Growing Up Skywalker

Did you know that Star Wars has a bounty hunter-themed reality TV show in the middle of Season Four? Who knew! Shenanigans continue in the second half of the Rako Hardeen arc (The Clone Wars 4.17–18) as Dooku whittles down 12 of the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters to five. It’s a race against time — and Anakin’s impatience — as Obi-Wan tries to thwart Dooku’s plans to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. In our recap, we talk about what it takes to be a bounty hunter, Obi-Wan as The Negotiator, Cad Bane’s code of ethics, and the beginning of the end of Anakin’s trust in the Jedi Council. Come for the jokes, stay for the astonishing Zillo Beast cameo! Next week, we’re recapping the beginning of Season Four’s final arc: Asajj + Maul, Part 1 (The Clone Wars 4.19–20). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

The first half of the Rako Hardeen arc (The Clone Wars 4.15–16) is a romp, y’all. Obi-Wan goes undercover as a hardened criminal to sabotage a plot against Chancellor Palpatine as the entire galaxy believes him to be dead. He hooks up with Cad Bane — who can be threatening even when he’s only armed with a toothpick — and tries to outrun Anakin and Ahsoka, on the warpath for vengeance. We talk about great villains, iconic prison breaks, and how when Anakin tries to avenge his best friend’s murder, he comes perilously close to committing that murder himself. Next week, we’re diving into the second half of the Rako Hardeen arc (The Clone Wars 4.17–18). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

“A Friend in Need” (The Clone Wars 4.14) is the last standalone episode of The Clone Wars series, and boy howdy is it chock-full of discussion topics. In 22 minutes, we see Ahsoka reunited with her BOYFRIEND Lux Bonteri, watch the Separatist-Republic peace talks disintegrate (again), meet up with Death Watch, see Bo-Katan for the first time, witness R2D2 raise a droid army, and see an entire village subjugated (no word on how their situation pans out, either). In our recap, we talk about Lux Bonteri’s options after he became a war orphan, the decay of Death Watch into a biker gang, and Ahsoka — who is all grown up and saving everybody. Special shout-out to her phenomenal fur coat. Next week, we’re diving into the first half of the four-part Rako Hardeen arc (The Clone Wars 4.15–16). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

The Zygerrian Arc of the Clone Wars (4.11–13, “Kidnapped,” “Slaves of the Republic,” and “Escape from Kadavo”) begs us to consider: Who are the real slaves under the Republic? In this three-part arc, we see Anakin, Ahsoka and Kenobi struggle to free the Togrutan people of Kiros from being condemned to a life in chains. There are heists, spies, infiltration plots, fake names, fake imprisonment (plus actual imprisonment), and a seduction (ooh la la). In our discussion, we recap the grand tradition of slavery in Star Wars and discuss what it tells us about power in the galaxy — who has it, and why it profits them. Next week, we’re hanging out with Ahsoka and her BOYFRIEND (!!!!) in “A Friend in Need” (The Clone Wars 4.14). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

Betrayal has a long legacy in Star Wars, and in the final half of the Umbaran arc (The Clone Wars 4.9–10) we come face-to-face with one of the galaxy's greatest traitors. In our recap of “Plan of Dissent” and “Carnage of Krell,” we put the spotlight on the 501st. Through heartbreak, sacrifice and betrayal, they go against their beliefs, have existential crises, and eventually learn to find their own way. We get an answer to our question from the last episode — What does it mean to be a good soldier? And we talk about how the Clone Wars continues to show us that a single person’s decisions can matter, whether you’re fighting for the light or the dark. Join us in pouring one out for the brave boys of the 501st and 212th. Next week, things take a turn for the political in the Zygerrian arc: The Clone Wars 4.11–13. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

No more fun and games. We’re getting down to business in the first half of the Umbaran Arc (The Clone Wars 4.7–8). When’s the last time you read the Geneva Convention? Because war crimes abound on Umbara, especially after Anakin is sent home to Coruscant mid-invasion and the 501st is put under General Pong Krell — a Besalisk with a VERY bad attitude. We rabbithole into Civil War-era parallels to the full-frontal assault into Umbaran territory, including the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Chickamauga. We also talk about what it means to be a good soldier, what a general owes their troops, and why the Jedi Code slides in times of war. Next week, it gets darker. We’re covering the final two episodes of the Umbaran arc: The Clone Wars 4.9–10, “Plan of Dissent” and “Carnage of Krell.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

The R2 and C-3PO arc (The Clone Wars 4.5–6) has the strangest and yet most strangely delightful Clone Wars episodes in a while. We talk about fairytales, magical realism, the Balance, and droid rights/droid supremacy. R2 talks trash to every sovereign leader they meet in the LONGEST episode ever, and in the face of death, 3PO has — for once — a heartfelt moment. This arc is an actual fever dream, and we laughed a LOT. This was our last moment of levity for a while. Next week, we’re covering the first two episodes of the Umbaran arc: The Clone Wars 4.7–8, “Darkness on Umbara” and “The General.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

“Shadow Warrior” (The Clone Wars Season 4.4) is one giant, beautiful retribution for Star Wars’ treatment of the Gungans thus far. As Jar Jar is forced to impersonate Boss Lyonie to keep his people from going to war against the Naboo, we (finally) get to see the Gungans step into the light. We get fierce Gungan warriors, ancestral Gungan magic, a fantastic callback to Padmé’s switcheroos in the Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones — and the power of friendship, which runs through it all. Justice for Jar Jar. Justice for the Gungans. May we all hold ourselves to their standards. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re getting front seat tickets to R2 and C3PO’s technicolor adventure in The Clone Wars 4.5–6, “Mercy Mission” and “Nomad Droid.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

Surf’s up! The first arc of Season 4 of the Clone Wars has our faves swimming with the fishes. We’re introduced to yet another teenage monarch — Prince Lee-Char — who’s navigating a civil war between the Mon Calamari and Quarren and orchestrated, as always, by Count Dooku. Kit Fisto is glorious, Padmé and Anakin are mostly there to be threatened with drowning, Ahsoka does Anakin’s job from Attack of the Clones ten times better than he ever did, and the Gungans absolutely saved the day. In a special segment, we also answer a burning question left over from the Ahsoka Hunted arc: What happened to the Force-sensitive younglings abandoned to be hunted by the Trandoshans, Jinx and O-Mer? Watching along with us? Next week, we’re hanging out with the Gungans again in “Shadow Warrior” (The Clone Wars 4.4). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

Happy Star Wars Podcast Day! We’re closing out Season 3 of The Clone Wars with the most dangerous game of them all — messing with Ahsoka and her band of misfit Jedi younglings. And we’re thrilled to have Nick Stockbridge of Funny Science Fiction as a guest on this week’s show! In the Ahsoka Hunted arc (The Clone Wars 3.21–22) we meet a group of Trandoshan weekend warriors who like to hunt younglings down for sport. Humility is learned, jungle shenanigans are pulled, and it becomes more evident than ever that the best skill you can have in the Star Wars universe is the ability to fabricate a tracking beacon out of scrap metal.  P.S: The special character appearance in this arc is going to blow your mind. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re recapping the opening of season 4 in the Mon Cala Arc (The Clone Wars 4.1–3, “Water War,” “Gungan Attack,” and “Prisoner”). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

It’s time for a classic Clone Wars mess-around! The Citadel Arc (The Clone Wars 3.18–3.20) has everything: battle droids, ambushes, a rescue mission, carbon freezing, Ugnauts, a phenomenal MacGuffin (the Nexus Route hyperspace lanes), Kenobi banter and a truly astonishing amount of foreshadowing for Anakin’s journey. If you are a Wilhuff Tarkin fan, this is the arc for you. (If you are a no-Jedis-shall-hurt-the-space-doggos fan, it’s definitely not.) Watching along with us? Next week, we’re excited to have a special guest appearance from Nick Stockbridge of Funny Science Fiction Podcast on the show! Nick will help us recap the Ahsoka Hunted Arc (The Clone Wars 3.21–22, “Padawan Lost” and “Wookiee Hunt”). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

Hold onto your Star Wars encyclopedias, because we’re in for the ride of our lives! In the Mortis Arc (The Clone Wars 3.15–17) we get the deepest dive into the lore of the Force so far — and that’s just where the first episode starts. We talk about good, evil, and ambivalence…why wisdom has to be earned to be learned…and all about the family story at the heart of Star Wars. Buckle up, baybees, because the Mortis Arc puts Anakin Skywalker’s story on fast-forward, and it’s all playing on the giant celestial chessboard of the galaxy. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re getting back to the classics with the Citadel Arc: The Clone Wars 3.18–3.20, “The Citadel,” “Counterattack,” and “Citadel Rescue.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

The Clone Wars so far has been a series of appetizers, but with the Nightsisters Arc (3.12–14) we’re getting filet mignon, baybee! As Assajj and her witchy sisters plan vengeance on Count Dooku, we’re introduced to Anna’s big sad baby, Savage Opress — and then things get spooky, y’all. We talk about Star Wars steroids, the Rule of Two, identity erasure, unexplainable magic, and the moment when female power meets manipulation. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re getting even darker with the Mortis arc: The Clone Wars 3.15–3.17, “Overlords,” “Altar of Mortis,” and “Ghosts of Mortis.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

Lieutenant Divo is back on the case in “Senate Murders” (The Clone Wars 2.15) — and so is Action Padmé! As Padmé struggles to maintain her political leverage against the clone-troop bill, she’s beset on all sides by the creepiest of the Galactic Senators. Friends become enemies! Enemies become…non-enemies! (Because they’re dead.) And the question of whether the Clone Wars will continue hangs in the balance. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re getting dark with the Nightsisters arc: The Clone Wars 3.12–3.14, “Nightsisters,” “Monster,” and “Witches of the Mist.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message

We’ve got war and war profiteering on the mind during our recap of the Funding the War arc (The Clone Wars Season 3.11–12, “Heroes on Both Sides” and “Pursuit of Peace”). Padmé and Ahsoka take a field trip to Raxus to broker peace with the Separatists, Ahsoka meets a boy, and Bail Organa continues to be the best. There is murder! There are speeches! There is creative accounting! And there is perhaps the best political reckoning of war in the Star Wars universe so far. Watching along with us? Next week, we’re finishing the question of funding the war in “Senate Murders” (The Clone Wars 2.15). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growingupskywalker/message