Ahoy, mateys! Pirates, pirate ships, and a search for lost treasure have returned to Star Wars – and so has the familiar story structure, complete with a boring home planet (A New Hope) and ten-year-old (The Phantom Menace) protagonists flung into a very unexpected adventure in the wider galaxy. On this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine the first four episodes of Skeleton Crew to unpack the story structure, character arcs, and themes unfolding in the first half of the new Disney+ streaming series.

Although the story structure of Skeleton Crew draws from the monomyth that undergirds much of Star Wars, the series also draws inspiration from other 1980s films that followed a similar pattern with younger protagonists, including The Goonies and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Initially the schoolchildren simply want to get back home right away, but soon find themselves jumping repeatedly through hyperspace from one destination to the next. The four kid leads – Wim, Fern, Neel, and KB – have clearly drawn personalities and motivations, seemingly inspired by the varying common experiences of Gen-X youths in the ’80s, such as the latchkey kid fending for himself, the academically demanding mother, single-parent families and two-parent households, and only children or larger families. Their adult ally and guide, Jod Na Nawood (if that is even his real name …), presents his own puzzle of goals and dreams as he helps the kids chart their journey back to At Attin, while further reinforcing connections with more piratical source material like Treasure Island.

We also discuss the world-building developed in Skeleton Crew through four episodes. Much remains mysterious about At Attin, the Jewels of the Old Republic, the Great Work and the Supervisor, and the connection between the children’s homeworld and SM-33’s long-buried pirate ship and long-lost captain. Drawing upon the pirate fiction and real-world pirate history, we speculate about how these questions might be answered in the latter half of the series.

Related Links:

• Fangirls Going Rogue: SKELETON CREW Showrunner Interview
• Fangirls Going Rogue Interviews Cast of SKELETON CREW
• Fangirls Going Rogue: SKELETON CREW Mysteries!

Continuing our recent witchy trend on Hyperspace Theories alongside our discussion of Agatha All Along, this episode discusses the movie Wicked: Part I, which broke box office records in its first week of release. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester begin with a common focus of the podcast: the storytelling structure of the movie, and how it compares and contrasts with the Broadway musical that the films adapts. Director Jon M. Chu maximizes the opportunity of the movie medium to broaden the visual storytelling for the characters, themes, and world-building beyond what is possible on a Broadway stage, while leaving the plot and iconic musical numbers in place. Yet the movie adaptation of Wicked doesn't hesitate to make changes to take advantage of the movie medium, either, such as using close-ups on faces to enable emotional performances and greater vocal dynamic range that wouldn't work on stage.

We then examine the character arcs of the two leading ladies of Wicked, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), particularly their motivations and wants within the story and the contrasting impulses of selflessness and selfishness. In Wicked, these character arcs are inseparable from the broader themes of the story, including oppression, resistance, and historical and political allegory. We consider how those themes have roots not only in the 2003 Wicked musical, but also Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which initiated the storytelling twist on the classic American mythic tale presented in the iconic and beloved The Wizard of Oz (1939) movie and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) novel by L. Frank Baum.

In this podcast episode, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester consider the recently released MCU Disney+ series Agatha All Along from the perspective of long-running themes at FANgirl Blog and Hyperspace Theories: the influence of myth and heroic journeys on contemporary storytelling and how contemporary storytelling is evolving those ideas, especially in stories told by women and other creators from diverse and marginalized backgrounds. The story structure of Agatha All Along itself is built around the idea of an evolving myth, the “Ballad of the Witches’ Road” song, which appears in multiple iterations over the course of the series.

We then discuss the character arcs of Agatha Harkness and Billy Maximoff through the frame of the Maiden Mother Crone triptych that is central to the series, and to longstanding lore about witches and other female archetypes. We also examine how Agatha All Along draws upon familiar elements of storytelling frameworks like the Hero’s Journey and Heroine’s Journey while also breaking from tropes and expectations in telling the tale of a centuries-old witch and a twenty-first century American teenager.

Related Links:

• ‘Agatha All Along’ Boss Jac Schaeffer Talks Episode Four’s Reveal and Mephisto: “That Is Larger Than Me and This Show” (The Hollywood Reporter; Oct. 7, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Teases ‘Lots More’ Coming for Agatha and Rio – and Whether We Should Trust That Reveal About Teen (The Wrap; Oct. 7, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Unpacks Episode 5: Wiccan, Agatha’s Mom and the Shorter Runtime (The Wrap; Oct. 14, 2024)
• Billy Maximoff Returns: Joe Locke and ‘Agatha All Along’ Creator on Hiding His Identity, ‘Wacky’ Fan Theories and Bringing Back [SPOILER] From ‘WandaVision’ (Variety; Oct. 18, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Talks Billy’s Backstory, Evan Peters’ MCU Return & What’s To Come On The Witches Road (Deadline; Oct. 18, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Talks Episode 6: Billy’s Backstory, Agatha’s Secret and That Cameo (The Wrap; Oct. 18, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Creator on Directing Patti LuPone’s Mind-Bending Episode, Revealing [SPOILER]’s True Identity and Who Is Really Dead (Variety; Oct. 25, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Unpacks Lilia’s Trial, Rio’s Reveal And More Ahead Of Final Two Episodes (Deadline; Oct. 25, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Unpacks Time-Tripping Episode 7: Patti LuPone on Wires, Wanda and That Death Reveal (The Wrap; Oct. 25, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Showrunner Jac Schaeffer On Sticking The Landing With Final Episodes & What’s To Come For Billy (Deadline; Nov. 1, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Creator Explains Shocking Finale Twists, Agatha and Rio’s Backstory, Nicholas Scratch’s Father and Why There’s No Post-Credits Scene (Variety; Nov. 1, 2024)
• Agatha All Along creator clarifies the Tommy moment and where the Road goes from here (EW; Nov. 1, 2024)
• After That Shocking ‘Agatha All Along’ Finale Twist, Sasheer Zamata Discusses Jen’s Reaction and Her Potential MCU Future (Collider; Nov. 1, 2024)
• Agatha’s Fate Was Decided From the Beginning in ‘Agatha All Along’ (Collider; Nov. 1, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’s Showrunner Breaks Down the Finale’s Reveals and Twists (Collider; Nov. 1, 2024)
• Agatha Is Not “The Hero of Her Own Story,” Says Creator (Collider; Nov. 2, 2024)
• ‘Agatha All Along’ Boss Jac Schaeffer on Forgoing Wanda in Finale: “It Didn’t Feel Fair to Agatha” (The Hollywood Reporter; Nov. 4, 2024)
• “I will die on that hill”: Jac Schaeffer Will Never Accept One ‘Agatha All Along’ Criticism Even After Revelation That Billy Maximoff Opened the Road (FandomWire; Nov. 6, 2024)

It’s been ten years since FANgirl Blog launched the Hyperspace Theories podcast. On the latest episode, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester look back on the podcast’s evolution from its origin in discussing how to speculate wisely on upcoming Star Wars stories to a broader consideration of storytelling, character arcs and the Hero’s Journey, and franchise management. We reminisce about our favorite episodes of the podcast over the years. After looking back, we turn to the present and future of the franchise through the lens of two recent articles in major Hollywood trade publications.

James Hibberd’s lengthy essay in The Hollywood Reporter asks “Is Disney Bad at Star Wars?” offers a fair assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the past decade of the franchise, ultimately concluding that it’s not bad but it could do better. The timing of the article’s publication also is notable for two reasons. First, although it studiously avoids placing blame on particular named individuals, it renders an unusually critical perspective on Star Wars after years of the trades avoiding doing so. Second, it follows an unannounced but publicly visible change to Lucasfilm’s leadership structure: the elevation of Lynwen Brennan from Executive Vice President to President, a change with significance beyond simply a promotion in her title. We consider the implications of these developments for what further changes can be expected at Lucasfilm.

We then discuss Adam B. Vary’s article “Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood Is Battling Fans Who Are ‘Just Out for Blood’ — From Social Media Boot Camps to Superfan Focus Groups,” which was published in Variety on the same day. Among other franchises mentioned in the article, Star Wars has a mixed record in this area, too. Vary’s article wisely distinguishes between criticism (or praise) of a work by fans based on the substance of the story on the one hand, and abusive behavior driven by agendas (and monetization) unrelated to the merits of quality or stewardship – although the article also makes clear that studios and their executives may not consistently pay attention to this distinction.

We conclude by looking ahead to some of the topics for discussion on future episodes of Hyperspace Theories, including The Bad Batch Season Three, Agatha All Along, the Wicked movie, Skeleton Crew, and more.

Related Links:

• Is Disney Bad at Star Wars? An Analysis (The Hollywood Reporter; Oct. 3, 2024)
• Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood Is Battling Fans Who Are ‘Just Out for Blood’ — From Social Media Boot Camps to Superfan Focus Groups (Variety; Oct. 3, 2024)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe accomplished an unprecedented track record of box office earnings, followed by an uneven phase that included a few box office miscues and a mixed reactions to its span of Disney+ streaming series. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss two MCU series that had lower profiles in fan attention and viewership, but much to consider in what they got right in their storytelling: the binge-dropped live-action series Echo and the animated series What If? released weekly in its second season.

Most significantly, both series featured stories with female leads that drew heavily upon elements of Heroine’s Journey stories rather than repeating the long-familiar tropes of male-centered superhero tales. More than a decade ago, prior to the release of the first film in The Hunger Games series, producer Nina Jacobson highlighted a core aspect of the story of Katniss Everdeen: that she is a nurturing heroine rather than a conquering hero. In a similar vein, Captain Carter and Kahhori are heroes motivated by protection rather than power, and Hela and Gamora shift from conquering to nurturing motivations. In Echo, Maya begins the story seeking revenge and power, and ends it dedicated to protecting her family and community. Similarly, the Campbellian Hero’s Journey traditionally focuses on a solo hero (who may have some allies), while contemporary Heroine’s Journey stories portray her as the center of a team, rejecting savior tropes in favor of collective action and shared success. Captain Carter leads teams of supers in both seasons of What If? and Maya’s story progresses from a solo vengeful quest spawned by men who kept her isolated from her family into a finale in which she prevails with a team of allies who help her restore bonds of family. We also note similar themes with Omega and her brothers in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

Outside the parameters of the stories themselves, What If? and Echo also provide lessons for Star Wars and other franchises. For one, they reinforce the importance of who creates or writes the story. What If? and The Bad Batch were led by women showrunners, while Echo had two women as head writers, other women on the writing staff, and five episodes directed by women, including four by Sydney Freeland, a Navajo filmmaker. Their perspectives bring a voice and authenticity that comes through in the storytelling. In addition, both series also serve as a reminder that lore and source material only go so far: telling the best story is what matters. The alternate-universe multiverse of What If? demonstrates clearly how departing from the MCU’s “Sacred Timeline” can generate compelling and impactful stories that would be impossible within a single continuity – even going so far as to create a new character, Kahhori, who had not existed anywhere in the thousands of pages across decades of Marvel Comics. And although Maya Lopez originated in the comics, the Echo heroine we watch in Echo is changed in significant ways from that version of the character, reframing her characterization to increase the importance of her matrilineal ancestors and her powers to a more protective and defensive rather than combative emphasis – making her far more interesting as a comparison and contrast to the prior heroes in the MCU.

Related Links

• Journey of a Strong Female Heroine: Katniss Everdeen (March 2012)
• Team Katniss: Collaborative Success in The Hunger Games (March 2012)

Contact Information:

• Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod
• Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email [email protected]
• B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.

On this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine the Disney+ live-action series Star Wars: The Acolyte through the lens of recent Lucasfilm’s brand management struggles, especially with the Star Wars franchise. We begin with the strengths of The Acolyte that we want to praise, including the fight choreography, the performances of the cast, and the diversity, inclusion, and representation the series demonstrates both in front of and behind the camera.

When it comes to The Acolyte‘s weaknesses, the problem of brand management is the central dynamic. We consider how The Acolyte portrays the character arcs of Osha and Mae and their relation to the dark side of the Force in a manner that is dissonant with the overall themes of the franchise and George Lucas’ films in particular. Similarly, The Acolyte portrays Jedi characters, and the Jedi Order as an institution, in a way that does not align with the brand’s longstanding messages. We also discuss other brand management issues, including Lucasfilm once again struggling with the marketing and setting audience expectations and with balancing the creative freedom of individual storytellers with the need to restore and maintain audience trust in the franchise.

Contact Information:

• Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod
• Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email [email protected]
• B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.

Before turning to the currently releasing third season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Hyperspace Theories podcast returns to the concluding episodes of Season Two. Having previously analyzed the first ten episodes, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss episodes 11 through 16, starting with “Metamorphosis” and “The Outpost” and ending with Tech’s (apparent) self-sacrifice by implementing the tragic “Plan 99” during the squad’s fateful mission to Tarkin’s base on Eriadu. On the theme of metamorphosis and transformation, we consider the introduction of Doctor Hemlock as the Batch’s new primary antagonist, the significance of Crosshair’s realization that the clones are expendable to the Empire, how the Batch’s experience on Pabu provides a new perspective for their understanding of their place in a changing galaxy, and the increasing stakes for the Bad Batch and all of the clones as the threat posed by Hemlock becomes clearer. We also examine the visual symbolism throughout these episodes, particularly the significance of water and Crosshair’s ice vulture, as well as the themes presented in the sometimes conflicting motivations of the Bad Batch, Rex and Echo, Saw Gerrera, and within the Empire itself.

Related Links:

• Hyperspace Theories: The Separatists in The Bad Batch (Jan. 2023)
• Hyperspace Theories: Story Structure and Character Development in The Bad Batch Season Two (Feb. 2023)
• Hyperspace Theories: Facing Ordeals in The Bad Batch (Feb. 2023)

Hyperspace Theories kicks off 2024 with a new episode analyzing recent developments that appear to chart a new course for the future of Star Wars. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester begin with the November 2023 news, first revealed in a Vanity Fair article by longtime Star Wars and entertainment journalist Anthony Breznican, that Dave Filoni has been promoted to the position of Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm. We discuss what a CCO role entails and how Filoni’s position compares to other CCO roles within The Walt Disney Company overall. Filoni also now holds the title of Executive Vice President, a rank he shares with three women in Lucasfilm’s leadership team, including his trusted producer Carrie Beck.

We then discuss Lucasfilm’s press release from January 9, 2024, announcing that the first new theatrical Star Wars project into production is not one of the three films mentioned by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration Europe in April 2023, but rather The Mandalorian & Grogu directed by Jon Favreau. We examine the carefully worded press release and consider what it reveals about a fourth season of The Mandalorian and a second season of Ahsoka as Disney+ streaming series.

We conclude with several implications from the upcoming Season Three of The Bad Batch animated series, particularly the surprise appearance of fan-favorite antagonist Asajj Ventress from The Clone Wars.

Related Links:

• Now Filoni is the Master (Nov. 2023)
• Star Wars Undertakes Universe-Shaking Changes After Ahsoka (Vanity Fair; Nov. 2023)
• The Mandalorian & Grogu Journeys to the Big Screen (StarWars.com; Jan. 9, 2024)
• Lessons in Franchise Management – MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (Jan. 14, 2024)
• Watch the Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 Trailer (StarWars.com; Jan. 22, 2024)

The epilogue montage of the recently concluded Ahsoka series on Disney+ included a surprising and exciting image: former Jedi turned antagonist Baylan Skoll standing amid colossal statues of the Father, Son, and (partially destroyed) Daughter of Mortis. These mysterious and powerful “Force Wielders” have a long connection to Ahsoka mastermind Dave Filoni: they interacted with Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mortis trilogy (2011) in the third season of The Clone Wars animated series, for which Filoni served as supervising director under George Lucas, and then appeared as Jedi temple iconography in the penultimate duology (2018) of the Star Wars Rebels animated series, which was co-created and overseen by Filoni. As his segment of the montage ends, Baylan gazes upon a mountain range with a distant hovering light, a visual that closely resembles the Father’s monastery on Mortis.

While this brief glimpse only hints at possible implications for future stories involving Baylan, Ahsoka, and other characters from the Ahsoka series, the reappearance of Mortis imagery provides the perfect opportunity to delve further into a topic we’ve long wanted to talk about on Hyperspace Theories. In this episode, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss the Mortis trilogy from The Clone Wars and the symbolic, thematic, and philosophical ideas about Star Wars that Lucas used these episodes to explore – and that Filoni drew upon in multiple ways during the Ahsoka series. Tricia elaborates how the Mortis trilogy as a whole, and the choices and fates of the Force Wielders in particular, serve as an allegory for the causes of the fall of the Jedi Order during the Prequel Trilogy. We also examine, at the character level, the ways in which the Mortis trilogy represents Anakin’s fate – and Ahsoka’s future.

Related Links:

• Metaphors of Mortis (Feb. 10, 2011)
• Hyperspace Theories: Masters, Apprentices, and Witches in AHSOKA Premiere (Aug. 26)
• Hyperspace Theories: Anakin and Ahsoka Reunite (Sort Of) in AHSOKA’s Belly of the Whale (Oct. 8)
• Hyperspace Theories: AHSOKA Tackles the Jedi, the Force, and the Future of Star Wars (Oct. 16)
• Now Filoni is the Master (Nov. 24)
• Adam Driver Confirms The Rise of Skywalker Changed Kylo Ren’s Character Arc (Dec. 14)

The Ahsoka series on Disney+ has reached its finale. On this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze the storytelling in Part Six “Far, Far Away,” Part Seven “Dreams and Madness,” and Part Eight “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord” and consider what Ahsoka establishes for the future of Star Wars tales.

We begin by examining the conclusions to the character arcs of Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren, and their relationship as master and apprentice. With Ezra Bridger reunited with his old friends, the series portrays three different perspectives on what it has meant and can mean to be a Jedi. On the other hand, Shin Hati parts ways with her master and starts the journey of finding her own path. In addition, we discuss the character arcs of other key players, including Baylan Skoll, Hera Syndulla, Morgan Elsbeth, and of course the series’ nemesis, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

The third act of Ahsoka also leans into the mythology of Star Wars, especially the deeper themes about the Force. Sabine may not be a naturally gifted wielder of the Force, but her years of training with Ahsoka and her willingness to open her mind to its possibilities ultimately manifest in her use of telekinetic energy. Despite his years in isolation from other Jedi, Ezra is confident with the Force as his ally, and their cooperation is part of what inspires Sabine to unlock her own potential. Even as a Master, Ahsoka has more to learn, and by the end of the final episode she has found her own serenity by supporting her apprentice and finding serenity in knowing that they are where they supposed to be. Which may have something to do with the conclusion of Baylan’s quest: reaching giant statues of the Mortis overlords and gazing upon a distant light last seen in that mystical realm. While Thrawn’s return to the main galaxy heralds political and military conflict to come, the tale of the Jedi and the Force on Peridea has much more to offer, as well.

The Ahsoka series premiered and aired on Disney+ during the concurrent ongoing strikes against Disney and other major Hollywood studios by unions representing the writers (WGA) and actors (SAG-AFTRA) who are indispensable to their productions. Accordingly, neither Filoni nor any of the actors in Ahsoka could participate in promotional interviews or other marketing for the series (although they appear in material previously recorded, such as interviews at Star Wars Celebration in April, that is shared by Disney or entertainment journalists). Aside from its value in raising the visibility of the series to the prospective audience, such interviews with talent often provide fascinating insight into the storytelling process, characterization and motivations, and the themes and values underlying a series. We are disappointed that the studios have denied the talent the opportunity to participate in the excitement of the series launch, and the fans and audience the ability to share in their enthusiasm and learn from it, through their unwillingness to agree to reasonable terms relating to changing technology, shifts in production and distribution within the industry, and a fair sharing of billions of dollars in global profits with those who make those profits possible in the first place. Despite the ongoing strikes, the unions have not called for a boycott of the studios: they encourage fans and audience to watch newly released films and series (to demonstrate their value and profitability) and have clarified that non-promotional activities such as reviews, criticism, and analysis are not inconsistent with the terms of the strike. At FANgirl Blog and Hyperspace Theories, we intend to discuss Star Wars (and other projects from the struck studios) in solidarity with the unions and in conformity with their approved official guidance.

Contact Information:

• Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod
• Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email [email protected]
• B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.