Tag: Star Wars

‘The Mandalorian’ Teases Grogu’s Conflict with the Force

The latest episode of The Mandalorian has raised the stakes, as Din was given instructions by Ahsoka Tano on where he can find someone to teach the Child. Oh wait, I guess we are calling him Grogu now. Din was having fun seeing the little guy’s reaction when he called him by his name. Now that they finally found their way to Tython, they face some rather harsh changes. There is a good reason why this episode is titled “The Tragedy” after all. The episode’s chain of events may be continuing a path that was briefly teased last season for our young Grogu. It may be up to Din to save the abandoned Padawan from a dark fate.

Here is your spoiler warning. I will be spoiling the major twist of this episode, so only continue at your own risk. If you don’t want to get spoiled, then be sure to watch the episode before you continue reading.

So, the episode ends with Grogu getting captured by the now-confirmed Dark Troopers. Din is too late to save him and can only watch as they leave. Our favorite Mandalorian is heartbroken but quickly tries to find a way to get him out of there with the help of some unlikely allies. The episode did not end there as we also saw little Grogu on the ship. He had his first confrontation with Mof Gideon, who seemed oddly giddy about Grogu throwing the Storm Troopers around the room. We learned from Ahsoka that he purposely hid his abilities, but now it was as if he didn’t care. He was going to take them all down to get back to his father, and he didn’t care how often he has to fling a Storm Trooper across the room. Sadly, he is still tiny and falls asleep after exceeding his limits. The episode ends us with the question of how Din will try to save the kid and whatever Moff has planned for him.

It is Grogu’s actions that confirm something Ahsoka Tano said in the last episode. She hinted at the consequences of a force-wielder with a strong personal connection. Their emotions can get the better of them. Something she saw someone close to her went through in the past. It looks like Grogu might be facing a similar path. Just last season, he used the Force to chock Cara, as he believed she was going to hurt him. So far, we’ve only ever seen people on the dark side use that kind of ability. Yes, Grogu seems like an innocent child, but it was shocking to see him slam the Storm Troopers around. He was letting loose, and who knows what else he would’ve done if he didn’t get tired. It certainly will be an interesting conflict once Din can save the little guy, and what implications it may have for his future. Now, we can only wonder if the message will be heard by a Jedi that can bring him back to the light, or perhaps a Sith is ready to answer the call.

December 4, 2020
‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 14 Primer
In the latest episode of The Mandalorian Chapter 13, “The Jedi”, a lot of exciting stuff happened. The Child got a name, which I think we all love. I have been waiting for him to get a name for a while now and I was expecting something closer to Yoda, but Grogu is pretty cute, too. We got Ahsoka! Her first live-action appearance happened in the first few moments of the episode; she was so awesome and powerful and it felt pretty cool to see an awesome female Jedi character in the show. We also learned that beskar, which is the material Mando’s armor is made out of, can’t be cut with lightsabers. Ashoka gets a beskar spear which she gives to the Mandalorian. Ashoka says she won’t train Grogu, she sends them off to an old Jedi temple on the planet Tython to let Grogu choose his own path.

There are only three episodes left and there are a lot of things that have been set in motion along the way in Season 2, but the question is how many of them are going to be resolved before the end of the season. Some of the things that could possibly get resolved before the end of the season are:
- Boba Fett is alive!
- Bo-Katan is after Moff Gideon
- Moff Gideon has created Dark Troopers and is tracking Mando to get Grogu’s blood
- Grogu has to contact other Jedi and determine his future.
Any of those things could be followed up on in the next few episodes or they could become arcs in other Disney Plus Star Wars streaming series or in Season 3 of The Mandalorian.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

We can all agree that every time that the Mando tries to make it somewhere, there is a bump in the road. So I think this week’s bump in the road is going to be that Moff Gideon will find the Mando and the two will face off in a brutal battle for Grogu! We have learned that the beskar spear can’t be cut by lightsabers, but maybe the Darksaber can break it. If this happens and Mando gets defeated, Gideon can steal Grogu, changing the game and putting Din Djarin back in the position of hunter instead of hunted!

The Mandalorian Chapter 14 streams tomorrow!
December 3, 2020
‘STAR WARS’: How Pierce Brosnan Became a Fancasting Favorite for Thrawn

Besides introducing Ahsoka to a Star wars live-action project, Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian made way for yet another character to emerge from a Star Wars animated series. It was revealed that Anakin Skywalker’s former Jedi Padawan is searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, most likely because finding him might help her get to her missing Jedi friend Ezra Bridger. So being, this seems to indicate that, even though it probably won’t be on The Mandalorian, Thrawn is now also set to make a transition to live-action.

Ever since the character first appeared on Star Wars Rebels, there have been several ideas on who should play the part, should it ever make its way to a non-animated project. British actors were pretty much on the forefront, as most of the Imperial Officers we’ve gotten so far in Star Wars movies have had that common characteristic, going back to Peter Cushing in the ’70s. Benedict Cumberbatch (who played the similarly stoic Khan in the Star Trek franchise), Jason Isaacs, and Hugo Weaving were amongst the names that surfaced as being popular choices for the role.

In April 2019 another name managed to gain traction amongst fans, mostly due to the mural unveiled at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. The massive mural portrayed the entire saga, as well as the rest of the more prominent projects in the Star Wars Universe (Rogue One, Solo, The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Rebels). An interesting feature of the said mural was that all the animated characters were depicted as photorealistic figures, and not as their animated counterparts. In the Rebels section, taking his place alongside Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, and the aforementioned Ezra Bridger was Grand Admiral Thrawn, and his resemblance to actor Pierce Brosnan was uncanny.

This led many to believe that Brosnan could have turned out to not only but the frontrunner for the part but he could actually already have signed onto some Star Wars project, even though there was none in sight. But now, with what we’ve witnessed on The Mandalorian, an Ahsoka-centered live-action show could be it. But does Brosnan really fit the role?

If we take into consideration the voice talent chosen to impersonate the part on Star Wars Rebels: Not really. Thrawn is an Imperial Officer, but he isn’t your usual one. Him being a Chiss and not a human, Rebels didn’t go the British route and cast Lars Mikkelsen, a Scandinavian actor in the role, with a somewhat Scandinavian accent. Lucasfilm took great care in getting Ahsoka Tano’s voice to translate into live-action almost seamlessly so it would make sense for them to do the same when it came to Thrawn’s. Most actors are obviously capable of doing their job in many accents, so this obviously isn’t a deal-breaker, even though it isn’t how past choices have been made.

Regarding his appearance, there is no doubt Brosnan could look the part. But the former 007 would definitively be more on the older side of what the character requires. The last couple of seasons of Star Wars Rebels, where Thrawn’s age would have been something between his early 40s and early 50s, are set roughly ten years before the events of The Mandalorian. This would mean that if we encounter Thrawn after the Ahsoka episode, he could be between his early 50s and early 60s. Pierce Brosnan is currently 67 years old. With at least a year before we would see him in the actual role, he would be almost ten years older than the oldest Thrawn could realistically be. We are obviously talking about an alien that doesn’t need to age at the rate humans do, and the role isn’t exceptionally physical, so even though Lucasfilm is probably looking for someone younger, this shouldn’t immediately put him out of contention.

All things considered, I wouldn’t put my money on the Brosnan casting. Even though he would certainly be capable of playing someone with Thrawn’s demeanor, it’s fair to think that casting someone younger would open a few more storyline possibilities for the character. The mural is obviously a fun thing to examine, but given that Thrawn is a blue alien with red eyes, the makeup alone needed for the role is bound to make it easy for almost anyone to end up with the right look. There should be little doubt the artist used Brosnan as inspiration, but it’s certainly a stretch to think Disney would leak information that way. Ahsoka Tano herself is also pictured on the mural and she doesn’t look at all like Rosario Dawson. And since both characters are connected in the way Lucasfilm has decided to introduce both to live-action, their development should have come at a similar time, giving yet another reason not to think too much of Thrawn’s portrait.

December 3, 2020
Star Wars’ ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?

Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian gave us the first live-action Ahsoka Tano as well as the first time Grand Admiral Thrawn was referenced to in a live-action Star Wars project. But who is Thrawn and why is Ahsoka searching for him?

Mitth’raw’nuruodo, better known by his core name, Thrawn, is a Chiss, a species renowned for their blue skin that comes from the planet Csilla in the Unknown Regions. He is a brilliant and ruthless strategist that believed that one should get to know their enemy profoundly to be able to predict every move they make in battle. He understood that every single aspect of a certain culture, from music to architecture, from its values to its traditions, is what would ultimately define one’s modus operandi on the battlefield.

During the Clone Wars, he traveled the galaxy learning everything he could about several races (including the Mandalorians and the Twi’leks), ending up crossing paths with Anakin Skywalker himself.

Once the Empire rose to power, he understood that it would be in his interest to swear fealty to the Emperor by assimilating himself into galactic society. He did so by graduating from the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant and then rising through the ranks fairly quickly, mostly due to his impeccable performances in battle as well as some shady maneuvers behind the scenes.

Some time later, when the rebels of Lothal became increasingly effective in their fight against the Imperial forces that had tried to establish themselves on the planet, he was called to help tear down the advances of said rebellion. This is where he came in contact with the crew of the Ghost. Their final confrontation at the end of Star Wars Rebels (set before the events of A New Hope) ended with both him and Jedi Ezra Bridger being dragged into hyperspace by the Purrgil (whale-like creatures with the natural ability to fly through hyperspace) being lost somewhere in the Unknown Regions never to be seen again.

After the Battle of Endor, where the second Death Star was destroyed and the Empire was defeated, Ahsoka made it her mission to find her missing Jedi friend. And she seems to acknowledge that if she manages to find Thrawn, Ezra should be close by.

November 30, 2020
‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Grogu’s Force Quest Could Redefine the Jedi

Almost all of the buzz around Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian was understandably centered on the spectacular live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano with the name of The Child and his heartbreaking backstory taking a distant second place. As interesting as the reveal of Grogu’s (dude, it is so hard to convince myself to type that) past as a Jedi Youngling was and as many questions as it generates, it’s the path he’s been set on to determine his future that I’ve found fascinating. In what’s become modus operandi for this series, Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka casually laid out the plans for the next episode or two:

Go to the planet Tython. There you will find the ancient ruins of a temple that has a strong connection to the Force. Place Grogu on the seeing stone at the top of the mountain…If he reaches out through the Force, there’s a chance a Jedi may sense his presence and come searching for him.

And with that, Din and Grogu are onto the next part of their journey, a journey that has successfully followed a simple, straight-forward and repetitive beat for 1.5 seasons now. Each new stop seems to deepen and enrich the story and relationship of the Mando and The Child as it expands on the already massive mythological tapestry of Star Wars and, lately, that’s meant drawing from more than just previous live-action films and, in some cases, cracking open the “Legends” treasure chest.

If you’re new to Star Wars and unsure about the “Legends” label, have no fear. For a long, long time, all of Star Wars was made up of 3 films and a Holiday Special. Over the years, the Star Wars universe grew unofficially through novels, comics and video games in what was known as the Star Wars Extended Universe (EU). In 2012 when Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney, Disney inherited all of George Lucas’s “canonical” work plus a whole mess of “non-canonical” stuff in the EU. In an apparent effort to streamline what was and was was not “canon”, Disney labeled the EU stuff as Legends material and the films, Holiday Special, Ewok Adventures, The Clone Wars (and maybe some other stuff) as Canon. This schism was pretty painful to a lot of folks as great characters with incredible stories such as Thrawn, Jacen and Jaina Solo, Mara Jade and more “didn’t count” now. Since that time, however, some characters and locations from the EU/Legends have made their way into modern Canon. Season 1 of The Mandalorian introduced Death Troopers to Canon and then we got Dark Troopers in Chapter 12. Grand Admiral Thrawn was a major player in Star Wars Rebels and was named dropped by Ahsoka in Chapter 13. And finally and most relevant to Grogu’s growth, the Deep Core planet of Tython has made the jump as well.

Originally introduced in 2013 in a short story in Star Wars Insider 141, Tython actually made the jump from Legends to Canon in 2019 when it appeared in Doctor Aphra #40 (yes, Star Wars comics written by Marvel Comics after the purchase of Lucasfilm by Disney are part of Canon). The issue presents very little information about the planet, but we do quickly learn it was once inhabited by Jedi and that the Force is incredibly strong there similar to Ach-To, the planet where Rey met Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. In this instance, the Canon depiction of Tython seems to share quite a bit in common with its more fleshed out Legends counterpart and, if that is the case, Din is taking Grogu not only to a location where he might choose his own destiny but, quite possibly, the place where the Force itself was first discovered.

In Canon, Tython is thought to be one of five locations to have been home to the first Jedi temple; in Legends lore, Tython was home to the Je’daii Order, a precursor to the Jedi Order, and the very place where the Je’daii came to understand the true nature of the Force: the Light, the Dark and the balance of the two. Tython’s two moons, Ashla and Bogan, represented the duality of the Force as one shined brightly in the night sky while the other remained cloaked in darkness. As Je’daii grew in the Force, they would spend time on one moon or the other to help them remained balanced. Get a little too dark-sidey and you head to Ashla for some light; get a little too light-sidey and you go chill on Bogan in the shade. The planet was also home to nine temples, each of which was home to Je’daii masters teaching different skills to their pupils. Eventually and as is the way with all things Force-related, some people chose the Dark side, others chose the Light and, a war broke out. The Light-siders won and formed the new Jedi order.

The planet itself was incredibly geographically diverse and at least some of the Legends design made into its appearance in Doctor Aphra. Should Dave Filoni be so inclined, he could use Grogu’s Force quest as an opportunity not only to develop the geography of the planet beyond what we saw in the comic book but also shine a light on the mysterious past of the Jedi order in a streaming series that is being watched by millions. In truth, only the hardest of hardcore Star Wars nerds know anything at all about the origins of the Jedi and the Sith and I’d wager only a small percentage of that already exclusive club could take folks to school on the ANCIENT history. I know I certainly couldn’t.

Grogu’s journey to Tython can do more than help the one-time Youngling determine his future; it can serve as the first legitimate, live-action history lesson on the Force. Think about it, outside of “its an energy field that created by all living things”, what does the casual Star Wars fan (and there are a great many of those watching this series) truly know about the Force? As the curator of the great mythology that Lucas created, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Filoni take us all to school for part of an episode. Bust out your space macarons. We all want to know if Grogu is going to get in touch with Sebastian Stan Luke or Kylo Ren or someone we aren’t even expecting (Ezra Bridger ?), but maybe it’s what we don’t know that we want to know that will truly make these next 2-3 episodes as mind-blowing as they’ve been promised to be.

Chapter 14 of The Mandalorian will begin streaming this Friday at 3:00 AM EST!

November 30, 2020
‘The Mandalorian’: First Disney+ Show to Join Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming List

It’s been a big year for streaming services. As most people were stuck at home, they used the time to catch up on the latest shows by Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more. These services do not provide much insight into how their shows are doing, so we depend on external analysts to give us a feeling if our favorite show is popular or not. Well, according to Nielsen, it looks like Disney+ has finally been able to join the top ten, as The Mandalorian has taken the third spot right behind The Office and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. It is the first time a Disney+ series was able to join the list.

The show was watched for over 1 billion minutes, which will only increase from here. Keep in mind this only accounts for the week of October 26th. So, it only takes into account the first season and the second season’s premiere episode. As such, it only counts the first nine episodes of the series’ run. Its performance wasn’t so far off from The Office, which consists of 192 episodes in total. As such, it does not include episodes that include the appearance of fan-favorite characters or the hype it built around Thanksgiving weekend.

The Queen’s Gambit was also a massive success for Netflix, as it has managed to garner 1,850M viewed minutes since it released at the end of October. The rest of the list mostly consists of shows that are available via Netflix, such as Schitt’s Creek, Holidate, Grey’s Anatomy, and many more. It’ll be interesting to see if WandaVision will also join the list once it released in January.

Source: Variety

November 30, 2020
‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: Theories Galore

Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian finally brought us a live-action Ahsoka Tano. There was an incredible amount of expectation regarding her debut not only because of how fans like the character but also, as we’ve stated before, due to her connections to several other characters and the resulting storytelling options. Even though this episode probably ended up raising more questions than the answers it gave us, it has allowed for several hypotheses about the show’s (and Ahsoka’s) future to begin creeping up, some that may deserve elaborating on.

Bo-Katan will indeed return

Of all the relevant characters introduced so far this season, Bo-Katan is the one whose path seems to be most interlinked with Mando’s. So being, a future encounter is still very much on the table, and Chapter 13 helped to solidify that idea.

We learned that Ahsoka wasn’t really stationed on Corvus on a more permanent basis, and the fact that the heiress of the Mandalorian throne knew that she would be on there for just a few days makes us wonder if both of them are in constant contact. If that is so, it’s very much possible that if Ahsoka senses that Grogu is in any sort of peril she’ll call upon Bo-Katan and her group of fellow Mandalorians to show up and help out.

Moff Gideon obviously plays a huge part in all of this, since he’s the likeliest reason as to why Grogu might find himself in danger. Also, since he is both chasing Grogu and being chased by Bo-Katan, they are bound to meet up one way or another. There is no way that her line “Your bravery will not be forgotten” in Chapter 11 doesn’t mean she will show up in a time Din really needs her to.

Also, the spear Din is given by Ahsoka, that “belongs with a Mandalorian”, might end up being wielded by Bo-Katan as both she and Djarin take turns battling Gideon and his Darksaber.

Ahsoka is off on her own journey

It came as little surprise that Ahsoka wouldn’t be training Grogu. If she did that would mean that she would either have to become a series regular or that Grogu would leave the show, and none of those two choices seemed all that reasonable. Another reason is that Ahsoka seems to be on her own path. Her search for the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn has given her purpose and that is where her focus lies.

The Mandalorian won’t show us what comes next for her in regards to Thrawn as that is too good a story not to overshadow Mando’s own journey. So being, be sure to expect an Ahsoka Tano series where we will continue to explore what really happened at the end of Star Wars Rebels, as the search for Thrawn and Ezra Bridger continues.

‘The Mandalorian’ is set before the ‘Star Wars Rebels’ epilogue

Regarding the end of Star Wars Rebels, the exact timeline placement of its epilogue was always a bit murky. All we knew is that it was set after the events of Return of the Jedi, after the Empire had been defeated. There we saw an older Ahsoka returning to Lothal to pick up Sabine as they both set out to find Ezra. What The Mandalorian appears to show us is that, as the search for Ezra and the search for Thrawn are ultimately one and the same, Ahsoka seems to be trying to locate one so as to reach the other. She is then searching for Thrawn before seeking Sabine’s aid, later on, only reuniting with her after getting a better idea of where Ezra could be located, and the help needed to retrieve him safely.

The Darksaber will cut through Beskar

The show keeps both referencing Beskar’s abilities and bringing more of it into the fold. This time we got a spear of pure Beskar that is gifted to Din by Ahsoka since it “belongs with a Mandalorian”. This all fits with the conflict escalation theory after getting Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers just last week. We’ve now learned how Beskar manages to hold back lightsaber strikes, but Gideon doesn’t have a conventional lightsaber. Since the Darksaber is not only of Mandalorian origin but the weapon of the ruler of the planet, it would make sense for it to be able to overcome Mandalorian armor, thus giving its wielder an edge over the rest of Mandalore. Having Din enter a fight with Gideon only to see the spear cut in half by a Darksaber blow will achieve several things: It will surprise both the audience and Din; It will up the stakes by putting Din in an unexpected tough situation; It will do all of this without compromising Din’s health since it’s the only piece of Beskar that isn’t attached to his body.

Grogu will reach out through the Force but no Jedi will come. For now.

After being instructed to go to the planet Tython, Grogu will try to establish a connection to whoever is listening so as to choose his path going forward. Even though Ahsoka stated that “there aren’t many Jedi left” we know that there are still quite a few out there. The show is preparing us for the chance of not having anyone answer Grogu’s calling, something that it will, later on, reveal not to be true. Without Ahsoka there to verbalize Grogu’s thoughts he won’t be able to know it for sure, and that will play a part in the twist down the line.

November 30, 2020
Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 72

Yep, unfortunately the Charleses are still getting together for their weekly chat, recording it and then subjecting you all to it. This week they talk about the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano, the naming of The Child, why Dave Filoni should ascend to the position of The One-Above-All at Lucasfilm and a couple of Marvel news beats. Have a listen below but beware it just encourages them!

November 30, 2020
Untitled Rian Johnson ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy

Premiere: TBD

Since 2017 that it’s confirmed that Rian Johnson is to return to the Star Wars universe with three new films. Johnson will develop a brand new trilogy and will take it upon himself to both write and direct the first of the three movies, after doing the same for 2017’s The Last Jedi.

November 30, 2020
Lando

Premiere: TBD

In December 2020, Lando was announced as a Disney+ limited series with Justin Simien attached to write the show.

As of May 2022, the series is still in development at LucasFilm with President Kathleen Kenedy confirming that production would be waiting until Donald Glover managed to free up his schedule in order to go through with the promise of a Lando Calrissian show on Disney+.

In a 2023 interview, Kennedy said the series was still in the works. Later that year, Simien revealed he hadn’t heard anything about the series since 2020.

November 30, 2020