Andor S2 Thoughts, Part One

Hello friends! I’ve been meaning to post my thoughts about Andor Season 2 for a while now, but I’ve been delayed by a combination of general busyness and simply being overwhelmed with its greatness, lol. I’m going to split it into two parts, the first covering Arcs 1 & 2, and Part 2 covering Arcs 3 & 4.

I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll just begin with: I loved it. I feel it’s a masterpiece in Star Wars storytelling (both seasons, but I’ll focus on the second season here). Like Season 1, it’s unlike any Star Wars we’ve seen before: gritty, yes, and focused on the ordinary people that struggle with oppression rather than on larger-than-life figures like Jedi and Sith. And yet, it’s still quintessentially Star Wars: it’s still a story of good versus evil, though there are definitely gray areas on both sides; life for most ordinary people is messy and doesn’t fit into neat black and white boxes. It’s still about the human heart, family, love and the connections we make with other people. It’s still about doing the right thing, even when it seems the odds are against you. It’s about that Star Wars hope we always talk about. And the Force is still there; it’s a subtle undercurrent that is only mentioned a couple of times, but it’s still the spiritual underpinning of this galaxy.

In lieu of only getting two seasons, the four-arc, twelve-episode format worked well. The writers relied on the audience to fill in any gaps; in other words, they didn’t insult our intelligence, lol. So even though I would have liked some more information or storylines, I didn’t necessarily need them. The writing was tight and stream-lined, no exposition, just boom, a year later per arc. And it worked, at least for me.

I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you’ve watched the show, so I won’t summarize each episode; I’ll just touch on the big aspects of each arc and what I thought and felt about them. If you haven’t watched it, just be aware–SPOILERS!!! And please, for the love of the Force, watch it if you can.

Arc 1: One Year Later; Sagrona Teema; Harvest

The first arc deals with Cassian stealing a new TIE model from the Imperials and getting side-tracked by a bunch of newbie rebels with no leader among them. They fight among themselves, showing us how far the Rebellion needs to go to unite and work together. Some people were annoyed with this storyline, and I understand why; these people are morons, lol. But they’re also people who need strong leadership, and this is what the Rebellion needs most at this point.

The Imperials, meanwhile, have discovered a kind of mineral on the planet Ghorman that they want for the Death Star, and make plans to get it no matter what. Orsin Krennic has a secret meeting, to which Partagaz and Dedra are invited. The point of the meeting is to find a way to get the mineral from Ghorman, destroying the planet if need be, but making it look like it was the Ghormans’ fault. Krennic pegs Dedra to make it so; she doesn’t want the assignment, as she wants to keep pursuing Axis, but Partagaz tells her the assignment is a “gift.” When Dedra gets back to Coruscant, it’s shown that she and Syril are a couple, though a very weird one, lol. They finally have dinner with Syril’s mother, and Dedra’s handling of the overbearing Eadie is priceless.

Arc 1 also shows us Bix, Brasso, Wilmon and B2 on Mina-Rau, a grain-producing planet, and they work there basically as undocumented immigrants. The people they work for like and appreciate them and try to protect them, but of course, the Empire comes calling. Not only is Bix dealing with her PTSD from her torture by Dr. Gorst, but there’s a slimy Imperial who attempts to sexually assault her. This is where we know we’re not in our usual Star Wars territory; some people took issue with this storyline, saying it was too much for Star Wars. Again, this is Star Wars for adults. If we’re going to watch Andor, we need to put our big-people pants on. Oppression absolutely includes this type of manipulation and attack, and to sugarcoat it now would do the show an injustice, I think. Brasso’s death gutted me, as it was so random and meaningless, but that was the point, too.

On the other end, Mon Mothma is preparing for her daughter’s wedding. It’s a lavish affair, a traditional Chandrilan wedding. Here poor Mon has to deal with her unbearable brat of a daughter, Luthen watching her under the guise of bringing a priceless gift for the couple from Sculden, and her friend Tay, who has been hiding her money for the Rebellion in nonprofits. Tay is not happy, having had some losses with his investments (and his wife left him, no less); and he lets Mon know he basically wants money to compensate for those losses or else he’ll spill the beans. To whom, I’m not really sure, but Luthen sees him as a threat and “takes care of it.” Mon pretends to not know what he means, but of course she does. Tay’s betrayal and Luthen’s promise to unalive him, as well as the emotional toll of her daughter’s hurtful words (and presumably some guilt in arranging the wedding in exchange for Sculden’s monetary help) takes its toll, and Mon has a drunken, dancing breakdown to the catchy tune of Niamos. Seriously, it’s a song that makes even me want to get up and dance, though it’s heartbreaking to see Mon accept the price of rebellion with a public unravelling. Even Perrin looks askance at her. Oh, and seeing Tay fly away with Cinta at the helm is truly chilling. That woman is scary, lol.

Arc 2: Ever Been To Ghorman?; I Have Friends Everywhere; What A Festive Evening

Arc 2 brings us a year down the road. After Cassian saves Bix and Wilmon (leaving our beloved B2 behind, though it can’t be helped), Cassian and Bix are living together in a safe house on Coruscant. I love seeing these two as a couple. During the first season we learn that they had been together when they were younger but broke up at some point, and Bix was with Tim, but I was hoping that she and Cassian be together again at some point. They just fit each other. But Bix is still struggling and has an addiction to some drug that helps her sleep. Luthen sends Cassian to Ghorman to see about the Ghorman Front that has formed there in the guise of a fashion designer named Varian Skye, but Cassian feels they’re not ready to take on the Empire and wants nothing to do with it.

Luthen sends Vel and Cinta instead. The two hadn’t seen each other since that quick glance at the wedding, and it’s clear that Cinta has changed. She refers to some “accident” that took her out of the game for a bit, and while recuperating, realized she missed Vel. They both told Luthen they wouldn’t take the assignment without the other. Their reunion was sweet but ended in tragedy with Cinta’s death during their mission to help the Ghorman Front, another senseless death, as it was a result of one of the Ghor disobeying their orders. I’m wondering if Cinta’s “accident” was her deliberately crashing the ship she and Tay were in at the end of the first arc and she got injured while killing Tay. We’ll never know, I guess, but it’s a leap that makes sense.

Syril, meanwhile, has been on Ghorman as an Imperial inventory manager, but was really put there to infiltrate the Ghorman Front. Syril has no idea what he’s really doing, though, as Dedra has not told him about the mineral and the Empire’s ultimate plans to destroy Ghorman. He thinks he’s just there to identify possible “outside agitators.” But he’s really there to get the Ghormans to act up so the Empire can then punish them.

Wilmon, we find, is with Saw Gererra, presumably sent to him by Luthen. He’s supposed to teach them how to calibrate some mechanical thing to steal rhydonium from the Imperials, a kind of fuel. Saw kills the guy Wilmon has taught, because Saw thinks he was an Imperial spy, trying to find out where they’ll strike next. Who knows if this is true, but Saw is paranoid and crazy at this point. So Wilmon has to accompany him to the target to get the fuel. Saw is able to breathe the poisonous stuff and is addicted to it; he calls it his “sister,” which is creepy considering he lost his sister Steela during the Clone Wars and has never been the same since. He convinces Wilmon to breathe the stuff, too, and I thought that was the end of Wilmon; he’d either die or be a permanent part of Saw’s nutty crew. But surprisingly, this didn’t happen; he shows up in the next arc alive and well.

Kleya discovers that their listening device on a piece of Sculden’s art collection will be discovered if it’s not removed. She enlists the help of Lonni during a party to remove it, and it adds an unbearable level of anxiety while Mon and Krennic trade barbs. We also see Bail Organa at the party for the first time, and that the role is being played by Benjamin Bratt rather than Jimmy Smits. It’s a bit disappointing that Smits’ schedule prevented him from reprising the role, but on the other hand, Bratt did an excellent job of Being Bail, particularly in later episodes.

The classic “blow something up and don’t look back while you walk away” scene.

After talking to Bix and becoming concerned about her health and well-being (in Luthen’s particular, selfish kind of way, lol), he sets up Cassian and Bix to get revenge on Dr. Gorst, who has come to Coruscant to enlarge the part his torture methods will be used in the Empire. Bix satisfyingly hooks him up to his own awful device, and then Cassian blows him up as they walk away. Good riddance, Nazi doctor! A fine way to end the arc.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on Arcs 3 and 4….

The Bad Batch Season Premiere Thoughts (Eps 1-3)

Season 3 of the Bad Batch is finally here and I’m so excited!

As you may know, Disney+ dropped the first three episodes together: “Confined,” “Paths Unknown,” and “Shadows of Tantiss.” I’m just going to briefly go over the plot of each and give my thoughts. This one will be a bit longer than usual since there are three episodes to discuss.

So just to be clear: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It actually starts with a recap of Season 2 and the very first thing we hear is Tech’s words: “When have we ever followed orders?” Yeah, okay, thanks for that, I can see how this is gonna go already, lol. Heartbroken jokes aside, I think it signifies that Tech’s absence will no doubt haunt the entirety of Season 3 (whether or not he “comes back” has been hotly debated since the S2 finale, and though I have thoughts on that, I’m just going to wait and see).

Anyway, “Confined” begins on Tantiss with where Omega and Crosshair are at physically and emotionally. Omega is in a Groundhog’s Day type of existence, helping Emerie everyday with her lab chores, as well as feeding the lurkhounds in their kennels. Emerie tells her she’s not a prisoner, but this just shows how blind she is to her own servitude. It will be interesting to see how Emerie develops over the course of the season. Emerie takes Omega’s blood for testing every day, along with all the other clones, but Nala Se secretly disposes of it. Questions that began in S1 pop up again about Omega and what’s so special about her, questions that have been nagging me all along. But more on that later. She helps and befriends one of the lurkhounds, which she names Batcher, an obvious metaphor for the Batch themselves. Batcher is different and the Imperials conclude she’s useless and slates her for termination; the same could be said of all clones, not just Clone Force 99. You just know that Batcher is going to be important somehow later on.

Crosshair, meanwhile, is quite defeated, slumping along with the other clones, laying morosely on his cot in his cell. He’s totally given up, and he doesn’t care. Omega sneaks down to his cell when she can and talks of escape; he tells her not to bother with him, not to waste her time on “lost causes” like the lurkhound and himself. He tells her he belongs there, obviously punishing himself for all the things he did while with the Empire. Omega tells him that none of them belong there. She’s not going to give up, on escape or on him. It’s not clear if Omega told him about Tech’s death, but I’m going to assume she did until I learn otherwise. If so, maybe he partly blames himself. After all, they were trying to find him (at Tech’s urging), and their plan to get intel on his whereabouts caused Tech’s death (as well Saw Gerrera’s not-very-well-thought-out attack on Eriadu. In fact, I totally blame him. But I digress.)

“Paths Unknown” shifts to Hunter and Wrecker, the only two of the Batch still together, as Echo is off with Rex somewhere. They get some intel on an Imperial lab from Isa Durand and her son, Roland, who we met in S1 when he took over Cid’s parlor. I actually kind of like Roland, lol. His mother, on the other hand, is an icicle.

Echo and Rex can’t meet up with them for two more days and Hunter decides to go without them. Surprisingly, it’s Wrecker who is the voice of reason: he says the last time they infiltrated an Imperial base, not all of them came back. Hunter won’t wait, which further shows his desperation to find Omega. The fact that they messed with the Pykes for the Durand intel shows how far Hunter is willing to go.

So off they go to find this lab, but unfortunately, the intel is outdated: the lab was destroyed by orbital bombardment. They meet up with some young clones who escaped the lab and have been living in the jungle on their own. They surmise Hunter and Wrecker are “99s, defective.” Wrecker’s response, “Defective AND effective!” is perfect, and obvious t-shirt material. Anyway, the young clones explain that the Imperials destroyed the facility when they lost control of one of their experiments, which they face soon after–slithervines that have overrun the lab. They bring them to Mox, a slightly older cadet, who is impressed by their loyalty to Omega, but won’t help them because it’s too dangerous. Deet, one of the younger ones, wants to help, however, and he leads them to the lab. There’s a control panel there that might have some intel that could point the way to where they might have gone. They bring Gonky along for power, and get some intel, but are attacked by an even bigger vine-monster. The other two boys decide to help (after thinking about stealing the Marauder and leaving) and get them out. The intel only gives them a sector to search but it’s better than nothing. Hunter tells the young clones they’ll drop them off on Pabu where they can decide who and what they want to be.

“Shadows of Tantiss” goes back to Omega and Crosshair on Tantiss. Turns out that the Emperor is making a visit to the facility to check on Hemlock’s progress with “Project Necromancer.” Hemlock wants Nala Se to be with him, so she can’t dispose of Omega’s blood like before. She warns Omega that she must leave; she tells her to take her datapad and find a shuttle to get off the planet. Omega won’t leave without Crosshair, however; she runs down to his cell and convinces him to distract the guards, which he does. She brings them down to the kennels to escape through Batcher’s empty tunnel to the outside; she plans on finding the shuttle that had crashed in the first episode and using the communications system to contact Hunter and Wrecker. Emerie finds them first, however, and calls for backup before Crosshair stuns her. The flee into the wilderness with lurkhounds and Imperials following. The communications system in the downed ship doesn’t work and Omega begins to despair. But Crosshair tells her they’re not done yet and they execute Order 72, which apparently means split up and surprise the enemy from two sides. Batcher helps out and they commandeer the Imperials’ shuttle.

They’re pursued by fighters and probably wouldn’t have gotten away except for one thing: Omega’s blood count shows that she’s a match for what they’re looking for– a high M (midichlorian)-count with no degradation. This is what they’re looking for in Project Necromancer, which I presume is how the Emperor is trying to achieve immortality–transferring his essence into a Force-sensitive clone of himself, which tracks with what we’ve seen in the Mandalorian and the Sequel Trilogy.

Anyway, Emerie makes the discovery and tells Hemlock to break off pursuit, since they’ll need Omega alive. Omega and Crosshair jump into hyperspace and get away. Hemlock calls it a “minor setback,” as he has all the resources of the Empire behind him.

There’s SO much I loved about these opening episodes, especially the dynamic between Omega and Crosshair. Crosshair’s got a long way to go, but I’m glad to see he’s still got some spark left in him, and that he’s softening toward Omega. Just a little bit.

I’m also gratified to learn about Omega’s high M-count. It doesn’t mean that she’s Force-sensitive, I guess, but maybe she has a strong potential if taught. Certainly more so than Sabine. If Sabine can learn, who presumably has a very low M-count, then Omega has huge potential. I flirted with the idea of Omega being Force-sensitive early on during the first season; I even made a post about it outlining my “evidence.” But then nothing came of it and I gave up on the idea. So I’m loving this interesting turn of events and I’m eager to see where it all leads.

A very satisfying opener for Season 3, and I can’t wait for the next episode!

Oh, and side note: we get a very brief glimpse of the assassin that’s in the trailer, the one similar to the clone assassin in S2 that went after Senator Chuchi. Of course, there’s been a lot of speculation about who this might be: Cody? (I don’t think so). Rampart? (Maybe? But again, I don’t think so). Tech? (Gahh!!!) It could very well be no one special, just another clone, but I have a feeling it’s someone we know, or they wouldn’t have (briefly) called attention to him right now. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see on that, too.

Oh, side note #2: Crosshair’s tremor. This is an interesting development. Not surprising, considering the trauma he’s been through, but it will definitely affect his sharpshooting skills. He’ll have to reconsider his future, what he may want to do or be going forward, like the rest of the Batch has had to do this whole time. A tall order for a man who followed the Empire, in part, because he didn’t know what else he could be besides a soldier. Anyway, no more side notes or I’ll go on forever, lol.

What did you think of these episodes? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 6 Thoughts

Please be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead.

The finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi is a moving, emotional tribute to everything I love about Star Wars.

Basically, it’s split into two pieces: the rematch between Obi-Wan and Vader, and Reva’s quest to find revenge by going after Luke. I’ll talk about the duel first.

At this point, Obi-Wan has found his center and his purpose again, and does what a Jedi does: what he has to in order to protect the people under his care. He decides to leave the transport and lure Vader away, because he knows it will work. But as Roken says, it’s also more than that: he must face Vader. They’ve got unfinished business, and it must be dealt with before Obi-Wan can move on.

In stark contrast to their last encounter, Obi-Wan is ready. I do believe that Vader was a bit disappointed that Obi-Wan was so weak that last time; I think he relished more of a challenge. Well, he gets it this time, even more than he bargained for. Kenobi is on fire, and Vader really has to work at it. “Your strength has returned,” he says at one point. “But the weakness remains. That is why you will always lose.” Anakin’s arrogance is so much on display here, and throughout the entire series. “Did you really think you could defeat me?” he asks, as he piles rocks on top of Obi-Wan. Then he walks away, thinking he’s killed him. Again, his arrogance causes him to make a huge mistake.

Obi-Wan thinks of Leia and Luke, and everything he’s fighting for, and blasts out of the pit to face Vader again. And this time, he’s not only on fire, he’s an inferno, not of anger, but of skill and determination. He succeeds in bringing Vader to his knees, and in the process, knocks part of his mask off. When he sees Anakin’s ruined face beneath the mask, he stops. He’s horrified, and grief-stricken, and just devastated. He breathes his name, and Vader replies, “Anakin is gone. I am what remains.” When Obi-Wan’s eyes fill with tears and he gasps out, “I’m sorry, Anakin,” I think my heart broke (again; it’s been broken so many times in Star War, lol).

“You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.”

And Anakin’s response is heartbreaking, as well, spoken in halting sentences in a chilling combination of Vader vocoder and Anakin’s voice: “I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You did not kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” He seems to smile a little bit at this; some people have claimed that Anakin is trying to make his old master feel better here, but I disagree. He’s Vader, and he’s proud. He’s boasting. Anakin, that weakling, is dead, and I killed him. “The same way I’ll destroy you,” he threatens. But he’s in no shape to do any such thing at the moment.

“Then my friend is truly gone,” Obi-Wan responds, and we can see something let go in him, the weight of the galaxy lifting off his shoulders. He’s just sad. Vader’s words are exactly what he needed to hear to move on. “Goodbye…Darth,” he says, and walks away. Again. History repeats itself as Obi-Wan once again walks away from a defeated Vader, unwilling to kill him–not because he can’t kill Anakin (Anakin is gone), but because a Jedi practices mercy. Remember that flashback? Anakin tells Obi-Wan, “Mercy doesn’t defeat an enemy, Master.”

Doesn’t it? As Obi-Wan walks away, Vader can only shout out his name in anguish (which is so haunting to me, it kind of freaks me out, lol). He’s lost this round, and will continue to lose, because the dark side does not allow growth. You stay stuck in your patterns, clinging to your rage. It’s only when the Emperor calls him out on it does Vader decide to step back a bit, and let Kenobi go.

This whole sequence was just absolute perfection, and ranks high on my “Best Star Wars Moments” list.

Okay, so Reva.

She’s managed to stay alive after Vader impaled her (again), and has found her way to Tatooine. She’s going after Luke because it’s the only revenge she can get on Vader at this point. She probably doesn’t know that Vader has no idea that Luke exists, or she doesn’t care. She makes her way to the homestead, but Owen has been warned and he and Beru are waiting for her.

I think this sequence here will give fans a new appreciation for Owen and Beru. They fiercely defend their home and their boy. At one point Reva says, “You really love him. Like he’s your own.” And Owen responds, “He is my own.” Of course he is. Even in A New Hope, though Owen is grumpy and kind of mean to Luke sometimes, I never doubted he was just trying to protect him. As he does here, bravely confronting an Inquisitor, though a seriously wounded one. Otherwise, I think she would have just swept in and killed them both to get to Luke.

Anyway, she gets past both Owen and Beru, and chases Luke out into a desert canyon. She causes him to fall and he gets knocked out. As she prepares to kill him, memories of herself as a youngling flash through her mind, of Vader killing her friends and impaling her. Ultimately, she can’t go through with it.

By this time Obi-Wan has arrived. She carries Luke back to them, unconscious but alive. Owen and Beru take Luke away, and Obi-Wan is left with a crying Reva. She asks him if she’s become “him,” meaning Vader. Obi-Wan tells her no, she’s chosen not to. What she becomes now is up to her. This is the first time we see a baddie in live action be redeemed and not die immediately afterward (that I can think of). If we see Reva again, it will be interesting to see how she atones for her crimes. Maybe she’ll help with The Path, as Tala did.

So then we get a few happy endings similar to The Return of the King (after Vader’s exchange with the Emperor):

First, Obi-Wan goes to Alderaan to see Leia (and return Lola to her). I just loved this scene so much. To see him laugh heartily again was such a gift. And I do think he’ll be sleeping much better now. Again, I love how he’s had the chance to have this relationship with Leia. It always seemed kind of sad to me that he never got to know her, but that’s been rectified in a wonderful way. Now I’m just sad that the next time Leia sees him is when he dies on the Death Star. 😦

Then he makes a trip to the Lars homestead. He’s packed up his gear and moved out of the cave, and I’m assuming he’s moving into the home we see in ANH, or will be looking for a house of some kind. Anyway, he tells Owen he’ll keep his distance, and that Owen was right: Luke just needs to be a boy right now. “The future will take care of itself,” he says. He’s trusting in the Force again. As he walks away, Owen sheepishly asks if he wants to meet Luke. So he brings the toy over to him and we get to hear the famous words: “Hello there.” I loved it. And the casting for young Luke (Grant Feely) is so perfect; that kid just captures Luke’s sweetness the same way Vivien Lyra Blair captures Leia’s sassiness. Perfection for both.

Lastly, as he rides his eopie toward the canyons, Qui Gon Jinn suddenly appears. I figured we’d see him at the very end of the series, and the exchange was short and sweet, but not quite what I had expected. I’m not sure what I expected. Maybe a little bit more, but at any rate, I was glad to see him. “I was always here, Obi-Wan. You just weren’t ready to see.”

I enjoyed this series immensely, and it just made me very, very happy, lol. It brought everything together beautifully, and yes, I kind of felt like it was ticking off some boxes at the end, but honestly, I don’t care. The emotional impact of a story is always more important to me than its execution (to a certain point, of course), and while this series stumbled a bit in its execution in a few places, it didn’t ruin the experience for me.

Will there be a Season 2? I think the better question is, do we need a Season 2? And the answer, in my opinion, is no. It’s perfect the way it is, and brings Obi-Wan’s story to where it needs to be for A New Hope. Would I like to see more Ewan and Hayden? Hell yes! But only if another story adds to what we already know in a meaningful way. Only time will tell, I guess.

Here’s an amazing piece by one of my favorite Star Wars artists, Uzuri Art:

What did you think of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series? What’s your opinion on a Season 2? 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!

The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 7 Review

“In the Name of Honor“

The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 7 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained — Double the Mando, double the damage.

The season finale of The Book of Boba Fett aired Wednesday, and I, for one, really enjoyed it. The series has been a little uneven, to put it mildly, and our expectations were constantly challenged. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. Star Wars has a certain feel, and there are certain things we expect, but I hope it never gets predictable (I imagine that’s why I loved The Last Jedi so much).

Anyway, despite how one may feel about the series as a whole, this last episode wrapped things up fairly well, with only a few little bumps. I don’t think I’ll do a full recap, because I want to comment on a few things, but basically all the players came together in Mos Espa to duke it out for Tatooine.

First, I want to mention that I love how Din isn’t abandoning his beliefs simply because he got kicked out of the Children of the Watch. Probably not surprising, but I figured maybe he’d take his helmet off more often, because that’s the reason he got kicked out in the first place. I thought maybe he’d think, you know what? The heck with it, now I can do what I want. But of course he doesn’t–he’s Mando. These are beliefs he grew up with, and though he’s bent the rules a few times–with the ultimate result of being cast out–he still believes in that “bantha poo-doo,” as Boba calls it. He promised Boba he’d help him; he’s not going to run when things start to look bad. His word is as strong as beskar; he’s willing to go down with Boba here.

The Book of Boba Fett' Episode 7 Recap: In the Name of Honor — Baby goes solo.

Secondly, I’ve heard some comments about Luke sending Grogu back to Mando by himself, with only Artoo to pilot the ship. When I saw the X-wing heading towards Tatooine, I thought, oh, okay, that was quick, Luke is bringing Grogu back already. But once he lands at Peli’s bay–no Luke. Just little Grogu peeking out, with Artoo in the back. Some people have called Luke “vindictive” for not accompanying Grogu, that he’s pissed that he chose Mando and so basically sent him off to fend for himself.

Please.

Even though we’re still trying to figure Luke out during this time period, I think we can assume Luke is above petty vindictiveness. Why would he give Grogu a choice in the first place if he’s going to judge him by his answer? If he’s going to go that far, just hide Mando’s gift, keep the kid and keep training him, if that’s what he wants. Grogu would be none the wiser. But Luke recognizes that there’s a conflict in Grogu, and that’s why he wanted to give him the choice (and there’s a big debate about this too; claims that Luke is making the same mistake as the prequel Jedi in not letting Grogu train and still have his attachments–that’s a conversation for another post, I think, lol).

But that doesn’t answer the question: why send him back alone? Well, I think the answer is that we just don’t know. We didn’t see them parting ways. Maybe something important came up and Luke couldn’t leave. Who knows? But I don’t think we should assume anything.

Episode 7 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs | Tumgir — Reunited, and it feels so good.

Besides, Luke showed up in the Mandalorian S2 finale to save the day. I don’t think the writers wanted him to show up again and repeat that motif. So Grogu came alone. Maybe Luke gave him a big hug and some cookies and sent him on his way. I’m not going to worry about it.

Some feel that Grogu coming back in this series at all was a mistake, that the writers should have waited for Mando S3 to tell that story. That the whole build up of the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, of Din trying to get Grogu back to the Jedi, and their heartbreaking goodbye, was all for nothing to have him come back so soon, and not even in the right show. And maybe they’re right.

Was I disappointed to see Grogu? Nope! Not gonna lie, I loved seeing him come back to his Mando dad. I’m impatient. I didn’t want to wait until later this year to see their reunion, and I’m glad it happened now. So once Mando S3 starts, they’re back in the saddle and ready for the next adventure, whatever it may be.

Easter Eggs You May Have Missed In The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 7 — Don’t piss him off.

So, what about Boba? This is his show, after all, lol. That’s a bit harder to answer. I was on board with him wanting to change, after the Sarlaac and his time with the Tuskens. He wanted a family, people he could trust, and to put his bounty-hunting days behind him. He wanted to protect the people of Mos Espa, and of Tatooine. Okay. And he did that, defeating the Pykes with the help of all his allies, after some initial problems. He killed Cad Bane (we think–red winking light? Idk), and I think it’s important that he killed him with the gaffi stick and not his blasters. The gaffi stick is a symbol of who he is now, and everything he’s learned from the Tuskens.

Bane called him a “cold-blooded killer” (as if he could talk), and then Boba proved him right by killing him. Was it out of character? I don’t think so. Boba has changed, yes, he wants to do the right thing (I guess), but he’s no Jedi. You mess with him, he’s gonna get those crazy eyes and mess you up.

But then at the end of the episode, he’s walking with Fennec and generally feeling uncomfortable with the people he saved honoring him. And he says, “I don’t think we’re cut out for this.” I’m not sure what to make of that statement. Some think it means he’s going to move on and leave it to someone else (Fennec replies to him, “If not us, who?” which leads me to another point soon).

It seems strange to me that Boba would go through all that and risk his life to drive the Pykes out and become the leader (daimyo) of Tatooine, and then immediately leave because he’s uncomfortable with it. Huh? I thought that’s what he wanted. I guess you should be careful what you wish for, lol. But maybe he’s just commenting on it, without really any intention of leaving. I really don’t know.

Book of Boba Fett: Episode 7 Post Credit Scene Explained — Vanth on the mend.

But then we get a post-credit scene of Cobb Vanth in Boba’s bacta tank. We were led to believe he was dead, shot down by Bane, but now we see he’s not quite dead yet, lol. And the Mod who saved Fennec is getting ready to “modify” him, if you know what I mean. So, I’m glad that he’s alive. But are they setting us up for Cobb Vanth to take over for Boba? It could work, I suppose. But again, I just think it’s weird that Boba would suddenly take off after gaining what he supposedly wanted.

Those are the main points I wanted to talk about. The rest of the show was entertaining. The action was great, the massive droids were cool, and of course, Boba showing up on the rancor was fabulous! It was inevitable, and it was great. And then Grogu calming the beast down afterward was priceless–size, indeed, matters not. The little guy curled up asleep next to the rancor was pretty darn cute. And the ending scene with Mando giving in to Grogu and hitting his turbo or whatever it was and streaking super-fast through space was fun, too. Grogu sitting in that little bubble in Mando’s ship was clearly meant to be, lol.

The Book of Boba Fett episode 7 recap: a fittingly muddled season finale — Monster on the loose.

So, no word on if there’s going to be a Season 2 of Boba Fett, but I’m guessing no. I think the show served its purpose–telling Boba’s story and also being a bridge to The Mandalorian S3. I think Boba and Fennec will surely show up in future shows (especially if Boba does leave Tatooine). Was it perfect? Nah. But it had some perfect moments.

What did you think of Episode 7? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 Review

(Please be aware that there are spoilers for this episode in this post.)

“Return of the Mandalorian“

The Book Of Boba Fett' Episode 5 Review: The Mandalorian Makes This Show So Much Better — He’s back!

So, yeah, we knew Mando was going to be making an appearance in the BoBF, but a whole darn episode?! I was both thrilled and a little puzzled about this, but let’s go on.

We finally get to see what Din Djarin has been up to since Grogu left with Luke Skywalker. Apparently he’s gone back to bounty hunting, but this particular bounty we see at the beginning of the episode is for information rather than money. He’s looking for his people, ie, the Armorer and anyone else left of his old crew. He’s given directions, and finds them on this cool-looking space station.

He and the Armorer talk about the Dark Saber, its history, The Night of a Thousand Tears, Bo-Katan Kryze; she makes a little something for Grogu from the beskar spear Din got from Ahsoka; and she trains him a bit in lightsaber battle. The blade becomes heavy for Din to wield, and the Armorer says that’s because he’s fighting the blade, not his opponent. Then the only other Mandalorian there challenges him for the Dark Saber (he’s an ancestor of Tar and Pre Viszla, and feels he should be the one wielding it). Din wins the battle–though not necessarily with the blade–but then the Armorer asks if he’s ever taken his helmet off in front of others, and he’s busted.

Easter Eggs You May Have Missed In The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 5 — Maybe Luke can give him some lightsaber training when he visits Grogu.

The Armorer casts him out, and Din goes to Mos Eisley in search of Peli. She’s been apparently working on finding him another ship, and she’s got a Naboo starfighter. It’s from the time of the Republic and has definitely seen better days, but she convinces him to help her fix it up. And it turns out kind of great. (I can just see Grogu’s cute little head poking up in that astromech bubble, can’t you?) He takes it for a spin and he warms to the fast little ship. When he gets back, Fennec Shand shows up and asks him to help Boba, who’s in need of some muscle. Din agrees, and says he’ll do it for free. But first, he’s got someone he’s gotta check in with.

That’s basically the episode, and it was fantastic. I think we’re all just missing Mando big time, and it was wonderful to see him again. He’s clearly missing Grogu, and is directionless without him. Grogu was his moral compass, and now that the little guy’s gone, he went right back into bounty hunting. He doesn’t quite know what to do with the Dark Saber, and can barely wield it. It’s obvious he’s reluctant to take on the responsibility of the blade.

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 – What Did You Think?! — The Night of a Thousand Tears has a Terminator vibe.

He wants to go to Grogu and make sure he’s all right (in his conversation with the Armorer, she says that in the Jedi creed, they must let go of all attachments; Din points out that this is the opposite of the Mandalorian creed, which is one of loyalty. I’m curious to see how this will work out for Grogu, who is clearly attached to Mando).

I’m not holding my breath that we will actually see Grogu or Luke in any future episode of the BoBF, and we probably shouldn’t. We need to get back to Boba, especially with only two episodes left; the fact that Din got his own whole episode is another head-scratcher. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. But this is Boba’s show, not The Mandalorian 2.5. Or maybe it is, I don’t know. But I can’t help but feel that The Book of Boba Fett suffers in comparison to anything Mando; it’s inevitable. It’s kind of not fair, lol. But it’s clear that these shows are linked, as I’m sure the Ahsoka show will further link in, so maybe it’s not a big deal.

Star Wars' Fans Blow Up the Internet, "1% Boba Fett...This Is the Way" - Inside the Magic — Someone’s got a new ride.

It’s also interesting to note that these two very different men, who wear Mandalorian armor (but were not born on Mandalore in the way that Bo-Katan was) are trying to find their true identities. Boba is well on his way to redefining himself, but Din, now that he’s broken his creed for the sake of Grogu (who’s now gone) and has been cast out, is floundering and must find his way again. Maybe Boba can give him a few tips, lol.

At any rate, I’m eager to see the next two episodes of the BoBF and how Din will play a part in Boba’s quest to rule Tatooine.

What did you think of the episode? Do you think it hurt or enhanced The Book of Boba Fett? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Book of Boba Fett: Episode 4 Review

(Please be advised that this post contains spoilers for Episode 4 of The Book of Boba Fett.)

Episode 4, “The Gathering Storm,” is another example of how much I like this series despite it not being perfect. At all, lol. There are aspects of every episode that I love, and aspects that make me wince a little.

Is there a doctor in the house? Okay, he’ll do.

So Ep 4 consists mostly of a flashback, showing Boba scouting out Jabba’s palace and then finding Fennec Shand near death after she’d been shot by that newbie bounty hunter from The Mandalorian. He takes her to a “mod shop” near Mos Eisley, and she gets patched up with some droid implants. This scene is kind of cool but also too long, and it really just beggars belief. That man is clearly not a doctor, Fennec is near death and he just puts a bunch of pistons in her belly, it’s clearly not a sterile environment, there’s no blood anywhere even though her gut is eviscerated, and she recovers fully in less than a day. But I’m quite attached to my willing suspension of disbelief, especially when it comes to Star Wars, so I’ll just shrug and say, cool!

Anyway, Fennec agrees to help him recover his ship from Jabba’s palace in return for saving her life. They sneak through a side door and end up in the kitchen where a couple of droids are preparing food. The chef droid is awesome in a General Grievous kind of way, wielding his butcher knives like lightsabers. The ensuing battle with the droids is another scene that goes on a bit too long, but we finally get to the ship (Slave 1? Firespray? Idk) and they battle Jabba’s guards to get it out of the hangar. Once that’s done, there are scores to settle. He asks Fennec where to drop her off, but she decides to hang out with him a little longer.

TV Review - "Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett" Fills in More Gaps with Episode 4 - "The Gathering Storm" - LaughingPlace.com — Back in the saddle again.

Boba finds the biker gang that he thinks killed the Tuskens and shoots them down with the ship’s weapons; although Fennec has suggested that a mere biker gang like that isn’t enough to take down a Tusken tribe. I’m guessing that the Pykes, of course, have something to do with it, and will lead to a very personal showdown between Boba and the spicers later.

Next on his list is the Sarlaac pit that almost killed him. He’s looking for his armor; it’s understandable that he can’t quite remember that he was wearing it when he got out and that the Jawas stole it. They get a little too close for comfort and the beaky thing attacks them, almost pulling the ship into its maw. Luckily they get a seismic charge to drop in there and kill the thing; Boba then goes right into it to look for the armor, but of course, it’s not there.

The Book of Boba Fett episode 4 cast: 'The Gathering Storm' — Boba’s wrath.

Boba invites Fennec to join him in his quest to become a crime syndicate leader (she calls it a “gotra,” a word that’s only familiar to me from a Star Wars book called Most Wanted, about young Han and Q’ira, and the mention of a “Droid Gotra;” it comes from Hindu and means a clan, family, or tribe) and she doesn’t understand it.

Boba tells her that he’s tired of risking his life for morons (basically), and that she should be, too, since they were both left for dead on Tatooine. He wants to build something better, something that relies on loyalty. If she joins him, he would protect her life, and she’d share in the spoils. She’s not completely convinced, and tells him that life with the Tuskens made him “soft.” He disagrees, saying it made him stronger.

What I think he means here is that he’s found a different, and better, way to live in this difficult galaxy: working together for the common good of the group, rather than cut-throat ruthlessness. If Boba was a Force-wielder, I’d say he’d gone from the dark side to the light side. And I like that. Some fans would agree with Fennec–they want badass Boba Fett, the one that they remember and love. And while I get it, that’s not what this show is about. It’s one long character arc for this man, who’s been reborn and has learned, grown, and evolved. He’s turned over a new leaf, has made new, better goals for himself (if a crime lord can be considered a good thing, lol), and is constantly learning about himself and what he’s capable of. That story has a lot more depth and satisfaction than a guy in a mask going around shooting stuff up. To me, anyway.

Turns out he’s a mean drunk.

So once he’s out of the bacta tank, he’s told that he’s completely healed of his wounds, and no longer needs it. Fennec comes up and says his outer wounds are healed, but perhaps not the inner wounds. She’s a perceptive gal. They go to the Sanctuary and witness Black Krrsantan beating up some Trandoshans. Garsa tries to talk him down, but it doesn’t work–he rips one of their arms off anyway. Boba then offers him a job (which I figured was coming), and increases his little “family.”

Then there’s that meeting with the heads of the other “families” of Mos Espa, and tries to convince them to join him against the Pykes. They’re not too keen, but after a little rancor scare beneath the dinner table, he simply asks they not join the Pykes against him, and they agree.

Boba Fett Episode 4 Review – But Why Tho? A Geek Community — Boba makes them an offer they kind of refuse.

Off they go, and Fennec says they need more people to fill their ranks. Boba says he’s got money to pay others, and Fennec informs him that you can always buy allies if you know where to look. Cue Mando’s theme, and we’re all suddenly very excited for where this show may be going.

Will Din Djarin show up in future episodes? It seems certain, and that’s awesome. I’ve missed that guy, lol. And now I think that this show is, apart from Boba’s personal journey, a bridge between Mando Seasons 2 and 3. What’s he been up to since Grogu’s been gone? I’m thinking he’ll help Boba with the Pykes if, in return, Boba helps him with Mandalore. Or whatever it is he wants to do. Very exciting, at any rate.

So what did you think of Episode 4? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

The Book of Boba Fett Episode 3 Review

Please be warned that there are spoilers ahead.

Episode three, “The Streets of Mos Espa,” is a mixed bag of great moments and moments that left me scratching my head in bewilderment.

The Book of Boba Fett episode 3 review: "An unfulfilling entry in the Star Wars series" | GamesRadar+ — Bantha man.

In this episode, the flashback scene is comparatively short compared to previous episodes, but it was an emotional one. Boba leaves the Tusken tribe for a day to visit the Pykes and demand protection money, but when he gets back his new Tusken family is destroyed. I was surprised at how sad I was about this; they’d kind of grown on me. And they obviously meant a lot to Boba, and it was clear he was devastated. Some fans have complained that the show spent so much time developing these characters only to wipe them out so suddenly, and that it doesn’t make sense. But I had a feeling he was going to lose them somehow; otherwise, why would he have left in the first place, considering how content he seemed with them? And with that sudden loss, we feel Boba’s pain.

In the present, Boba must deal with the challenges that continue to be thrown at him. I think he forgot that to run the place, he needs to deal with petitioners that come his way with complaints. When he goes to deal with the hooligans that are stealing water from the water-monger, he finds….teens on speeder bikes. He finds out they’re stealing the water because the water monger is charging too much. He offers them a job (he needs to grow his entourage, after all) and tells the water monger to lower his prices.

The Book Of Boba Fett' Episode 3 Adds 'Yellowjackets' Survivor — She would be really cool–in another series.

So this “millennial bubblegum gang,” as I’ve heard them called, is a big sour point for many fans. And I get it. They just don’t seem to fit into Star Wars. My big complaint is that they were stealing water because it was too expensive–and yet they seemed to have enough money for their expensive borg implants and flashy bikes. Plays right into the millennial trope–can’t afford the rent, it’s too high, but somehow find the money for $1000 iphones and a monthly mani-pedi. They could have been cool if they were handled a bit differently, but as it is, they’re just annoying, lol.

And apparently they don’t do a good job of guarding Boba, because Black Krrsantan strolled right in and yanked him from his bacta tank and proceeded to kick his bacta-slick butt. They did manage to round him up and get him into the rancor pit. I’m not sure why BK just didn’t shoot Boba, but maybe it’s a Wookiee thing–it’s more honorable to beat someone in hand-to-hand combat. But if someone’s paying you to kill someone, you might want to just get the deed done in the quickest, easiest way possible.

Anyway, before Boba can respond to the attack, the Hutt twins arrive and apologize for sending BK in the first place; they give him a rancor as a gift to make up for it. They say they’re leaving Tatooine and that he should too, as the Mayor has promised it to another syndicate. Boba bonds with the rancor (I really like this scene, too, although I kept waiting for the darn thing to bite his head off, lol; but I have visions of him riding the beast into battle in some future episode, which would be awesome).

The Book of Boba Fett' Episode 3 Sets the Stage for War | Review - News WWC — Boba and the borg.

So Boba and Fennec go to see the Mayor, but his lackey locks the door and flees on a speeder. The teen biker gang pursue him in what must be the slowest, most boring chase scene ever in Star Wars. I really don’t get it. The speeder chase in ROTJ in 1983 is more exciting than this. Maybe I’m spoiled, but I think most of us expect something other than a chase scene that looks like it was done by film school students on a tight budget. It was just so bewildering!

Anyway, they catch him and he says the Pykes are taking over Tatooine, so they’re keeping a close eye on them as they arrive in numbers.

So yeah, not the best episode so far. It’s pushing the narrative along, Boba is increasing his merry little band, and the big bad has been revealed. But it seems kind of a mess, and after the wonderful second episode, a bit disappointing. But I’m not giving up on the series yet; I think there’s hope for some great stuff ahead, as long as things start to get a little more coherent and stream-lined. I’m still curious to see what Boba does after the death of his Tusken family. In some ways, I feel like the first season of the show should have just started with him getting out of the sarlaac pit and go from there; a second season could have dealt with all the present-day stuff, rather than go back and forth with flashbacks. Oh well.

What did you think of Episode Three? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll talk about it!

New Year, New Star Wars Plans

Book Bindings, Paper, Page, Education, Literature, Book

So as I often do at the beginning of a new year, I assess what I’ve done as far as writing/blogging, whether it reached my goals or not, and what I’d like to do for the coming year.

in the last half of 2021, I’d decided to do just one post per week, My Entertainment Weekend Update, to summarize what I’ve been reading and watching for the past week. At the time I started doing it, I was a little burnt out with the blogging, and just wanted to pull back a bit and do other things. And that was fine; it accomplished exactly what I wanted it to do.

But with a new year I feel the energy of a fresh start, and I’ve decided to blog more often again. There’s plenty I want to say about a lot of things, but mostly Star Wars. This coming year is going to be a blitz of Star Wars content, including new shows like The Bad Batch S2, Andor, and Obi-Wan, as well as The Book of Boba Fett continuing. There’s going to be a ton of books too, with Wave 3 of the High Republic and a slew of new canon books. There’s just going to be so much to talk about!

I’ve also fallen firmly in love with Marvel, and will continue to monitor new shows and the exciting movies coming out this year.

So here’s what I’ve decided to do:

Saturdays or Sundays: continue to My Entertainment Weekend Update
Mondays: Whatever Monday, which could include book reviews or just about anything Star Wars or Marvel
Wednesdays: High Republic Wednesdays, which will be a post on anything High Republic like character profiles, the Jedi, the villains, book excerpts, etc.
Fridays: I’ll review the latest Disney+ show (starting with Episode 3 of The Book of Boba Fett)

I might also get back into podcasting, but I’m not sure what path that’s going to take just now. Just in the back of my mind for the future.

So that’s the plan. Let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like me talk about as well–I’m open to suggestions!

MTFBWY