Star Wars: Meanderings & Ramblings

"The show has such bad writing!" "I wouldn't care about the diversity if the show as actually good!"

I address these concerns of a very vocal fanbase (if they are even true fans) and my thoughts on the Acolyte.

In this episode, Kiri has a lot of thoughts on the Ahsoka series thus far and couldn't quite wait until the end of the series to give a review.

Mostly, she finds the characters mopey, the plot line boring, The World Between Worlds a bad plot choice, and confusion around who actually has the Force. Everyone? Or just a select few?

Also, a fun story at the end about how her daughter views hatred and the dark side of the Force.

02:09 - Ahsoka's portrayal in "Ahsoka" compared to her character arc in "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels".

08:38 - How the show has turned into a convoluted fantasy story that is difficult for average fans to follow.

10:33 - The dislike for the concept of the world between worlds and how it has made the storyline confusing for fans.

17:22 - The contradictory messages about the Force in the Star Wars franchise, particularly regarding genetics and midi-chlorians.

21:00 - The hope that Ahsoka's story will come to an end and maybe she will die in an upcoming movie.

Suggested Listening: Episode VII: In Which We Have a Conversation with Michael Miller About Ahsoka and Death

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? I would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping me on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here (starwarsanon.wordpress.com/podcast).

In this episode, Kiri discusses the character development of Padmé, Leia, and Rey throughout the Star Wars saga. She reflects on Padmé's strength and leadership in Episode I, her softer side and romantic relationship in Episode II, and her disappointment with her reduced role in Episode III. She admires Leia's independence and leadership qualities throughout the original trilogy, and appreciate Rey's unique and constantly different journey in the sequel trilogy.

04:11 - Padmé's strong leadership as the queen of Naboo and her composure and strength admired by the speaker during their adolescence.

06:16 - Padmé's transition from a strong political figure to a softer side as a friend and lover to Anakin, reflecting Lucas' tendency to portray women as getting softer throughout the trilogies.

07:31 - Kiri expresses frustration with Padmé's perceived lack of strength and untethered nature in Episode III, contrasting it with her hidden strength and decision-making in the deleted scenes.

16:51 - Kiri discusses Leia's character development from being strong and resilient to showing vulnerability and developing a romantic relationship with Han.

19:01 - Kiri talks about Leia's character development in Episode VI, where she builds friendly camaraderie with Han and Luke, showing a softer side.

23:55 - Discussing Rey's character development in Episode VIII, where she questions her purpose, her connection to Kylo Ren, and her path as a Jedi.

24:37 - Rey's journey from feeling untethered and scared to becoming confident in her identity as a Jedi.

25:41 - Discussion on the idea of accepting both the dark and light sides within oneself, and how it was portrayed in Episode IX.

27:36 - Reflecting on the relatability of Padmé in Episode III, Leia in Episode V, and Rey in Episode VII, and how they may reflect the culture of their respective time periods.

Suggested reading:

https://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/08/18/why-strong-female-characters-are-bad-for-women/

Love in Star Wars: The Prequels

Ruminations on Padme

But really, is Star Wars Sexist?

How Rey Skywalker Became the Most Powerful Sith of All-Time and Why It Matters by Michael Miller

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Have Spotify? They have a new feature! Check out the questions that go with this episode and leave your feedback!

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? I would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping me on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here (starwarsanon.wordpress.com/podcast).

In this episode, Kiri celebrates REAL Star Wars Day: May 25th! This was the day when A New Hope was first released in theaters (though it was just called "Star Wars" back then).

In a somewhat corny episode, Kiri goes into a bit of George Lucas' history and how he followed his gut and stayed true to himself from when he was a teenager through when he made Star Wars.

If you're not following your dreams, what are you doing?

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Notable thoughts:

00:01 - The history of Star Wars Day and why May 25th is also significant.

02:59 - Negative comments she received on Instagram for her opinion on Darth Maul's return and talks about a difficult question she was asked.

04:40 - George Lucas followed his dreams despite pressure from his father to take over the family business and how he got into the film industry.

07:29 - George Lucas' early career, including his first film THX 1138 and his experience with Warner Brothers.

12:52 - The obstacles George Lucas faced while making Star Wars, including issues with sets and actors.

13:58 - The importance of following your dreams, using George Lucas as an example, and Kiri relates it to her own business ventures.

14:50 - George Lucas is an example of someone who followed his passion despite obstacles.

15:35 - Kiri Mohan encourages listeners to reflect on their goals and whether they are on the right path. She also reminds everyone to thank George Lucas for creating Star Wars.

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Have Spotify? They have a new feature! Check out the questions that go with this episode and leave your feedback!

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? Kiri would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping her on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here.

In this episode, Kiri reviews the third season of the Mandalorian. Overall, she felt like it stumbled a bit, and was not as good as the previous two. It felt like some storylines that were emphasized, disappeared from the overall plot and other times there were missed opportunities. More of the episodes felt like fillers and at times they were weren't in the "this is the way" zone.

If you have any thoughts on the third season, feel free to reach out to her on instagram, @thevirtualjedi or her blog www.starwarsanon.wordpress.com.

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? She would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping her on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply at starwarsanon.wordpress.com/podcast/.

In this episode, Kiri meanders and rambles about the amount of planets and settings in each Star Wars movie. Do the amount of planets and settings reflect how good the movie is? After writing out all the planets/ships that the characters spend time on in each movie, she dissects if there is a correlation.

None of this is factually backed up with total times, sorry to disappoint.

After two weeks, Kiri comes up with another thought that might make more sense and correlate more to whether or not the settings and planets coincide with how good a movie is. Take a listen!

Do you agree or disagree with her thoughts?

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? Kiri would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping her on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here on the blog at starwarsanon.wordpress.com.

This episode is for those that want to hear a 6.5 year old, almost 7, get quizzed on what she knows about Star Wars. Kiri's daughter had a snow day and crashed the podcast recording. Her daughter has lived with her mom, who is obsessed with Star Wars, since a young age.

But how much does this young girl actually know about Star Wars through osmosis and watching some of the movies/TV show? Is she a padawan or master?

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? Kiri would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping her on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here on the blog at starwarsanon.wordpress.com.

In this episode, Kiri sits down with YA sci-fi author Z. Jeffries to discuss the Jedi. Kiri loves the Jedi. Zachary thinks they have a lot of flaws.

Specific talking points include:

• Only a Sith deals in absolutes
• The Jedi use fear to train
• Would it be better if there were different sects of Jedi or "grey" Jedi?
• The High Republic

What do you think about the Jedi? Were they flawed? Is Luke the perfect Jedi? Is Rey creating the same problems all over again?

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? I would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping me on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply here.

Want to know more about Z Jeffries? He’s a sci-fi young adult author, with a new book coming out: Angel of Fate! You can find him here: https://www.zjeffries.com/

Edit 1: Kiri could not find canonical information on what happens if a Jedi fails the trials.

Edit 2: The Force nuns were known as Lanais. From Wookiepedia - "The females of the species, who inhabited the Temple Island for thousands of years, led simple, unassuming lives and wore white robes with matching headdresses; they took the role of Caretakers and considered it their religious duty to maintain the temple island's ancient structures whose existence they kept a secret including the first Jedi Temple and the huts of the Jedi village and to provide care for those who traveled to their isolated world seeking truth." Not Force users.

In this episode, Kiri has a discussion with Trent Gander about the characters within the Star Wars universe, specifically the new characters brought in with Disney storytelling. Does Disney give us too much context for characters? Not enough? Trent argues that "gritty realism" is important to Star Wars storytelling but Disney lacked that in the Sequel Trilogy.

Kiri disagrees and thinks that the characters are fleshed out and that there is gritty realism. Where do you stand? Listen to this discussion and weigh in with your own opinions on the blog.

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Do you want to be a guest on this show? Kiri would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping Kiri on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or apply on her blog.

Want to know more about Trent? He's a copywriter by day, Star Wars lover all the time.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gentdeirreveren

Wordpress blog: https://gentlemansuniversityofmanliness.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trent.gander.33

Upwork profile: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0118892ab35fc187a5

In this episode, Kiri and Professor Lyrical chat about Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm. Have their stories been beneficial to the Star Wars universe? Is the Disney acquisition ultimately a good thing?

Pro is PRO Disney (haha, loving the pun), whereas Kiri is on the fence and unsure, yet still gives them her money at every chance.

Was a decision reached? Is Disney and Star Wars a good thing? Listen to this discussion and weigh in with your own opinions on Kiri's blog.

Do you want to be a guest on this show? Kiri would love to have a conversation with you about Star Wars! Ping her on Instagram (@thevirtualjedi) or leave a comment/apply on the blog.