Talking Star Wars

As a follow up to earlier episodes 4, 5, and 6 exploring various Force traditions in the Star Wars universe, the hosts take this episode to discuss the figure of the Dark Jedi - a former Jedi who has fallen to the Dark Side, but who has not become a Sith or entirely abandoned their original teachings. From the principled-but-murderous Baylan Skoll, to the sneering and brutal Pong Krell, to the desperate and fanatical Barriss Offee, join Alex and Connor as they review all Dark Jedi known to the current canon and find commonalities and differences in their characterization - and how Dark Jedi serve as a mirror to the rigid strictures of the ready-to-fall pre-Order-66 Order itself. They also discuss how brushes with darkness are handled by the Jedi in the era of The High Republic, and how the stresses of The Clone Wars leave Jedi increasingly vulnerable to falling in comparison to earlier, more flexible, times.

This episode contains spoilers for: Episodes 1 through 9, Ahsoka, The Clone Wars, Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Tales of Jedi, Rebels, The High Republic: The Rising Storm, and The High Republic (2021 comic).

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

Welcome to Season 2 of Talking Star Wars! Our first Star Wars-focused episode of 2024 dives right into another character spotlight by focusing on the backstory, deeds, and personality of none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn. The original brandchild of Timothy Zahn in Legends, who has also had great influence on his current-canon incarnation, Thrawn stalks the high orbits of our hero’s planets with organ music at his back and competence dripping from every carefully-chosen syllable. Sometimes defeated but never daunted and hoarding every speck of competence in the Imperial Navy not already claimed by Tarkin or Piett, Thrawn (Mitth'raw'nuruodo in his homeland, the Chiss Ascendancy) invites the viewer and reader to root for him with clever tactics and respect for his adversaries, before reminding everyone that being polite does not mean he won’t bombard a civilian population into submission if he feels he must. Join our hosts for our deep dive into this fascinating, evolving character currently playing center stage as the villain bridging the gap between The Empire and The First Order.

This episode contains spoilers for: Episodes 1 through 9, Rebels, Thrawn, Thrawn: Alliances, Thrawn: Treason, the Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy, Ahsoka, The Clone Wars, and The Mandalorian.

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

This episode continues Alex and Connor’s review of the expanded universe content set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. After reviewing the initial arc of six graphic novels that continued the story of the original Team Avatar, the hosts explore the shorter, character-focused, standalone comics that expand on specific characters centered around Avatar: The Last Avatar before diving into the two primary volumes that continue the story of Korra and her friends: Turf Wars and Ruins of the Empire, As before, the hosts explore the themes, worldbuild, and character work in each volume and discuss how each volume fits into the overall Avatar world.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA Seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra season 1 through 4, Suki Alone, Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy, Katara and the Pirate’s Silver, Azula in the Spirit Temple, Turf Wars, and Ruins of the Empire

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

This episode begins Connor and Alex’s review of the expanded universe content set in the Avatar universe that continues and expands on the stories of both Team Avatar and the world at large. In this first episode, the hosts review the primary six graphic novels that continue the story of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki, and others - from The Promise that is set immediately following season 3, to Imbalance that takes place more than a year afterwards. The hosts discuss the merits of each graphic novel series, the themes explored, and how each work fits into the overall Avatar universe.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA Seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra season 1 through 4, The Promise, The Search, The Rift, Smoke and Shadow, North and South, and Imbalance

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

In this episode, Connor and Alex delve into the nature of the eponymous Avatar that gives the setting of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra their names and primary characters.The hosts explore the figure of the Avatar both through the lens of an in-universe figure of awe, power, mystery, and hope as well as from a storytelling perspective and what having an Avatar present in the setting does to focus the narratives set in the universe. Additionally, this episode provides a survey and exploration of all known Avatars, their unique traits, and what their character says about the world in which they lived.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA Seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra season 1 through 4, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi, The Dawn of Yangchen, The Legacy of Yangchen, and The Promise

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

This episode dives into the more mystical side of the Avatar universe by examining spirits and the spirit world. Connor and Alex explore both the spirit world itself, including the ways that humans are able to journey spiritually and physically to and from this separate land, as well as surveying the unique denizens of that strange and emotionally-reactive land. From the terrifying lair of Koh the Face-Stealer to the sacred and dangerous library of Wan Shi Tong, learn about both the full range of named spirits that appear in the world and the more generic spirits that fill in the background while the hosts examine the spiritual roles they fill in the setting. The episode also delves into the narrative role of Raava and Vaatu, the ancient spirits of light and dark, and what “balance” means in the constant conflict between them.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA Seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra seasons 1 through 4, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi, The Search, The Rift, The Dawn of Yangchen, and The Legacy of Yangchen

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

This episode explores the various political systems in place in the Avatar universe, from the tribal relationship of the Water Tribes, to the feudal monarchies and lordships of the Earth Kingdom, to the absolute monarchy of the Fire Lord. The hosts also explore how the political landscape changes between the time of Aang and Korra’s day, including the eventual rise of the first democracy (and the mixed feelings about the first President), the fragility of the Water Tribes’ system of government in a more modern setting, and how the Earth Kingdom falls to fascism by season 4. This episode also explores the rise of the modern-style nation-state in the Avatar universe and the factors that influence national identity and development.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra seasons 1 through 4, Imbalance, Turf Wars, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi, The Dawn of Yangchen, and the Legacy of Yangchen.

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

In this episode, Connor and Alex continue their ongoing miniseries about Avatar: The Last Airbender to discuss the role of technology in the Avatar universe.The hosts review how the world has largely organized society and what technology exists around bending and manipulation of the elements until the Hundred Years War, which involves a rapid industrial revolution that spreads to the entire world.The episode explores the role of technology in a world that focuses so heavily on mystical and spiritual arts, and how the supernatural and mundane both contrast and coexist in each nation. Connor and Alex also review the use of technology by each of the Four Nations as well as the use of giant mechanical devices and weapons as an ongoing plot point through Avatar and Korra.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra seasons 1 through 4, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi, The Dawn of Yangchen, and the Legacy of Yangchen

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

In this episode, the hosts review the primary protagonists of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra (Aang, Korra, and Zuko as a bonus deuteragonist) through the lens of The Hero’s Journey as popularized and codified by Joseph Campbell’s seminal work. Here, we see the patterns of the mythic hero play out in the lives of both Avatars, from the call to adventure, to the ordeal they must overcome, to the change they bring to the world.

Follow along with the steps of the Hero’s Journey here: https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-heros-journey-cycle-stages.png

The 12 Steps:

1. The Ordinary World
2. Call of Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
7. The Approach
8. The Ordeal
9. Reward
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixer

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra seasons 1 through 4

Star Wars Spoilers

Episodes IV through VI

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/

This episode explores a specific variance in the way that parental figures are portrayed in the Avatar world: one where this is a complex and distant father with a fraught relationship with his children; and where the mother is dead or otherwise entirely absent from the story, and characterized more by her absence than her ongoing agency. The hosts explore why this trope might exist, the ways in which parental roles evolve between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, and what role gender roles play in this difference between how motherhood and fatherhood are portrayed. From the heinous and abusive Fire Lord Ozai compared to his vanished wife Ursa, to the tragically slain Kya (mother of Katara and Sokka) and off-at-war Hakoda, this episode dives into all maternal and paternal figures, how they are depicted, and explores why this dichotomy might exist.

Discussed content includes potential spoilers from the items listed below.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Spoilers

ATLA seasons 1 through 3, The Legend of Korra seasons 1 through 4, The Search, Imbalance, and Patterns in Time.

Star Wars Spoilers

Episodes I through VI

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/