Podcasts about hyperspace theories

On the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester continue their analysis of Season Two of the Disney+ streaming series Andor: A Star Wars Story with a discussion centered on the Ghorman storyline heavily featured across Episodes 4 to 8 and culminating in the eighth episode focused entirely on the the tragedy of the Ghorman Massacre. One major theme of this storyline is the power of propaganda, introduced in the first Imperial scenes of the season's first episode. We then consider other forms of Imperial manipulation of the events on Ghorman, and the ideas Andor presents about oppression and resistance through the lens of Imperial military occupation, the Ghorman Front and public opposition, and the role of Luthen's agents on the road to the Massacre. These themes and ideas are reflected across the characterization and character arcs of numerous individuals in these episodes, including Cassian, Luthen, and Wilmon; Vel and Cinta; Dedra, Syril, and Partagaz; and even Mon Mothma and Director Krennic. We also examine how the various new characters from Ghorman – particularly Carro Rylanz, Enza Rylanz, Samm, Thela, and Lezine – illustrate the themes and ideas of the storyline, and how their experiences of oppression and resistance influence their decisions and actions leading up to, and during, the Massacre. In media appearances promoting Andor Season Two, creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy has spoken extensively about the real-world influences on his storytelling in the series, especially his lifelong passion for reading and learning about revolutions across the world and throughout history. Our discussion considers several of these influences, such as wartime propaganda, especially in the twentieth century. Gilroy also references both the French Resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II and the subsequent Algerian resistance to French colonial control in subsequent decades, portrayed in the classic film The Battle of Algiers (1966), which influenced the visual style of the eighth episode in particular. We also point out connections to the American Revolution, French Revolution, and Haitian Revolution, and the significance of Gilroy's mentions of Oliver Cromwell and the Baader-Meinhof Group. Like George Lucas, who drew heavily on fictional and nonfictional influences when first creating his ideas for the initial Star Wars films, Tony Gilroy's Andor contains an insightful and impactful combination of fiction and nonfiction inspirations. Related Links: Hyperspace Theories: One Year Later as ANDOR Kicks Off Season Two Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 25.6: Five Women of Andor REVIEW: ANDOR Season Two Backstory Magazine Interview with Tony Gilroy Tony Gilroy on facism in Star Wars via Josh Horowitz Clips Facism via Wikipedia Vietnam War via Wikipedia

Beginning immediately on the heels of Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025, the second season of the Disney+ streaming series Andor, now carrying the same A Star Wars Story subtitle as Rogue One, kicked off its four-week run with its first trio of episodes. The premiere and its title, "One Year Later," sets the framework for Season Two: as each "a movie a week" batch of three episodes brings us a year closer to Rogue One, several interweaving plots advance the characters arcs of Andor's expansive cast. On this episode of Hyperspace Theories podcast, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze the first story arc of Season Two by breaking down how each of the four subplots reveals more of the world-building and characterization that drive the story forward. We begin with Cassian Andor examining how his character has evolved since the events of Season One and the lessons he learns in his mission-gone-awry from a Sienar facility to the Yavin IV jungle to his fateful return to his Ferrix friends. The other major plotline features Mon Mothma and the ostentatious wedding for her daughter on Chandrila, which brings with it considerable interpersonal drama for the family and for the still-perilous groundwork for the burgeoning Rebellion. On Mina Rau, the Ferrix expatriates confront the iron grip of the Empire through the lens of unexpectedly timely themes of refugees, undocumented residents, and the risks of exploitation and oppression they face. Similar themes appear in the final subplot, the Imperial characters who shift from hunting rebels to plotting far greater atrocities on Ghorman, all the while planning to use propaganda and manipulation to conceal the truth. Along the way, we also discuss the color palette used in the costume design for these episodes. Deliberately recurring hues cutting across the storylines indicate important thematic parallels in more subtle visual ways – and also, perhaps, hint toward events to come in future episode arcs.

On the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories podcast, hosts Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester report from Star Wars Celebration Japan on the latest news and happenings. Highlights from key panels - The Mandalorian and Grogu, Andor Season 2, Ahsoka, Star Wars Animation 25th Anniversary - are discussed. Let's celebrate Star Wars!

On this episode of Hyperspace Theories podcast, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester detour from our usual focus on fictional storytelling to discuss an instance of real-world events and surrounding narratives in the form of journalistic coverage of the upcoming retirement of Kathleen Kennedy from her current role as president of Lucasfilm. On February 24, 2025, experienced Hollywood journalist Matt Belloni at Puck reported that “Kathleen Kennedy has informed Disney, as well as friends and associates, that she will exit as Lucasfilm president by the end of the year, per three sources.” Two of the three longstanding Hollywood trades, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, quickly corroborated the reported, followed soon after by articles considering potential replacements as Lucasfilm's leader. Then, on February 27, the other major trade, Deadline, ran an extended written interview with Kennedy. Although framed as a debunking of Belloni's reporting, its substance actually verified the fundamental accuracy of his information while presenting a narrative of Kennedy's aspirations to remain an important participant in Star Wars movies after her successors takes over. In addition to closely examining the wording of the reporting and the interview for their accurately interpreted meaning, we also consider the implications of these revelations for the future of Lucasfilm and cinematic storytelling in the Star Wars franchise in the years ahead. Media Articles: Matt Belloni, Kathleen Kennedy to Step Down at Lucasfilm (Puck; Feb. 24, 2025) Matt Belloni, What I'm Hearing: Oscars Politics, Zaz's Split Motive & More Kathy Kennedy (Puck; Feb. 28, 2025) Aaron Couch, Lucasfilm Boss Kathleen Kennedy Expected to Retire This Year (The Hollywood Reporter; Feb. 24, 2025) Rebecca Rubin & Brett Lang, ‘Star Wars' Boss Kathleen Kennedy Planning to Exit Lucasfilm at the End of 2025 (Variety; Feb. 25, 2025) Borys Kit & James Hibberd, Disney's ‘Star Wars' Succession Problem: Who Will Replace Kathleen Kennedy? (The Hollywood Reporter; Feb. 25, 2025) Brett Lang & Rebecca Rubin, Who Will Run ‘Star Wars' After Kathleen Kennedy Leaves? One of Hollywood's Hottest — and Hardest — Jobs Opens Up (Variety; Feb. 25, 2025) Mike Fleming Jr., Kathleen Kennedy Speaks On Her Lucasfilm Plans — She Is Not Soon Retiring — & The Films That Will Keep Her In ‘Star Wars' Orbit For Years To Come (Deadline; Feb. 27, 2025) Related Links: Ten Years of Hyperspace Theories (Oct. 2024) Dave Filoni Talks Writing AHSOKA and Guiding the Future of Star Wars Storytelling (June 2024) Hyperspace Theories: Starting 2024 with the Future of Star Wars (Jan. 2024) Now Filoni is the Master (Nov. 2023)

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 Tricia@fangirlblog.com 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 Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.

Who's the Bossk? - Episode 197: Master Swap with B.J. Priester Date: July 5th, 2024 (recorded July 3rd) Listen Topics First-time guest B.J. Priester from from the "Hyperspace Theories" podcast and FANgirl Blog joins "Who's the Bossk?" host Mike Celestino for a discussion of the sixth episode of Lucasfilm's live-action Disney+ series The Acolyte, entitled "Teach / Corrupt." Plus this week's Star Wars headlines and more! Subscribe iTunes Google Spotify

Who's the Bossk? – Episode 197: Master Swap with B.J. Priester Date: July 5th, 2024 (recorded July 3rd) Listen Topics First-time guest B.J. Priester from from the “Hyperspace Theories” podcast and FANgirl Blog joins “Who's the Bossk?” host Mike Celestino for a discussion of the sixth episode of Lucasfilm's live-action Disney+ series The Acolyte, entitled […] The post Who's the Bossk? – Episode 197: Master Swap with B.J. Priester appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

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 Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.

Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester return for another episode of Hyperspace Theories discussing the Ahsoka Disney+ series, specifically the second act of the story: Part Three “Time to Fly,” Part Four “Fallen Jedi,” and Part Five “Shadow Warrior.” Often Star Wars is at its best when it advances not only the character arcs of its principals, but also the mythology of the franchise, The episodes of Ahsoka, and “Shadow Warrior” especially, mark a great success in that tradition. As we mentioned in our previous episode discussing the two-part premiere, Ahsoka has excelled at representation and inclusion, particularly compared to Star Wars' less than stellar historical track record. In late September, the Women's Committee of the Critic's Choice Association (CCA) announced that it would be honoring Ahsoka with the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment (SOFEE), which “recognizes outstanding new films and television series that illuminate the female experience and perspective through authentically told female-driven stories.” The press release noted that Ahsoka had achieved “a perfect score in the numerical formula” which evaluates whether nominated projects “have a prominent female character arc, give female characters at least equal screen time to male characters, have female leaders behind the scenes, and pass elements highlighted in the Bechdel test.” Congratulations to Carrie Beck, Dave Filoni, and the other leaders behind Ahsoka for their contributions to making this kind of recognition possible for a Star Wars project. The second act of Ahsoka places the characterization focus on the titular character and the personal and spiritual journey she undertakes. “Time to Fly” and “Fallen Jedi” reveal the ways in which Ahsoka Tano, despite her age and experience, still faces the emotional legacy of her past and still struggles to follow herself the Jedi lessons she imparts to Sabine. In “Shadow Warrior” her near-death experience compels her to face her deepest traumas and fears – and to finally truly confront her feelings toward former Master, Anakin Skywalker, and his fate as Darth Vader, and what it means for Ahsoka to have been trained by him. After her rescue and return to land on Seatos, she has rediscovered her true self and made the transition, inspired by Tolkein's Gandalf, from Ahsoka the Gray to Ahsoka the White. In the Hero's Journey monomyth described by Joseph Campbell, a recurring topic on Hyperspace Theories, the Belly of the Whale marks a key metamorphosis from the hero's ordinary existence to their extraordinary adventure. For Ahsoka, her ascension to her Wizard's Journey requires such a transformation – and its culmination is indicated, literally, by her passage into the open mouth of a gigantic, ancient purgill. These episodes of Ahsoka also present interesting perspectives on the Force, and what it means to be a Jedi, through other characters including Sabine, Hera, Jacen Syndulla, Huyang, and Baylan Skoll. All of these ideas are juxtaposed against Ahsoka's concurrent personal journey, and all of them pay off in the third act of the series. Check back soon for our next episode of Hyperspace Theories analyzing those episodes in depth. Related Links: “AHSOKA” to receive the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment (SOFEE) (Critic's Choice Association; Sep. 24, 2023) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com 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.

The circle is now complete. Dave Filoni, longtime storytelling Padawan to George Lucas, has been Executive Creative Director for Star Wars for three years and played an instrumental role in the creation and progression of The Mandalorian streaming series. With Ahsoka, the latest live-action Disney+ series from Star Wars, Filoni not only leads the project in full – he wrote all eight episodes and directed the first (and fifth) – but also brings the erstwhile Jedi apprentice from key member of ensemble casts to titular character and central figure. Over the past fifteen years, from The Clone Wars to Star Wars Rebels to Mando and Grogu to Ahsoka, Filoni and Tano have traversed similar paths. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester share our reactions, review, and analysis of the two-episode Ahsoka premiere, “Master and Apprentice” and “Toil and Trouble.” We begin with our praise for the representation and diversity in the cast of Ahsoka. After more than a decade at FANgirl Blog criticizing Star Wars for its often poor track record in that regard, it is thrilling to watch a series in which the “big three” lead protagonists are all women (Ahsoka, Sabine, and Hera) and two of the three antagonists (Morgan and Shin, with Baylan) are women, too. Ahsoka also features women of color in four of those six roles, as well as actors of color throughout the supporting cast. Turning to the storytelling, we discuss the parallels between Baylan and Shin, with their orange lightsabers and a familiar Padawan braid, and the tutelage relationships between Ahsoka and Sabine and, previously, Anakin and Ahsoka. We also examine how Filoni draws upon all aspects of Star Wars storytelling, including elements from the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and the Legends tales of the Expanded Universe, as well as more recent Star Wars productions. With Morgan Elsbeth confirming her connection to the Nightsisters, also known as the Witches of Dathomir – something we had speculated about after her initial appearance in The Mandalorian – we consider what Ahsoka may have to say about the Jedi, the Sith, individuals who are not-quite-Jedi or not-quite-Sith, and other ways Star Wars characters might perceive or wield the Force. This idea is especially interesting in light of Professor Huyang's emphasis to Sabine Wren that, while she may not be strong in the Force, she can still train in and follow the ways of the Jedi. We conclude with some brief speculations, informed by footage from the trailer and teasers that did not appear in the premiere episodes, on how the story might unfold in the remaining six. The Ahsoka series premiered 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.

On the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss Chapters 20 to 24 of The Mandalorian, the five episodes comprising the middle and end of Season Three. (In our previous episode we talked about Chapters 17 to 19, the trio that began the season.) Overall, the theme of our analysis is the inconsistencies that seem to pervade Season Three from start to finish. Despite that dynamic, we found much to enjoy and praise in Season Three. After the first three episodes focused on themes of identity, the remaining five episodes carried them forward on multiple levels. Bo-Katan's character arc reaches fulfillment in her alliance with the Armorer, reacquisition of the Darksaber, regaining leadership of her erstwhile fleet, and leading the reconquest of the planet Mandalore. The Darksaber is destroyed, but a new symbol of unity is found: Bo-Katan, fulfilling her declaration to Moff Gideon that “Mandalorians are stronger together” during their climactic showdown, joins the Armorer to reignite the Great Forge. The discordant factions have set aside their differences for a greater collective purpose. Grogu, too, has synthesized his Jedi training and Mandalorian family, breaking up a fight between Mandalorians, using the Force for defense in combat, and formalizing his adoption as Din Djarin's son (with the Armorer bestowing the name Din Grogu in recognition). In other ways, however, Season Three struggles with inconsistency in the plotlines and character arcs. Although Din nominally retains the role of titular character in The Mandalorian, he is given a passive role with no meaningful character development after Chapter 18. Perhaps this season would have been better titled as The Book of Bo-Katan to more accurately convey the story being told. Similarly, we evaluate inconsistencies in the portrayals of Bo-Katan and Grogu over these five episodes, as well as problems with the chronology of the series (both in-universe and through creator interviews), especially in conjunction with Chapters 5 and 6 of The Book of Boba Fett. From these dynamics within the story itself, we speculate about the creative process behind these episodes and wonder if key ideas were modified, eliminated, or significantly reworked during the development or production process following the conclusion of Season Two of The Mandalorian. Ultimately, while Season Three of The Mandalorian offered a good story and some fun episodes, it would have benefited from stronger writing and more consistency in the storytelling. With Andor demonstrating how skillful Star Wars series on Disney+ can be, The Mandalorian and related shows must do better to measure up. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 23.7: Best of Star Wars Celebration Europe Fangirls Going Rogue Priority Transmission #27: Star Wars Visions Volume 2 Press Conference Skywalking Through Neverland Episode 415: Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 Recap Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023: Disney Parks (FANgirl Blog) Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023: Young Jedi Adventures (FANgirl Blog) Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023: The Bad Batch (FANgirl Blog) Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023: Star Wars Visions Volume 2 (FANgirl Blog) Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023: The Women of Ahsoka (FANgirl Blog)

The Mandalorian is back on Disney+ to kick off Season Three. On this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss the characterization and storytelling developments unfolding across Chapter 17 (“The Apostate”), Chapter 18 (“The Mines of Mandalore”), and Chapter 19 (“The Convert”). By the end of these three episodes, we've learned a lot more about our central characters, yet each of them still faces profound questions about how they will choose to define, and possibly reshape, their individual identities going forward. For this season, Katee Sackoff is credited as a co-lead with Pedro Pascal, and the prominent role of Bo-Katan in these episodes definitely warrants that billing. For Din Djarin, these episodes showcase his commitment to his understanding of the Mandalorian Creed. Despite other opportunities and obligations, he insists on fulfilling his quest to bathe in the Living Waters on Mandalore to redeem himself for having removed his helmet during the events of Season Two. He succeeds, and upon returning to the covert receives confirmation from the Armorer. What remains very much an open question, however, is what Din will do next. Bo-Katan Kryze, on the other hand, experiences a very different journey. She begins the season without a purpose: she has lost her fleet, the Darksaber, and any people or place to rule – and, it seems, she has long since lost her faith in the value of the Creed. Once she departs her castle to rescue Grogu's dad, she still talks to the foundling mostly about what she has lost, rather than what she still has to live (or fight) for. Even in the chamber with the Living Waters, she can barely hold back her derision when reading the ancient plaque. Then in s short span of time she sees the Mythosaur, loses her home to Imperial bombers, and is bestowed with her own redemption under the Armorer's interpretation of the Creed. Suddenly everything has changed. Yet, like Din, Bo-Katan faces many questions about what she will choose for her path forward. In addition to the lead characters, we also examine what these episodes show the audience about Grogu and his journey, as well as the Coruscant-based storyline with Doctor Pershing, Elia Kane, the New Republic's amnesty program, and the lingering shadow of the Empire. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com  

In the previous two recordings of Hyperspace Theories, we discussed the two story arc comprising the first six episodes of Season Two of The Bad Batch. In this recording, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze the next four episodes, which bring the story through episode 10 (of 16) in this season. Building on our previous consideration of the Hero's Journey story structure in The Bad Batch, we examine how episodes 7 to 10 bring Clone Force 99 into an emotional abyss that typifies the conclusion of the second stage of the journey and the transition into the third stage. In “The Clone Conspiracy” and “Truth and Consequences,” we witness the broader political ramifications of the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of a new Imperial military as Clone Force 99 is brought into a web of secrets and intrigue through Captain Rex, along with allies Senator Riyo Chuchi and Bail Organa. Yet the stakes are also personal, including a mysterious clone assassin with no identifying number, the fate of all of their clone brothers as the clone army will be decommissioned, and the final revelation that Emperor Palpatine has schemed all along to discredit the clones and replace them with Imperial stormtroopers. These events are sure to influence how Clone Force 99 views their place in the changing galaxy. Despite the significance of that experience, in “The Crossing” and “Retrieval” the squad has reverted to their postwar baseline: another mundane assignment from Cid. Once again, the mission goes awry and endangers the squad far more than intended – and this time the Marauder is stolen in the process. Yet Cid is nonplussed by their distress call, showing no urgency to assist them. When Clone Force 99 tracks down the ship, they discover an ipsium mine run by a greedy and exploitative owner who manipulates and lies to his desperate employees. The squad reacquires the Marauder, but also makes a difference in improving the lives of the miners. The squad has made it past the worst of their ordeals, gaining more information and experience to prompt a recognition of the true nature of their relationship with Cid and how they can make a contribution in the galaxy. The Bad Batch are at their best when they're helping people – they just need to see that for themselves at last. This episodes concludes with a short discussion of storytelling analysis and speculation for Season Three of The Mandalorian, which premieres on March 1st. Related Links: REVIEW: The Bad Batch Season Two Hyperspace Theories: The Separatists in The Bad Batch Is “Faster” Filler? The Bad Batch “Tribe” and The Clone Wars Tales Told and Untold Hyperspace Theories: Story Structure and Character Development in The Bad Batch Season Two The Hero's Journey (discussing Campbell and Vogler story structures) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

On the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester consider the second set of three episodes in Season Two of The Bad Batch. These episodes – “Faster,” “Entombed,” and “Tribe” – present a trio of independent, self-contained missions for Omega and her brothers: accompanying Cid for an ill-fated gambling excursion involving riot racing, a dangerous adventure to seek an artifact in an ancient tomb with Phee, and an unexpected encounter with Gungi, a young Wookiee Jedi survivor of Order 66, that leads Clone Force 99 to conflict-scarred Kashyyyk. Although some fans have expressed confusion about the purpose of these episodes in The Bad Batch Season Two, we discuss how classic elements of Star Wars story structure help to explain the character development goals underlying these episodes – and why our protagonists seem to meet less than successful outcomes for their endeavors. As Clone Force 99 struggles to find a new identity and purpose in the galaxy, these episodes provide them with important information and experiences that can influence their thinking and decisions going forward. Along the way, we also describe why these episodes of The Bad Batch are not “filler episodes” or “bottle episodes” as those terms are used in serial television storytelling, drawing on Tricia's post about “Faster” and filler and an insightful post by Kathryn VanArendonk at Vulture. Finally, we use B.J.'s post about “Tribe” to briefly step back into the storytelling origins of The Clone Wars with George Lucas and examine how The Bad Batch pulls forward some decade-old unused ideas. This episodes concludes with our reactions to the recently released trailer for Season Three of The Mandalorian, which premieres on March 1st. Related Links: REVIEW: The Bad Batch Season Two Hyperspace Theories: The Separatists in The Bad Batch Is “Faster” Filler? The Bad Batch “Tribe” and The Clone Wars Tales Told and Untold It's Time for a Departure From ‘Bottle Episode' (Vulture) The Hero's Journey (discussing Campbell and Vogler story structures) The Mandalorian Season Three trailer (YouTube) The Mandalorian Season Three featurette “Phenomenon” (YouTube) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

The new year kicked off with the return of The Bad Batch for Season Two of the animated series. Although some time has passed since the destruction of Kamino at the end of Season One, Clone Force 99 and the galaxy as a whole are still very much living in the aftermath of the end of the Clone Wars and amid the early days of the Galactic Empire. In this context, it makes sense that the Separatists, although defeated militarily in the war, continue to have a lingering impact on the story. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine the role of the Separatists in the world-building and character development of The Bad Batch in the first three episodes of Season Two. The premise of “Spoils of War” and “Ruins of War” involves Clone Force 99 trying to steal a small portion of Dooku's “war chest” from his home base of Serreno. Along the way, Omega and her brothers learn important new information about the Separatist leaders, the Empire, and the impact of the war on everyday people on Separatist worlds. The third episode, “The Solitary Clone,” unfolds a similar eye-opening scenario for Crosshair. Reunited with fan-favorite Commander Cody, Crosshair can fall back into the familiar routine of blasting “clankers” and following orders to complete the mission. But he also learns first-hand that the new Empire is not interested in peace, only power, and ends the episode weighing Cody's words about choices and consequences. Related Links: REVIEW: The Bad Batch Season 2 Brad Rau and Jennifer Corbett Share Insights Into The Bad Batch Season 2 (Fangirls Going Rogue) The Bad Batch's Michelle Ang on Omega's Journey (Fangirls Going Rogue) The Bad Batch's Dee Bradley Baker (Fangirls Going Rogue) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

Across three story arcs in the first ten episodes, Andor has delivered top-notch Star Wars storytelling. In the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze the two-part finale. Written by showrunner Tony Gilroy, who also wrote the first three episodes, the finale brings the first season of Andor to an exciting and dramatic conclusion. Gilroy started Cassian's story in Andor on Ferrix, and the finale returns to the planet by bringing almost all of the major characters to the same location for the climactic events. Only Mon Mothma, trapped in her own tightening vise by the Empire, remains stuck on Coruscant. Starting with Cassian himself and extending to the other characters drawn into the gravity well of his story by the events of the series, each of the character arcs in Andor receives a fitting and impactful culmination. Without a doubt, Andor has raised the bar for Star Wars stories on Disney+ in the years ahead. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.14: Let's Get Ready for Andor Andor's Diego Luna and Genevieve O'Reilly On Fangirls Going Rogue Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.16: Andor's Adria Arjona Roundtable Andor: Striving To Get Back To Star Wars' Political Roots REVIEW: Andor Hyperspace Theories: Andor Begins Andor: Fascism and Star Wars Hyperspace Theories: Andor: Where Is It Going? Hyperspace Theories: Andor: The Heist and Its Aftermath Hyperspace Theories: Everyone's in Prison in Andor

Episodes eight to ten of Andor center on a common theme: everyone is trapped in a literal or metaphorical prison. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss how writer Beau Willimon used this theme as the keystone for all of the characters in this story arc. Cassian, of course, spends this arc in the Narkina 5 prison facility, where the Empire uses convict labor in a prison-industrial complex to produce countless components necessary for the military-industrial complex necessary to sustain its galactic tyranny. Kino Loy, played by the amazing Andy Serkis, is both a literal inmate and a metaphorical prisoner of the gamified labor regime within the facility. Others play along too, at least until they realize the game is rigged and they can never “win” their freedom. Beyond Narkina 5, the theme pervades the other characters' stories, too. On Ferrix, we see the ways Bix, Paak, Brasso, and Maarva suffer under Imperial occupation. On Coruscant, Syril thinks his connection with Dedra and the ISB are his ticket upward, only to discover how trapped he remains. Dedra perceives her upward trajectory continuing, but she remains bound within an ISB mindset. Elsewhere on the capital planet, Mon Mothma confronts the reality of her seemingly inescapable personal situation, including a demand for a terrible family sacrifice, and her newly revealed cousin Vel faces a similar personal toll. Luthen Rael, the “axis” of the burgeoning rebellion, struggles to unite the disparate factions of the incipient Rebellion, personified in Saw Gerrera's certainty that he is the only one with clarity of purpose. Despite his machinations and his successful Aldhani heist, Luthen admits that he is trapped by the obligations and burdens of his unbreakable commitment to sacrifice everything for the Rebellion. Cassian, at least, ends the arc by escaping the prison and swimming to shore. Whether any of the other characters can break free of their confinement remains to be seen. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.14: Let's Get Ready for Andor Andor's Diego Luna and Genevieve O'Reilly On Fangirls Going Rogue Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.16: Andor's Adria Arjona Roundtable Andor: Striving To Get Back To Star Wars' Political Roots REVIEW: Andor Hyperspace Theories: Andor Begins Andor: Fascism and Star Wars Hyperspace Theories: Andor: Where Is It Going? Hyperspace Theories: Andor: The Heist and Its Aftermath

After its first three episodes launching Cassian's character journey, Andor quickly propels him into a plotline drawn from his ultimate fate in Rogue One: a risky heist from a secure Imperial facility that plays a crucial role in the fate of the Rebellion against the Empire. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine the fourth through seventh episodes of Andor and break down what the heist storyline means for all of the key characters in the series. For Cassian, his interactions with the other six members of the heist team teach him important lessons about himself, the possibilities for his future, and the personal and galactic nature of rebellion. As we had speculated, he ends the heist still unwilling to commit to the Rebel cause – but his return to Ferrix and his tourism to Niamos quickly show him that Nemik was correct: the pace of the Empire's oppression has outpaced his ability to comprehend it. In the Imperial subplot, the success of the Aldhani heist changes the opportunities and possibilities for Dedra Meero and the ISB. In the Rebellion subplot, it reinforces that the price of rebellion will not only be personal for Luthen Rael and Mom Mothma, but also galaxy-wide as the Empire cracks down. Amid her political struggle against tyranny, Mon faces another kind of oppressive environment at home. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.14: Let's Get Ready for Andor Andor's Diego Luna and Genevieve O'Reilly On Fangirls Going Rogue Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.16: Andor's Adria Arjona Roundtable Andor: Striving To Get Back To Star Wars' Political Roots REVIEW: Andor Hyperspace Theories: Andor Begins Andor: Fascism and Star Wars Hyperspace Theories: Andor: Where Is It Going?

On September 21, Star Wars: Andor launched on Disney+ with a three-episode premiere. On Hyperspace Theories, we analyzed how those episodes set in motion the character journey for Cassian Andor from his life on Ferrix, and the preceding years in flashbacks, to become the Rebel operative and hero we see in Rogue One. The fourth episode of Andor, released on September 28, greatly expands the scope of the series and broadens the character arcs and plotlines far beyond the personal path of the titular character. On today's episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester revisit the roots of the podcast in Star Wars speculation. We analyze the first four episodes of Andor, the scenes in the official trailers that did not occur in those episodes, the publicly available list of writers and directors for all twelve episodes, and Tony Gilroy's prior Star Wars storytelling in Rogue One. Examining these sources, we consider what they suggest about the story structure, themes, and character arcs in the remaining eight episodes of the first season. Knowing that the series was thoroughly planned before entering production, and overseen throughout by Gilroy as showrunner, provides more confidence than other recent Star Wars live-action productions that speculation from the early episodes and other evidence creates the opportunity to accurately draw inferences and make predictions that align with the storyteller's carefully developed tale. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.14: Let's Get Ready for Andor Andor's Diego Luna and Genevieve O'Reilly On Fangirls Going Rogue Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.16: Andor's Adria Arjona Roundtable Andor: Striving To Get Back To Star Wars' Political Roots REVIEW: Andor Hyperspace Theories: Andor Begins Andor: Fascism and Star Wars

The newly premiered Andor is the biggest and most ambitious Star Wars Disney+ streaming series yet. Created by showrunner Tony Gilroy, who oversaw the rewrites and reshoots that salvaged the theatrical release of Rogue One, Andor is a prequel to a prequel: beginning five years before that film, it will bring its principal characters to the events of Rogue One, which itself leads directly into A New Hope and the Original Trilogy. The first season of Andor includes 12 episodes, with 12 more planned for a second (and final) season that enters production later this year. From the trailers, interviews, press conference, and other promotion, it seems clear that Andor is intended to mark the entry of the Star Wars franchise into the “prestige television” space alongside series such as The Crown, Game of Thrones, or The Expanse. For its premiere on September 21, 2022, however, Andor released a trio of episodes focused almost entirely on the titular character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and the immediate desperate aftermath of a particular incident. In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss how these episodes reintroduce Cassian to the audience at a very different point in his life compared to the seasoned Rebel Alliance operative from Rogue One. The episodes also make effective use of flashbacks to reach even farther back in his past – before, we learn, he even went by the name Cassian Andor – to lay the groundwork for the character arc that begins to develop in these early episodes of the series. In addition to the core story about Cassian, we consider the many new characters introduced in Andor, some of whom appear destined to play important roles in the series beyond the initial episodes. If you missed it during the early rounds of publicity and promotion in late August, be sure to catch up on the Andor coverage at Fangirls Going Rogue and FANgirl Blog now that series has launched into its weekly release schedule for the remaining nine episodes of the first season. Related Links Fangirls Going Rogue Episode 22.14: Let's Get Ready for Andor Andor's Diego Luna and Genevieve O'Reilly On Fangirls Going Rogue Andor: Striving To Get Back To Star Wars' Political Roots Tony Gilroy discusses Rogue One on The Moment podcast

The latest episode of Hyperspace Theories discusses the full story unfurled in the newest six-episode Disney+ series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): Ms. Marvel, featuring the origin story of teenage heroine Kamala Khan. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester are joined by longtime FANgirl Blog contributor Priya Chhaya, an historian and advocate for representation in storytelling and nonfiction alike. First introduced in the comics, Kamala Khan stands out as Marvel's first Pakistani-American and Muslim superhero. Like the comics, the Ms. Marvel series showcases Kamala's family, friends, faith, and community as integral aspects of her personal identity both before and after she acquires her superpowers. At the same time, her story includes universal themes than resonate with audience members who do not share her heritage or religion, such as overprotective parents, sibling resentment, and a multi-generational immigrant experience in the United States. In addition, Ms. Marvel is prominently a story about mothers and daughters, too often still a rarity in blockbuster entertainment and other popular fiction. Kamala's story is also unusual in featuring an intact family unit. The Ms. Marvel series also places significant emotional prominence on an important event in the 20th century history of South Asia: the Partition of India at the end of British imperial occupation, creating new borders and the new country of Pakistan. (Subsequently, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh.) The Partition not only sparked religiously motivated violence in India, but also the largest mass migration in human history as millions of Muslim refugees fled to Pakistan. Ms. Marvel highlights the Partition in the flashback love story of Aisha and Hasan, as well as its lingering ramifications in the lives of Sana, Muneeba, and Kamala. Although the Clandestines and the Department of Damage Control serve as Kamala's overt antagonists in the series, Ms. Marvel perhaps suggests that the real villain is the generational trauma of imperialism. Related Links: Ms. Marvel Powerfully Portrays the Pain of Partition (Nerdist) Ms. Marvel head writer Bisha K. Ali's Google Docs reading list about the Partition (Twitter) Bon Jovi tweets about Ms. Marvel (Sana Amanat on Twitter) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Priya Chhaya: Twitter @priyastoric

This episode of Hyperspace Theories offers the third discussion in our three-part analysis of Obi-Wan Kenobi, following our previous commentary on the first two and middle three components of the Disney+ series. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester first break down the trio of major character arcs resolved in Part VI: the content and consequences of the second showdown in Obi-Wan Kenobi between Obi-Wan and Vader, and how Reva's parallel subplot further illuminates their choices while defining her own. We also examine how Part VI contains deliberate ambiguity regarding Reva's exact motivations in seeking to kill Luke on Tatooine, before her change of heart and merciful compassion from Obi-Wan. We then return to the Hero's Journey aspects of the series. On its own terms, Obi-Wan Kenobi concludes a full progression through Christopher Vogler's cinematic model of the journey. Viewed through the lens of Joseph Campbell's monomyth, by contrast, Obi-Wan Kenobi contains the Departure and Initiation phases of the hero's transformation. The Return phase is not absent from the character's story, though – it appears in A New Hope. Only then does the moment finally arrive for Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to complete his Hero's Journey, synthesizing his character development from the Prequel Trilogy, The Clone Wars, and Obi-Wan Kenobi to attain the highest state of mastery. Related Links: Dave Filoni Speaks at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

In our newest episode, Hyperspace Theories continues our analysis of Obi-Wan Kenobi with a discussion of Parts III, IV, and V of the Disney+ limited series. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine how, after Parts I and II launched Obi-Wan on his mythic adventure, the next three episodes propel him through an extended progression of trials and tribulations that return the broken man into the Jedi General he used to be and push him toward the serene Jedi Master he ultimately becomes. Elements of both Joseph Campbell's monomyth and Christopher Vogler's cinematic hero's journey illustrate the mythic structure of Obi-Wan's personal challenges. Importantly, Obi-Wan Kenobi advances its protagonist's character arc through the influence of three significant female characters: Leia, Tala, and Reva. Each plays a different role in shaping Obi-Wan's rediscovery of himself and reconnection with the Force through the events on Daiyu, Mapuzo, Nur, and Jabiim. In a twist on Campbell, it is Roken and Vader, not a woman, who present the biggest temptations that might divert Obi-Wan from his path. By the conclusion of Part V, Obi-Wan has moved through his trials and overcome their obstacles. In our next episode, we'll discuss how Obi-Wan Kenobi resolves its character arc for the Jedi Master in Part VI, as well as how that arc plays forward into the ultimate culmination of his Hero's Journey in A New Hope and the Original Trilogy. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

Hyperspace Theories podcast returns to the realm of Star Wars storytelling with this month's episode, in which Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss The Book of Boba Fett. In addition to its seven chapter, we also consider insights from the Disney Gallery episode exploring the development and production of the Disney+ series.   We begin with the titular character. The first four episodes of The Book of Boba Fett portray two sets of events in his life: his experiences from his escape from the Sarlaac Pit until his appearance in “The Tragedy” chapter of The Mandalorian season two to reclaim his father's armor, and his return to Tatooine to establish himself as “daimyo” upon the throne previously occupied by Jabba the Hutt and Bib Fortuna. Each of these storylines contains some interesting ideas for Fett's character development, but both fail to meet the potential of those ideas. In addition, the series at times relies heavily on homages to famous cinema (like Lawrence of Arabia or The Godfather) and references to previous Star Wars material (including comics, books, and videogames) without challenging or subverting some of the damaging tropes frequently found in those sources, particularly in the thin characterization of the female characters and the fate of the indigenous Tusken tribe that welcomed Fett into its community. Although the finale episode delivers exciting Star Wars action sequences, it ends on a meta-referential note: Fett himself wonders aloud whether he should have been pursuing the objective of becoming daimyo in the first place. Even more jarring, the fifth and sixth chapters of The Book of Boba Fett barely even include him at all. Instead, the focus on events that we would have expected to appear in season three of The Mandalorian, including Din Djarin's return to the Armorer's covert, his acquisition of a new starship to replace the RazorCrest, and his paternal caring for Grogu. Another appearance by Ahsoka Tano delivers unexpected emotion for Din in doing what's right for Grogu, as well as for the audience with dialogue overtly linking her current role in the galaxy to her past with the Skywalker family. A surprisingly lengthy appearance by Luke reveals more about Grogu, while also testing both Luke and Grogu in their commitment to the Jedi path. Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard and Dave Filoni, respectively, these two episodes offer far stronger Star Wars storytelling than the rest of The Book of Boba Fett. Related: Hyperspace Theories: The Story of The Mandalorians Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

This month's episode of Hyperspace Theories rings in the new year with the storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss the six episodes of the Christmas-themed Disney+ series Hawkeye. Though the show may have one character name in its title, like the other MCU series to date it also is very much an ensemble story. Clint Barton has been the MCU's Hawkeye through four Avengers films and several others. In Endgame, we learn that Clint responded to the Snap taking away his family by becoming the ruthless and vengeful assassin Ronin, murdering crime lords and other “deserving” foes until Natasha Romanoff managed to restore his hope, changing his heart just as he had once given her the chance to change hers. In Hawkeye, everything spirals outward from these events: Clint's grief for Natasha, his commitment to honoring the sacrifice she made to give him a life with his family, and his responsibility for his actions as Ronin. But while Clint creates the circumstances in which Hawkeye‘s story can unfold, the series at its heart is the story of three women: Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, and Maya Lopez. Each must face difficult truths and choose their own path forward after their interactions with Clint's past and present. Obsessed with vengeance for Ronin's murder of her father, Maya discovers that Clint is not the monster she thought, and the real monsters are the ones closest to her. Driven by certainty that Clint does not deserve to live either if Natasha is gone, Yelena is challenged to face her grief, accept Natasha's sacrifice, and confront whether assassin-for-hire is really the path she wants to walk. Kate Bishop, meanwhile, evolves from a talented young woman ringing a tower bell with an arrow on a dare to a superhero committed to doing the right thing, even if it means risking her own life in single combat against a ferocious foe to save the life of her mother – who she then promptly has arrested for her crimes on Christmas. Much of Hawkeye plays out through the trope of the reluctant mentor and the overeager pupil, but the contrasts (and comparisons) between Clint and Kate only serve to show the audience why Kate is ready to take on the mantle of Hawkeye. But not simply to replicate how Clint fulfilled that role; rather, Kate will become her own version of Hawkeye, perhaps even as more of a team leader. In Hawkeye, Kate proves her skill and her heart to Clint and to the audience – and to herself. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

Hyperspace Theories concludes our three-part analysis of Season Two of The Mandalorian with a discussion of the character arc for the titular hero, Din Djarin, over the span of the sixteen chapters in the series to date. Although much of Season Two involves Din's interactions with a progression of allies and adversaries, old and new, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester examine how each of those episodes reveals more about Din and shapes his ultimate choices in the series. Most prominently, Season Two constantly tests Din's understanding of what it means to be a Mandalorian. In Season One, Din centered his identity on the Armorer's covert and the Bounty Hunter Guild. In Season Two, Din learns that the Mandalorian identity isn't as straightforward as he thought, particularly in his encounters with Bo-Katan Kryze and Boba Fett. His sense of honor is tested by Cobb Vanth, the Passenger, and Ahsoka Tano as well as Kryze and Fett. To fulfill his quest to deliver Grogu to the Jedi, Din works with trusted allies like Greef Carga and Cara Dune, and chooses to rely upon those he initially treats warily, including Vanth, Tano, and Mayfeld. By season's end, Din inadvertently has won the revered Darksaber from Moff Gideon in single combat, confronting him not only with the decision about what kind of Mandalorian he wants to be as an individual, but also with his role in the fate and future of the Mandalorians writ large. Of course, we can't discuss Din's story without considering his bond with Grogu, a/k/a Baby Yoda or The Child. What began as a seemingly simple quest to return the young one to his kind evolves over the season into a strong parental bond. It is no coincidence that the man who repeatedly and consistently insisted he would never remove his helmet does so twice in the last two episodes of the season – both times because of Grogu. With Season Three of The Mandalorian in production, we briefly speculate on how Din's character arc, and the unresolved plot threads from the first two seasons, may play out in the upcoming chapters of the series. Related Links: Hyperspace Theories: Ahsoka Tano is The Jedi Hyperspace Theories: The Story of the Mandalorians Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

Hyperspace Theories returns with another discussion of Season Two of The Mandalorian. In this episode, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze how The Mandalorian series advances the story of the Mandalorians: a people, a culture, and a feared faction in galactic war and peace. We also speculate about how the information revealed in Season Two may provide clues to what else we'll learn about Mandalorians in The Book of Boba Fett at the end of the year and Season Three of The Mandalorian later in 2022. Before looking to future stories, though, we start with how the Mandalorians were introduced in the franchise's past. Revealed in fiction and nonfiction paratexts, the lore surrounding Boba Fett's armor and its mysterious connection to the equally mysterious Mandalorian super-commandos predates even the conclusion of the Original Trilogy in Return of the Jedi. In the era of Star Wars Expanded Universe (now Legends) tales, the Mandalorians appeared in a wide variety of popular story formats, including novels, comics, and videogames, as well as fan cosplay groups. A major shift occurred in the second season of The Clone Wars animated series, when George Lucas began to unfold his own version of Mandalorian culture, politics, and role in the galaxy. Dave Filoni subsequently evolved those ideas further in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars‘ seventh season, as well as the ongoing The Mandalorian series. What these stories portray, over roughly thirty years of in-universe events, is the Mandalorians collectively undergoing a story of their own. Like the Jedi, the Mandalorians face tragedy by the end of the Clone Wars, and then a slow attempt to rebuild. As with the Jedi, we watch the story unfold through the eyes of key characters like Duchess Satine, Bo-Katan Kryze, Pre Vizsla, and later Sabine Wren, Din Djarin, and Moff Gideon. In the Disney+ series, perhaps the Mandalorians may have a more optimistic fate ahead. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

For this variant episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester turn once again to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss the storytelling, characterization, and creative twists on the monomyth in Loki, the six-episode Disney+ series which recently concluded. In addition to discussing the character arcs of the core cast – Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, and Renslayer – we delve into the weighty themes and significant philosophical ideas underlying the series. We offer high praise for the successful collaboration of director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron, who is poised to write the screenplay for the previously announced Star Wars movie being produced by MCU guru Kevin Feige. Loki certainly benefits from a second watch, which makes even more apparent the clever writing and honed storytelling in the series. Related Links: Loki: Michael Waldron Unpacks S1 Finale Twists, Teases Doctor Strange 2 (CBR) Creator Michael Waldron Answers All Our Questions about Loki and Heels (ScreenCrush) Michael Waldron Goes Deep on ‘Loki,' ‘Doctor Strange 2,' and How He Got His Break in Hollywood (Collider) ‘Loki' Head Writer Michael Waldron — and ‘Rick and Morty' Alum — on MCU, ‘Heels' and More (Rolling Stone) From Loki to Doctor Strange and Star Wars, Michael Waldron Is the New Franchise Whisperer (GQ) Loki boss on Frog Thor, Loki and Sylvie's bond, and why Marvel isn't like the TVA (EW) How the Man Behind Loki Is Shaping Marvel's Phase 4 and Beyond (Vanity Fair) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

Welcome back to Westview and WandaVision! This first Disney+ Original Marvel series is a mystery/romance that kept fans guessing for nine weeks on the fate of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. So now it's time to debrief and decompress with our friends Tricia Barr and BJ Priester, both founders of FangirlBlog and Hyperspace Theories, to analyze the storytelling and world-building of this marvelous show. We also discuss how risky WandaVision was for Marvel, film score and music analysis and our overall thoughts. Where will these characters will go from here? And where are Billy and Tommy!   Raya and the Last Dragon premiered on Disney+'s Premiere Access and in theatres on March 5th. Richard and Sarah share a spoiler-free review and help you decide whether or not to purchase Walt Disney Studios' latest animated feature film. Raya features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico from The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker) who turned in a fantastic and emotional job as Raya. Akwafina voices Sisu the Dragon. Story Synopsis: Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it's up to Raya to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good. Also on this episode:   Join us for Pop Culture Trivia every Friday night at 6:30pm PT - livestreaming on twitch.tv/skywalkingpod. Please subscribe to get the notifications when we go live! Falcon and The Winter Soldier Zoom Chats every Friday at 7:45pm PT - anyone can join, just sign up for the Skywalking Newsletter for the link! The audio of the WandaVision Zoom Chats are available as podcast episodes for the Skywalking Force, our Patreon. Check it out and have a look at all the levels available.   Sign up for the Skywalking Network Newsletter   Never miss a podcast, Zoom discussion link or Pop Culture Trivia!   Check out these SKYwalking NETwork Podcasts:   Resilience Squadron - Sharing the adventures and challenges of disabled fans across and in the Star Wars universe Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics - Delving into each issue of the Star Wars comic series 1977-1986 The Max EFX Podcast - Chronicling the 35-year Special Effects film career of Max Cervantes Neverland Clubhouse - Two sisters, and best friends, sharing Disney adventures Talking Apes - focusing on the original Planet of the Apes films and TV shows Totally Tell Me Everything - Two ladies, one topic, three questions. Sarah Woloski and Bryn MacKinnon learn, share and grow.   SPONSORS   Small World Vacations is an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Contact them for a no obligation price quote at www.smallworldvacations.com. Tell them Skywalking Through Neverland sent you.   SUPPORT THE SHOW   Find out how you can become a part of the Skywalking Force and unlock bonus content. This past month we've been sharing lots of Behind-The-Scenes content as we worked on Neverland Podcast. Check it out!   CONTACT US   Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkywalkingPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalkingthroughneverland Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com and follow us on Facebook.   If you dug this episode, click over to iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube and leave us a review!   Never Land on Alderaan!  

Welcome back to Westview and WandaVision! This first Disney+ Original Marvel series is a mystery/romance that kept fans guessing for nine weeks on the fate of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. So now it’s time to debrief and decompress with our friends Tricia Barr and BJ Priester, both founders of FangirlBlog and Hyperspace Theories, to analyze the storytelling and world-building of this marvelous show. We also discuss how risky WandaVision was for Marvel, film score and music analysis and our overall thoughts. Where will these characters will go from here? And where are Billy and Tommy!   Raya and the Last Dragon premiered on Disney+’s Premiere Access and in theatres on March 5th. Richard and Sarah share a spoiler-free review and help you decide whether or not to purchase Walt Disney Studios’ latest animated feature film. Raya features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico from The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker) who turned in a fantastic and emotional job as Raya. Akwafina voices Sisu the Dragon. Story Synopsis: Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it's up to Raya to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good. Also on this episode:   Join us for Pop Culture Trivia every Friday night at 6:30pm PT - livestreaming on twitch.tv/skywalkingpod. Please subscribe to get the notifications when we go live! Falcon and The Winter Soldier Zoom Chats every Friday at 7:45pm PT - anyone can join, just sign up for the Skywalking Newsletter for the link! The audio of the WandaVision Zoom Chats are available as podcast episodes for the Skywalking Force, our Patreon. Check it out and have a look at all the levels available.   Sign up for the Skywalking Network Newsletter   Never miss a podcast, Zoom discussion link or Pop Culture Trivia!   Check out these SKYwalking NETwork Podcasts:   Resilience Squadron - Sharing the adventures and challenges of disabled fans across and in the Star Wars universe Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics - Delving into each issue of the Star Wars comic series 1977-1986 The Max EFX Podcast - Chronicling the 35-year Special Effects film career of Max Cervantes Neverland Clubhouse - Two sisters, and best friends, sharing Disney adventures Talking Apes - focusing on the original Planet of the Apes films and TV shows Totally Tell Me Everything - Two ladies, one topic, three questions. Sarah Woloski and Bryn MacKinnon learn, share and grow.   SPONSORS   Small World Vacations is an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Contact them for a no obligation price quote at www.smallworldvacations.com. Tell them Skywalking Through Neverland sent you.   SUPPORT THE SHOW   Find out how you can become a part of the Skywalking Force and unlock bonus content. This past month we've been sharing lots of Behind-The-Scenes content as we worked on Neverland Podcast. Check it out!   CONTACT US   Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkywalkingPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalkingthroughneverland Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com and follow us on Facebook.   If you dug this episode, click over to iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube and leave us a review!   Never Land on Alderaan!  

Season One of The Mandalorian concluded with a two-part story arc consisting of “Chapter 7: The Reckoning” and “Chapter 8: Redemption.” In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester analyze how the finale episodes pay off the storytelling and characterization set up during the course of the season. We also look ahead to how the threads left open at the end of Season One may lay the groundwork for the stories to come in Season Two. The finale episodes of Season One provide compelling character development for the titular Mandalorian (whose real name, we learn, is Din Djarin), as well as further evolving Baby Yoda’s understanding of the Force, a change of heart by Greef Carga, and the fateful sacrifices of Kuill and IG-11 to save the Child from Imperial captivity. We also discuss the humorous sequence at the opening of Chapter 8, involving the two biker scouts with Baby Yoda, and examine the storytelling impact and thematic purpose of humor in conveying a moral message to the audience. And of course we have to talk about the incredible new villain, Moff Gideon – who, it is revealed in the last moments of the season, is in possession of the Darksaber, an important relic of Mandalorian culture. Direct Download | Libysn embed Related Links                                              Hyperspace Theories: The Mandalorian, Chapters 1-3 Hyperspace Theories: The Mandalorian: Allies and Enemies (Chapters 4-6) The Mandalorian Season Two Official Trailer (YouTube) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

With Season Two of The Mandalorian premiering at the end of the month, our latest episode of Hyperspace Theories revisits the stories told in Season One. Between the three-episode opening arc and the two-episode conclusion falls a trio of distinct episodes that build and develop a number of important character dynamics. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss Chapter Four: Sanctuary, Chapter Five: The Gunslinger, and Chapter Six: The Prisoner and what they contribute to The Mandalorian’s story progression. Many of those developments involve the show’s central and titular character. Like the middle of a Campbellian journey, Mando faces tests and trials while encountering allies and enemies. These episodes, for example, reinforce Mando’s distaste for droids and his sworn commitment to never remove his helmet around other people. They also show his worldly experience, his tactical combat prowess and creativity, and the code of honor that plays a role in determining which adversaries he defeats but leaves alive – and which ones he kills. And of course, his relationship with his ward, Baby Yoda, advances too, with a little prompting from Cara Dune, Omera, and Pelli Motto, as well as Mando’s own burgeoning affection for the child. Check back soon for our next episode, also to be released before Season Two begins, when we will discuss the finale episodes of Season One. Direct Download | Libysn embed Related Links                                              Hyperspace Theories: The Mandalorian, Chapters 1-3 The Mandalorian Season Two Official Trailer (YouTube) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

For this episode of Hyperspace Theories, the show comes full circle. Joining Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester for our continuing discussion of The Clone Wars Season Seven is Megan Crouse, a familiar name to long-time readers of FANgirl Blog – and our guest on the second-ever episode of the podcast. Megan wrote reviews of The Clone Wars episodes during Seasons Four and Five when they originally aired on Cartoon Network, as well as contributing book reviews and other articles. Since then, Megan has gone on to write for StarWars.Com, Star Wars Insider magazine, Den of Geek, and other websites. Welcome back, Megan! The focus of our discussion is the second arc of Season Seven, which tells a story of Ahsoka's struggle to redefine her identity relatively soon after her resignation from the Jedi Order at the end of Season Five. Her thinking about herself is influenced by her interaction with the two sisters she meets early in the first episode: Trace and Rafa Martez. As Dave Filoni explained on Clone Wars Download, the sisters represent two possibilities for who Ahsoka could become: the earnest and compassion Trace, or the cynical and selfish Rafa. Over the course of the four episodes, Ahsoka makes her choice – and in the process helps Rafa realize that she can make different choices for herself and her sister, too. In addition to discussing Ahsoka and the Martez sisters, we discuss other themes highlighted by this story arc, particularly how the Jedi Order has been morally compromised. We also share thoughts about how this arc relates to other stories from The Clone Wars, including the novel Dark Disciple and the first two episodes of the final Siege of Mandalore arc, which had already aired by the time of recording.   Related Links: Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015: The Clone Wars Tales Yet Untold Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016: Ahsoka’s Untold Tales Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017: Animated Origins and Unexpected Fates Panel Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Clone Wars Sneak Peek Clone Wars Download: "Gone With a Trace" (YouTube) Clone Wars Download: "Together Again" (YouTube) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Megan Crouse: Twitter @blogfullofwords

For the latest episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester discuss the first three episodes of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, now available on the Disney+ streaming service. The untitled premiere episode, Chapter Two: The Child, and Chapter Three: The Sun collectively form the introductory story arc for the as-yet-unnamed titular character. In addition to the character development of the Mandalorian, we consider his interactions with the Bounty Hunter Guild and his Mandalorian clan, as well as his backstory flashback to the Clone Wars. And no conversation about these episodes would be complete without addressing the small green alien in the room: Baby Yoda. We conclude our discussion by looking ahead to the final five episodes of the first season, in particular anticipating the arrival of Gina Carano’s Cara Dune and Ming Na Wen’s Fennec Shand. Related Links: ‘The Mandalorian’ Director: Baby Yoda ‘Steals the Show’ (New York Times, Nov. 22, 2019) Why ‘The Mandalorian’ episodes are short and arrive on Disney+ once a week (CNBC, Nov. 26, 2019) The Armorer: Unmasking The Mandalorian‘s Mysterious Blacksmith (Vanity Fair, Nov. 22, 2019) The Mandalorian: Deborah Chow Reveals the Inspiration For the Baby Yoda Rescue (Vanity Fair, Nov. 22, 2019) Baby Yoda Has Conquered the World (Vanity Fair, Nov. 26, 2019) Fangirls Going Rogue: Priority Transmission #14: The Mandalorian Interviews: Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Fangirls Going Rogue: Priority Transmission #15: The Mandalorian Cast Interviews Fangirls Going Rogue: Priority Transmission #16: The Mandalorian Press Conference Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

This month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories takes us from books to fashion to movies, with plenty in between. Six months out from the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Tricia, B.J., and Kay look ahead to what might come next for Star Wars and its fans. We begin, though, in the present: discussing the recently released novel Alphabet Squadron by Alexander Freed. Taking place shortly after the defeat of the Empire, the book is the first in a trilogy telling the story of a group of pilots, each flying a different type of starfighter, who are tasked with tracking down an elite Imperial starfighter wing. We evaluate the book on its own terms, how it works to kick off a trilogy, and its relationship to Freed’s other work. As big fans of the X-Wing novel series in the Expanded Universe (Legends) era – featuring the tales of Rogue Squadron by Mike Stackpole and Wraith Squadron by Aaron Allston – we also consider how Alphabet Squadron compares and contrasts with those beloved stories. (For more, you can check out Kay’s review of the novel, too.) Earlier this month, Tricia and B.J. had the opportunity to attend San Diego Comic-Con as credentialed media for Fangirls Going Rogue, and they share some of their insights and reactions from the convention here on Hyperspace Theories, too. We start with the Her Universe Fashion Show, which Kay was able to follow along thanks to livestreams and social media. The work of the designers was impressive as always! Tricia talks about some of the other geek fashion she covered at the convention, as well. We also talk about the Star Wars panels at SDCC, including the Lucasfilm Publishing panel and a bit of Star Wars comics news, along with several other panels examining the role of women in pop culture and the entertainment industry. One of the SDCC panels Tricia attended gathered a group of experts to discuss how fans and fandoms display their reactions and emotions when long-running stories end. We take this idea as a starting point to look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, both of which reach highly anticipated endpoints this year. With Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, the MCU drew to close a ten-year, 22-movie epic storyline and resolved the fates of a number of prominent characters from the series. In December, The Rise of Skywalker will conclude a nine-movie, four-decade Skywalker Saga story told in the Star Wars films. We note the similarities and differences in the two franchises, and consider how the reactions to the end of the MCU’s Phase Three may or may not necessarily transpose to the aftermath of Episode IX. In particular, the Phase 4 slate of new films and Disney+ series announced at SDCC keeps the MCU moving forward at a fast pace, and with great strides in improving the diversity of the talent on screen and behind the scenes at Marvel Studios. By contrast, Lucasfilm currently is scheduled to have a three-year break before the next film and has only two Disney+ series announced for that time period; on the other hand, Star Wars tells stories in animation, books, and comics that continue to advance the same singular storyline in a way that Marvel does not. Although both the MCU and Star Wars will pivot in new directions, we expect to see some significant differences in how the franchises and their fandoms react and adapt going forward. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

We have the future, the past, and the present to discuss in this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories. With Celebration Chicago in the rear-view mirror and December’s movie still half a year away, Kay, Tricia, and B.J. still have plenty of Star Wars to talk about. We begin with the Vanity Fair cover story on The Rise of Skywalker, featuring an article by Lev Grossman and photographs by Annie Leibowitz. As is typical for these pieces, we learned a few new character and planet names, but very little other new information – especially following so closely on the heels of similar interview answers given at Celebration. Likewise, Leibowitz’s composite style provides imagery presumably intended to convey the tone and spirit of the film, but they are traditional behind-the-scenes snapshots or on-set stills. But we did get much better looks at the costumes for Rey and Zorri Bliss, much to Kay’s excitement. Our storytelling segment travels over sixty years back in time on the Star Wars in-universe chronology, to the era when the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic – though the seeds of the Order’s demise already had begun to grow. The novel Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray focuses on the teacher-pupil relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and a teenage Obi-Wan Kenobi a number of years before The Phantom Menace. She spins a tale of trust and friendship, as well as prophecy, ethical dilemmas, and the political power of governments, leaders, corporations, and the Jedi. One of the new characters is Rael Averross, also an iconoclast to the Jedi Order – but in a quite different manner than Qui-Gon. What they have in common is that both are former apprentices to Dooku, who appears only briefly in flashbacks in Master & Apprentice. The fallen Jedi turned Sith Lord is central figure of the full-cast audiobook Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott, released two weeks after Gray’s novel, which also includes Rael and Asajj Ventress from The Clone Wars. Between the two stories, the backstory to Episode I gains a considerable amount of new perspective. This month’s world-building segment takes us to Anaheim, California, where Tricia attended the official grand opening of the Galaxy’s Edge expansion at Disneyland. She shares her reactions to the new land, including the setting, inhabitants, food and drink, and of course the ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. She also gives a behind-the-scenes peek at the dedication ceremony and formal opening of the ride, with VIPs in attendance including Star Wars animation guru Dave Filoni and Captain Marvel’s Brie Larson. One prominent new character in Galaxy’s Edge is Resistance spy Vi Moradi, who appears in Delilah Dawson’s novel Phasma and August’s upcoming Black Spire. In the park, Vi is portrayed by cast member Alex Marshall-Brown, who has been sharing her experience on Instagram and Twitter.   Vanity Fair‘s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Links Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Ultimate Preview (Lev Grossman) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Photos: Meet the Characters and Go on Set (Cover Shoot / Photographs by Annie Leibowitz) Everything New Revealed in Vanity Fair’s The Rise of Skywalker Cover Story (Joanna Robinson) Star Wars: The Truth About Kylo Ren and Rey’s Connection (Joanna Robinson) Star Wars: Keri Russell Is the Roguish Zorri Bliss (Joanna Robinson) Star Wars: The Knights of Ren Make Their Long-Awaited Return (Joanna Robinson) Star Wars: Richard E. Grant’s Villainous Character, Revealed (Joanna Robinson) Star Wars: Why Billie Lourd Asked to Share Scenes with Her Late Mother, Carrie Fisher (Joanna Robinson) A Lot of the Final Skywalker Film Has Been Planned “from the Very Beginning” (Joanna Robinson) In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO Will Surprise Everybody (Joanna Robinson) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

On Episode 44 of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia, B.J. and Kay discuss Star Wars Celebration in Chicago and share our reactions to, and favorite moments from, the convention. The convention was definitely a busy one: we didn’t even have time to record the episode live at the con, but hopefully the clearer audio quality is a worthwhile tradeoff. We begin, of course, with the Episode IX panel that kicked off the convention on Friday morning, April 12. In addition to the panel itself, we give our initial impression of the movie’s title, The Rise of Skywalker, and the teaser trailer unveiled at the conclusion of the panel – including a surprise appearance by the Emperor’s Ian McDiarmid on the Celebration stage. We then talk about a wide range of other experiences from the convention. Panels discussed include The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, Galaxy’s Edge, and Claudia Gray’s writer workshop. Other topics include merchandise, cosplay, the fan-organized Ahsoka Lives picture, and the fun of socializing with friends from all over the country and around the world. We also offer some constructive criticism on several of the logistical problems that arose before and during the convention, in the hope that these issues can be resolved for Celebration Anaheim in 2020. We conclude the show with our favorite moments from the convention. For each of us, these were more personally important than anything else – but that’s what conventions like Celebration are really all about.   FANgirl Coverage of Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Episode IX Panel Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Life at Disney Parks Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Clone Wars Sneak Peek Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Mandalorian Panel Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary Panel Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Music of The Phantom Menace With David Collins Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Logistical Problems and Areas for Improvement Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Franchise Talking Points Fangirls Going Rogue: Basking In Celebration Afterglow Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Marvel Comics Presents: Star Wars Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Meaning of Community: My First Star Wars Celebration Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: The Freemaker Adventures and Star Wars: All-Stars Panel Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019: Star Wars Resistance Season Two Sneak Peek Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Many Star Wars fans, including the team here at FANgirl, have long urged the franchise to release a novel centered on Padmé and her political career. That moment has finally arrived from Disney Lucasfilm Press, in the form of the Young Adult novel Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston, who previously wrote the YA novel Ahsoka. As usual, we begin with our meta segment, in which we consider influential forces and figures that have shaped the Star Wars franchise. Part of what makes this Padmé novel special is that Johnston is one of the first Star Wars creators from the Prequel Trilogy generation to attain the opportunity to contribute as a professional. In interviews, she shares that she first saw The Phantom Menace on her fifteenth birthday, and immediately built her fandom around Padmé, Sabé, and the rest of Amidala’s handmaidens. From fanfic to her career as a published author to books about Ahsoka and Padmé, Johnston brings priorities, values, and emphases to her Star Wars work that differ greatly from most contributors from the Original Trilogy generation. As even more peers from her generation join the franchise, Star Wars will broaden with new perspectives from new voices. We share our reactions to Queen’s Shadow in the storytelling segment. Padmé and Sabé are the principal characters, but the book has a lot of other elements to discuss, as well. In addition to the handmaidens from the Prequel Trilogy films, the novel includes appearances from characters in The Clone Wars animated series and connections to Claudia Gray’s novel Leia: Princess of Alderaan. Also noteworthy are several of Johnston’s new characters, as well as the variety of different forms of representation she includes in the story. For the world-building segment, we discuss the recently revealed details about Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, opening later this year at that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge expansions at Disneyland (May 31) and Disney World (August 29). From cast member costumes to food and beverage options, in-universe toys and attire for purchase, the Imagineers have developed an impressive range of immersive qualities for the theme parks. Fortunately, Disney has anticipated the high demand for the openings, and has several guest-flow control measures prepared to keep the experience from being overwhelmed by dense crowds. April brings the Star Wars Celebration convention in Chicago. Hyperspace Theories will be there, so check back for our coverage from the event. Related Links E.K. Johnston interview at starwars.com Lots of New Details in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Press Previews (FANgirl post, with links to coverage at starwars.com, Nerdist, io9, and more) Galaxy’s Edge Opening Dates Confirmed (FANgirl post)

Hyperspace Theories visits The Dark Side in this month’s episode. That’s right, Tricia Barr has a new Star Wars book, which just released in French and Spanish language editions. Before we talk about the book, though, Tricia, B.J., and Kay share our reactions to the latest announcements about the live-action television series for the Disney+ streaming service set to launch next year. Diego Luna returns to play Cassian Andor is a series set prior to the events of Rogue One. Considering Cassian has been in the fight since he was six years old, there’s a lot of story potential in his backstory. In addition, Lucasfilm announced the principal cast for The Mandalorian, including Pedro Pascal in the titular role and a variety of other familiar faces. Each episode, our meta segment is based on the theme of how to speculate wisely about upcoming Star Wars tales. Sometimes that means knowing when to be careful not to draw any big storytelling inferences from material that doesn’t warrant it. This month, that idea definitely applies to a tweet from director – and trusted advisor to J.J. Abrams – Ava DuVernay, who tweeted a photograph of her friend Victoria Mahoney, second unit director on Episode IX, in her office at Pinewood Studios. On the wall behind Mahoney is a “mood board” of imagery, most of which has no direct connection to Star Wars – although the picture of Mahoney in a pink fluffy coat and Vader helmet is certainly the centerpiece. The inspiration on the mood board ranges from Patty Shepard in the spaghetti western The Man Called Noon (1973) to a book of portraits by painter Kehinde Wiley. Though it may not tell us any details about Episode IX, the tweet does give us a stronger sense of Mahoney’s visual eye and the talent she brings to the film. Our storytelling segment features Tricia sharing her thoughts about writing The Dark Side, a new title from Hachette Heroes. Written from an in-universe perspective, the book examines the dark side of the Force through the lens of the characters who wield it, including the Sith, fallen Jedi, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and the Empire’s Inquisitors. In addition to movie characters like Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Count Dooku, the book also addresses characters featured in animation and other stories, such as Asajj Ventress, Mother Talzin, the Seventh Sister, and the extended story of Maul, formerly Darth. Although an English edition has not yet been announced, the French (ISBN 978-2017003809) and Spanish (ISBN 978-8416857418) editions are on sale now. Our world-building segment spins off from the news of the Cassian Andor television series. We consider how the Star Wars franchise over time has involved a balance between open-ended stories with no inherent conclusion and closed-ended tales constrained, at least to some extent, by known endpoints. The Mandalorian and Episode IX are examples of the former, while the Cassian series and The Queen’s Shadow fall into the latter, and some stories, such as Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Resistance, have elements of both. In the first six to seven years of the Disney era, the franchise has leaned heavily on backstory and closed-ended stories. While this makes sense to steer clear of the Sequel Trilogy during its development, we consider the implications for the franchise and the fandom that choice has created.   Related Links: Cassian Andor Live-Action Series Announced (starwars.com) Stephen Schiff hired as showrunner for Cassian series (Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter) Pedro Pascal Revealed as The Mandalorian (starwars.com) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Thanks to Darth Real Life, it’s been a while since our last episode. Hyperspace Theories returns with a conversation about the exciting new developments in Star Wars television. First, though, we briefly discuss some of the other recent Star Wars news. Episode IX has begun filming, and several new cast members were announced. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s contract has been extended through 2021, though Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed a slowdown in the pace of Star Wars movie production following Episode IX. There may be fewer films in the works for the moment, but Star Wars television is surging ahead. Our meta segment considers the announcement of The Mandalorian, a live-action series for the upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service from Disney. The show’s creator, executive producer, and writer is Jon Favreau, whose extensive body of work includes Iron Man and Iron Man 2 for Marvel, the live-action Jungle Book and The Lion King for Disney, his own project Chef, and directing episodes of Revolution and The Orville for television. He also has a history with Star Wars, voicing Mandalorian Death Watch leader Pre Viszla on The Clone Wars. Another figure from that series, Dave Filoni, has a prominent part in The Mandalorian: he is an executive producer and will direct its first episode. We speculate about the influences Favreau and Filoni will bring to the live-action show, and how its release on the streaming service might affect the tone and content of its episodes. We also share our thoughts on the other episodic directors announced for the project: Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). Like Lucasfilm, our storytelling segment revisits The Clone Wars after the news from the summer that twelve more episodes are in production. We speculate about which remaining untold story arcs might appears in these new episodes, based on information previously revealed at Star Wars Celebration panels and some arcs already produced in other formats, such as Dark Disciple and Son of Dathomir. Based on the trailer, the long-awaited “Siege of Mandalore” story appears to be included, which will create connections with existing arcs of The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith, the Ahsoka novel, and Star Wars Rebels. We also share in the fandom’s excitement to see more stories from The Clone Wars and the return of the fan-favorite voice cast. For our world-building segment we analyze the premiere episodes of Star Wars Resistance, the new animated series airing on the Disney Channel. We start with the galaxy-level world-building in the series, including the New Republic, the Resistance, and the First Order at a point in time six months before The Force Awakens. We then turn to the Colossus, the fuel depot and its residents that serve as the location for the first season, and discuss how the characters and their story arcs are constructed with that environment in mind. (Note: if you have not yet seen the show, this part of our discussion includes major spoilers for the opening episode, “The Recruit,” and some references to the following episodes, “The Triple Dark” and “Fuel for the Fire,” which are available for early viewing through DisneyNOW, Hulu, and other providers.) Direct Download | Libsyn embed Related Links Star Wars: Episode IX Cast Announced (StarWars.com) 'Star Wars' Chief Kathleen Kennedy's Lucasfilm Deal Extended for Three Years (Exclusive) (The Hollywood Reporter) Bob Iger Talks Disney's Streaming Service, 'Roseanne,' James Gunn and a Coming 'Star Wars' "Slowdown" (The Hollywood Reporter) The Mandalorian First Image, Directors Revealed (StarWars.com) SDCC 2018: Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Return with New Episodes (StarWars.com) The Clone Wars Saved trailer (YouTube) Star Wars Celebration Anaheim [2015]: The Clone Wars Tales Yet Untold Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016: Ahsoka’s Untold Tales Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017: Animated Origins and Unexpected Fates Panel How the Star Wars Resistance cartoon threads the needle of Disney’s movie trilogy (Polygon) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

There’s much to discuss on this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories. Tricia, B.J., and Kay begin with a quick look at the recent Star Wars news since our last episode, including reports of Keri Russell and Billy Dee Williams joining the cast of Episode IX, updates to the Lucasfilm corporate website, and the delay of Indiana Jones 5. For the meta segment, we revisit a foundational topic in Star Wars – the Force – from the perspective of the third storytelling trio in The Last Jedi: Rey, Luke, and Kylo Ren. In addition to those characters, the movie and other recent Star Wars tales reveal more insight into the nature of the light side and dark side, and the role of the Jedi Order as an institution in serving, sometimes unsuccessfully, the principle of balance in the Force. We also share our thoughts on some points raised in discussions among online Star Wars fandom on these topics. The storytelling segment centers on the Hero’s Journey for Han in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Unlike the other films of the Disney era, Solo draws upon the classical monomyth framework described by Joseph Campbell, rather than the modern cinematic model developed by Christopher Vogler. This has interesting implications for the structure of the story as well as the portrayals of the main characters. Our world-building segment focuses on an article from Tom & Lorenzo analyzing Rey’s costumes in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Their insights include the symbolism of the colors and clothing styles, as well as interconnections with costumes in previous Star Wars movies for Luke, Han, and Leia.   Related Links The Hero’s Journey for Han in SOLO (FANgirl Blog) Redefining The Hero: The Referential Star Wars Costumes of Rey in “The Force Awakens” & “The Last Jedi” (Tom & Lorenzo) Redefining the Hero: The Extrapolated Costume Design of “Wonder Woman” (Tom & Lorenzo) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Last month Solo: A Story Wars Story hit theaters, and the newest episode of Hyperspace Theories features Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Kay sharing our reactions and analysis. Needless to say, the episode is chock full of spoilers for Solo. You have been warned!

The Last Jedi provides no shortage of topics for discussion, and this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories provides the first opportunity for Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Kay to dig deep into the story told in the movie and the storytelling decisions behind it. First, though, we kick off with a brief Spoilers Beware segment to share our first reactions to the mid-season trailer for Star Wars Rebels. The trailer previews the final seven episodes of the animated series, which concludes its four-season run with two episodes on Monday, February 19, two more on February 26, and a three-episode Rebels “movie” finale on March 6. Our meta segment about how to speculate wisely often delves into topics such as the storytellers who are creating Star Wars and the sources that inspire them. This time, we have the opportunity to lift the veil after the fact and examine the creative process behind The Last Jedi after the fact. The lens for our discussion is the book The Art of The Last Jedi by Phil Szostak, published the same day as the movie’s release with a foreword by Rian Johnson. The book is filled with a wide variety of intriguing concept art from the film’s production, and its prose provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Johnson’s story came together. The world-building segment considers the balance that every new Star Wars movie must strike in the new era of annual film releases: the balance between tapping into the power of fans’ nostalgia for the Star Wars stories already told and the need to tell a story that stands on its own within the franchise. Although conventional wisdom suggests that The Force Awakens leaned too heavily on nostalgia and the story structure of A New Hope while The Last Jedi took more risks and broke new ground, we use Episode VIII’s dramatic under-performing at the Chinese box office as an angle to discuss the ways The Last Jedi, and particularly its use of Luke Skywalker, may have relied too much on nostalgia and the expense of the new characters. Our storytelling segment returns to another idea drawn from The Art of The Last Jedi. In the book, Rian Johnson explains that the character dynamics in the film are structured around three “triangles” of characters, with a principal hero (Rey, Finn, or Poe) at the apex of each. In this episode we discuss Finn’s triangle, in which his character development takes places between the contrasting influences of Rose and DJ in urging him to face and choose his destiny.   Related Links Star Wars Rebels Season Four mid-season trailer (YouTube) Why Disney's 'Last Jedi' Mind Trick Isn't Working in China (The Hollywood Reporter) Fangirls Going Rogue 54 Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com

This month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories marks our final show of speculation before the release of The Last Jedi, which no doubt will bring months of analysis – and future speculation – to the Star Wars fandom galaxy. Excitement and anticipation abounds!   Before turning to the imminent Episode VIII, though, Tricia, B.J., and Kay first consider the recent announcement that Lucasfilm has hired Rian Johnson to develop more Star Wars films. “In shepherding this new trilogy, which is separate from the episodic Skywalker saga,” the press release said, “Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.” We share our thoughts on the possibilities offered by this new direction in Star Wars movies, as well as how they may relate to the other films in development at Lucasfilm. In addition, the announcement clarified Johnson’s role in the trilogy of films as “the first of which he is also set to write and direct.” We express our hope that the remaining two movies will provide opportunities for more diversity in the screenwriting and directing positions in the Star Wars franchise, especially in light of the commercial and critical success of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman and Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok. Promotion for The Last Jedi has been in full swing, with more hints about the direction of the story and characters. We break down our thoughts on the international trailer, which takes a more story-driven approach than last month’s U.S. trailer, as well as additional footage seen in various television advertisements for the movie and the cover story on The Last Jedi in the Thanksgiving week issue of Entertainment Weekly. Tricia shares her insights from the media preview of the newest version of the Star Tours ride at Walt Disney World, which includes the battle sequence on Crait as well as several characters from the movie. While a variety of new glimpses from the film have emerged, we conclude that most of the story’s key developments and secrets remain hidden. Fortunately, it’s time for The Last Jedi speculation to end. It seems clear that the nature of the Force, the light side and the dark side, and the role of the Jedi in the galaxy will be significant themes in The Last Jedi. With that in mind, our worldbuilding segment considers some of the recent lore and themes about the Force revealed in other materials, including Star Wars Rebels. Finally, the storytelling segment evaluates a prominent trend in recent Star Wars publishing: the use of in-universe storytelling as a mechanism to tell fun Star Wars tales without pinning down specific facts or events as any form of objective truth. Delilah Dawson’s novel Phasma, for example, has a frame story with an unreliable narrator, leaving open the possibility that any part of the story could be incorrect or misunderstood by its participants. Similarly, The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu uses a frame story – deckhands on a ship sharing the tall tales they have been told about Luke – as a mechanism to deliver some fantastical adventures for the Jedi Knight. At the same time, each tale in the book illustrates a core aspect of what makes Luke an heroic figure in the galaxy, showing that even the most outrageously improbable legends still have a grain of truth at their core. The anthology From A Certain Point of View also contains a number of short stories that likely don’t hold up as having actually happened, at least the way they’re told in the book, but nevertheless contain key themes and morals to the story that fit right in with the Star Wars galaxy.   Related Links The Last Jedi international trailer (YouTube) “Directing The Last Jedi” (YouTube) The Last Jedi television ad: “Awake” (YouTube) The Last Jedi television ad (15 seconds) (YouTube) The Last Jedi television ad: “Heroes” (YouTube) The Last Jedi television ad: “Kylo Failed You” (YouTube) The Superweirdo Behind “Thor: Ragnarok” (New York Times feature on Taika Waititi) The Rise of Rose: How A Badass Nerd Became The New “Star Wars” Lead (Buzzfeed) The Last Jedi: Venture into the Star Wars galaxy with four new EW covers (Entertainment Weekly) 14 new Star Wars: The Last Jedi images from a galaxy far, far away (Entertainment Weekly) Kylo Ren vs. Rey: In The Last Jedi, the danger is becoming allies instead of enemies (Entertainment Weekly) Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

The theatrical trailer for The Last Jedi is here! The evening after its premiere, Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Kay recorded a special episode of Hyperspace Theories with our reactions and analysis. We consider the visuals, dialogue, and music in the trailer, as well as connections to the previously released teaser and behind-the-scene reel. Although the trailer is strong at conveying tone and themes and light on story details, we also incorporate some (spoiler-free/rumor-free) informed speculation about what might happen in The Last Jedi.   Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Tricia Barr, BJ Priester and Kay from FANgirl Blog discuss changes in directors on Episode IX, Star Wars animation and Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray. The Star Wars movie news keeps coming, and we delve into it on this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories. We begin with one of the recent photos from the Untitled Han Solo movie shared on social media by director Ron Howard. Does the image and its caption – “Spicey?” – hint at the appearance of the long-notorious spice mines as well as the legendary Kessel Run in the film? The big developments since our last episode, though, involved Episode IX: Colin Trevorrow is no longer involved in the movie as either writer or director, and J.J. Abrams is returning to Star Wars to direct and co-write the second sequel to The Force Awakens. Tricia, B.J., and Kay discuss our reactions to and analysis of the news, including the official announcements from Lucasfilm as well as the reports in the Hollywood industry trades. While the removal of Trevorrow from the project is a positive change, the sources of the conflict that led to his departure were very much predictable at the time he was hired; the upheaval in the production process at this point, about four months prior to the intended start of principal photography, was preventable if a sounder hire had been made in the first instance. Fortunately, after the box office and fandom success of The Force Awakens Abrams had enough influence and credibility with the Disney brass to insist on pushing back Episode IX’s release date to December 2019, giving him at least six additional months to work on the script. Abrams has essentially the same amount of time to work on Episode IX’s screenplay as for The Force Awakens – but this time with considerably less work needed on the world-building and character arcs compared to kicking off the trilogy. Overall, though, we’re certainly far more optimistic about Episode IX with Abrams at the helm than we were a few weeks ago. We also share areas of concern with Abrams’ leadership of Episode IX. On The Force Awakens, Abrams often worked in seclusion at Bad Robot in Santa Monica, in contrast to Rian Johnson’s work in residence at Lucasfilm while writing and completing The Last Jedi. With the Story Group and other members of the creative brain trust at Lucasfilm having accomplished some great successes in interconnectivity and long-term payoffs over the course of stories released since 2015, it would be a shame if Abrams’ return also meant a recurrence of the lack of communication that led to key creative executives at Lucasfilm being unaware of major storytelling decisions made while finalizing The Force Awakens until the film’s release. Similarly, Abram’s co-writer on The Force Awakens was the esteemed Lawrence Kasdan; his writing partner on Episode IX is Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Argo but also wrote the screenplays for Batman v Superman and Justice League, which like Rogue One ended up undergoing substantial revision, if not re-envisioning, during reshoots. Finally, while Abrams is certainly a known quantity and trusted creator to Lucasfilm, it is disappointing to see yet again that two middle-aged white men have been handed the keys a Star Wars film – and this time, one that has to provide satisfying, empowering, and worthy conclusions to the Sequel Trilogy character arcs of Rey and Leia. For all the upheaval in the production processes on the Star Wars films over the last few years, though, lots of great Star Wars stories are being told outside the movies. In this month’s episode we discuss the second season of LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, the first eight Force of Destiny animated shorts, and the young-adult novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray. We have high praise for each of them, although as longtime Star Wars books fandom participants, each of us was particularly excited to finally see the kind of official young Leia book we’ve always thought the character deserved. As part of the Journey to The Last Jedi publishing program, Gray’s novel also contains some intriguing hints for Episode VIII, including some that are overt and others that left us wondering – and speculating. Related Links Episode IX Developments: Colin Trevorrow Out More Episode IX Developments: The Return of J.J. Abrams Hyperspace Theories Episode 30: Director’s Cut: The Trouble With Trevorrow Hyperspace Theories Episode 4: J. Abrams Beyond the Mystery Box J.’s post How J.J. Abrams Could Redeem Padmé in Episode IX Kay’s review of Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

On this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia, B.J., and Kay delve into the Star Wars news revealed at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim. We begin with our reactions to the Behind the Scenes reel for The Last Jedi shown during the Star Wars segment of the Live Action Movies panel, then break down our highlights and favorite moments from the video. As usual, we also speculate about what the reel might reveal about the film, its story, and the character arcs. Next we turn to the teaser posters revealed online shortly after the panel presentation ended. The color red is certainly a noticeable theme in the art, along with the obscured faces. After talking about The Last Jedi, we talk about the other big Star Wars news from D23: the Disney Parks announcements of the official name for “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios, as well as a luxury resort hotel in Florida. Star Wars entertainment will be part of our real world sooner than we think. The Battlefront II videogame and Star Wars fiction publishing also were included in the D23 presentations. Finally, since our last episode the new director for the untitled Han Solo movie, Ron Howard, was officially announced by Lucasfilm. We share our thoughts on Howard as a director and his role in bringing the movie to its culmination. Related Links: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Behind the Scenes on YouTube Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser posters via @starwars on Twitter: set one and set two Gallery of panel presentation images via Star Wars on Facebook GMA clips: Rian Johnson on Luke, Leia, the movie’s title, Benicio Del Toro’s DJ, ; Daisy Ridley on gray themes; Gwendoline Christie on Phasma Variety clips: Rian Johnson; Benicio Del Toro; Laura Dern; Daisy Ridley; John Boyega; Gwendoline Christie; Kelly Marie Tran Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge announcement at Disney Parks Blog Star Wars luxury resort hotel immersive experience at Disney Parks Blog Star Wars Battlefront II: Behind the Story on YouTube kid performing shouting Hux on Rian Johnson’s Instagram Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

In this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia, B.J., and Kay look ahead to the next Star Wars movie and consider how the books have supplemented the previous one. We begin with a brief Spoilers Beware segment sharing our reactions to several items about The Last Jedi in the news recently, including John Boyega showing Finn’s blaster, Oscar Isaac discussing filming a physical interaction with Carrie Fisher, and Rian Johnson’s storytelling tweak to the ending of The Force Awakens. Our meta segment on speculating wisely delves in detail into the Vanity Fair features on The Last Jedi from the magazine’s June issue. We talk about our favorite images from the Annie Liebowitz photo spread, as well as some intriguing nuggets of information revealed in the text of the cover story and supplemental online content. These include Rian Johnson’s approach to the characters and world-building during his writing process, the role of the Story Group in Star Wars storytelling, and Kathleen Kennedy’s latest remarks about the future of General Organa in Episode IX. In the storytelling segment we discuss three books released in connection with Rogue One: Alexander Freed’s novelization of the movie, Beth Revis’ Rebel Rising, and Greg Rucka’s Guardians of the Whills. We emphasize how the books add layers to the characterization and motivations of the key characters in the film, especially Jyn but also Chirrut and Baze, Cassian, and Mon Mothma.   Related Links John Boyega with Finn’s blaster (via Instagram) Oscar Isaac talks about Carrie Fisher with Stephen Colbert (via Club Jade) Rian Johnson’s requested change to the ending of The Force Awakens (via EW) Rian Johnson on Kylo Ren’s scar (via Club Jade) Kay’s Vanity Fair Digest includes links to the cover story, photo gallery, and online content Looking For Leia  Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Kay had the pleasure of attending Star Wars Celebration in Orlando last week, so of course we couldn't pass up the opportunity to record this month's episode of Hyperspace Theories in person from the convention. What better topic for discussion, too, than the first teaser trailer for The Last Jedi, which was revealed on Friday morning by director Rian Johnson at the conclusion of the movie's panel. In the episode we share our first reactions to the teaser trailer. We consider the imagery shown, the dialogue included, and the themes and connections to The Force Awakens and other Star Wars stories that resonated with us in the teaser. At the time we recorded this episode, we had viewed the trailer twice at the panel and several more times on a laptop on YouTube. Upon closer review with better equipment, we had more success with determining the words spoken by the whispering in the background audio: just before Rey says, "Light," and underneath the flute motif that introduces Rey's theme: Princess Leia saying, "help me, Obi-Wan." just before Rey says, "Darkness," and underneath Kylo Ren's theme in horns: Ben Kenobi saying, "seduced by the dark side." just before Rey says, "the Balance," accompanied by violins holding a note: Yoda saying, "surrounds us ... binds us" Celebration delivered much more content than The Last Jedi teaser, and we'll be breaking it all down in detail on upcoming episodes of Hyperspace Theories.   Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Carlin, Jeff and Pax welcome to "Hole Time" Kay from Hyperspace Theories and Fangirlblog.com. After establishing that she is the first returning Rabbit Hole guest since the first returning Rabbit Hole guest, the crew jumps back into Wikipedia trying to get from The Thin Man (Film) to Street Hawk. And prepare for a first in Rabbit Hole history.

Carlin, Jeff and Pax welcome to "Hole Time" Kay from Hyperspace Theories and Fangirlblog.com. After establishing that she is the first returning Rabbit Hole guest since the first returning Rabbit Hole guest, the crew jumps back into Wikipedia trying to get from The Thin Man (Film) to Street Hawk. And prepare for a first in Rabbit Hole history.

Han Solo is returning to the galaxy far, far away, and we're getting ready to Celebrate Star Wars in Orlando on this month's episode of Fangirls Going Rogue! In this episode of Fangirls Going Rogue: Does Star Wars get snubbed at the Oscars? Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia hits bookstores on April 4th and co-author Tricia Barr gives listeners an interesting tidbit about the book. Should Hyperspace Mountain be added to Magic Kingdom? Han Solo cast expands with some diversity! Star Wars Rebels Season 4 is confirmed, but how many more seasons do we expect? The character discussion tackles one of Star Wars earliest heroines, Mon Mothma. As always reviews and rating are our life blood. You can support the show by voting in the Star Wars Podcast Awards. Thanks for listening, and until next time: Yub yub! Related Links You Talk We Listen: Rogue One Skywalking Through Neverland's Celebration Survival Guide Part 1 and Part 2 Hyperspace Theories episode 26 Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia Hyperspace Mountain interview at StarWars.com Riz Ahmed on representation Michael Kenneth Williams joins Han Solo movie Mon Mothma and the Agency of Rebellion at FANgirl Social Media Fangirls Going Rogue: @FGGoingRogue Tricia: @fangirlcantina Teresa: @icecoldpenguin Sarah: @JediTink Sandra: @geekchic9 Facebook: Fangirls Going Rogue Instagram: @FGGoingRogue Tumblr: fangirlsgoingrogue.tumblr.com Instagram: @FGGoingRogue Voicemail: 331-21 Ewoks or 331-213-9657 (or hit that cool Voicemail button on the website) Email: contact@fangirlsgoingrogue.com (or use our Contact page) T-shirts: at our Tee Public Store If you enjoyed the show, leave us a review on your favorite podcatcher and share the episode with friends. Until next time: Yub! Yub!

In this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories, we discuss Star Wars storytelling from a range of mediums, including books, television, and movies. Kay, Tricia, and B.J. are joined by FANgirl contributor Linda for our discussion and conversation. Before getting into storytelling analysis, we share our reactions to recent officially released Star Wars news. We talk about the toy box character images for The Last Jedi, the announcement of major panels at Celebration for The Last Jedi and the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars, and the beginning of principal photography for the young Han Solo standalone movie, which also included confirmation of several additional cast members. For our meta segment, instead of examining our usual theme of speculating wisely we delve into the ongoing problem of unapproved spoiler leaks made by individuals with review copies of books. The situation garnered widespread attention this month in connection with Chuck Wendig’s new novel Aftermath: Empire’s End. While some amount of leaks on social media has been typical, this time major genre sites such as Mashable and io9 reported on an interlude in the book prior to the book’s release. Although screener episodes of television shows present a similar risk, Star Wars fandom has been fairly lucky in that regard compared to extensive leaks seen in The Walking Dead fandom. We discuss the obligations owed by reviewers to other fans, as well as potential reactions by Lucasfilm or other franchises to reduce the occurrence of these spoilers. Star Wars Rebels aired a pair of episodes centered on Sabine Wren, “Trials of the Darksaber” and “Legacy of Mandalore,” that take the focus of our world-building segment. We examine Sabine’s story arc over the three seasons of the show, culminating in these episodes, especially the development of her interactions with Ezra and Kanan. We note in particular, too, the importance of “Legacy of Mandalore” as a mother-daughter story, which so far have been sparse in Star Wars. With their inclusion of the Darksaber legend and the political upheaval within the culture, these episodes also position Mandalorians as a powerful third faction in the galaxy along with the Jedi and Sith or the Rebellion and the Empire. The storytelling segment this month revisits Rogue One to analyze the controversial use of computer-generated effects to create the faces of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia in the film. While storytelling sometimes requires the inclusion of certain characters due to the context or themes of a tale, only the live-action cinema side of Star Wars raises the issue of casting those roles with actors. In Rogue One some characters were played by their original actors, others were recast, and CG was used for Tarkin and Leia. Guy Henry’s interviews with Business Insider and The Hollywood Reporter provide insight into the creative process of performing the role, but do not answer the question whether it was necessary to digitally substitute the late Peter Cushing’s face for Henry’s. With the Han Solo movie also recasting several iconic characters, we share our thought on whether Lucasfilm should ever repeat the digital-face technique after Rogue One. Related Links: Verona Blue interview with Fangirls Going Rogue Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com Linda: Twitter @lindahansenraj

There is tons of Star Wars news to talk about in the February 2017 episode of Fangirls Going Rogue. First up, THE LAST JEDI! From there, hosts Tricia Barr and Sarah Woloski dive into Rogue One's box office, Han Solo standalone news and Star Wars Rebels. Plus the Fangirls interview actress Verona Blue from The Force Awakens and Rogue One. In this episode of Fangirls Going Rogue: Ever since the title of Episode VIII has been announced, Josh Gad (Frozen, Murder on the Orient Express) has been putting Daisy Ridley to the test, even enlisting Judy Dench in his quest. Star Wars Land opens in 2019! Forbes states movies with female leads are box office gold. Felicity Jones set to appear at Star Wars Celebration. Red Cup, the Han Solo standalone's production name, is filming and adding new cast members. The Clone Wars will be leaving Netflix in March. What episodes are must watch? Verona Blue shares experiences in loop sessions for The Force Awakens and Rogue One, plus tips for getting into voice acting. Sarah Woloski brings her musical expertise to a fantastic discussion of Star Wars Rebels "Trials of the Darksaber." The character discussion is #GoingRogue this month as we consider the relationship of Chirrut and Baze from Rogue One. We are now on iHeart Radio. As always reviews and rating are our life blood. Thanks for listening, and until next time: Yub yub! Related Links Josh Gad apologizes to Daisy Ridley Verona Blue's website Hyperspace Theories episode on The Last Jedi Skywalking Through Neverland 154: Darksaber and The Last Jedi Skywalking Through Neverland 155 featuring discussion of wands and lightsabers with Teresa Delgado Follow Verona Blue on Twitter @bathori Support Fangirls Going Rogue. Buy Rogue One tickets through our Fandango link. Social Media Fangirls Going Rogue: @FGGoingRogue Tricia: @fangirlcantina Teresa: @icecoldpenguin Sarah: @JediTink Sandra: @geekchic9 Facebook: Fangirls Going Rogue Instagram: @FGGoingRogue Tumblr: fangirlsgoingrogue.tumblr.com Instagram: @FGGoingRogue Voicemail: 331-21 Ewoks or 331-213-9657 (or hit that cool Voicemail button on the website) Email: contact@fangirlsgoingrogue.com (or use our Contact page) Tshirts: At our Tee Public Store If you enjoyed the show, leave us a review on your favorite podcatcher and share the episode with friends. Until next time: Yub! Yub!

This month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories continues our discussion of storytelling lessons to be learned from Rogue One. In addition, we look ahead to the next Star Wars film and share our thoughts on the legacy of Carrie Fisher. We begin with our reactions to the newly revealed title of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. The title has connections to The Force Awakens, of course, as well as to familiar themes from other Star Wars stories and the Legends tales. We also ponder the potential implications of the red lettering used in the title announcement. In our meta segment on speculating wisely, we evaluate the role of movie trailers in speculation on future Star Wars films. For both that film and The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm has released trailers which seek to convey the tone, themes, and feel of the story but which include scenes and dialogue that do not appear in the final film. We discuss the merits and risks of this approach, particularly if the franchise is trying to maintain a lockdown on spoilers. On the other hand, it is now clear that both The Force Awakens and Rogue One were undergoing major editing, reshoots and pickups, dialogue replacement, and others changes in the months, even final weeks, before the films’ releases. With Rogue One in particular, some of the seeming inconsistencies in the characterization of Jyn Erso in the early trailers compared to the later trailers and advertisements may have arisen from the changes made during Tony Gilroy’s significant reworking of the story. This raises a comparison to Star Wars Rebels, which, like The Clone Wars before it, has a consistent track record of trailers that include scenes and dialogue matching the final episodes to air. We wonder whether Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, which already is deep into editing and seems to have avoided the mad dash revising of the previous two films, will have trailers and marketing more comparable to Rebels than those movies. Our segment on world-building also revisits the production process of Rogue One and its ramifications on the story and characters. Relying on the information revealed in The Art of Rogue One, as well as a number of recent interviews by the film’s editors, we discuss major shifts in the development process. The stage of development for the characters and story of Rogue One include the initial treatment and sizzle reel by John Knoll, creative development in 2014 led by Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta culminating in a screenplay by Whitta, a script rewrite by Chris Weitz (including, among other things, the creation of Chirut and Baze), principal photography by Edwards in 2015, extensive script revisions and reshoots from Tony Gilroy in the summer of 2016, and then final editing of the film into its ultimate form. We discuss how these instances of significant rethinking, over a relatively short span of time, impacted the tone, feel, and internal consistency of the plot and characters. This month’s storytelling segment is dedicated to Carrie Fisher. In addition to talking about her importance as Leia Organa, both within the story and to fandom and the real world, we also share our thoughts on Carrie Fisher as a storyteller herself. From her script doctoring to Postcards from the Edge and The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher could make us laugh and cry, and sometimes both at the same time. Related Links John Gilroy and Colin Goudie interview with Yahoo Movies UK John Gilroy interview with io9 John Gilroy interview with com John Gilroy interview with Yahoo Movies Ben Mendelsohn remarks via io9 Gareth Edwards remarks via Vulture Jenny Nicholson YouTube video "Top 10 Worst Reasons You Liked Rogue One" ABC’s Nightline coverage via io9 Photographs showing deleted content via Slashfilm Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

Todd from JunkFed and Kay from Hyperspace Theories return to the Indiana Jones panel for a discussion on the second in the series, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Hear our thoughts on the prequel aspect of the movie, eyeball soup, and Willard Scott. And Todd gives us a two word answer for why all problems happen in our life.

Todd from JunkFed and Kay from Hyperspace Theories return to the Indiana Jones panel for a discussion on the second in the series, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Hear our thoughts on the prequel aspect of the movie, eyeball soup, and Willard Scott. And Todd gives us a two word answer for why all problems happen in our life.

Maybe you don't need an excuse to re-watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but we'll give you one any for #InternationalPodcastDay! Hyperspace Theories had its origins in significant part in the excitement of the buildup to Episode VII, when our interests in storytelling and informed speculation converged. At that time, we were endeavoring not only to sift credible rumors from less plausible ones from among the reports in fandom and entertainment media venues, but also to work through the storytelling decisions necessarily involved in crafting the movie's characters, world-building, themes, and plot. From that dual exercise, the format of Hyperspace Theories was forged, and we have since explored numerous aspects of informed speculation, storytelling, characterization, and world-building in Star Wars. Given that origin story, then, it only makes sense that our first movie commentary track episode is The Force Awakens. In addition to sharing our thoughts and reactions to our favorite aspects of the film, we also discuss how the movie presents its storytelling choices to the audience. Cue up your DVD, Blu-ray, or digital copy of The Force Awakens and watch along with Tricia, B.J., and Kay as Rey, Finn, Poe, and the rest begin the next trilogy of the Star Wars saga. Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

We’re beginning to learn more about the production and story of Rogue One, and these developments are the focus of this month’s episode of Hyperspace Theories. Whether based on information revealed previously or the newer details, speculation about Rogue One has to take into account the involvement of a significant new player in the movie’s production: Tony Gilroy. The Hollywood Reporter disclosed his prominent role in both the filming of reshoots and the editing of the film in post-production. Subsequently the latest teaser trailer confirmed that Gilroy also is a co-screenwriter – Rogue One has “story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta” and “screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy” in the credits. Under the WGA’s rules for awarding writing credit, this means Gilroy made major additional contributions to the screenplay after Weitz’s version, which itself was a complete reworking of Whitta’s draft. Gilroy is highly regarded for his work on the Bourne movie series, produced by Frank Marshall, as well as his own project, Michael Clayton. He also previously worked with Gareth Edwards in completing Godzilla, so the collaboration on Rogue One seems to be a natural fit. Further insight into Gilroy’s perspective on storytelling and movie-making appears in his BAFTA screenwriter’s lecture, which is definitely worth the time. Before concluding our meta segment on speculating wisely, we also discussed Kathleen Kennedy’s comments on the importance of female executives in the development process, and Kay shared her thoughts on Carrie Fisher’s appearance at Wizard World. Our world-building segment turns to the two Rogue One teaser trailers released recently. One aired on NBC during the Olympics; the other premiered in Japan. We share our reactions to the two trailers, and note how they convey different messages about the story of the movie and its characters. We also consider Edwards’ comments on what the title Rogue One might mean, and some hints about the planet Jedha from Entertainment Weekly. Additional images from the film appeared in Empire magazine and EW’s gallery. For the storytelling segment, we turn to the characters of Rogue One. So far the most has been shared about the lead, Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones. She spoke to EW about her character, as well as to Kyle Buchanan at Vulture, who shared several outtakes on Twitter. Additionally, Forest Whitaker at EW offered some intriguing insights into Saw Gerrera at the time of Rogue One, including a fascinating parallel with none other than Darth Vader. While hardcore Star Wars fans have been excited by what’s been revealed so far about the movie, we noted the ongoing discussion in fandom and the media about whether the marketing has been doing enough to reach casual fans. The Hollywood Reporter noted that reaction in China has been muted, especially compared to other properties, like the Marvel films, which already have a large established presence in the country. We conclude the episode with our plot bunny giveaway, with inspiration drawn from the Rogue One trailers. . Related Links: Kathleen Kennedy interview (December 2015) Kay’s recap of Carrie Fisher’s Wizard World panel Promotion Partners for Rogue One (via Inside the Magic) EW articles on K2-SO and Bodhi Rook Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

For the July episode of Hyperspace Theories, our topic of discussion naturally is Star Wars Celebration Europe, held in London on July 15-16, 2016. Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester attended the convention, and Kay caught up on all the excitement with the official livestream from The Star Wars Show and the other great video content shared on the official Star Wars YouTube channel. The show opens with overall reactions to Celebration. In the end Tricia, BJ and Kay agree with the assessment of Graeme McMillan’s article in The Hollywood Reporter that the convention focused on the fans and their engagement with and passion for the franchise, rather than on breaking news or seeking coverage in the entertainment media. One major theme of Celebration, like last year’s convention in Anaheim, was how much Lucasfilm understands and appreciates the importance of the fans to Star Wars’ success. Another interesting theme at Celebration was Lucasfilm’s goal of leading the push into the future of storytelling mediums. Tricia and B.J. both got to experience the ILMxLAB virtual reality short story “Trials on Tatooine.” The interaction between technology and storytelling also played a big part in the panel on STEM Heroes & Heroines of Star Wars that Tricia organized. Discussion moves on to the two tentpoles of Celebration Europe this year. For the upcoming standalone movie Rogue One, the Hyperspace Theories team analyzes the panel, the sizzle reel, and the exhibit of costumes on the show floor. For Star Wars Rebels, the big news is the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the iconic villains of the Star Wars Legends tales, as the featured adversary for the Ghost crew in Season Three. Our last episode covered the 25th anniversary of Heir to the Empire, the novel in which Thrawn was introduced; at Celebration, we learned that author Timothy Zahn also is returning to pen the new novel Thrawn to reintroduce the character’s story leading up to his appearance in Rebels. The show concludes with the Future Filmmakers panel, which was light on information but gave a lot of insight into the directors of the next Star Wars films. Rian Johnson shared a list of classic movies that comprised a “film camp” he held as inspiration for the people working on Episode VIII. Phil Lord and Chris Miller brought both humor and heart, as well as new Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich, for their untitled movie. embed You can also listen to Hyperspace Theories at Libsyn or download the show there. Or subscribe on iTunes. If you listen, please rate us and write a review as a simple offer of gratitude. Hyperspace Theories is now available on Stitcher, as well. Star Wars Celebration Links: Fangirls Going Rogue Live episode at SWCE Fangirls Going Rogue exclusive interviews at SWCE Tricia debriefs SWCE with Skywalking Through Neverland SWCE: The Movie Panels Rogue One panel video Rogue One sizzle reel Future Filmmakers panel recap video SWCE: Star Wars Rebels Rebels Season Three trailer Rebels panel video SWCE: Ahsoka’s Untold Tales SWCE: The Freemaker Adventures SWCE: Lucasfilm and the Art of Storytelling ILMxLAB panel Rey from The Force Awakens Meets Tim the Enchanter from The Holy Grail Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

This month on Hyperspace Theories, we discuss how the music of Star Wars enhances the storytelling in The Force Awakens. Joining Tricia, B.J., and Kay for the episode is Sarah Woloski, who co-hosts Fangirls Going Rogue with Tricia and Teresa and Skywalking Through Neverland with her husband Richard. All four of us have instrumental musical backgrounds, and we share how our experiences learning and performing music have shaped our appreciation of the music of Star Wars. In previous episodes, we’ve used the meta segment – where we talk about how to speculate wisely – to analyze the impacts of some of the foundational figures in Star Wars storytelling, including George Lucas, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and more. This month, we add maestro John Williams to the list. Of course, his amazing career spans dozens of famous movies and numerous famous musicals themes – Jaws,Indiana Jones, Superman, E.T., and Jurassic Park, to name only a few – but just as Star Wars is in a class by itself in cinema history, so too is Williams’ iconic Star Wars music. As much as anyone, Williams has added to the language of Star Wars storytelling with the themes, melodies, motifs, and other musical details weaved throughout the Star Wars films. From the powerful tones of the “Main Theme,” “Imperial March,” and “Duel of the Fates” to lyrical refrains like “Han Solo and the Princess,” “Yoda’s Theme,” and the “Force Theme,” the music adds considerable depth and emotional weight to the story. In the worldbuilding segment, we consider how the soundtrack of The Force Awakens elaborates upon the characters and storytelling in the movie. Williams has described his use of deliberate musical connections to the previous films in some respects, while also shaping new music for other places in the film. Among the tracks we discuss are “The Scavenger” and “Rey’s Theme” for the new heroine, Kylo Ren’s motif for the new villain, “Torn Apart” for the fateful showdown, “March of the Resistance” and “Scherzo for X-wings” for the new heroes fighting back against the First Order, and “The Journey Home” and “The Jedi Steps” that bring the movie to a close. With so much to say about Williams and his music, we’ll resume with our other usual segments in the next episode. Stay tuned for more analysis of The Force Awakens and the future of Star Wars storytelling. You can also listen to Hyperspace Theories at Libsyn or download the show there. Or subscribe on iTunes. If you listen, please rate us and write a review as a simple offer of gratitude. Hyperspace Theories is now available on Stitcher, as well. Related Links: The Force Awakens soundtrack listing Soundtrack files released by released by Disney for awards consideration Lucasfilm video (Feb. 22, 2016) with John Williams about the music of The Force Awakens New Yorker article “Listening to Star Wars” by Alex Ross fan version of “The Imperial March” in a major key Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com B.J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com Sarah Woloski: Twitter @JediTink  

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been a record-smashing box office success, a reinvigoration of the movie side of franchise for longtime fans, a launching point for new fans of all ages – and the origin story of a fan-favorite new character in Star Wars, Rey. The film’s plot structure and protagonist’s character arc also provide an excellent touchstone for examining one of the iconic features in discussions of storytelling: the Hero’s Journey. In this special edition of Hyperspace Theories, we use the prominent Hero’s Journey frameworks by academic Joseph Campbell and screenwriting consultant Christopher Vogler to analyze the elements of Rey’s progression from Jakku scavenger to Jedi apprentice over the course of The Force Awakens. Along the way we compare Rey’s story to other well-known examples of the Hero’s Journey, including Luke Skywalker, Katniss Everdeen, and Dorothy Gale. This episode will appeal to fans of Star Wars intrigued by the deep storytelling themes in The Force Awakens, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the Hero’s Journey in modern storytelling. Related Links: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers FANgirl Blog series on the Heroine’s Journey Entertainment Weekly interview with J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt on creating The Force Awakens story Daily Dot interviews with Matthew Wood and David Acord on The Force Awakens sound design Contact Information: Hyperspace Theories: Twitter @HyperspacePod Tricia Barr: Twitter @FANgirlcantina; email Tricia@fangirlblog.com J. Priester: Twitter @RedPenofLex; email Lex@fangirlblog.com Kay: Twitter @Geek_Kay; email Kay@fangirlblog.com

After last month’s episode sharing our initial reactions to The Force Awakens, this month’s episode begins our analysis and discussion of the new movie, as well as the lessons about storytelling and speculation that can be learned from it. Needless to say, we’ll have plenty more discussion of the movie to come in future episodes. Before turning to The Force Awakens, though, we start off the show with a different topic for our meta segment on how to speculate wisely – the Star Wars Rebels midseason trailer for the back half of Season Two. We consider some elements of the trailer that make connections to The Force Awakens to increase interest in Rebels, such as the Jedi crossguard lightsaber, a Jedi temple site, and the appearance of Princess Leia. We also discuss the trailer’s links to prior Star Wars lore, such as a Sith holocron, Twi’lek freedom fighters and Mandalorian warriors from The Clone Wars, and the “Old Master” Ezra encounters. Another feature of note was the social media message shared by showrunner Dave Filoni prior to the trailer’s release, advising fans about its spoiler-heavy content. For the world-building segment, longtime fan of the Empire, Jay Shah, joins us to talk about the First Order in The Force Awakens. In some ways the First Order operates as a direct descendant of the Empire, but in other ways it differs significantly. Some of these distinctions, Jay points out, have significant moral implications for whether fans would feel willing to root for the First Order in the way they may have done previously for the Empire. In addition to the politics and military statuses of the galaxy, we share our views on the individuals who lead the First Order, including Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren, and General Hux. The storytelling segment focuses on the use of the Original Trilogy’s legacy heroes in The Force Awakens and the hints at their post-Return of the Jedi backstory revealed in the movie. A key touchstone for our discussion is Devin Faraci’s article at Birth Movies Death on the portrayal of Han Solo in the film. Faraci analyzes Han’s character arc in The Force Awakens as a regression to his early Original Trilogy persona rather than progression forward, and maintains that alternative characterizations and backstories for Han could have kept his role in the movie essentially the same in relation to the new generation heroes while making his characterization stronger and more believable to the audience. Our discussion of the legacy Big Three agrees in large measure with the kinds of concerns Faraci raises, and we discuss similar dilemmas with the portrayals of Leia and Luke in the movie, as well as Han. Our plot bunny giveaway draws upon one of the great open questions after The Force Awakens: how missing scenes might be used to reveal or further hint at Rey’s heritage. You can also listen to Hyperspace Theories at Libsyn or download the show there. Or subscribe on iTunes.   Hyperspace Theories is on Twitter @HyperspacePod! Tricia is @FANgirlcantina on Twitter, as well as posting at FANgirl Zone on Facebook and on Tumblr. Kay tweets @Geek_Kay. B.J. tweets @RedPenofLex. Jay Shah tweets @admiraljello.

The Force has awakened. In the December episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Kay from the popular Star Wars critical discussion site FANgirl Blog share their initial reactions to Episode VII. We discuss the characters, plot, and more after multiple viewings of the film, with minimal additional information from opening-weekend creator interviews or the opening-day book releases. We also address the storytelling decisions to withhold certain key information from the audience in the first movie of the new trilogy, as well as the trailers and other marketing containing imagery and dialogue that do not appear in the final film. This episode contains discussion of all of the major spoilers from The Force Awakens from the opening minutes of the show, so steer clear if you haven't yet seen the movie. You can also subscribe on iTunes. If you listen, please rate us and write a review as a simple offer of gratitude. Hyperspace Theories is on Twitter @HyperspacePod! Tricia Barr is @FANgirlcantina on Twitter, as well as posting at FANgirl Zone on Facebook and on Tumblr. Email: tricia@fangirlblog.com Kay tweets @Geek_Kay. Email: Kay@fangirlblog.com B.J. tweets @RedPenofLex. Email lex@fangirlblog.com  

Johnamarie Macias from The Wookiee Gunner joins Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Geek Kay for a wide-ranging discussion on storytelling in Star Wars. We continue our exploration of the individuals influencing the future of Star Wars storytelling with Diana Williams, a member of Lucasfilm’s Story Group. In October, Johna attended “A Conversation With Diana Williams” at the New York Film Festival, in which Williams talked about her upbringing, her path into the entertainment industry, and her perspective on transmedia storytelling and other technological changes altering the ways people can tell stories. At Lucasfilm, Williams is the Story Group’s lead on videogames, including the recently released Star Wars Battlefront, which offers a wide variety of gender and ethnicity combinations for players to use. She is vocal on Twitter about her criticisms of Hollywood for its problems with diversity, inclusion, and representation, and she no doubt speaks her mind within Lucasfilm’s creative team, as well. Thank you to Johna for sharing her report and reactions to Williams’ presentation. For our world-building segment, we discuss Claudia Gray’s novel Lost Stars, released in September as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens. Like the three regular hosts, Johna also is a big fan of the book. We praised Gray’s effectiveness at designing the two cultures on the planet Jelucan, the valley kindred and the second-wavers, to create the personality traits in the lead characters, Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell, which ultimately motivate the choices they make as the Empire and Rebellion clash over the course of the story. The early season two episodes of Star Wars Rebels are featured in our storytelling segment. Johna is keeping spoiler-free for The Force Awakens, so Tricia, B.J., and Kay conclude the show with a Spoilers Beware segment examining the new information and clues revealed in the marketing for the movie since our last show. Next month The Force Awakens arrives! Look for a reaction show from Hyperspace Theories soon after opening weekend.   Related Links J.J. Abrams interview with Wired, and quoted in EW Lawrence Kasdan interview with Wired George Lucas interviews with Vanity Fair and CBS News Daisy Ridley cover story in Elle Hyperspace Theories is on Twitter @HyperspacePod! Tricia is @FANgirlcantina on Twitter, as well as posting at FANgirl Zone on Facebook and on Tumblr. Kay tweets @Geek_Kay. B.J. tweets @RedPenofLex. Johna on Twitter @bluejaigeyes

In the October episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, and Geek Kay of Fangirl Blog share our reactions to the newly released full-length theatrical trailer for The Force Awakens. We also connect the images, dialogue, and music in the trailer to our earlier episodes and speculations about the movie. You can also listen to Hyperspace Theories at Libsyn or download the show there. Or subscribe on iTunes. embed Related Links: The Force Awakens trailer on YouTube preview commercials for Monday Night Football (YouTube): characters highlighted, Rey sees TIE flyover, Poe and Finn, and BB-8, isolated musical score from trailer (via Skywalking Through Neverland) analysis of trailer music by Ali Arikan at Slate report on trailer music composition by Peter Sciretta at /Film Daisy Ridley's trailer reaction video on Instagram John Boyega's trailer reaction video on Facebook Full of Sith trailer reaction special, with the "Seven Samurai" of Star Wars podcasting results of starwars.com poll on fans' favorite Star Wars movie fan theory on origin of Kylo Ren's name on YouTube Tricia's article on Han Solo for Star Wars Insider #158 highlighted at starwars.com Hyperspace Theories is on Twitter @HyperspacePod! Tricia is @FANgirlcantina on Twitter, as well as posting at FANgirl Zone on Facebook and on Tumblr. Kay tweets @Geek_Kay. B.J. is @RedPenofLex on Twitter. Buying tickets to see The Force Awakens through our Fandango link and help support FANgirl Blog.

The FANgirl Blog team roll up their sleeves and read a lot of Star Wars books. The Journey to The Force Awakens publishing push offer hints and clues about the state of the galaxy far far away.  Did Leia find a way to balance love and duty? Is Han still on the skids after all these years? And how much does Luke know about being a Jedi?  Tune in to Episode 12 of Hyperspace Theories and find out what we uncovered.