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Darth Maul. The Shadow. Shadow Lord. And after a while…just Maul. He’s got names for days and a story that spans galactic history. Who is he? What does he want? And what’s his story? In preparation for Maul: Shadow Lord, we watched every single movie and TV show Maul appears in, in chronological order, and bring you our thoughts on his arc. Themes of revenge and rebirth sweep across his epic journey.  Maul’s tale is a dark, spare, and thrilling way to cover Star Wars’ greatest hits. Join us! Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:03:20 Highlights of the Darth Maul Story 00:08:06 Revenge 00:15:13 Rebirth 00:20:29 Thrawn vs. Maul 00:41:07 New Ground to Cover 00:48:38 Bae Watch 00:55:36 Closing Thoughts Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

It’s Thrawn versus the New Republic. Who will triumph? We don’t find out in Ahsoka’s Season 1 Finale, that’s for sure. “The Jedi, The Witch, and The Warlord” is more concerned with rematches, sacrifices, callbacks, and deep lore—not hard and fast answers. Instead, we discuss the Mortis gods, ronin Jedi, and Morgan Elsbeth’s great tragedy. Next week, we’re departing from our usual programming to bring you a Maul Retrospective advance of “Maul—Shadow Lord.” And then we’re going on our long-delayed honeymoon, so you won’t hear from us for a few weeks. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:02:03 Plot Summary 00:11:29 Ronin Jedi 00:21:42 Baylan and the Mortis Gods 00:33:41 Thrawn vs. New Republic 00:47:05 Morgan Elsbeth’s Tragedy 00:55:54 Bae Watch 01:02:09 Closing Thoughts Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!

Hera’s in the hotseat and the wolves are closing in during Ahsoka’s seventh episode, “Dreams and Madness.” But who has the upper hand, really? This week, we talk through the opposing forces on Peridea and how they are represented by Nature vs. Industrialism. Tragically, Thrawn appears capable of straddling both sides. We also cover the conflicts at the heart of “Ahsoka.” From the Baylan-Shin relationship to Ahsoka's Force call to Sabine, there is a lot to inspect. But as the sweeping vistas and stunning fights rise to a climax, so too do we, and we’re chomping at the bit for the finale next week! Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content!  Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:01:46 Plot Summary 00:08:38 Nature vs. Industrialism 00:16:51 Baylan and Shin, Parted Forever? 00:35:38 Ahsoka’s Lightsaber Form 00:47:39 Hera and Xiono 00:56:34 Bae Watch 01:00:42 Closing Thoughts

Well, we have arrived. Peridea, perdition, madness, dreams. Nightsisters. And blue guys. And the prodigal son himself, Ezra Bridger. In a galaxy "Far Far Away" (coincidentally, this is also the title of Ahsoka’s sixth episode), we have an opportunity to parse the cultishness of Thrawn’s remaining forces, who have wound themselves with Nightsister ribbons and become reborn as Night Troopers. We dissect Baylan Skoll’s grand plan to end the galactic order, talk through Ezra’s return, and sing the praises of Ahsoka—a love letter for deep fans. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:02:54 Plot Summary 00:10:02 Night Troopers and the Cult of Thrawn 00:19:48 Baylan Skoll’s Grand Plan 00:29:40 Ezra!! 00:54:06 Ahsoka Is For The Fans 00:58:50 Bae Watch 01:07:36 Closing Thoughts

The trick to falling off a cliff while losing a fight? Face your past, greet your long-dead master, and become the person you were always meant to be. Our discussion of Ahsoka’s fifth installment, “Shadow Warrior,” centers on the Jedi Trials, the Hero’s Journey, and Ahsoka’s profound self-growth. Her rebirth into Ahsoka the White and a dreamy purrgil Force connection scene make this one of the most majestic chapters in her journey so far—and there’s still plenty more to come. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:02:01 Plot Summary 00:06:26 Ahsoka’s Pacing 00:09:23 Ahsoka’s Jedi Trials 00:32:00 Ahsoka’s Hero’s Journey 00:43:24 Jacen Syndulla, Baby Force User At Large 00:56:54 Bae Watch 01:05:28 Closing Thoughts

“Stick together,” says local long-suffering robot. Spoiler alert—they did not stick together.  In Ahsoka’s fourth episode, “Fallen Jedi,” a cascade of escalating duels marks the most impactful episode of the series so far. And when the unprepared (Ahsoka, Sabine) meet the prepared (Baylan, Morgan, Shin), things go bad VERY quickly. This week, we discuss the motivations of our Antagonists, as well as the spiritual implications of the live-action debut of the World Between Worlds. And the specter of the Spectres also plays a major role, diving into Sabine's personal tragedies and how she came to be who she is. With a heck of a cliffhanger and more questions than answers, we are quickly approaching the climax of Ahsoka Season 1! Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:03:45 Plot Summary 00:11:00 Huyang and the Duels 00:23:00 Motivations for the Baddies 00:36:07 The World Between Worlds 00:46:28 Sabine and Family 00:59:54 Bae Watch 01:07:00 Closing Thoughts

What a banger! What a bop! Ahsoka’s third episode, “Time to Fly,” isn’t just a visual and auditory delight—it also reframes what it means to be Force-sensitive. In our discussion, we parse the ways that Force sensitivity has been treated across Star Wars, from the “anyone could be a Jedi!” spirit of the original trilogy to the introduction of midichlorians. With this episode, Star Wars seems to strike a subtle balance between the two that opens up new realms of possibility. We also talk about Hera being a woman in the workforce, Sabine’s lineage of unconventional Jedi masters, and PURRGIL! 3 New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:01:52 Plot Summary 00:07:08 Force Aptitude vs. Disciple and Training 00:16:45 Unconventional Jedi Masters 00:42:25 Hera’s Cabinet Confrontation and Women in Leadership 00:54:12 Bae Watch 01:00:47 Closing Thoughts

Double double…We’ve got two master/apprentice pairs mixing up all kinds of mischief in Ahsoka’s second installment, “Toil and Trouble.” As a show, Ahsoka is not catering to newbies. And this episode, we’re diving into the deep lore of Darths (Revan, Traya, and Sion) and galaxies (the Star Wars galaxy, and one that is yet to be named). We’re also spending a LOT of time on this show’s fascinating baddies. Thrawn lingers over the galaxy, calling out over space and time, even as Ahsoka is drawn back into the life of the Spectres, and Sabine faces up to her own shortcomings. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:03:36 Plot Summary 00:10:50 Deep Lore of Darths and Galaxies 00:24:56 The Baddies 00:43:27 Ahsoka, Sabine, and the Spectres 00:55:20 Bae Watch 01:02:24 Closing Thoughts

Not all villains are this impeccably dressed. But Ahsoka introduces some incredibly dapper baddies. In “Part One: Master and Apprentice,” we catch up with General Syndulla (busy AF), Sabine Wren (lost and traumatized), and Ahsoka Tano (just too competent for her own good).  But EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, we meet Baylan Skoll, Shin Hati, and a slightly snarkier Morgan Elsbeth. They look great. And they symbolize the threat of rising fascism across the galaxy. Ahsoka’s Season 1 premiere reintroduces us to the Spectres—no longer the happy family of Rebels—and plants the seeds for a galaxy-hopping, world-between-worlds-spanning story. We’re just happy to be here. And hoping Zeb shows up sometime soon. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!)

We did it! We finished The Mandalorian! Not just the finale, but the first and second epilogue too! The action-packed conclusion to The Mandalorian brought laughs, drama, and really closed the loop on the themes of the whole series. We compare two big bads of the empire, Moff Gideon and Grand Admiral Thrawn; and worry about how we still don't know where Big Blue is (or what nefariousness he's up to). We also talk about the future of Mandalore as defined by its past and by its potential. Next week, our Ahsoka coverage begins with Ahsoka Part 1: Master and Apprentice. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:02:33 Plot Summary 00:10:43 The Rise and Fall of Moff Gideon 00:27:24 Leading Into Ahsoka Season 1 00:35:06 How Will Mandalore Move Forward? 00:51:54 Bae Watch 01:00:41 Closing Thoughts

“The Spies” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 23) presents a real good news/bad news situation for the Mandalorians. The good news: Mandalore is habitable! The tribes have united! There are only a few terrible megafauna left to terrorize the planet!The bad news: The Imperial remnants have formed a Shadow Council following up on allllllll of their predecessors’ special interests, and Moff Gideon is angling to be their boss.This week, we’re talking through the good (the Child piloting IG-11’s corpse) as well as the bad and ugly (the rise of fascism throughout the galaxy once more). Our heroes have their work cut out for them. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:01:58 Plot Summary 00:11:27 Scaling Up Fascism (Again) 00:26:55 Jewish Diaspora and Native American Colonization 00:39:27 Project Necromancer (Back Again) 00:51:36 Bae Watch 01:01:47 Closing Thoughts

Is Plazir-15 a fully automated, luxury gay space utopia? More importantly, is it the first solarpunk Star Wars community?? In the Mandalorian’s Chapter 22, “Guns For Hire,” we parse the depth and breadth of droid rights while we try to figure out if Plazir-15 (ruled over by Duchess Lizzo and Captain Jack Black Bombardier) actually is the yogurt commercial utopia of our dreams. We also get mad Clone Wars callbacks to the Mon Calamari civil war, film noir detective stories, and roger-roger battle droids. The best part is getting to question our own beliefs about the meaning of work and what it takes to achieve self-actualization. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:02:36 Plot Summary 00:12:05 Three Romantic Entanglements 00:20:25 Is Plazir-15 A Solarpunk Utopia? Also Droid Rights 00:54:09 Bae Watch 00:59:28 Closing Thoughts

How much does independence from the New Republic matter to you when you’re being shelled by sentient algae/pirate king Gorian Shard? That’s the question Greef Karga and all of Nevarro have to answer this week in The Mandalorian, Chapter 21: “The Pirate.” We ask how societies in Star Wars thread the needle between bureaucracy and independence, especially when your government might be filled with secret fascists. We also gush over New Republic pilot bars (!) and 7-foot tall returning fan favorite characters (!!!) filled with Rebels callbacks. This week's episode takes the Mandalorian’s penchant for action and crashes it up against the looming threat outside the New Republic. Join us in feeling uneasy! New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:01:46 Plot Summary 00:12:36 Bureaucracy and Independence in the Outer Rim 00:30:24 Bo-Katan’s New Job 00:37:54 The Rise of the New Order 00:44:37 Zeb Lives! 00:53:43 Bae Watch 01:01:30 Closing Thoughts

So we agree, Ahmed Best is the best? This week, we’re recapping the mythology-filled midpoint of the Mandalorian’s third season, “The Foundling” (Chapter 20). We parse the effects of Mandalorian myth, legend, and custom on the Children of the Watch’s community. We wonder whether Bo-Katan will stay, and where Kelleran Beq went. And we ask the real heavy-hitting questions about having sons and daughters when you belong to a society where no one takes their helmets off. New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:03:13 Plot Summary 00:12:46 Mandalorian Mythology and Society 00:37:38 Bo-Katan and the Cult 00:45:02 Ahmed Best is the Best 00:56:12 Bae Watch 01:01:08 Closing Thoughts

It doesn’t get more packed than this plot-filled sandwich. The Mandalorian’s nineteenth chapter, “The Convert,” takes us through two action-packed plotlines: Bo-Katan and Din Djarin’s acceptance into the Children of the Watch, and Dr. Pershing’s struggle to assimilate into the New Republic. We dive DEEP into World War Two-era denazification programs as we parse Dr. Pershing’s journey, asking how the New Republic’s approach differed from the Allied Power’s and how AI might have been the ultimate reason for Dr. Pershing’s failure. We also ask a big question about Bo-Katan’s conversion to the Children of the Watch: Was Din Djarin her honeypot? New to Growing Up Skywalker? Come join us for non-toxic Star Wars recaps from a veteran and a new fan. New episodes every Tuesday. Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! (Visions S3 content is ongoing!) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Who Are We? 00:01:51 Plot Summary 00:09:40 Dr. Pershing and Denazification 00:33:42 Project Necromancer Redux  00:40:50 Is Din Djarin A Honeypot Too? 00:53:28 Bae Watch 01:04:06 Closing Thoughts