Talking Star Wars

Alex and Connor discuss the Wolf and Cub motif - that of the older, grizzled warrior who takes on the protector and parent role for a more helpless child in a dangerous world - as it appears in Star Wars. The hosts establish the common story beats that accompany the appearance of this motif and trope, and then further explore the appearance of other character pairs in the Star Wars Universe: The Mandalorian and The Child, The Bad Batch and Omega, and Obi-Wan Kenobi with young Princess Leia, among others. Alex and Connor also explore what cultural changes have made the Wolf and Cub motif more common in Star Wars and other related media.

This episode contains spoilers from: The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Kenobi, Star Wars: Visions, Brotherhood, and The Aftermath Trilogy.

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This week, Connor and Alex explore the role of the starship in the galaxy of Star Wars. They survey both the various kinds of ships in Star Wars and the specific iconic ships found in the galaxy far, far away. Starships fill many roles in Star Wars, from the cool car, the deadly dogfighter, or as a spacefaring home for ragtag groups of Rebels. Audiences also get attached to specific ships that fill the roles of characters in their own right, including the Ghost from Rebels, to the Razor Crest from The Mandalorian, to the forever-iconic Millennium Falcon itself. Various styles of ship, from the endless waves of TIE fighters of the Empire to the Mon Calamari organic cruisers, also serve as further visual worldbuilding. Join us today for a breakdown of the role of the starship in Star Wars!

This episode contains spoilers from: Episode II, Episode IV, Episode V, Episode VI, Episode VII, Episode VIII, Episode IX Rebels, The Mandalorian, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Bad Batch, Battlefront: Twilight Company, Resistance, The Clone Wars, and Darth Vader (2015 comic run).

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Connor and Alex continue their exploration of expanded universe material with a look at the novel Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher. One of the few tentpole works currently holding up the period between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, this novel contextualizes and expands on several aspects of the sequel trilogy, particularly The Rise of Skywalker. The main characters include Jedi Master Luke Skywalker; retired and depressed Rebellion General Lando Calrissian; the unhinged Ochi of Bestoon; a dark side acolyte possessed by the mask of Sith Lord Exim Panshard; and the parents of Rey as they flee from Sith cultists. Also featuring several powerful and unique Sith artifacts that tear their way through the novel, this story contains excellent world building, canonizes Darth Revan, and fills in the reader on the status of the galaxy two decades after the Battle of Yavin.

This episode contains spoilers from: Shadow of the Sith, Episode VI, Episode VII, Episode VIII, Episode IX, Bloodline, The Mandalorian, The Aftermath Trilogy, Last Shot, Lando (comic), Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (2017 comic), Darth Vader (2020 comic), Rebels, Tales of the Jedi and Sith, and Star Wars: Dark Legends.

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Alex and Connor continue their series of Genre Intersection episodes and explore the movies, episodes, scenes, characters, themes, and tropes that Star Wars had in common with the War genre; a specific type of media largely popularized in its current form after World War II and iterated on since then. The first Star Wars movie was released in the wake of the Vietnam War and all the propaganda, public backlash, and televised media coverage that conflict engendered, and the concept of War is right there in the name of Star Wars. The hosts explore both the war stories that inspired Star Wars and the ways Star Wars uses those same genre conventions for its own ends - The Squad, The Mission, and the way the story is used to contextualize a small piece of larger conflict. From the forest commando mission in Return of the Jedi, to the guerilla ambushes of Rogue One, to the brotherly camaraderie and continual loss experienced by clone troopers in The Clone Wars, listen today for a deep dive into where Star Wars and the war story genre intersect.

This episode contains spoilers from: Episodes I - IX, Rogue One, Rebels, Andor, Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story, Resistance, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, The Clone Wars, Dark Disciple, Kenobi, Battlefront: Twilight Company, the Aftermath Trilogy, the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, and Lost Stars.

This episode also contains references to the following non-Star-Wars media: Casablanca, Dunkirk, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Guns of Navarone, 1917, Full Metal Jacket, M*A*S*H, Master and Commander, U-571, and The Black Company.

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In this episode, Connor and Alex continue their exploration of the many sentient alien species in the Star Wars universe, analyzing their depiction, discussing their unique traits, and mentioning the most notable members of each alien species that appear in canon media. Discussed today include the Gungans, Kaminoans, Umbarans, Togruta, Sullustans, Geonosians, Trandoshans, Weequay, Lasat, Hutts, and Ewoks. This episode also explores the ways that alien races are made visually distinct through their technology, from the gothic and arcane aesthetic of the Umbarans to the energy-and-bubble based technology used by the Gungans.  

This episode contains spoilers from: Episode I, Episode II, Episode III, Episode IV, Episode V, Episode VI, The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi, The Force Unleashed (legends), Clone Wars (legends), Battlefront: Twilight Company, Catalyst, Rebels, Darth Vader comic (2015 run), Doctor Aphra, Fallen Order, The Mandalorian, Poe Dameron comic, Book of Boba Fett, and Shadow of the Sith. 

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Continuing the ongoing survey of Star Wars visual media outside the films, Connor and Alex take an episode-by-episode look of the diverse stories told by Star Wars: Visions Season 2, and discuss the themes, lore, and appeal of each episode as both a piece of visual storytelling and as part of the greater Star Wars universe. Connor and Alex also discuss whether each episode calls for a continuation, or if it tells a self-contained and complete story already.

This episode contains spoilers for: Star Wars: Visions.

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This week, our hosts continue their ongoing series of episodes exploring various Force powers depicted in the Star Wars Universe with a discussion of the Jedi Mind Trick. Connor and Alex review the use of the Mind Trick in visual media and expanded universe materials, discuss the ethics of the Mind Trick, and the variations of the power as used by the Jedi, Sith, and others. From Obi-Wan’s insistence that they aren’t the droids you’re looking for, to Mace Windu’s brutal mind probe on Cad Bane during the Clone Wars, listen to this episode to hear all about the Jedi Mind Trick.

This episode contains spoilers for: Episode I, Episode II, Episode IV, Episode VI, Episode VII, The Clone Wars, Kenobi, Tales of the Jedi, Rebels, The Mandalorian, Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2 (Legends), and Fallen Order.

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Connor and Alex continue their ongoing series exploring the themes, audience, and plot of all Star Wars visual media outside the films by taking a deep dive into the first three seasons of the Mandalorian.The hosts discuss Din Djarin’s relationship with his ward Grogu; the way The Mandalorian serves as a vehicle to explore a post-Empire galaxy; and the many genres that Din finds himself embroiled in, from a lone gunslinger western to a post-colonization recovery of the Mandalorian people. This episode also explores the relationship of the protagonist with Mandalorian culture as a whole, from the fundamentalist Children of the Watch to the more flexible sect that follows returning character Bo Katan Kryze.

This episode contains spoilers for: The Mandalorian (seasons 1 to 3), The Clone Wars, Episode IV, Episode VI, Episode IX, The Book of Boba Fett, Rebels, Phasma, and Andor.

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

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Connor and Alex take an episode to explore cloning in the universe of Star Wars; who engages in cloning, what are the ethics in question, and how cloning figures into the larger tapestry of Star Wars storytelling. From the attitude of the Kaminoan cloners towards their creations, to the brotherhood and camaraderie that evolves between the clone troopers that fight for the Republic in The Clone Wars, to Order 66 and its implications for the free will of all clones, the hosts explore the galaxy’s attitude towards clones, and how cloning technology becomes central to not only Palpatine’s long-term goals, but a genie-out-of-the-bottle for the galaxy at large.

This episode contains spoilers for: Episode I, Episode II, Episode III, Episode IV, Episode VII, Episode VIII, Episode IX, Rogue One, The Clone Wars, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, Kenobi, The Mandalorian, Darth Vader comics (2015 and 2020 series), Thrawn, and The Rise of Kylo Ren.

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

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Connor and Alex provide an overview of the nine eras established by Disney for the Star War universe, and review the key works in each era, what themes are present, and if future media is needed to expand on that era. This episode explores where and when various key parts of the Star Wars setting are established, including the Jedi themselves, the Sith, the Sith’s Rule of Two, the Republic, and so on. The hosts also discuss parallels to how real-world history is portrayed, and about the tendency to believe there was a prior, more enlightened time to return to (compared to the difficult and messy present). The time periods discussed are: Dawn of the Jedi, The Old Republic, The High Republic, The Fall of the Jedi, The Reign of the Empire, The Age of Rebellion, The New Republic, The Rise of the First Order, and The New Jedi Order.

This episode contains mild spoilers for: Episode I, Episode II, Episode III, Episode IV, Episode V, Episode VI, Episode VII, Episode VIII, Episode IX, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One, The Legend of Luke Skywalker, The Clone Wars, Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Visions, Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor, Kenobi, Tarkin, Lords of the Sith, Andor, Rebels, Aftermath Trilogy, Star Wars (comic), Darth Vader (comic), Battlefront: Twilight Company, Alphabet Squadron Trilogy, Bloodline, The Mandalorian, The Rise of Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron (comic), Resistance, and Shadow of the Sith.

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

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