around The Rise of Skywalker, our Star Wars Resistance coverage had to take a back seat for a bit, I'm sorry to say. The good news is that we're catching up this weekend, starting with a Resistance Briefing for "The Missing Agent." This is episode 12 from season 2. I praised the previous episode, "Station to Station," as the best of the series to date. While I wouldn't dethrone that episode, I will say that "The Missing Agent" (and "Breakout" following it) are turning this into a very strong run of shows. Action-packed, exciting, suspenseful, surprising, and funny - everything you could want from a Star Wars story! That said, there is something strange going on that I've talked about on previous episodes related to Resistance. It was just a sense I had, but I've done a little digging and confirmed my suspicions, which we'll talk about on today's show as well. 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 lobbied tirelessly for it, and Lucasfilm answered the call! Clone Wars season 7 is coming to Disney+ in February, with 12 episodes to let creator Dave Filoni finish the series and give it the kind of send-off that he always wanted - the kind he got to do with Star Wars Rebels. Meanwhile, Star Wars Resistance is going to end its run in 2020, and after that ... what's next? A new season of a Star Wars animated series has begun in the fall of every year since 2008! (With the exception of 2013, but for that year, the "Lost Missions" episodes of Clone Wars, which would have been season 6, debuted a little later, in February 2014.) So, does that mean we have a new series to look forward to in the Fall of 2020? I'll be talking about all of the above 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.***

Well, this is new! In previous years of previewing what's to come in Star Wars storytelling, live-action TV never had its own episode on the podcast. But now we've got not one, not two, but at least three shows in production in 2020! The Mandalorian is gearing up for season 2, and the Cassian Andor series and the Obi-Wan series are both in pre-production, at different stages of development. Today, I'll be talking about where we stand on all three of them right now, when to expect new news from each of the productions, 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.***

Happy New Year! To kick off 2020, I'm starting a series of looks at the different kinds of Star Wars media, with a quick look back at 2019 for each, and a deeper look ahead at what's coming in 2020. Today, movies are on tap. We're covering a lot of the "look back" stuff with the Jedi Business posts, so there won't be a lot of time spent on The Rise of Skywalker. And no, of course there are no Star Wars movies being released in 2020. But if you think that means nothing will be happening with Star Wars movies this year, my friend, I have good news on the show for you. I'll be discussing an interview Kathleen Kennedy gave to the Los Angeles Times on December 15th, the fact that Disney is still holding the December 16th, 2022 date on their release calendar for Star Wars, and the production schedule of The Force Awakens to explain why 2020 is going to be a big deal for the galaxy far, far away. And one thing I didn't mention in the show: Star Wars Celebration in August is perfectly timed for a big movie 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.***

The second weekend of The Rise of Skywalker's release is behind us, and in some cases, the numbers are promising. Its closing the gap between it and The Last Jedi, its second-weekend drop was lower percentage-wise, and even the most conservative estimates for the total domestic box office have it matching TLJ's "multiple" (2.82, meaning that the total box office was/will be 2.82 times the opening weekend numbers). But that would still leave it below TLJ's dollar amount by more than $120 million. So ... what does that MEAN??? On today's episode, a disclaimer about how I'm approaching these Jedi Business episodes, what we can learn from how the other top-10 movies of 2019 have been performing, and how their CinemaScore ratings may (or may not) correspond to their box office results. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

2005 is, of course, the year that saw the release of the final movie in the Prequel Trilogy, Revenge of the Sith. And to continue our series of looks at family and its related dynamics in the Star Wars movies, we're talking about Revenge of the Sith from that certain point of view. Seen through the lens of family, this movie is when things really get bad for Anakin. Yes, you don't have to look at it that way to see the same thing, but play along, will ya? ;-) It's one thing to have a super-secret and exciting thing going on with your spouse, and you have no other responsibilities - except for that whole Clone Wars business, of course. But then a baby comes along, and now how are Anakin and Padme going to keep this thing going on a secret? Somewhere in here, there's an idea for a sitcom, where they have to hide the baby, and the madness ensues. "No, Obi-Wan, that noise is just R2-D2 whistling to himself in the other room." But I digress... On today's episode, we'll be talking about Anakin getting forced to the sticking point, what other options he might have had, how Padme adjusts so much better to this turn of events, what's possibly the best monologue in all of the Star Wars movies, and much 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.***

From a daringly lengthy comedic opening to an action-packed resolution and a shock of a final scene, "Redemption" saved The Mandalorian's Season 1 best for last. Just about every setup was fulfilled, meaningful moments were well-planned, the mythology was advanced, and we've got a cliffhanger that can possibly open the doors to a whole host of interesting possibilities for Season 2. On today's spoiler-filled episode of the show, I'm also flagging a few things I forgot to mention that were notable in Chapter 7 (Force-choking!), reviewing the highlights of Chapter 8, explaining the significance of *that* final scene, 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.***

Yay! We're back to the main story arc in "The Reckoning," Chapter 7 from Season 1 of The Mandalorian. And we're catching up on it finally, since we've been talking about this little thing called The Rise of Skywalker for a while. This episode of The Mandalorian actually dropped a week and a half ago... On today's episode, we'll be talking about the surprises, the funniest moment of the season so far (and the most emotional one, too), plus the first live-action appearance of a vehicle first introduced as a Sears department store toy exclusive, additional appreciation for Werner Herzog, and the whole "Strand-Cast" business. 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 a family dynamics view, Attack of the Clones is an especially difficult movie for Anakin Skywalker. Not only is he dealing with a life-or-death crisis in his biological family, he's also forced to deal with a life-or-death crisis for his surrogate family as well. In fact, you could argue that the reason why he chooses to marry Padme in secret - and not leave the Jedi Order - is because of the death of his mother. He loses his link to one family in the movie, and so it's highly unlikely he would walk away from the only family he has left. Or he could become a moisture farmer with his stepdad, and start a new family with Padme. Unlikely, perhaps, but it's not like he didn't have options. We'll be talking about all of this and more, including a potential link between this movie and The Last Jedi as well. 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 may notice a bit of a jump in this episode - that's because it was initially recorded right on the heels of me seeing The Rise of Skywalker for the first time. But being that it's the evening of Christmas Day when it came time to pull this episode together, and (on a personal note) we still have family visiting with us, the easiest solution was for me to re-record the introduction to this episode, which is focused on Resistance Reborn. Resistance Reborn is the primary novel in the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker publishing initiative, and tells us about the Resistance's activities in the days and weeks following the events of The Last Jedi. As for what it does, or doesn't, set up and prepare you for when you ultimately see The Rise of Skywalker - well, that's what I'm going to talk about on this episode. I'm also going to trace a couple connections to other Star Wars stories while I'm at it... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

By a weird fluke of the calendar, and maybe of fate as well, the 2,000th episode of Star Wars 7x7 falls on Christmas Day! So this episode is going to be a quieter, more personal celebration. It starts off with gratitude for you (yes, you!) for making the show possible and getting me excited to be in front of the microphone every day. Thank you for supporting me and Star Wars 7x7, whether you've been with me the whole way or you're just joining the fun! From there, I'll be taking a look back at some of the unexpected things that have come about as a result of starting and continuing the podcast; sharing the make-up of the top ten most downloaded episodes of the show; looking ahead to (yes, I'm going to say it) the next thousand episodes; and taking a moment to be humbly awed by what we've created over these 5+ years. 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've hit another episode number that corresponds to the year of a Star Wars movie release, so we're going to stop with The Rise of Skywalker talk for the day and have a look at The Phantom Menace! Just like the previous year/episode number matches for 1977, 1980, and 1983, we're exploring the themes and complications of family as presented in the Star Wars movies, focused this time on the first movie in the Prequel Trilogy. It's an interesting comparison to A New Hope, the first of the Original Trilogy. In that movie, people from families broken out of their control banded together to deal a blow to a Galactic Empire - and as a result, created their own new family. From a certain point of view. :-) Meanwhile, in The Phantom Menace, people have left their families on purpose, to join the Jedi Order. And they have free will! If they decide that the Jedi Order isn't for them, they can leave and go back to their own lives. But things are not all as rosy and blissful as they seem. Because it's easy to be the master of your emotions when you're just hanging out in a temple all day. Then the Sith come along, and Obi-Wan is definitely not using the Force against Darth Maul only for knowledge and defense ... we'll be talking about that today, and how family matters are so much easier when there's no drama. 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 "Jedi Business" segment returns! Every Monday for the next few weeks, I'll be talking about the performance of The Rise of Skywalker at the box office, though this time around the focus is going to be a little bit different. There's been an assertion floating around for the last two years that dissatisfaction from some quarters with The Last Jedi would have a negative effect on the box office of all Star Wars movies going forward. When Solo: A Star Wars Story came out, I spent a lot of time looking at the numbers and the extenuating circumstances, and concluded that there were a lot more significant reasons for Solo's showing at the box office than any Last-Jedi effect. Well, if The Rise of Skywalker had received better critics' reviews than it did, then this discussion would be a whole lot easier. As it is, the movie (at recording time) is on track for a $175-$180 million opening, which is below both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but above Rogue One. The sequel Saga movies declined in successive opening weekends, but for the comparative, the prequel Saga movies each outperformed the previous one released, so that Revenge of the Sith had the biggest opening weekend of the three. Also, the movie received a B+ from CinemaScore, while its predecessors all scored A and A- grades. And PostTrak has The Rise of Skywalker at 4 out of 5 stars and 81% positive overall - which is behind The Force Awakens (90% positive overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars), Rogue One (91% positive overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars), and The Last Jedi (89% positive overall, 5 out of 5 stars). These aren't exactly hopeful numbers for The Rise of Skywalker beating The Last Jedi at the box office, which it was expected to do based on prequel history. But there are signs of hope, which I'll talk about on the podcast today, as well as discuss the reveal about something Finn said (or didn't say) in the film (mild spoiler, with ample warning in the recording). Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***