Star Wars 7x7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy

TV & Film
**Star Wars 7×7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy**

The Star Wars 7×7 Podcast is Rebel-rousing fun for everyday Jedi, generally between 7 and 14 minutes a day, always 7 days a week. Join host Allen Voivod for Star Wars news, history, interviews, trivia, and deep dives into the Star Wars story as told in movies, books, comics, games, cartoons, and more. Follow now for your daily dose of Star Wars joy. It’s destiny unleashed! #SW7x7

Latest Episodes:

1,997. Did J.J. Abrams Change Rian Johnson's Reveal About Rey's Parents? Dec 22, 2019

Show notes

We talked about some story choices Rian Johnson made in The Last Jedi that were supported by J.J. Abrams in The Rise of Skywalker. But we didn't talk about the biggest story choice of all - the one about Rey's parents. J.J. told us there would be "more to the story," and there was, but did it support or subvert what came before?

You could certainly make the case that it undoes what Johnson did, but I actually think it upholds what he did. In fact, I think the situation also echoes a similar story beat from another Star Wars movie. This is a full-spoiler episode, and in addition to explaining my point, I'll also talk about what Abrams did - or rather, didn't - do with Kelly Marie Tran in The Rise of Skywalker. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,996: The Rise of Skywalker Reinforces The Last Jedi's Story Choices (With Spoilers) Dec 21, 2019

Show notes

The debate has already begun online about whether the story choices made by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio for The Rise of Skywalker enhance or undo the events of Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi. Personally, after my first viewing, I think it's pretty clear that what Abrams and company did is perfectly in line with what Johnson and company did.

So on today's episode, I'm going to talk about four of the most ardently discussed aspects of The Last Jedi - the death of Supreme Leader Snoke, Luke's lighsaber toss, Luke's self-exile, and Leia's Force use to get back on the Raddus - that were ultimately supported and reinforced by the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,995. SAFE ZONE: Non-Spoiler Rise of Skywalker First Reactions Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

The end is nigh! The Rise of Skywalker debuted last night, and I was lucky enough to see it with the whole family at one of the first showings. Honestly, none of us ever know what's going to happen in life - it's entirely possible that neither you nor I might have lived long enough to see Lucasfilm bring the Skywalker Saga to an end. Not everyone has. Aside from getting to see the movie itself, that aspect of seeing it with my family was wonderful.

I'll be posting a bonus episode with reactions that do delve into spoiler territory, but this one is totally clean in that regard. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

BONUS EPISODE: The Rise of Skywalker First Reactions (With Spoilers!) Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

It is amazing how I feel lighter and happier now that I've seen The Rise of Skywalker for the first time! And I do think much of what the film critics have been saying were right - great performances by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, action-packed, visually dazzling, and I'll also add "funny," too. As for the rest - well, on today's episode, we're just getting started. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,994. SAFE ZONE: Let's Discuss the 'Top Critics' Reviews for The Rise of Skywalker Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

I wish someone had said to me, before the full critics' reviews started to come online Wednesday, "This is not going to go the way you think!" And I wish I'd thought to say that in this episode of the podcast, too, but I only had the inspiration as I was writing this post to introduce this episode.

So the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus continues to fluctuate, but it's been in the fifties for most of the day Wednesday, topping out at 59% as of the recording of the show (10:00pm Eastern on Wednesday). The "Top Critics" subgroup has it at 49%. I've seen a couple of headlines claiming it's the "worst Star Wars movie ever made," but that's currently inaccurate. The Top Critics scores for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones are both lower than The Rise of Skywalker's, though I understand full well the implications of that statement.

And yet... And yet... Even across the negative reviews, I'm seeing some consistent positives - the performances of Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, the music from John Williams, how action-packed and visually dazzling the film is, to name a few - and I'm holding on to the reactions of some specific folks as a lifeline to the (very real) possibility that I will enjoy the heck out of it regardless of the critics' reviews.

We'll be talking about all of that, as well as why I'm on camera with a stain on my shirt. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,993. SAFE ZONE: Spoiler-Free Thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker Premiere Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

Well, it's out there now... The Rise of Skywalker world premiere happened in Hollywood on Monday night, and now John Boyega's lost script isn't the only source of information about the movie anymore!

We're still in the "SAFE ZONE" here on the podcast, which means you can listen or watch without worrying about learning something about the movie that you're not yet ready to know. But that still gives us room to talk about the premiere, about the audience for it, the experience of looking at the feedback on Twitter so far, the knowledge that there are now spoilers-for-real out there and people aiming to drop them on unsuspecting fans, and what's missing from the conversation so far. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,992. Part 2: Christian Blauvelt Interview (How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks) Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

And here's the second half of my interview with Christian Blauvert! It's also a SAFE ZONE episode, so you can listen or watch without fear of hearing something about The Rise of Skywalker that you're not ready to learn.

But speaking of learning, you'll do a lot of it when you check out How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks (and Other Galactic Survival Skills), the guide to staying alive in a galaxy far, far away. On today's episode, I'll be talking with Christian about the creation of the book (part of which was completed from a hospital bed!), and exploring how Legends information gets brought into the book, how tidbits from future Star Wars stories could make it into a book like this, and much more. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,991. Station to Station (Resistance Briefing, Season 2, Episode 11) Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Welcome to our latest Resistance Briefing! This is also a SAFE ZONE episode, so you can watch or listen without fear of hearing something about The Rise of Skywalker that you're not ready to know just.

This episode was also recorded in the midst of a power outage, which occurred due to high winds across multiple New Hampshire counties. But the show must go on, and as long as a local cell tower stays active, today's episode will arrive right on schedule.

"Station to Station" is episode 11 from season 2 of Star Wars Resistance, and for me at least, this is hands down the best episode of the series so far. The script moves so fast that Larry Kasdan himself would be proud of it. It's got tension, intrigue, drama, comedy, the whole shebang. And that's what we'll be talking about on the show... Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,990. Part 1: Christian Blauvelt Interview (Be More Lando, Be More Leia) Dec 15, 2019

Show notes

Be More Lando and Be More Leia came out earlier this year from DK Books, and on today's show, I'm talking to the man behind these two titles, Christian Blauvert! Christian also wrote Be More Vader and Be More Yoda, the latter of which has skyrocketed to the top of Amazon sales thanks to the "Baby Yoda Bounce."

We'll be talking about that, plus the challenges of writing books like these; what he admires about Leia; what he learned from Lando; and much more. This is also a "SAFE ZONE" episode, so you can listen or watch without fear of hearing anything about The Rise of Skywalker that you're not ready to learn just yet. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

1,989. The Prisoner (Mandalorian Briefing, Season 1, Chapter 6) Dec 14, 2019

Show notes

Welcome to another Mandalorian Briefing! (And yes, this also counts as being within the SAFE ZONE, so you can listen or watch without fear of encountering anything about The Rise of Skywalker that you're not ready to hear.)

On today's show, we're talking about Chapter 6, "The Prisoner." It's now the fourth out of six total episodes that doesn't advance the main story arc, and while I'm enjoying the episodes, I have to say I'm starting to feel restless at this point.

I really, REALLY want to get back to Nevarro and see what happens next with Mando and Greef Karga, the remains of the bounty hunter's guild, the Mandalorian covert, Werner Herzog's "Client," how Moff Gideon is going to get involved, and what the deal is with Baby Yoda and what the ultimate plans were for this cute little being...

We'll also talk about the log lines for the final two chapters, the actor Easter eggs throughout this chapter, and much more. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

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