Growing Up Skywalker

We met the Marshall, we escorted the Passenger, and now we’re encountering…the Heiress. (It’s Bo-Katan, baybee!)

In this week’s episode, we tell the entire bloody tale of Mandalorian history: Tracing the Darksaber’s path through Mandalorian society, tracing Bo-Katan’s journey from radical to royal, and asking how Din Djarin ended up in a religious extremist splinter cell.

We also dig into the (alarmingly well-organized!!) Imperial remnants who keep popping up around the galaxy.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:02:00 Plot Summary

00:10:52 Tracing Bo-Katan’s and Mando’s Stories

00:40:13 Imperial Remnants Consolidating 

00:55:10 Bae Watch

01:04:30 Closing Thoughts

Anna’s been dreading having to recap this episode for 4 ½ years. But it turns out it actually has some lovely themes of parenthood and what we’ll do for love??

In our recap of “The Passenger” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 10) we watch as Mando walks ten thousand miles in the desert heat and wades through at least one million ice spiders—and has to learn that real parents maybe, possibly, generally try not to put their children through this kind of trauma.

We talk through the excellent cameos of this episode (looking at you, Filoni) and parse the fabulous space chase.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:03:44 Plot Summary

00:13:39 Themes and Parenthood

00:41:12 Details and Cameos

00:46:45 Bae Watch

00:55:34 Closing Thoughts

With twists, turns, and one of the largest monsters ever seen in Star Wars, The Mandalorian’s second season starts with a cannonball.

In our recap of Chapter 9, “The Marshal,” we gather a basket full of Easter eggs—and identify how they serve the plot, not just the vibes, of this dragon versus cowboys mashup.

We weigh the influence of both Camelot-era fantasy and spaghetti Westerns, discuss perceptions from a first-time viewer, and wonder what (if any) Season 1 criticisms the show may be reacting to in its Season 2 premiere.

With the shattering roar of the krayt dragon seared in our memories, let's suit up like the heroes of old, and celebrate the next few months of The Mandalorian!

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! This week, we’re releasing a bonus episode about slaying our personal—and societal—dragons.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:03:51 Plot Summary

00:13:23 Easter Eggs and Why They Serve The Plot

00:27:11 Perceptions From a First-Time Viewer

00:32:46 Criticisms This Premiere May Have Been Reacting To

00:44:52 Fantasy and Medieval Elements

01:01:23 Bae Watch

01:09:40 Closing Thoughts

If you could live, but only without your heart’s desire, would you still choose life?

Asajj does in “Tales of the Underworld,” and the shroud of her love affair with Quinlan Vos from Dark Disciple (2015) hangs heavy over her tale. But it’s also full of surprising tenderness, self-determination, and a willingness to start new. More than any of the Tales, Asajj’s story feels like a fully realized work of art.

We track Asajj’s journey through the Star Wars timeline, compare her with her foils—Anakin and Ahsoka—and sing our praises of her decision to honor her lost love by dedicating herself to his work. (We may or may not have a shed a tear about Asajj’s new family, too.)

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:02:51 Plot Summary

00:15:59 Connections to Dark Disciple

00:25:57 Asajj and Quinlan’s Romance

00:41:20 Fighting Inquisitors and Asajj’s Jedi Parallels 

00:54:21 Bae Watch

01:01:19 Closing Thoughts

Cad Bane is bound to a life of blood and money. (And blood money.) Will it be his only legacy?

Deeply out of chronological order, we’re venturing five or six decades before the Battle of Yavin to watch Cad Bane grow up in “Tale of the Underworld.”

We examine how, and why, Star Wars chose to tell a police drama, a spaghetti Western, and a Mafia crime ascendancy in the same story. We parse the fantasy of the “good cop,” wonder about Cad and Niro’s legacy, and discuss the critical reception of this very lovely piece of animation.

(Thanks for your patience while we re-recorded this entire episode!)

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:03:23 Plot Summary

00:11:42 Telling a Police Story in Star Wars

00:31:08 Cad and Niro’s Legacy

00:47:15 Critical Reception

00:58:07 Bae Watch

01:03:45 Closing Thoughts

It’s the end of an era. And so many lives.

This week, we trace the ways that Andor knits itself together into the wider tapestry of Star Wars, specifically by tying itself to Rogue One. We question whether the Rebels’ sacrifices are cheapened by Luke Skywalker’s heroism in Episode IV, define heroism through two key characters—Bix and Nemik—and investigate the reasons why Rebel High Command…is like that.

We also name our favorite aspects of Andor, and crown it the ultimate Star Wars show.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We’ve got a Rogue One recap and a book club (Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: The Lost Stars) coming your way.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:07 Plot Summary

00:11:13 Initial Reactions

00:24:02 Luke and the Next Generation of Rebels

00:31:09 Heroism and Anti-Heroism

00:45:14 Alliance High Command

00:55:44 Favorite Parts of Andor

01:01:32 Bae Watch

01:09:23 Closing Thoughts

We feel pretty confident that most sane Andor viewers skipped right from “Who Else Knows?” (S2, E11) into the finale. Turns out, there’s still a LOT to discuss in the penultimate episode of Andor ever.

We spent significant time this week digging into ISB hierarchies, and how the rise and fall of ambitious Imperials has hollowed out the Empire’s institutions. We dissect ISB politics and competency through lenses of race and gender. We also paint parallels between Luthen Rael and French revolutionary Charles de Gaulle, and delight in Rebel downtime.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:03:23 Plot Summary

00:11:27 Ambition, Competency, And Is The ISB Crumbling From Within?

00:43:44 Luthen as Charles de Gaulle?

00:59:51 Bae Watch

01:08:28 Closing Thoughts

And the death count grows.

This week, in “Make It Stop” (Andor S2 E10), everyone is either leveling up, going rogue—or shuffling off this mortal coil. As we get booted another year forward in time, we talk through Lonni’s growth into a true spymaster and Dedra’s grief curdling even deeper into fanaticism. Then, looking deeper into the past, we examine Luthen and Kleya’s father/daughter relationship and parse why Luthen felt compelled to begin the Rebellion.

In a fun turn, we also get to theorycraft about medical tech in Star Wars. (Spoiler alert: It exists!)

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:02:31 Plot Summary

00:12:01 Lonni and Dedra, Another Year Later

00:23:06 Kleya and Luthen

00:45:06 Medical Tech in Star Wars

00:55:23 Bae Watch

01:05:40 Closing Thoughts

Two ferocious monologues close the penultimate chapter of Andor, “Welcome to the Rebellion” (Andor S2 E9).

To do a proper recap of this week’s episode, we also rewatched Rebel’s “Secret Cargo” (S3 E18), showing the conclusion to Mon’s journey to unite the Rebellion. We talk through Senate corruption, Luthen’s role—or lack thereof—in the Rebellion proper, and just how many conspirators it took to deliver the Rebellion their leader.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

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?

00:02:24 Plot Summary

00:14:17 Linking This Episode to Rebels’ “Secret Cargo” Speech

00:25:55 Luthen’s Role in the Rebellion

00:33:59 Why Cass Wants to Leave

00:40:43 Getting Mon to the Rebellion

00:51:28 Bae Watch

01:03:58 Closing Thoughts

Our hearts are heavy this week as we compare the Empire’s actions on Ghorman to real-world parallels. This week, as we recap Andor’s “Who Are You?” (S2, E8), we draw connections to the Gleiwitz incident that kicked off WWII, student massacres in Tiananmen Square, and sniper deaths in Syria—plus the Los Angeles protests and Minnesota political assassinations. It has not been a fun week, y’all!!!!

We talk false flag operations, compare the story of Ghorman to that of Lothal, and ask whether non-violent protest would have gotten the Ghormans any further. And we finally close the chapter on Star Wars’ most compelling couple.

New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (We had 45+ minutes of bonus audio content to record for this episode!)

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:44 Plot Summary

00:13:10 Historical Parallels to Ghorman

00:28:15 Violent vs. Nonviolent Protest

00:35:18 The Gorman Story vs. Lothal

00:39:29 Dedra and Syril’s Fall From Grace

00:55:49 Bae Watch

01:05:02 Closing Thoughts