Growing Up Skywalker

A tension has settled over Lothal. The Empire has locked down the entire planet, and is debuting the new and improved TIE defender. Fortunately, this gives Sabine and Ezra pretty much every chance to shine.

In our recap of “The Occupation” and “Flight of the Defender” (Rebels S4, 5–6) we talk about Loth-wolves, environmentalism, and the fever pitch of Imperial atrocities. And (duh) we sing a swan song to the TIE Defender Elite and why it might be even more important than the Death Star.

These episodes are tough to talk about with spoiling Episode IV, A New Hope, which reminds us how close we are to the original trilogy! 

Send Us Your Thoughts: S4 of Rebels is a short one…and new shows have come out since we started. What should Growing Up Skywalker watch next? Make your voice heard on social media or drop us a line at [email protected].

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

Want more nerdy content? Check out Sam’s articles on Couch Soup!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:10:17 TIE Defenders Are Ominous 

00:29:48 Nature, Environmentalism, The Fever Pitch of Empire

00:48:58 Bae Watch

00:55:20 Closing Thoughts

It’s iconic vistas time. For the first time in Star Wars chronology, welcome to Yavin 4!

Joining back up with the rest of the Phoenix cell on Yavin 4 for the first time, our heroes are once again confronted with doing good versus doing right. When Saw Gerrera shows back up to solve problems his way, we're brought along as well!

“In the Name of the Rebellion” (Rebels S4, Ep 3–4) covers a lot of emotional ground. We see the Rebels confront the question of doing good versus doing what’s best for the Rebellion. They battle with a desire for vengeance, and weigh the pros and cons of Saw Gerrera’s scorched earth philosophy.

Our view of Gerrera is see-Sawing, so join our conversation on war, state-sponsored violence, and the scenic planets of Rebels Season 4!

S4 of Rebels is a short one…and new shows have come out since we started. What should Growing Up Skywalker watch next? Make your voice heard on social media or drop us a line at  [email protected].

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

Want more nerdy content? Check out Sam’s articles on Couch Soup!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:15:19 Saw Gerrera, U-Wings, and Victory

00:26:21 Saw Gerrera versus Mon Mothma

00:43:00 Yavin 4

00:54:25 Bae Watch

01:01:328 Closing Thoughts

While the Phoenix cell was getting obliterated on Atollon last week, war was brewing on Mandalore. Joining Clan Wren and the Protectors is our favorite redhead (besides Anna)—Bo-Katan Kryze! 

In "Heroes of Mandalore" (Rebels S4, Ep. 1–2) we talk about Mandalorian warrior culture, the ethics of imperialism, the darksaber, and the importance of family. Also, it's been a long time since Bo-Katan crashed into her sister's throne room with Ahsoka in S7 of The Clone Wars, so we speculate a LOT about what she's been up to.

This arc is fast and violent and involves a paint-bombed convoy ambush, plus fighting TIE fighters with just Ezra’s fists. But we also take a minute to talk about Sabine and Bo-Katan struggling with what the future holds for them, as Mandalorians, as leaders, and as women.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:15:08 Bo-Katan’s Journey

00:27:28 Family and The Ethics of Empire

00:42:51 Hera and Kanan and Sexytimes

00:46:25 Bae Watch

00:51:36 Closing Thoughts

S4 of Rebels is a short one…and new shows have come out since we started. What should Growing Up Skywalker watch next? Make your voice heard on social media, or drop us a line at  [email protected].

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

Want more nerdy content? Check out Sam’s articles on Couch Soup!

Welcome to the end of Rebels Season 3. 

In the most cinematic Rebels episodes yet, “Zero Hour” (Rebels S3, Ep. 21–22) brings all the elements of Season 3 crashing together. In our recap, we tally up the wins and losses for the Rebellion and the Empire, wonder what people across the galaxy think about it, and talk about the Bendu’s fate. We also pick our favorite Season 3 moments.

Between the heroic score, sweeping visuals, deep family love, and epic sacrifice, these episodes brought us both to tears. And there’s more coming! Sabine still has a debt to repay, Phoenix Cell is homeless again, and Thrawn is out for revenge. Now’s the time to follow along with Growing Up Skywalker.

With a heroic score, and visual elements that bring both your hosts to tears, this episode is an epic, sweeping, season finale that was worth the effort, and showcases the growth in the whole narrative in Star Wars in Rebels. 

And there is more coming! With Sabine's debt to repay, Phoenix Cell homeless again, and Thrawn out for revenge, we are waiting impatiently for Season 4!

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

Want more nerdy content? Check out Sam’s articles on Couch Soup!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:13 Calculating the Wins and Losses

00:44:27 The Bendu’s Fate

00:48:19 Standout Season 3 Moments

00:56:59 Bae Watch

01:05:51 Closing Thoughts

It’s the final countdown…to the duel that took 30 years to finish.

This week, we have special guest Tim Beisiegel of the FSF Popcast on the show to talk about the final duel between Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi. We talked all about THAT DUEL THO, in addition to the prophecy of the Chosen One, the end of Darth Maul’s journey, the significance of these two Force masters to Ezra, and the wider Rebellion.

"Twin Suns" (Rebels S3, Ep. 20) is a fan favorite for a reason—so join us in watching (and discussing) one of the best lightsaber duels of all time.

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

Make sure to check out:

The FSF Popcast

FSF’s interview with Sam Witwer, the voice of Darth Maul

FSF’s interview with Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Hera Syndulla

FSF’s interview with Taylor Gray, the voice of Ezra Bridger

Timestamps:

00:02:21 Plot Overview

00:7:13 Darth Maul, Fin.

00:28:52 That Duel Tho

00:38:13 Who Is The Chosen One, Really?

00:53:20 Bae Watch

00:58:50 Closing Thoughts

Welcome to the Rebel Alliance.

“Secret Cargo” (Rebels S3, Ep. 18) starts off with a bang and finishes with Mon Mothma—last seen in Andor—calling for each rebel cell to unite. But to get there, the Spectres have to fly through a nebula, chased by Thrawn’s TIE Defender, and barely escape with their lives. Sam cried so much at all of this.

We also made some time to laugh this episode. In “Double Agent Droid,” the most musical episode of Rebels, AP-5 and Chopper are up to their old tricks (and confronted by the most dangerous foe in the Empire: nerds).

We laughed, cried, and cheered in this week's episode. Our heroes seem strong enough to take on anything. But are they? Join us next week to find out, as we recap “Twins Suns” with special guest Tim Beiseigel from the FSF Popcast.

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

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:20 Mon Mothma and the Rebellion

00:32:00 Droids, Droids, Droids

00:45:50 Bae Watch

00:49:56 Closing Thoughts

The darksaber saga continues!

Following up on the stellar darksaber training montages of last week, "Legacy of Mandalore" (Rebels S3, Ep. 16) brings Sabine and her family into direct conflict—over Satine’s past mistakes and her potential to lead all Mandalorians. Will found family fight blood? We dive deep into Mandalorian culture and the futility of feudal life. 

Then we take a turn straight into Alexsandr Kallus’ eyeballs. "Through Imperial Eyes" (Rebels S3, Ep. 17) is a taut spy story with brutal conclusions for our heroes and a dark turn, as well as some delightful Easter Eggs. These episodes center on trust and betrayal, and the potential for betrayal seems to be lurking around every corner.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We're posting over an hour of bonus content this week!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:33 Mandalorian Feudal Hierarchy

00:35:26 Trust and Betrayal in the Empire

00:50:51 Bae Watch

00:55:08 Closing Thoughts

“Trials of the Darksaber” (Rebels S3, Ep. 15) is, quite simply, one of the tightest-scripted, haunting, and beautiful episodes of Rebels so far. And “Warhead” (Ep. 14) is a delightful buddy cop special feat. Zeb and AP-5.

This week, we dive deep into the lore of lightsabers and darksabers. We talk about what it means to wield the Force, rather than just be a part of its flow, and talk about Sabine’s inner demons. And Sam crowns Sabine and Kanan’s training duel as one of the Top 5 Lightsaber Duels, Ever.

In the meantime, Thrawn has cut his list of planets the Rebels may be inhabiting down to 94…

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We’re about to deliver a book report on Claudia Gray’s “Master and Apprentice,” feat. baby Obi-Wan and peak Qui-Gonn Jinn.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:11:54 Lightsabers and Darksabers Discussion

00:17:19 Sabine’s Demons 

00:28:12 The Force for Non-Force Users

00:39:28 Imperial Infiltration

00:53:34 Bae Watch

00:58:38 Closing Thoughts

Have you ever wanted to spend half an hour debating the moral calculus of war and the conflicting ethics embodied by Saw Gerrera? Boy are you in the right place!

In “Ghosts of Geonosis,” Rebels’ mid-season 3 arc, we do a deep dive into fanaticism, rebellion, and the meta-narrative of a character who has been in just about every single Star Wars series up until now. Saw Gerrera is one of the most puzzling and polarizing characters in Star Wars, and Ghosts of Geonosis pitches his rebelliousness against the larger backdrop of the Rebellion.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! Now is the perfect time to join in on the fun, because you have a chance to request our next Spice Run project—otherwise, Sam is threatening another 5-hour Sam’s Naval History Minute.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:9:11 Deep Dive into Saw Gerrera 

00:30:50 Klick-Klack and the Ethics of Geonosian Survival

00:44:30 Rebel Command

00:49:29 Bae Watch

00:55:14 Closing Thoughts

Not to dunk on it too badly, but so little of note happened in “The Wynkahthu Job” (Rebels S3, Ep. 9) that we added “Visions and Voices” (Rebels S3, Ep. 11) to our watch this week. Combined, these episodes show that there are two Boomers inside of you—a Hondo and a Maul—and you become the one you feed.

We spend quality time on Dathomir getting hassled by Nightsister ghosts, and watch Thrawn touring the facility and picking up slack on Lothal. 

Join us this week for an impromptu triple-header as we explore themes of sabotage, betrayal, and oppression. We also talk about the next owner of the darksaber, Maul’s trauma-goggles, and Ezra growing up.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! After we finish Visions Season 2, we’re on to a big old recap of Claudia Gray’s “Master and Apprentice” novel, starring baby Obi-Wan and peak Qui-Gonn Jinn.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:14:42 Threads Tying These Episodes Together

00:28:41 Thrawn, Sabotage, and TIE Defenders, 

00:44:35 Lingering Questions

00:55:02 Bae Watch

01:02:32 Closing Thoughts