It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.
Read MoreSSSW - Andor S2 Finale
After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.
Read MoreSSSW - Bonus Episode - Star Wars Check-In - November 2024
It’s been two months since we did our “State of Star Wars” episode where we essentially eviscerated the current situation in regards to the decision making process at Lucasfilm and their seeming inability to get a movie into production, among other things. Well in that time, we’ve had a smattering of news stories of all stripes, which Julian and Rachel cover in this episode, but what really prompted another Bonus Episode was the latest piece, again from The Hollywood Reporter, exploring the situation in further depth on the movie side of the business at Lucasfilm. Your hosts deep dive on all of it, and then cap things off with something much more lighthearted. Next up, ‘Skeleton Crew’ in December, where we’ll be breaking down every episode. Stay tuned!
Read MoreSSSW - Bonus Episode - The State of Star Wars
Following the cancellation of ‘The Acolyte’, many fans are taking a step back and asking questions about the state of the franchise. And rightly so, considering the confused state that many have been left in. Especially considering that Lucasfilm continues to leave us in the dark, with no official word following the recent cancellation. They've also done very little to inspire trust in their current creative process given the number of high profile project announcements that have never come to fruition. Meanwhile, the fandom is imploding on itself. Creators and influencers in the community are pitted against each other, seemingly in a fight for influence over control of the narrative surrounding each new project. Debates over what is or isn’t "Star Wars" wage on the internet as fans dodge bad-faith landmines across their social feeds. Julian and Rachel look at where things stand with Star Wars today, how we got here, and what the future might hold.
Read MoreSSSW - Ahsoka - Series Premiere
After only a short 4-months since ‘The Mandalorian’ season 3, Small Screen Star Wars returns with more reviews and breakdowns. After having to (fairly) bow out of covering the season finale of Mando, Rachel returns to the podcast chair, alongside Julian, to unpack the two-part series premiere of ‘Ahsoka’. With these episodes coming in at nearly two full hours combined, there’s a lot of lore, character and details to sift through, so buckle up for a comprehensive exploration of every action-packed moment in this overstuffed exploration of the latest Star Wars story! (which just so happens to basically be a semi-sequel to ‘Rebels’)
Read MoreSSSW - The Bad Batch S1E4 "Cornered"
The picture of what ‘The Bad Batch’ will be like week-to-week is becoming more clear. This week’s episode “Cornered”, brings a fan favorite character to animation for the first time, but more importantly, it established that this show is not interested in slowing down, and in fact seems to be speeding up, despite there still being 12 episodes left. The pacing here is relentless but never feels rushed, even with only a 22 minute runtime, and the they are finding clever ways to blend the truly spectacular action (some of, if not the best, non-lightsaber action in recent memory) with some tender character moments. Plus, the show is apparently not afraid of getting dark as this week episode continues to prove. I’ll say it again, this is top tier Star Wars. Listen as Julian and Rachel recap the full episode right here!
Read MoreEpisode 158 - Fincher Unleashed
As the pandemic rages on, and we adjust to the new normal, so does Hollywood. With news that Wonder Woman 1984 will be coming to HBO Max on Christmas, the future of the theatre going experience becomes even more clouded. Meanwhile, David Fincher is in the press, promoting his latest streaming endeavor ‘Mank’, (and dropping some spicy takes!) fresh off signing a 4-year exclusive deal with Netflix of his own. We watch as the Hollywood landscape is remapped on the fly. But it’s not all doom and gloom! I mean, there’s a ‘Wedding Crashers’ sequel in the works, and a new Predator film coming from Dan Trachtenberg. So there’s SOME hope is all I’m saying. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy also touch on the latest from the Snyder Cut, and weigh in on the pressing subject of whether streaming services should let credits play uninterrupted (you know, the important stuff). All that, and so much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.
Read MoreSSSW - Star Wars Oscars
Inspired by the creative minds at @starwarstuff on Twitter, Small Screen Star Wars is back with more podcasting goodness. This week’s theme is Star Wars Oscars (not to be confused with Star Wars AT the Oscars, where John Williams owns). Julian and Rachel pick the best of the best from across Star Wars on film (and television of course). Who’s the best Star Wars director? What is the best lightsaber duel? The best droid? (spoilers, there’s only 1 correct answer for this. I’m sorry, but we don’t make the rules) Tune in to find what is OBJECTIVELY (subjectively) the best stuff in Star Wars!
Read MoreSSSW - The Clone Wars S7E11 "Shattered"
It’s finally happened. The moment we’ve all been waiting for, but dreading all the same. Order 66 has come to our beloved Ahsoka and Rex. A foreboding sense of creeping doom hung over the first half of the episode like a guillotine with the score, once again, being used to the fullest to build suspense and tension. When the order was finally given, we were treated to one of the most intense moments we’ve ever seen in The Clone Wars. However, it was Dave Filoni and his team's ability to continue to exceed our expectations, particularly for a scene we all knew was coming, that was truly impressive. Every beat felt perfectly crafted to fit the narrative we already knew, while at the same time felt fresh and true to the characters. So far, every episode in this 4-part finale has been near perfect Star Wars, and “Shattered” maintains that streak. Which leaves us with one final episode to wrap up the series, and no matter what happens in part 4, I think we can all agree, it's been one hell of a ride.
Read MoreSSSW - The Clone Wars S7E9 "Old Friends Not Forgotten"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars has reached the final stretch, and they aren’t messing around. Part 1, of the final 4-episode arch, kicked things off with a bang! From the very first frame showing the green “Lucasfilm Limited” title card, to the humming of lightsabers over the final credits, you could feel how special this was. Every scene felt purposeful, every line of dialogue thoughtfully written. There was a certain air of importance that seemed to hang over everything. Nothing driving that home more than the music. For the first time, The Clone Wars was able to use the full John Williams score. It started with the opening fanfare and continued with perfectly cued-up classic Star Wars themes throughout the episode, driving the emotional core. And what an emotional episode it was. Dave Filoni and the gang at Lucasfilm poured so much heart into the final goodbye between Ashoka and Anakin alone, that there couldn’t have been a dry eye in the audience. Nevermind the other 28 minutes of the episode that spared no opportunity to tug at the heartstrings. Overall it’s a near perfect episode of The Clone Wars, and will likely go down as one of it’s best.
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