My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

So I finished the book Brotherhood this past week, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a great Obi-Wan and Anakin Clone Wars adventure (and would make a great arc in the Clone Wars animated show). The timing of its release (May 10) to almost coincide with the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ (May 28th) is meant to make us cry a little harder about the ruin their relationship ultimately came to. Because they were brothers, the greatest Jedi team of the Clone Wars era, and quite simply, good friends. So yeah, my heart’s twisting even more now at how sad and terrible events turned out, if that’s even possible. Anyway, if you’re an Obi-Wan and Anakin fan, a Clone Wars fan, or a Star Wars canon fan, this book is for you.

I’ve also been making my way through Skywalker: A Family at War, by Kristen Baver, on my Kindle. I thought this book was just going to be a rehash of what we already know about the Skywalker saga, and it is that in a very basic sense. But it’s also surprisingly insightful about the characters and their relationships, and has the added bonus of telling us the story in chronological order. The author also includes events that occurred in some of the comics, which was helpful to me since I don’t normally read the comics. I feel that the book will constantly need to be updated, though, as the canon is continually being added to with all the new shows and books.

Now that I’m done with Brotherhood, I was casting around for the next Star Wars book, and actually had some trouble picking one out. There’s plenty in the canon I haven’t read yet, including the Thrawn books, as well as the books that concentrate on Alphabet Squadron (Shadowfall, etc.) and Inferno Squad. I’m just not interested in reading those books. I’m not into the pilot stories, and I tried reading the first new Thrawn book, but couldn’t get into it. I love the character, but I like him as the villain rather than the protagonist. I find I don’t like reading books with villains as the protagonist (Tarkin, Vader, Thrawn, etc). That’s just me.

Anyway, I finally decided on Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire, by Delilah S. Dawson. At first I stayed away from the Galaxy’s Edge books because they just seemed gimmicky. But after reading the synopsis for the hundredth time, and considering I liked Dawson’s book Phasma, I decided to give it a go. We’ll see how it goes, and I’ll let you know what I think.

I also ordered along with it a copy of Queen’s Peril, by E.K. Johnston, to add to my Padme collection. I read the book on my Kindle because it had been on sale at the time, but I want all three physical copies on my shelf. That’s just me, too, lol.

Now, onto Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 4. Like many, I was disappointed it was so short (37 minutes as opposed to the usual 55 or so), but it was still enjoyable. It was your typical Star Wars rescue story, something we’ve seen so many times before (Jedi: Fallen Order in particular here), but you can’t argue that it wasn’t Star Warsy. Fairly easy rescues from Imperial facilities is just what Star Wars does best, I guess, lol.

I liked the beginning, when both Obi-Wan and Vader were in their respective bacta tanks and they were both haunted by their last meeting on Mapuza. They’ve both been through the fire now, literally and metaphorically, and while Vader became something unrecognizable, Obi-Wan is becoming more like his old self, more resolved than ever to find Leia. I loved seeing him becoming a little more confident in himself and his Force abilities, especially the hallway scene with the water (hallway scenes are apparently another thing Star Wars does well, lol).

Besides the big bulge under the coat, Obi-Wan’s bearded face should be a red flag amid the clean-shaven Imperials.

I at first thought the scene where Leia was hiding in plain sight under Obi-Wan’s cloak was beyond silly, and it kind of is; but then I thought about how they walked right past Fifth Brother and company, and how he was so absorbed in complaining about Reva that he didn’t even notice it (there were plenty of others around that could have and should have noticed it, but whatever). I think the point was to show how the Sith are so wrapped up in themselves, while people like Roken and his group selflessly help others. It was a little too convenient that the Path people showed up at just the right moment, but again, I’m not going to complain too much. This is Star Wars, what do you want? I still thought this episode was fun, and can’t wait for the final two parts. Oh, and that Jedi tomb in the bowels of the Fortress Inquisitorious was gruesome and macabre. Seeing Tera Sinube there (a gentle old Jedi who helped Ahsoka in an episode of the Clone Wars) broke my heart. But then we see a youngling, and then it was just horrific.

Not much to report in Marvel, except that I think Ms. Marvel has dropped and maybe She-Hulk will drop soon? I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. I’m just not interested in these shows at all. Right now I’m all about Marvel movies, and can’t wait for Thor: Love and Thunder next month!

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Inner Jedi Notebook: Week Ten

I haven’t posted any of my Inner Jedi Notebook entries for awhile, but I’ve still been writing them. I’m often scaling down the blogging to once a week for awhile, and then I suddenly decide to go back to several times a week. It all depends on what’s preoccupying me, lol.

Anyway, my last entry was Week 9, so I’ll continue with Week 10:

Week Ten

Coloring Meditations

Before a youngling can become a Padawan learner, they must first go to the planet Ilum, find a kyber crystal, and build their own lightsaber.

If you could design your own lightsaber, what would it look like? What color blade would it project? Sketch and color it in the space provided.

My answer was:

“I’m not even going to try to draw a lightsaber, lol. I will talk about the ones that I love, my favorites. Those two are Leia’s lightsaber, and Rey’s. I find it interesting that I like the two that were designed by women. Leia’s is certainly a bit more feminine–the coppery pink color and the graceful lines. Rey’s isn’t necessarily more feminine–it seems a bit more primal than any other I’ve seen. But I like how she’s incorporated a part of who she is into it–it resembles her trusty staff that was her weapon of choice before she became a Jedi. And I love the yellow color. It’s weird, because yellow is not my favorite color, but I love it in lightsabers. Probably because you don’t see it too often. Also, it’s the color of the Temple Guard blades, who intrigue me. I just think they’re cool-looking, with their eerie masks. So I’d definitely want mine to be yellow/gold.”

I did tape photos of Leia’s and Rey’s lightsabers into the journal.

I haven’t done any meditating for quite a while. I just wanted to do other things during my precious free time, lol, like drawing or journalling. And that’s okay. I still listen to the soothing meditation music, though. Does that count? And it’s something I can always get back into if I feel the need.

What would your lightsaber look like? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

A few things to talk about with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars Celebration, but first: books.

I’ve been reading Brotherhood by Mike Chen, and it’s really quite good. I love seeing how Obi-Wan and Anakin have to re-evaluate their relationship after the start of the Clone Wars and when Anakin gets promoted to Jedi Knight. They’re on fairly equal footing now, and both of them have to learn how to deal with that. We also get to see the Neimoidians in a new light here. Instead of seeing just the Trade Federation and their shady dealings with Darth Sidious, we see regular Neimoidian citizens on their home planet of Cato Neimoidia (a planet that has remained neutral in the war so far), and learn a bit more about their culture. Not only do we see them differently, but both Obi-Wan and Anakin are forced to re-examine their prejudices and expectations.

I love the writing style of Chen and how the chapters are fairly short and alternate between several different characters. I wouldn’t say anything truly spectacular happens in the book, and so it’s not an urgent page-turner (I’m about 2/3 of the way through after having it for a few weeks), but it’s a pleasant and interesting read about beloved characters, and I recommend it to canon fans.

I’m pretty hyped to see some release dates and a few covers for the next phase of The High Republic:

I believe Convergence is the adult novel, Path of Deceit is the YA novel, and Quest for the Hidden City is the middle grade book. I’m looking forward to all of them!

So Star Wars Celebration was this past weekend, and I’ve been watching a few of the events on Youtube as well as the trailers for new projects that were released. I loved watching Ewan and Hayden talking to the crowd about the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, as well as Diego Luna and Genevieve O’Reilly talk about Andor.

I LOVED seeing the Andor trailer, as we haven’t seen nor heard much about it since learning of its existence, and it looks fantastic! Cassian Andor was a great character in Rogue One and I wanted to know more, and I’m so happy we’ll get his story here; but there seems to be so much more, too. Seeing Mon Mothma in Coruscant dealing with the political climate in the Imperial Senate is going to be so cool, and there just seems to be many other things going on too that look exciting. We’re going to get 12 episodes in Season 1, so there’s plenty of room for storytelling in this series. It comes out in August and I can’t wait!

Just smile and pretend everything is fine…Mon Mothma must tread a dangerous line in Imperial Coruscant.

We also saw the Bad Batch Season 2 trailer, and as someone who really liked this animated series, I’m pumped. I think it takes place a year or two later, as Omega looks older and she’s quite adept at her fancy weapon; I think the Batch are going to move toward a new goal beyond just surviving and possibly join the fight against the Empire. Or at least help people in need. And I heard Commander Cody will be in it, and that’s awesome. We’ve all been wondering about what happened to Cody, and now we’ll find out.

Okay, now: Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 3. Um, wow! I won’t go into an entire episode review here, there’s just too much, but there’s a few things I want to talk about. When Leia and Ben were on the transport and there was that moment when Leia says, “You knew my real mother, didn’t you?” I’m loving these little nods to Padme–in the same vein as it’s not just about Luke, but Leia too, it’s not just about Anakin but Padme, too. And when she asks him if he’s her real father, he says, “I wish I could say that I am. But I’m not.” Hmmm, that’s an interesting answer. I’m not saying he actually wishes he was Leia’s father, or that he had a thing for Padme or anything; it’s just an interesting thing to say instead of just, “No, I’m not.” I think maybe he just meant that, for her sake, it would have been better if he was the father rather than Anakin, a man who had turned to the dark side. Maybe I’m just reading too much into it, lol. And then to hear him talk about his vague memories of his birth family–we’ve never heard that before, and it was really neat.

I loved the safe room that Tala brings them to–you can see Ben’s eyes light up a bit when he sees Quinlan Vos’s name. He’s delighted that he’s still alive, but also that he’s helping others in the best way he can. The Jedi Order has been decimated, but they’re not completely dead. The spark is still there. I think that heartens him a bit.

And then, of course, there was Vader. You thought the Rogue One hallway scene was badass? Yes, it is, but in that scene he’s simply being efficient, doing what needs to be done to get the Death Star plans. Here, he’s trying to draw Obi-Wan out, so he’s being deliberately cruel and ruthless. Choking that man and snapping his son’s neck, dragging that person through the street–daaamn! And the whole encounter with Obi-Wan was riveting. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master and Clone Wars general, is running away. Yes, he’s drawing Vader away from the town, but you can also tell he’s scared shitless. And in the ensuing lightsaber battle, he’s a pale shadow of what he once was.

But Vader doesn’t want to kill him–yet, anyway. He wants him to suffer as he had, so he nearly roasts him alive. I think Obi-Wan should have been injured and burned far worse than he was, but okay. He got a little taste of Vader’s pain. I’m not sure why Vader let him get away, and there have been theories, but maybe we’ll find out in the next episode. Which I cannot wait for! Wednesdays cannot come soon enough, lol.

I just want to mention one Marvel thing, and that’s the show Assembled: Moon Knight. I really enjoy these making-of docs for the Marvel shows (as well as the Galleries for Star Wars). I thought Moon Knight was fantastic, and I loved getting some behind-the-scenes information on it. So bravo Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and the entire cast and crew for making one of my favorite Marvel series. I’m hoping for an announcement for a Season Two!

That’s everything for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update (Obi-Wan Edition)

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

So of course the Obi-Wan Kenobi series premiered this past Friday, and it’s so big and exciting that I decided to dedicate this whole post to the first two episodes that dropped. So beware: SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven’t seen them yet.

So this was pretty much me the whole week:

I prepared simply by rewatching Revenge of the Sith. And was surprised that at the beginning of Part 1, we got a quick recap of the prequel trilogy, mostly as it applied to the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan, which makes sense. This whole series is mostly about Obi-Wan dealing with feelings of guilt and regret about Anakin, and how he presumably will come to terms with it.

Ten years after the events of ROTS, Obi-Wan is about halfway between Obi-Wan the heroic Jedi Knight and Ben Kenobi, the Zen desert dweller that Luke comes across. Here, he’s a broken man: defeated, depressed, traumatized, clearly suffering from PTSD, with nightmares about Anakin. He’s not living in the home he’s in from A New Hope; here, he’s just living in a cave with very little else. Perhaps he feels he doesn’t deserve much else. He works at a job cutting meat, which I find interesting: he’s a butcher, and I wonder if he feels that way about himself concerning Anakin, with the limb-severing and all. I love that he cuts a little piece for his Eopie, and I kept waiting for him to get in trouble for that, but he never did.

He watches over Luke from afar, as Owen clearly wants him to stay away. I love the little bits with Owen, too, since we don’t see much of him in the prequels, and only as a grumpy old guy in ANH; we see that he just wants to protect Luke because, well, he loves the kid. Obi-Wan represents to him everything that destroyed Anakin, and he wants nary to do with it. I get it. But it hurts to see Obi-Wan so disrespected and rejected.

I found the Inquisitors to be kind of cartoonish, lol, but after all, they’re based on animated characters. I’m not sure how I feel about Reva yet. I’m theorizing that she was one of the younglings being trained during the Order 66 scene at the beginning; why else show yet another reiteration of Order 66, which has been burned into our brains many times over already? I’ll be interested to find out her backstory.

So then we get the other side of the coin: we see Leia as a little girl on Alderaan, being raised by Bail and Breha Organa, and I just love this little girl. She’s not only cute as a button, but precocious and sassy as only Leia can be. And we see how the Force manifests in her: she can see into people’s psyches quite easily and ferret out their innermost thoughts, as seen with that horrible cousin of hers.

So Leia gets kidnapped, and we’re not sure by who yet or why (by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, of all people, lol. But it works!). So Bail and Breha ask Obi-Wan to find her. And he says: no. We see just how far Obi-Wan has fallen, as he has absolutely no confidence in himself to help anyone. “I’m not the man you once knew,” he tells them, and it’s at least superficially true. We know the old Obi-Wan is in there somewhere, and it takes a personal visit by Bail to change his mind. Bail cuts to the chase: we failed, we made mistakes, but get over it and move on. He couldn’t save Anakin, but he can save his daughter, etc. So off he goes to Daiyu.

In Part 2, he finds himself on Daiyu with no leads. He sees an old clone down and out on the street, begging for money (he’s from the 501st, no less), and Obi-Wan is startled and appalled, and maybe a bit afraid (clones did massacre the Jedi, after all.) And it shows just how callous and cruel the Empire is, casting aside the clones they used for their own purposes. Anyway, a boy can tell he needs help and offers to lead him to a Jedi for a price. The “Jedi” turns out to be a fake, who uses the guise for credits, but to be fair, he does help people (he’s played by Kumail Nanjiani, seemingly fresh from his Kingo role in Eternals). From him, Obi-Wan is pointed to a spice refinery, and after a skirmish with some baddies (not using the Force, just fist-fighting and feeling every punch and hit), he finds Leia. And meets a tiny force to be reckoned with, lol.

I love that Obi-Wan gets to meet little Leia. It actually helps to make A New Hope make more sense, and why Leia would turn to him for help in her most desperate hour. Sure, Bail could have just told her, “If you ever need help in a big way, look for my Jedi friend Obi-Wan on Tatooine.” But this is better. I love that Obi-Wan gets to meet both of Anakin’s children. And as Bail told him, she’s just as important as the boy.

So anyway, off they go through the city with Obi-Wan trying to corral this little miss sassafras. It turns out that Reva had hired the bounty hunters to kidnap Leia to draw Obi-Wan out (doing a little research in the archives and finding that Obi-Wan and Bail were–friends? during the Clone Wars–seems like a reach to me, but whatever). Leia finds out that he’s the reason she was kidnapped, and suddenly doesn’t trust him and runs away. Obi-Wan chases after Leia as the bounty hunters and Reva chase after them. When Leia tries to jump across a chasm that’s too far for her, she plummets–and Obi-Wan has to reach for the Force to save her. And we suddenly realize Obi-Wan hasn’t touched the Force for a long, long time, as he struggles to find it and save her. And it seems to me that that’s why he’s never been able to reach his master Qui Gon Jinn–he’s cut himself off from the Force (remind you of someone? Luke from The Last Jedi instantly comes to mind). How does he expect to reach Qui Gon if he won’t touch the Force? I imagine he will by the end of the series, having come to terms with his demons and touching the Force again.

Anyway, Leia finally believes he’s a real Jedi (but doesn’t think Ben is a good name for a Jedi, further making me think of the sequels as she names her own son Ben–food for thought, eh?) They encounter the fake Jedi again, and he wants to help–he sends them to a cargo port with coordinates to a place where others will help them. There’s a poignant moment when the decisive Leia reminds him of Padme, but then Reva catches up to them and he sends her off to the ship ahead of him.

And this is where Reva drops her bomb–she tells him that Lord Vader will be pleased when she brings Obi-Wan to him. She intuits that Obi-Wan did not know this–that Anakin had survived. He nearly has a panic attack with the information–what an awful revelation. Anakin dead was bad enough–but Anakin surviving as the twisted Sith Lord Vader? Poor Obi-Wan. Reva nearly gets to him, but is interrupted by the Grand Inquisitor, who wants to bring Kenobi in himself. Reva stabs him in the gut, and I’m just assuming that he somehow survives to cause trouble for Kanan and Ezra in Rebels. But for now, it’s a chance for Obi-Wan to get away and take off with Leia.

On the ship, he’s still a wreck from the information and whispers Anakin’s name. We then cut to Vader in his bacta tank, opening his eyes as if he’s heard his old master. Daammnnn…..

So I’m just loving this series so far, as I predicted I would. One weird thing I noticed is that I’m hearing Ewan McGregor’s character of Halston in his Obi-Wan accent. I keep expecting him to light up a cigarette and hold it up between two fingers, lol. I think he’s trying to get closer to the Alec Guinness accent, but he definitely doesn’t sound like the Obi-Wan from the prequels. But his performance is still wonderful here, and I can’t wait for Part 3!

What did you think of Obi-Wan Kenobi? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment (Post)Weekend Update

Hello friends, and hope you had a happy weekend!

I think this was the first time I totally forgot to write an update post for the weekend, lol. Which is okay, since it gave me time to finally go see Dr. Strange, which I’ll get to momentarily.

First, books. I’ve been reading Brotherhood by Mike Chen, about Obi-Wan and Anakin just after the start of the Clone Wars. It’s really quite good, with alternating chapters from Obi-Wan’s and Anakin’s points of view, as well as a couple of other characters. Obi-Wan is investigating a bombing on Cato Neimoidia, while Anakin is on a supply mission with some younglings. Obi-Wan meets Asajj Ventress for the first time, as she is sent to investigate the bombing on the Separatist’s behalf, and I have a feeling things aren’t going to go well. Anakin must help a youngling (called Initiates in this book, a term I’ve never heard before) deal with her reluctance to connect with the Force, as it brings up feelings of dread and pain caused by the war. And we’ll finally find out what that “business” on Cato Neimoidia actually was!

It’s hard to believe, but the Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be airing in a few short (or maybe long?) days! I feel like I’ve been waiting for this show forever, lol.

In the hype leading up to it, I’ve been enjoying the photos and the article in the latest Vanity Fair magazine (online, I haven’t bought it yet, but I hope to soon). The article was full of juicy tidbits about the various projects in the works. I’m hoping for some more Andor hype in the coming months, since it’s supposedly coming out in August, I believe, and we haven’t seen much at all. Mando S3 is slated for late 2022/early 2023, while Ahsoka will drop sometime in 2023. Good things coming in the Star Wars world!

And in Marvel, I’ve finally seen Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and it was as wild and crazy as I thought it would be. But also super fun. I love how it brings together some other Marvel franchises, like X-Men and The Fantastic Four, and probably some other ones I’m unaware of. That’s the beauty of the Multiverse–you can do anything, lol. SPOILER ALERT, but Wanda turns out to be the villain here as the Scarlet Witch (not sure why I was surprised at this), and while she went WAY overboard, I did still feel kind of sorry for her. As a mom, I understand the desperation and the lengths you’d go to in order to be with your kids, but damn. Also, the Dark Hold had, well, a dark hold over her. America Chavez seems to be an important addition to the Multiverse going forward, and it will be interesting to see what role she’ll play. Dr. Strange himself remains my favorite character in Marvel (besides Loki), and he didn’t disappoint here. Strengths were tested, lessons were learned. And eyeballs were added to, lol. Anyway, I still prefer the origin story over this one, but a solid enjoyable movie.

I think that’s it. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

You probably didn’t notice, but I did not publish a post last week. I’ve been sick all this week with a nasty cold virus (I did a Covid test a couple of times, and they were both negative, thank goodness). Needless to say, I didn’t get much done besides sleeping, lol.

So there are several things I’d like to mention this weekend. On the reading front, I’ve taken a break from Dark Force Rising, as it just wasn’t capturing my attention. I don’t want to say I’ve give up on it or the trilogy, but a little break seemed warranted. I’ve been waiting for Mike Chen’s Brotherhood; it was released yesterday and I’m waiting for it to be delivered. I’m looking forward to this Obi-Wan and Anakin adventure.

In the meantime, I downloaded Skywalker: A Family at War, by Kristen Baver, onto my Kindle since it was only $1.99. There’s really no new ground broken here, just a retelling of the entire Skywalker story, including some events from books and comics. I don’t think I’d buy this one at full price, but for two bucks it’s worth dipping into now and then, until Brotherhood comes in.

I loved the second trailer of Obi-Wan Kenobi that was released last week; it teases just enough, and I honestly don’t want to see much more of it until the show comes out. Definitely getting some Obi-Wan fever!

I was happy to see that one of my favorite artists, Uzuri Art, recently did this great Obi-Wan piece:

She also did this great Moon Knight piece:

Of course I watched the finale of Moon Knight last week, and it was…fine. I guess I was so blown away by the fifth episode (“Asylum”) that I expected more of the same. But the fifth episode was one that dived deep into the character and background of Marc and Steven. The finale naturally had to be about the showdown between Ammet and Konshu, as well as their avatars Moon Knight and Arthur Harrow. It was an action spectacle, and that’s fine and fun. I was glad to see Jake in the mid-credit scene, and now I’m hoping for a Season Two. It seems Marc/Steven/Jake’s story is far from over. And I want to see it, lol. Oh, and seeing Layla as Scarlet Scarab was pretty awesome.

One more book announcement–we have a cover for The Princess and the Scoundrel:

It’s quite pretty, and I like it. I’m hoping the story can add something we don’t already know about Han and Leia’s relationship. Beth Revis gave us the wonderful Rebel Rising, so I have hope. This one comes out in August.

I watched The Book of Boba Fett Gallery on Disney Plus; these making-of specials are always fun and interesting to watch. It may not have been my favorite Star Wars show, but I still appreciate it and all that went into the making of it. I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes concerning bringing Luke to life, and seeing Mark Hamill involved. And really, Temuera Morrison is just a great, sweet guy, isn’t he?

The one thing I haven’t done yet is go see Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. I was planning on seeing it a few days after it released, but illness ruined that plan. It will be out for awhile, and I’m planning on getting my popcorn very soon to see it. Can’t wait!

I think that’s it. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

Well, still slogging through Dark Force Rising. I hate to put it that way, but it’s kind of true. I really liked the first book, Heir to the Empire, but this one just isn’t grabbing me. Also, I’m not thrilled about how Mon Mothma is being portrayed, as if she’s possibly a selfish, power-hungry politician; and there’s something about Han that’s not ringing true for me. I don’t know. I’m determined to finish it, though. Just slowly, lol.

In the meantime, I’m eagerly awaiting Brotherhood, by Mike Chen. It’s about Obi-Wan and Anakin on an adventure during the Clone Wars. There are plenty of these in Legends, but I think I’m more of a canon-person. This one comes out May 10th. May is shaping up to be a big Obi-Wan month–this book, the new Obi-Wan comic, and of course, the new show. It’s an Obi-Wan Kenobi fan’s dream!

Marc with “Dr. Harrow.” This show is continuing to impress me on every level.

In Marvel, I watched Episode 5 of Moon Knight (“Asylum”) and…wow. Just wow! I’ve been loving each new episode even more than the last. It started out weird and confusing, but intriguing. Then it got entertaining and downright swashbuckling. This latest episode just knocked my socks off with Oscar Isaac’s performance (and Ethan Hawkes is pretty fantastic too in his role), and the delving into Marc’s past. Turns out Marc is the original personality and he created Steven to help deal with his heartbreaking childhood. I’m wondering, though–I read somewhere that there is a third personality (Jake, I think?), at least in the comics, and if that personality will also show up here. I’m remembering the third sarcophagus that was shaking, as if someone was in it, from Episode 4, but Marc ignores it. Was this just an Easter egg of that third personality, just a wink wink to those in the know? Or will he actually show up? I can’t wait to find out–and how all this will wrap up–in the final episode next Wednesday.

I’m also excited for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness opening next Friday, May 6th! I probably won’t see it right then, but hopefully within the first week of it being out.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

Still reading through Dark Force Rising in small increments. I’m finding it a bit dull, but maybe it’s because I’m reading it in fits and starts. Now that Luke has finally met the crazy clone Jedi Joruus C’Baoth, it’s a bit more interesting. I’m about halfway through the book, so maybe it will start to ramp up a little bit.

I’ve finished Queen’s Hope, and I really enjoyed it. It’s not just about Padme; it’s also about Sabe and Sache, two of her handmaidens from previous novels. It also mentions other women of Star Wars, like Shmi and Beru (who are working with Sabe on Tatooine to help free slaves with a group called the White Suns), and (briefly) Breha Organa. The plot is pretty thin, but it’s not the whole point, really. These books have always been an extended character study of Padme, and that suits me just fine.

Until Brotherhood comes out on May 10th, I’ve been dipping into the short stories from From A Certain Point of View. I bought this book a while ago, but had only read a couple of stories, being sidetracked by other books. Now was a good time to get back into it. I’m not reading it from beginning to end (the stories take place chronologically along with the events of A New Hope). Just skipping around, seeing what interests me. I’ve read some wonderful stories about Obi-Wan (Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray, Time of Death by Cavan Scott) and one about Yoda on Dagobah (There Is Another by Gary D. Schmidt). Oh, and one about Bail and Breha Organa’s last moments on Alderaan before it’s destroyed (Eclipse by Madeline Roux). 😦 I’m now reading one about R5D4, who purposely malfunctioned so that R2D2 would end up sold to the Lars family, after a heartfelt plea from R2 (The Red One by Rae Carson). These are great stories, taking place in the cracks of the movie, and adding to the richness of the story and the characters. And there’s an Empire Strikes Back version, too! I’m going to follow the logic and assume there’s a ROTJ version coming soon, too.

I did finally finish my rewatch of Rebels. Now I can’t wait for the Ahsoka show; she and Sabine need to hurry up and find Ezra! But the show isn’t coming out until next year, and I’m guessing they won’t find him right away, at least not until the end of the season, if that. So a long wait for the missing Ezra. 😦

I was browsing around a local used bookshop the other day and found some treasures: The Art of The Force Awakens and The Art of the Last Jedi. Gorgeous hardcover books with the concept art of both movies, at a great deal. They usually retail for about $40 each, but I got them both for $30. I was fascinated to discover that originally Rey was going to be called Kira and Finn was going to be called Sam. I love that they recycled the name Kira into Q’ira for Solo: A Star Wars story. You learn something new everyday in the world of Star Wars!

There were also cover reveals for some Legends reissues:

I haven’t read any of these, and probably won’t in the near future, but I love how they’re handpicking particular Legends books (I’m guessing they’re fan favorites) and giving them new, gorgeous covers. If I ever do get to any of them, I’ll probably get the new covers.

In Marvel, Episode Four of Moon Knight (The Tomb) was probably my favorite one so far. It definitely had the Indiana Jones vibe going on, and then it got into some horror territory, and then it just went full-on trippy, lol. I am so loving this show and its weirdness; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Finally, we got a Thor: Love and Thunder teaser trailer:

Besides the new Dr. Strange movie, I can’t wait for this one. It looks fun and funny, and seems to delve into the character of Thor a bit more–basically, where he’s going from here. And there’s my Starlord and the GotG crew, and oh, yeah, Jane as the Mighty Thor. Looks like a real fun trip, and I can’t wait. It releases July 22.

Phew! I think that’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it.

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

I’m continuing my slow reading of the original Thrawn trilogy, and am currently about a third of the way through Dark Force Rising. I usually read the Kindle at work, during breaks or slow moments, but it’s been pretty busy lately. Seriously cutting into my reading time! Lol.

At home, I’m reading Queen’s Hope, the third in the Padme series by E.K. Johnston. I really liked its predecessors, and have been enjoying this one. I did think it would cover a larger time period and maybe get into Revenge of the Sith territory, but it only covers a sliver of time just after Attack of the Clones. Oh well, still worth the read.

My Rebels rewatch continues with Season 4, and I just recently watched Episode 12, “Jedi Knight.” If you’re a Rebels fan, you know what I’m talking about. 😦 And even though it’s my third rewatch, tears were still shed. This show is some of the best Star Wars ever.

Recently saw this, a cover reveal for the next Phase of The High Republic, a YA novel called Path of Deceit:

I love this cover! No idea who those people are, but it looks great.

There’s also new concept art for a new character, a relation to the Nihil villain Marchion Ro:

I’ll be on the lookout for more cover reveals for Phase Two of the High Republic, which begins coming out later this year.

I also heard a rumor that we’ll be getting more Visions sometime this year. I have no idea if it’s true or not, but I wouldn’t be averse to it at all. I liked almost all of the anime shorts, but I had a few favorites (The Elder, The Ninth Jedi, and The Duel being my top three). I’d love to see some sequels to these stories; but if not, new stories will be just as welcome. We’ll see if the rumors are true.

Moon Knight Episode Three (“The Friendly Type”) was a fun ride on Wednesday. I just love how weird this show is, lol. And I love the Egyptian mythology it’s taking inspiration from. I’m definitely getting “Layla is going to fall for Steven” vibes, and I’m on board for that, lol.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

I’m continuing my reading of the Legends book Dark Force Rising, by Timothy Zahn. I’ve been enjoying the series, and find it interesting that Zahn often shows Thrawn through other people’s eyes. Here in Legends, it’s through Captain Pellaon; in canon, at least in the first book (which I only half read) it was through Eli Vanto. I’m not sure if this is true in any of the other canon Thrawn books; anyone know if we ever get a Thrawn point of view? Just curious.

I’ve received my copy of Queen’s Hope, and have started reading it. I’ve always liked these books; some people complain they’re just overly long character studies on Padme and her handmaidens. Maybe, but that’s what I like. Star Wars books are fun, and half the fun are the battles and the action, but sometimes it’s nice just to get into a character’s head and life for awhile. Sometimes I get a little tired of all the techno-babble and military strategy and whatnot. Give me Padme and her girlfriends and relationships and emotions and you know, girl stuff for awhile, lol. It’s even got pink binding! I love it. As for the plot, I just started it so I don’t have much to go on, and honestly…I don’t care, lol. Padme and Anakin are getting married, that’s all I need to know. I’ll give a more thorough summary when I finish it, I promise.

I’m continuing with my Rebels rewatch, and recently began Season 4. But I know what’s coming concerning a particularly favorite Jedi Knight, and I’m dreading it already. 😦 But it’s also a beautiful thing, and S4 is fantastic. The lothwolves are my favorite Star Wars animals, I think.

I watched Episode 2 of Moon Knight, and it answered a few questions, while bringing up even more. There’s a LOT going on in this show already, and it’s a bit confusing, but I am enjoying it. It’s crazy and different and I love Oscar Isaac, so I’m in. I had planned on writing my thoughts for each episode in a separate weekly post, but as always, my plans change, lol.

Steven and Arthur have a civilized conversation. At first.

Basically, I’ll be going back to just my weekly Entertainment Update post on the weekends. I have other projects I want to work on, namely drawing and fanfiction. It figures; just as all the new books and shows and movies will be coming out, with so much to write about in the blog, I veer into a new direction. Oh well. I will be touching on all of them in the weekly post.

I’m particularly excited about the drawing. I used to love drawing years ago, but decided to focus more on writing and let the drawing go. But my interest has been reignited lately. I’ll be honest, I’ve been seeing so much Star Wars fan art and loving it, that in my secret heart I’ve been thinking, I want to do that, too! So I’m going to. I have to go back to the basics first, of course, and practice, practice, practice. But someday I’ll be ready, and I’ll honor my love of Star Wars in images as well as words.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!