Growing Up Skywalker

The Last Jedi has a message, and it’s louder in 2026 than it ever could have been in 2017.

This week, in our loving and nontoxic recap, we cover the first half of this extremely long (and exquisite) film—covering themes of loss, wars of attrition, sunk cost fallacies, and the idea that failure is permanent. We parse character arcs for Finn, Rose, Poe, Kylo, Rey, and Luke, and discuss whether Snoke and Kylo are truly Sith or have moved toward something new.

We also cover the critical reception of this film and its central message: That you get into trouble when you allow unchecked capitalists to make their millions and watch the world burn. It’s a message that was probably a little too spicy for 2017, but feels all too relevant today.

Next week, we’ll cover the second half of the movie, focusing on Reylo, Finn and Rose, and the wreckage of the Resistance and the New Republic.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We're working on Ninth Jedi coverage.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:03:03 Plot Summary

00:15:25 Critical Reception and Prescient Messages for 2026

00:21:53 Poe and Wars of Attrition 

00:32:12 Characters: Finn, Rose, and Poe

00:38:08 Snoke and the Sith

00:47:52 Rey, Kylo, Luke, and The Burden of Choosing

00:57:59 Bae Watch

01:08:45 Closing Thoughts

Hot on the heels of sinking the Colossus, our heroes learn a lot about rebellion in the Season 1 finale of Resistance—and accidentally form their very own rebel cell.

In our episode this week, which covers “No Escape, Parts 1 and 2,” we reflect on how The Force Awakens, A New Hope, and other pioneering installments in the Star Wars canon have rippled out into the Resistance show.

We also talk through Tam’s conservative ideological blindness, the First Order’s scuppered plan for Castilon, and the making of Kazuda Xiono, Resistance hero.

And just like that, we’re ready for the second sequel movie! Join us next week for the first half of The Last Jedi.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We've got Ninth Jedi coverage on tap (for real this time).

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:03:15 Plot Summary

00:10:05 Reflections of The Force Awakens and A New Hope

00:11:52 Tam and Ideological Blindness

00:19:11 The First Order’s Plan

00:39:53 Kaz and the Making of a Hero

00:47:59 Bae Watch

00:55:58 Closing Thoughts

The Star Wars: Resistance episodes “The Disappeared” and “Descent” take place right at the beginning of The Force Awakens, so we’re detouring back into animated territory to cover the lead-up to the destruction of Hosnian Prime.

In our coverage this week, we talk about the fascistic tendency of “disappearing” people and how it lines up (or doesn’t) with the social contract on the Colossus. We also talk through the appeal of an Agent Tierney to a young person like Tam; why Doza might be continuing to submit to the First Order; and how Leia is activating new Resistance cells across the galaxy.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We've got Ninth Jedi coverage on tap right after Sam recaps the Phasma novel for us.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:01 Plot Summary

00:09:46 Fascism and “Disappearing People”

00:24:16 Tam and Agent Tierney

00:37:47 Doza, Leia, and New Resistance Cells

00:52:19 Bae Watch

00:57:37 Closing Thoughts

With the balance of power in the galaxy deeply shifted towards the Dark, what is next for our heroes—and our villains? It’s time for us to find out in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

We focus our discussion on the second half of the film on the Pyrrhic victory that is the end of Starkiller Base and the passing of the torch from the Original Trilogy trio (Luke, Leia and Han) to the new era: Rey, Finn, and Poe. We also do character deep-dives, and parse which characters have the most—and, notably, the least—chemistry.

The Force Awakens is a monument to the modern era of Star Wars, and we wouldn't exist without it. Find our recap everywhere you get podcasts—and join us next week for the next chronological entries in the timeline, Resistance: The Disappeared + Descent (Season 1, Episodes 18–19).

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We've got Ninth Jedi coverage on tap.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:14 Plot Summary

00:11:07 Rey and the Persephone Myth

00:25:46 The End of Starkiller Base

00:44:22 Deep Dive into the Trio (Also Romance?!)

00:54:12 Kylo Deep-Dive

01:08:40 Bae Watch

01:15:58 Closing Thoughts

Our non-toxic, loving, and chronological coverage of Star Wars has wound its way through five years to bring us to this point: Episode VII, The Force Awakens.

In the first half of the most expensive movie of all time, themes of baptism and rebirth, found family and lost family, and the subtle manipulation of the Dark Side are all strongly apparent.

We do a deep dive into our leading characters, discuss the plot to position Kylo Ren as a Sith apprentice before he was even born, and talk through the resurgence of fascism in the galaxy. We also wonder if this movie was either 1 or 10 years too early to catch the winds of resurgent fascism in our own timeline.

The Force Awakens is a total bop. Find our recap everywhere you get podcasts—and join us next week for the thrilling conclusion.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We've got Book reports on Heir to the Jedi  and Twilight Company coming up this week and next.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:37 Plot Summary

00:13:38 First Impressions

00:16:15 Character Deep-Dives: Finn, Han, and Rey

00:39:48 Kylo and Snoke

00:53:55 The First Order

01:14:58 Bae Watch

01:24:41 Closing Thoughts

How much power does the First Order actually have, and how much is projection? (And does it even matter?)

These are the central questions of our recap of the final Star Wars: Resistance episodes before Episode VII, The Force Awakens: “The New Trooper” and “The Core Problem” (Season 1, Episodes 16–17).

We try to understand the shape of the First Order, the scope of their power, and how much influence they have based on fear and intimidation vs. actual military force. We also wonder how many First Order troops are true believers, and how many have been indoctrinated to the cause.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We’re beginning The Ninth Jedi coverage next week.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:04:36 Plot Summary

00:11:40 Power versus Power Projection

00:43:14 First Order Reconditioning

00:52:50 Bae Watch

01:02:43 Closing Thoughts

Slowly at first, then all at once, the First Order is taking over the Colossus.

In our first and only triple-header of Season 1 of Resistance, we cover "Dangerous Business," “The Doza Dilemma” and "The First Order Occupation” (Episodes 13–15) so we can parse the speed of the First Order occupation. But do they want the Colossus as a toehold into the wider Republic, or as a weapons manufacturing plant?

We also wonder if Captain Doza ever had a plan to combat the pirates or the First Order, and try to understand Synara through the lens of order vs. freedom.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:30 Plot Summary

00:11:00 The Speed of First Order Occupation

00:24:33 Did Doza Have a Plan?

00:40:22 Synara and the Order vs. Freedom Calculus

00:50:17 Bae Watch

00:57:08 Closing Thoughts

Poe Dameron is a big dang hero and has been since he was about 18 months old. That’s all.

In this week’s episode, “Station Theta Black” and “Bipo” (Resistance Season 1, Episodes 11–12), we dig into Poe Dameron’s past as a swashbuckling Rebel-style hero of old, and how he represents the Rebellion within the Resistance.

We also sing the praises of General Leia Organa and parse the nefarious thorniness of the First Order’s weapons manufacturing scheme. Finally, we nail down why “Bipo” isn’t just a filler episode—and how we can all lean into our own personal revolution.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:01:49 Plot Summary

00:11:57 Poe Dameron Is a Big Dang Hero

00:21:15 First Order Weapons Manufacturing

00:31:26 General Leia Organa

00:36:40 Bipo and Personal Revolution

00:51:13 Bae Watch

00:57:43 Closing Thoughts

How far will you go to forgive someone? What if they’re family? What if they’re also your former enemy?

In "The Platform Classic" and "Secrets and Holograms” (Resistance Season 1, Episodes 9–10), we talk about the limits of love and loyalty when it comes to family: for Jarek Yeager and his brother, Marcus Speedstar, but also for Captain Doza and his daughter, Ace pilot Torra.

We discuss the downsizing of the New Republic military after it deemed the Imperial threat to be over, and Doza’s overtures to the First Order. We also wonder whether Yeager (or Doza!) could be a First Order spy…or maybe even a sleeper agent of the Resistance. 

Come for the thrilling flying sequences and stay for the drama. Seeing Yeager fly for the first time is just as delightful as being completely charmed by Torra Doza.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:20 Plot Summary

00:11:06 Yeager, Marcus, and Family Forgiveness

00:22:09 Downsizing the New Republic Military

00:29:15 Doza, Yeager, and Spyhood

00:47:45 Torra and Her Dad

00:55:39 Bae Watch

01:00:38 Closing Thoughts

The sibilances are strong in this week’s episodes. And so are Synara’s pirating powers.

In “Signal From Sector Six” and “Synara’s Score” (Resistance Season 1, Episodes 5–6), we dive deep into Doza’s dilemma on the Colossus: Invite the First Order into the fold, or let them take over his colony by proxy? We tackle this question, and the question of the Resistance’s role in the galaxy, through the lens of the social contract

We also talk about Yeager as a Resistance hero, Synara as a spy queen, and the budding droid romance (?!) sparking between BB-8 and CB-23. The stakes are rising for our favorite space-race + spy show mashup!

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:52 Plot Summary

00:10:56 Doza’s Dilemma

00:18:12 Yeager As Resistance Hero

00:22:38 Synara Is a Spy Queen

00:28:40 The Social Contract and the Resistance’s Dilemma 

00:44:43 Budding Droid Romance?!

00:49:38 Bae Watch

00:56:34 Closing Thoughts