My Star Wars Entertainment Update November 2025

Hello friends! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, if you celebrate that where you are. 🙂 A few things to get to, so here we go!

Warning: SPOILERS!!!

Visions Season 3. I’d really been looking forward to this edition of Visions, as I’d loved the first two, especially Season 2. And while this one offered some good, entertaining episodes, none of them really stood out to me and I didn’t absolutely love it like Season 2. I think, like Season 1, these were all Japanese anime studios, while Season 2 encompassed other anime studios from around the world, and I think I loved that kind of diversity. So there seemed to be a certain stylistic sameness here that didn’t resonate with me.

That being said, there were some good ones. The sequel to Season 1’s The Duel, with the Ronin (The Duel: Payback), was a favorite, as I love the style, and the character of the Ronin. (Someday, I’m going to read that Ronin novel!) The Bounty Hunters was great, with the droid with two personalities, lol. I think my favorite, though, was The Smuggler, with the exiled Prince and the secret Jedi with the lightsaber hidden in a prosthetic arm.

The other two sequels, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope and The Lost Ones, were fine, but I feel like the Ninth Jedi one was holding back for the future series (although I did love that crazy ship, and the little droid who sacrified himself for Kara); F in The Lost Ones has to face her old master who has turned to the dark side, though it’s unclear how that came to be.

Yuko’s Treasure was kind of adorable with the big bear droid with a microwave belly, and the theme of found family is fitting for Star Wars. The last two episodes were my least favorite, though they were the most visually stunning. The Bird of Paradise was gorgeous, but the Padawan in question is unbearable, lol. I was left wondering how she got to be a Padawan in the first place with so many un-Jedi-like qualities–impatience, self-centeredness, self-pity, anger. I understand she had to work through these things to become more Jedi-like (and I’m not even sure if she survived or not by the end), but I had zero empathy for her. And Black is a psychedelic trip that is up for interpretation. Maybe it’s because I don’t do drugs, lol, but damn, it was just weird and alienating. My interpretation is that it’s a stormtrooper’s dying flashbacks to his life and the battles he’s fought. It’s an interesting premise, but I was glad when it was over, lol. Just not my thing.

I’m hoping that if we get a Season 4 we can get more of the anime studios from around the world, as I seemed to enjoy those most.

Master of Evil, by Adam Christopher. This book was much more satisfying than the last canon book (The Last Order). At first I thought, hmm, another Vader story? Do we need one? But I heard good things, and I’m happy to say that it was well worth the read.

The book takes place mere days or weeks after events of The Revenge of the Sith. The Empire is new, and Vader himself is new, so to speak. Sidious has not been forthcoming in his promise to teach Vader the secrets of the Sith and how to conquer death (although, technically, Palpatine promised the power to “prevent” others from dying, not bring them back from death, right?) Anyway, Vader is still obsessed with bringing Padme back into his life, and if Sidious won’t help him, he’ll figure it out himself. Sidious sends him on a mission to Diso, a distant planet, to investigate a Force shaman and the rumor of a Temple which holds a Force vergence.

Instead of being completely from Vader’s point of view (there’s a handful of short chapters from him, though), the main point of view is from Colonel Halland Goth, a member of the Imperial Royal Guard. He’s proud to serve, but the problem is, he’s dying. He’s got Kangly’s disease, which makes him feel like he’s burning up from the inside out, and will eventually kill him. He’s got his own personal droid, TC-99, who not only helps him with his medical needs, but is a good friend. Goth is tasked by the ISB to keep an eye on Vader, who no one really knows anything about yet, and he accompanies Vader to Diso. While on the mission, Goth figures out that Vader is probably Anakin Skywalker. As a good Imperial soldier, Goth swallows the propaganda that the Jedi were traitors and is glad to be rid of them, but he’s fascinated with Vader: he realizes the suit he wears is keeping him alive. He gets the crazy idea that Vader, and that kind of technology, might help him survive. He wants to live, and he wants to serve.

The Temple in question turns out to be on a Separatist ship stuck in hyperspace somewhere (it’s a long story involving Count Dooku, lol), and that’s where the climax of the story happens. The vergence in the Force emanating from the Temple causes Vader to have some interesting visions; the shaman’s wife and daughter have gotten involved, and want revenge on Vader; there’s a couple of droid scientists from a former Techno Union Corporation on board who want to utilize the brain of a super-tactical droid running ship; and Goth is near death, just trying to keep everybody alive, while realizing he himself won’t be getting any miracle cure from Vader. He understands that it’s not just the suit that’s keeping Vader alive, but the Force itself. And he realizes that the Empire he’s so loyal to is not exactly what he thought it was.

Goth is a likable Imperial protagonist, and his friendship with TC-99 is touching. The theme of “masks” runs throughout the story: TC-99 has data matrices from many other droids he can insert into his chest plate to learn whatever specialty he needs to, but sometimes the personality of the droid is very strong and takes him over, as if he’s a completely different droid. The natives of Diso wear masks in their Force rituals; Jarvic, one of the droid scientists, has a wrap-around cyborg implant in his head (like Lobot) and the tactical droid ends up plugging into it and taking him over; the evil entity from the Temple (the dark side itself) temporarily takes over the shaman’s wife; Goth himself wears the red mask of the Royal Imperial Guard, but is he loyal to the Emperor, Vader, the ISB, or himself and TC-99? It shifts throughout the narrative. And of course, there’s Vader himself and his iconic mask, representing the split between himself and Anakin Skywalker, who he battles in one of his visions.

I loved this book, and though maybe we didn’t “need” another Vader story, I’m glad we got this one.

Comics:

Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon #3. Han and Chewie continue to search for the Falcon, as the Irving Boys point them in the direction of Unkar Plutt. There’s another flashback to Han’s past, with young Ben wanting to spend time with his dad, tinkering with a landspeeder, and Leia scolding him for not finishing his studies. Han and Leia then argue about the whole thing. (I feel like Leia is being a bit unreasonable here; geez, let the kid spend some time with his dad, lol). Han and Chewie end up arguing, as Han discovers that Chewie has been speaking with Leia without telling him. Anyway, Ducain gets back into the picture and decides to warn Plutt about Han and Chewie coming to look for the ship. There’s only one issue left, and I’m eager to see how this concludes, as we already know they don’t get the ship back until The Force Awakens.

Legacy of Vader #10. Kylo, back on Mustafar with Vanee, goes into Vader’s meditation chamber to see if he can find Luke Skywalker. The man is dead, and Kylo is still obsessed, lol. At first he sees weird snake-like creatures with the heads of his family, and he spends time cutting them down. Then, he finds himself somewhere that looks like Force Heaven or something, and a Force ghost tells him he shouldn’t be there. But Luke’s Force ghost comes over and chats with Kylo. Kylo wants to know how he died, who killed him and how much he suffered. But Luke tells him no one killed him. He sacrificed himself for those he loved. That’s what his life was for. “What’s your life for?” he asks Kylo. And of course, this enrages him. “Stop trying to teach me!” he yells at him. Luke points out that he shouldn’t have been able to access this place, and Kylo should think about how he did. (There’s still Light in him, if you haven’t figured it out, lol). Then Kylo is punished by some darkside creature for (unconsciously) accessing the Light to go there, and he comes out of the meditation chamber terribly wounded. I really liked this issue and his conversation with Luke, but as we know Kylo doesn’t really learn anything from it.

Non-Star Wars pick of the month:

Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Frankenstein has always been a favorite of mine, meaning the book and any movie adaptations that come along. I loved the Kenneth Branagh adaptation from 1994, and I think it’s still my favorite, but this one is a close second, although it’s very different in style and tone. Director Guillermo del Toro has a very distinct style and that comes through in this film very clearly. The subject matter is naturally gruesome, but it’s brought to a level of grotesqueness that’s more creepy than bloody (though there’s plenty of that, too, lol). There’s always a ton of stuff you can break down in this story, but I’ll just briefly touch on my thoughts here, since I think we’re all familiar with the basic storyline.

As you may know, I’m a fan of Oscar Isaac, and he did a fine job as the obsessed Victor Frankenstein. To be honest, I thought Mia Goth’s character as Elizabeth was just weird. In this version, Elizabeth is Victor’s brother William’s fiance, instead of Victor’s eventual bride, but there’s a sexual tension between her and Victor. I like that she has compassion for the Creature, but there’s something weird about it. She’s just weird, lol. Maybe it’s the actress, I don’t know, I haven’t seen her in anything else (I hope I like her better in the upcoming Star Wars film Starfighter). We’ll see.

Speaking of the Creature, I think Jacob Elordi does a fantastic job with him. I always love the Creature in any version, and this one was especially child-like and sweet (until he’s not, of course, lol). My sentimental mother’s heart always breaks for this child that is rejected by its parent; in other versions, it was fear that caused Victor to reject him, but here it’s more disappointment. He doesn’t learn to speak properly right away, and Victor, aghast that his creation is so dumb, is pretty damn mean to him and it’s clear that once again, Victor is the true monster here. Of course, it mirrors Victor’s father’s disappointment in him, a cycle that he doesn’t even realize he’s repeating.

I do like that the two forgive each other at the end, which does not happen in the book (not really), but instead of them both dying, the Creature in this version cannot die and must live alone forever in the Arctic wastes, which is the saddest thing I can think of.

So, an interesting and unique interpretation of an eternally fascinating story; not perfect, kind of weird, but definitely entertaining.

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

I rank Star Wars streaming content from 2023

Now that 2023 is over, I thought I’d do a personal ranking of the streaming content we got in Star Wars during the course of the year (excepting Young Jedi Adventures, which I have not watched). Here’s my list, beginning with my favorite, on down to my least favorite:

One of the most wrenching scenes of TBB S2 (besides *that* one): Crosshair is brought to the brink.

The Bad Batch S2. I think you all know how much I love the Bad Batch, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Season 2 had some great story arcs, more characterization, a new villain, and some heartbreaking moments. The Clone Conspiracy arc was especially fantastic; Echo and Tech both got some quality-time episodes that help us understand their characters more; Dr. Hemlock is creepy, cold-hearted, ambitious, and probably a little insane; and Plan 99–well, you know. I’d like to give a shoutout to Crosshair’s episodes, The Solitary Clone and The Outpost, as nominees for Best Star Wars content probably ever. Once we see a trailer for Season 3, my anticipation will reach a fever pitch, lol.

Oh Baylan, we hardly knew ye. The mystery of Baylan Skoll was one of highlights of Ahsoka, as well as the great performance of the late Ray Stevenson.

Ahsoka. This series was a bit uneven for me, but I still enjoyed it immensely. I will say it’s basically Rebels Season 5, but it was great to see some of my favorite animated characters in live-action. It has great mystical elements (Dathomirian witches!), warp-speed space whales, zombie stormtroopers, ancient artifacts, lots and lots of lightsaber battles, Baylan Skoll (he warrants a category of his own), the return of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and oh yeah, Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds. It was quite the spectacle, it was fun, and I love Ahsoka.

I loved the look of this episode (“Sith”) and the theme of leaving your past behind to become a better person. Also: Force Art.

Visions S2. I really enjoyed Season 1 of Visions–I thought it was a great way to get new, original Star Wars-inspired stories. I had some clear favorites, while others didn’t grab me, but overall it was great fun. So I was excited to learn about Season 2, and I think I loved it even more. Every single episode was a strong installment for me, and I loved the global feeling of this season as well. Some standouts for me were Sith, Screecher’s Reach, and The Spy Dancer. But seriously, I loved them all. I hope we get more Visions in the coming years.

“Bad baby!” Grogu is always the best part of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian S3. Sad to say, this was my least favorite Star Wars offering of last year. I’m not saying it was bad; it was entertaining, and I enjoyed it. But it just didn’t grab me the way the first two seasons did. Part of this is because a good portion of it consists of the Mandalorians trying to get along with each other as they attempt to retake their homeworld (I’m not sure why, since it’s almost completely destroyed), and Din and Grogu’s part in it. That’s fine, I understand why this story needed to be told, but I really just prefer the more intimate story of Din and Grogu, what they mean to each other, and their adventures together. I hope we get more of that if a Season 4 happens; the Mandoverse is in a bit of flux right now. Will we get a S4? What about an Ahsoka S2? How will Filoni’s movie fit into it all? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but this is the only series I have not rewatched yet, and that says a lot.

What about you? What was your favorite Star Wars streaming content last year? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts on Visions S2

SPOILERS for Visions Season 2 ahead:

Visions Season 2 premiered on May 4th, and I have to say, it’s spectacular.

I enjoyed Season 1, with a few that I loved, some that were fine, and a few I just didn’t care for. With Season Two, I can confidently say that I loved them all to some extent, with a few favorites, and none that I didn’t like. They are all wildly different on the surface, with different anime styles but all beautiful in their own way; with similar Star Warsy themes running through them like a thread connecting them all. Here are some brief thoughts on each (and please forgive any mispellings or mistakes on names):

Sith. (El Guiri, Spain). The first one is my absolute favorite. Not only is it fantastically gorgeous, but I loved the story and the message that it illustrates. Lola lives with her droid in a place that comes alive with her art. She has nightmares, and tries to erase the darkness from her paintings, to no avail. It wants to be a part of her work. We find out that she is a former Sith, who left that life, and now her former Master has come looking for her. He is terrifying, and Lola must face her fear and overcome it, and to accept the darkness within her. She is no Sith, as she asserts, but must accept both the light and the darkness as equal aspects of herself. This realization helps her defeat the Sith Master. As she leaves the planet, she states that she is the Master now–of her own destiny, free to paint it anyway she wants. I loved this episode so much; it wowed me from the very start. I never knew anime could do these things, that it could look and feel like this. Absolutely amazing, and for me, the best of the bunch.

Screecher’s Reach. (Cartoon Saloon, Ireland). This one has a more cartoony look, but an even darker feel than “Sith.” There is no light anywhere, except perhaps in the hearts of the young ones that accompany Dal to Screecher’s Reach. They all work in a miserable factory, and Dal can’t take it anymore; she seeks escape in a journey to the dark cave. Her friends treat is as a lark, an adventure, but as things get real scary, they want out. But Dal is determined to face the darkness of the cave, often talking to a medallion she has around her neck, asking it for strength and courage. She faces the ghost/banshee/demon Sith or whatever it is in the cave, and kills it with its own red lightsaber. Once out of the cave, Dal speaks to the medallion again and a spaceship lands near them. A strange, creepy being descends and tells Dal that she passed the test, and that she must decide if she’ll come with her. Dal has dreamed of escape, and is excited at first, but is sad she must leave her friends. To them, and to us, the strange being is not benign, and we suspect the being is a Sith. Dal chooses to go with her, but her last look at her friends is one of uncertainty and fear. We fear that Dal has made the wrong choice, that her life going forward will be one of darkness. Probably the darkest of the bunch, and a bit depressing, lol.

In the Stars. (Punkrobot Studios, Chile). This one has two sisters living on a planet that the Empire has taken over. They are the last of their tribe, as the others were killed when they fought against the Imperials. Their mother had led the attack, and she had the Force, but it wasn’t enough. We get this background story through the tribe’s art: glittering, living pictures brought to life by starlight. But the starlight (who they believe are the souls of their lost tribe) is dimming, as the Empire’s factories belch smoke into the sky, obscuring it. The younger sister is fierce in her desire to fight the Empire, while the older sister, impatient with her young, headstrong sibling, feels a responsibility to keep her safe. The young one insists they have “Mum’s power,” or the Force, but the older one scoffs. The Empire siphons off their water supply, so the older sister goes to the factory to steal some water. However, the young one follows and soon gets in trouble. They flee, but when the younger sister is captured and is thrown from a ledge, the older sister reaches and uses the Force to save her. Together, they use their mother’s power to destroy the factory, the smoke clears and they can see the stars again, and the world will heal. The younger sister was pretty annoying at first, but of course she was right.

I Am Your Mother. (Aardman, UK). This one was used with stop-motion technology, and is a sweet story about a young girl learning to appreciate her mother, who, let’s face it, is pretty embarrassing, especially to a teen. Annnie (Ani?) goes to a fancy flying school taught by none other than Wedge Antilles. There’s a family race taking place, but Annie doesn’t tell her mother. She forgets her lunch, though, so her Mom shows up with it just before the race. At one point, she hurts Mom’s feelings by telling her how embarrassing she is, but Mom’s a tough cookie, and when the snotty rich girl and her horrible mother make fun of them, Mom is all in for the racing to show them a thing or two. They win, of course, and it’s a fun, light-hearted story, the lightest of all of them. I do love a particular Easter egg in this episode: when Annie and her friends are walking through the street, you can see Maz Kanata’s arm reach out and take Luke’s lightsaber from the items alongside the street. I never would have caught it myself; I learned about it from an interview with the creator on an episode of This Week in Star Wars, and I looked out for it on rewatch. Also, Annie calls her Mom “Red Leader” and Annie is “Red Two.” I think Wedge was Red Two in ANH.

Journey to the Dark Head. (Studio Mir, South Korea). So this one seemed like your more typical anime, with some over-the-top lightsaber battles and histrionic screaming matches, which isn’t really my favorite type. I didn’t like it at all at first, but on a rewatch decided it wasn’t too bad. Atta is a girl who grew up on a remote planet which has two statues: a buddha-like head that represents the Light, and another the Dark. When it rains, the rocks below can be prophetic, and she sees something with three figures that may take place in the future. When she’s grown, she goes to the Jedi Council and tells them if the Dark head is cut off, then the Sith war that has been raging will end (I’m assuming it will cut off their power or something? Not sure of the significance). They agree and send a young Jedi with her, Tal, who has a lot of anger in him. His Master had been killed by a Sith, and he is restless, seeking vengeance. The Sith had recognized it in him, and told him they’ll meet again and he will join him. The Sith follows them to the planet with the statues, and engages Tal while Atta tries to blow up the Sith head. But a problem occurs: both the heads have red and blue light, representing the Light and the Dark. Clearly, one cannot exist without the other. They will always co-exist. So she can’t blow them up; she uses the explosives to help Tal in his battle with the Sith. Tal kills the Sith after realizing why he was sent there: to face himself, and the anger within himself. Not a bad message, and the banter between the two is charming.

The Spy Dancer. (Studio La Cachette, France). The Spy Dancer is another one of my favorites. It tells of Louie, a dancer in an Empire-controlled world who uses her art for the Rebellion. Her swirling fabrics cascade around her as she twirls down gracefully and elegantly, all the while attaching trackers to the stormtroopers who are in attendance. It kind of reminds me of a Star Wars Moulin Rouge, lol. Years ago, her baby son was taken by an Imperial commander, and she hasn’t seen him since–until this night, when he returns with his “father’s” cloak and staff. Louie recognizes him, and though she fights him, she does not hurt him. The fight goes to the top of the building, where she escapes with the help of her friends, but not before embracing the frustrated, puzzled young man and telling him who he is. A beautiful, poignant story that’s at the top of my list.

The Bandits of Golak. (88 Pictures, India). This is another one high on my list. The story of a big brother helping his Force-sensitive younger sister get to a safe place, this one is visually stunning, and I love the Indian influence. The young sister, Ronni, is, again, annoying, being incredibly stupid in using her powers in public. Aside from this, I loved the Inquisitor, and the old Jedi woman who fights him. Parting the water in the pool, revealing a secret passageway, is super-cool, and I’d like to think it leads to the Path, the sort of underground Jedi railroad we saw in Obi-Wan Kenobi. I just loved the feel and the visuals of this one.

The Pit. (D’Art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd, Japan and the US). This one has no Jedi or Sith, but it has plenty of Imperial stormtroopers. The stormtroopers had gathered a group of prisoners to mine kyber crystals in a large pit (for the Death Star, one would assume). Once the mine is spent, the Empire simply abandons them, leaving them behind in the pit. With the workers despairing, a young man, Crux, climbs to the top of the pit and travels to the nearby city, seeking help to get everyone else out. His pleas fall on deaf ears at first, as the people go about their business. But once he makes clear what’s happening, the Imperials in the city capture him and drag him back to the pit, hurling him down back into it, killing him. But the people of the city heard him, and head out to the edge of the pit. They are drawn to it by the trapped workers shouting “Follow the light!” over and over. The stormtroopers try to drive them away, but they do not succeed, and the city folk send ships down to save the pit workers. It’s a great story about ordinary people coming together to help each other.

Aau’s Song. (Triggerfish, South Africa). I’m not a big fan of the stuffed-animal look, but this one was charming, and links music with the Force. A young girl named Aau lives on the planet Korba, which is filled with kyber crystal, but they had been corrupted by Sith a long time ago. The Jedi often come to the planet to help heal the crystals. Aau’s father works in the mines, but she is not allowed to go, as her voice has an effect on the crystals that they don’t understand. The Jedi who comes to the planet senses that she has a gift and encourages her to use it. So she sneaks down to the mines and sings, and her voice heals the crystals–all of them. A sweet story about using the gifts we possess, even if we don’t always understand them or where they will lead.

I loved the international flavor of these shorts this time around, and I really hope this becomes an annual thing. Visions is a great way for creators to make unique stories with Star Wars flavors, something different in the fandom that we can all look forward to. If I had to choose my top three this year, it would be Sith, The Bandits of Golak, and The Spy Dancer.

Did you enjoy Visions? What were your favorites? 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

Happy weekend friends!

This week in books:

I’m still working through The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab. It’s a big book, and I’m sinking my teeth into it and savoring every page. It’s a fascinating read about a woman who makes a bad deal for eternal life, but at the price of never being remembered. By anyone. Ever. How she makes it through life this way as she witnesses history is an amazing read.

Still working on The Outsiders, but it’s a small book and my daughter’s class is almost done. I won’t mention it again until I’ve actually finished it, lol.

I’m excited to report that I received the Star Wars book Ronin, by Emma Mieko Candon. It’s based on the Visions short The Duel, with the mysterious Ronin and his faithful straw-hatted droid by his side. I’ve only just finished the chapters that deal with what we see in the short, so from here on will be new material. I can’t wait to see what he’s all about.

I’ve also been reading The Weapon of a Jedi, by Jason Fry, a middle-grade Star Wars book about Luke Skywalker that takes place between A New Hope and Empire. This is also a short book, and I’m about halfway done. It deals with Luke on a mission for the Alliance, but he gets sidetracked into exploring a destroyed Jedi Temple on an Outer Rim planet. Fun. I don’t normally read middle-grade, but I wanted something short and sweet on the Kindle to read on break at work, lol (I hate dragging around big hardcovers).

In Marvel news: I’m saddened that there’s no more What If? episodes to watch. 😦 But, I did watch the movie Black Widow, which is now available to basic Disney+ subscribers like myself. It was good; I enjoyed it. I think it takes place between Avengers: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, when Natasha is on the run and hiding from some government dude after the Sekovia Accords. I’ve only watched those movies once so far, so I’m a little fuzzy about the timeline and events, lol. I’ll have to do a rewatch.

Speaking of rewatches, every now and then I rewatch a favorite Marvel movie or show: this week it was Guardians of the Galaxy. Before my Marvel revelation and conversion, when I saw the previews for this movie when it came out I thought, “Boy, that looks so dumb.” Never in a million years did I think it would be one of my favorites! But it’s so fun, and the soundtrack helps a lot, too. I’m a sucker for 70s easy-listening, and my joy in it is validated in this movie, lol. But I love the characters (I never thought I’d love a gun-toting racoon so much), it’s hilarious, and ties in nicely with the upcoming Infinity War arc.

That’s really about it. The next big thing, I think, is the Hawkeye series premiering on November 24th, with two episodes. I’ve always been a Hawkeye fan, so I’m looking forward to this.

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

My thoughts on Star Wars: Visions

When I heard about Star Wars Visions way back when all the new shows coming up were announced, it was pretty much last on my list concerning my interest level. I’m not an anime fan and don’t know much about it. But even with it at the bottom of my list, I knew I’d at least check it out when it released, out of curiosity if anything.

I’m pleasantly surprised to report that I enjoyed it, for the most part. It’s visually beautiful and looks at Star Wars from a different perspective, one that I found intriguing, for the most part. As I suspected, there were shorts that I really liked, even loved, while others were a little too “out there” for me, lol. Here’s a list of my personal ranking from best to worst, with some brief thoughts on each:

The Elder. I have to admit, I think this is my favorite because of the familiar Star Wars elements, mainly the Jedi Master/Padawan relationship. It looks like it could be right out of the Republic era. Master Taijin reminds me of Qui Gon Jinn (and I think maybe that was intentional), and so of course I loved him. I love that Taijin was voiced by David Harbour, from Stranger Things and Black Widow.
The Duel. I loved the look of this one, and the story was pretty intriguing, too (that’s why I ordered the novel based on it, called Ronin). I want to know this man’s story, and to learn about the alternate Jedi and Sith history.
The Ninth Jedi. I think everyone universally loved this one, and I thought it was great, too. I love the idea of lightsabers changing colors based on who wields it. And it’s ripe for continuation in either more shorts or books or whatever they want to do with it.
The Village Bride. I thought this one was lovely. I recognized the groom’s voice as Christopher Sean, who voiced Kazuda in Star Wars Resistance, which immediately endeared me.
Lop and Ocho. Despite the bunny (not a fan of the cutesy stuff), this one was pretty good. I liked the strained family dynamics, the very cool lightsaber, the adopted kid becoming the father’s heir.
Akakiri. This one committed the ultimate sin of being kind of boring, lol. The main character reminded me of Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor, which I thought was interesting even though there’s absolutely no connection, lol.
T0-B1. An obvious Pinocchio allusion, this one was a bit too cutesy for me. I’m intrigued by a droid training as a Jedi, though.
The Twins. Although this one looked cool and the story sounded promising, it was just too much for me. Fighting in the vacuum of space? Riding on top of a ship during hyperspace? The female sibling screaming dramatically and incoherently? No thanks.
Tatooine Rhapsody. Maybe I’m being too harsh on this one, I know some people loved it, but it just didn’t work for me. The singing didn’t interest me, but I could have tolerated it if the Padawan singer actually did some Jedi stuff with his lightsaber microphone. But he didn’t. He just sang. That’s fine, but not enough for me, lol.

All in all, I enjoyed watching these shorts and I’m glad Star Wars was explored through this perspective. Despite looking a little different, they focused on what Star Wars, to me, is all about: Jedi and Sith, The Force, lightsabers (I especially loved the variations on lightsabers–even the microphone one, lol), family, good against evil, dreams and longing, wonder and hope. I’m even up for a Season Two, if it happens.

Let me know what you thought about Star Wars Visions, and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy weekend my friends!

In books this week, I’ve finished Loki: Where Mischief Lies on my Kindle. I’ve since ordered the sequel called Loki: Where Mischief Ends, and since it’s only available in paperback, I ordered the first book in paperback, too, for a matching set, lol. Can’t wait to start the second book.

I’m about two-thirds done with The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. I love this book; it’s lovely and strange and keeps you wondering “What is the truth?” I’ll probably finish it by Monday, when we have our first book club meeting about it.

Well, unfortunately I’ve set Revan aside for now. I’m just not into it right now. It’s the first time in over a year and a half I’m not reading a Star Wars book. I’d been looking forward to Queen’s Hope, by E.K. Johnston, the third in a Padme Amidala trilogy. It was originally set to come out this November, but it’s been pushed up to April 2022. 😦 So now I’m not sure what’s next for Star Wars reading. Stay tuned.

Why Tajin From Star Wars: Visions Sounds So Familiar — The Elder was one my favorite shorts from Visions. I love this Jedi Master (whose name I can’t remember, lol). He reminds me of Qui Gon Jinn, who is one of my favorite Jedi.

So I’ve just finished watching Visions, and it was…interesting. As I’ve said before, I’m not an anime fan, so it was mostly out of curiosity that I watched. And as I suspected, it was hit or miss with me. There were a few that were quite good and that I enjoyed: The Duel, The Ninth Jedi, and The Elder were my particular favorites. Only one was painful to watch, and that was Tatooine Rhapsody. Unbearable, lol. The rest were fine, but didn’t wow me overmuch. I know there’s a novel called Ronin that will continue the story began in The Duel, and it may end up on my Star Wars reading list. We’ll see. I’m probably going to do a brief post of my thoughts on each short sometime soon.

So, Marvel: I absolutely loved the latest What If? episode, about party boy Thor. It was light and funny, and Frost Giant Loki is probably the best thing ever, lol. But it really punctuates how relationships have a huge impact on who we become. Without Loki as a mischievous brother competing with him for their father’s attention, it was Thor who became the mischievous, irresponsible one. And his relationship with Frost Giant Loki, his “brother from another mother” is swell. And Loki actually seems happy for once (thank you, Marvel!). I got a hoot out of Captain Marvel’s “Hey Whitesnake!” which you probably won’t get unless you’re familiar with 80’s hair bands. It was just a fun romp, the total opposite of the tragic Dr. Strange episode (which I also loved). This show can really do anything, and it’s gold, lol. Oh, and I have no idea what those robots at the end were. Even the Watcher was surprised.

How Did Thor Grow Up Without Loki on Marvel's What If..? Episode 7 — This made my heart happy.

So my X-Men marathon isn’t quite complete, but I’ve watched all the major X-Men-centric movies, up through Dark Phoenix. I haven’t watched The Wolverine, Logan, or the Deadpool movies yet. Since they’re not on Disney+ I have to pay for them individually on Youtube, which is fine, but I’ll space those out more. Really enjoying these movies, no matter how corny some may be. I’ll watch anything with Fassbender in it, lol.

Finally, I just want to do a shout-out to our lovely Ewan McGregor for winning the Emmy for Halston. The series isn’t for everyone, but I loved it, and there’s no denying he fully deserved the award for his amazing performance.

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