Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
It’s nothing short of a crying shame when a good comic comes to an end but Kanan #12 by Greg Weisman and Andrea Broccardo is a well written finale that not only lets the book go out with not only a bang but includes a fantastic character appearance.
Spoilers after the jump. Continue reading
In the interest of full disclosure, former ForceCast hosts Saf and Megan are contributors here at Tosche Station by way of hosting Western Reaches, one of our network’s podcasts. Because of that, I don’t want to speculate on any motivations as to why things unfolded the way they did. I want to cover the timeline of events as they unfolded as this has caused a tremendous amount of confusion among fandom. Additionally, I want to use the readily available information to pinpoint where things went wrong.
Logging this timeline gets tricky, because in addition to announcing the end of the ForceCast, all of the shows social media touchpoints were deactivated. Still, this is important to write down and have a history of. The ForceCast was one of the most important fandom touchpoints in not just Star Wars fandom, but all of genre entertainment. As such, there’s a need to document what led to its demise.
Ed. note 3/14: There’s been (understandably, I might add) some confusion over how this post was written. This post is broken down largely into two sections, a recap of the events and a post mortem analyzing why those events happened. The first section contains posts, tweets, images, and verbiage from the actors involved. The post mortem are my thoughts.
Perhaps better than any other Star Wars film so far, the lightsaber duels in The Force Awakens tell a story and establish who the characters are in that moment. Only the duel between Luke and Vader in Return of the Jedi even comes close to telling this sort of tale via clashing blades. At first glance, the duel between first Kylo Ren and Finn and then Kylo Ren and Rey is brutal and it doesn’t get any less brutal after repeat viewings. Gone is the elegance of the Prequel Trilogy and with good reason. Kylo Ren doesn’t have the benefit of training with a Jedi Order who has perfected the weapon over millennia and Finn and Rey have never even held a lightsaber before that day. Every swing of a saber has meaning and you don’t need to have seen a single other frame of the film to get what sort of people these three characters are.
Finn has the least training with these sorts of weapons and it shows. He gets in a few good blows but it comes off as more beginner’s luck combined with a Kylo who is far from being at his best. (More on that last part later.) With any sort of sword fighting, a raw beginning can sometimes have more luck than someone who has trained, as they do not react in a way that is expected. In other words, someone who has even basic training will be more likely to attack and block in a way that utilizes more standard stances and responses that will be easier for someone else with even more training to counter. Unfortunately, it’s just not quite enough to help Finn last more than a few minutes despite his determination to help his friend.
Kylo Ren’s responding actions speak louder than any words could. He doesn’t take Finn as a serious threat. A traitor? Sure but he’s clearly familiar enough with Hux’s training program to know that there’s no way FN-2187 knows enough to be more than a nuisance and it shows. He toys with Finn especially at the start, dodging some of Finn’s more wild swings with a distinctive ease and even knocking him to the ground and turning away instead of pressing his advantage and ending it. Turning your back to an enemy is an insult. It’s not until Finn lands a blow that actually hurts him that Kylo steps up his game and decides to end the fight now. This time, he’s not content with disarming Finn and follows it up with an injury that ensures the former stormtrooper will stay down.
Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca are back with the next installment in the Darth Vader as the book takes its turn as a political maneuvering story. Or rather, it’s a story with political maneuvering and a wrench called Vader in the middle. Despite his history with Shu-Torun and Queen Trios, Vader doesn’t really care about the planet and its unique political system. He’s more concerned with making sure it remains loyal to the Empire and that he gets the job done. Everyone is working around him towards their own goals with varying levels of success.
Today… today is a big day. So let’s start by me providing you with a soundtrack and then we’ll start the last ever gif review for the ever amazing Kanan comic by Greg Weisman and Pepe Larraz.
Let’s do this. Continue reading
Rebels this week was kind of perfect. Actually, I feel pretty comfortable saying that this was by far my favorite episode since the show started up again in October. When it becomes clear that Hera’s Phoenix Squadron needs an Imperial carrier, she’s forced to contact her estranged father Cham Syndulla and ask for his help. Things, however, don’t exactly go as planned. (This is Star Wars. When do things ever go as planned?)
Wings of the Master was great but this was the Hera episode I’ve been waiting for since I read A New Dawn. We finally get those missing pieces of her backstory that, when put together with the rest of Rebels and the books, help us really understand who she is. This is her time to shine. Honestly, the only thing that could have made this episode more perfect is if we’d finally gotten to see our Space Married favorites kiss on screen and what we got was almost just as good. Obviously this episode is a great Hera spotlight but we also get to see a completely different side of Kanan as he both fanboys over the great General Syndulla and is totally nervous about meeting Hera’s father and making a good impression. (I’m with you, FPJ. They very obviously have feelings for one another.) They’re Space Married. So. Freaking. Space Married.
But back to Hera. While one could argue that it’s the culmination of everything we’ve seen so far, Homecoming gave us so much about Hera Syndulla that made her feel like a real person with flaws to balance her strengths. Homecoming (with an assist from last week’s Space Whale episode) helps take her further out of the occasionally restrictive Space Mom trope and really let her shine as her own person. Homecoming defines Hera in her own terms and not by her relations to other people on the Ghost or by her strained relationship with her father.
It’s impossible to discuss this episode without giving Vanessa Marshall all of the applause. Hera had been relatively unique in that she spoke with an American accent instead of the usual French one that most of the twi’leks have. Turns out there was a very good story reason for that and fans got to hear her slide back into a French accent during a very heated argument with her father. It’s something that undoubtedly rings true with a lot of fans, myself included. Intense emotions and family have a way of making even the most practiced person slip back into the vocal tendencies of their youth. Marshall’s performance, especially in that scene, was flawless.
Another part of what really made this episode so strong was that it featured the entire crew. This has been a show that has reinforced the importance of found family and it tends to be at its best when it consistently shows them working together even when one character takes the spotlight for a little bit. Even though this was clearly Hera’s time, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb still had their little moments. No one was forgotten or conveniently written into a coma.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go watch this episode another twenty times and hope that maybe this time, Hera and Kanan will actually kiss. #SpaceMarried
It feels like it’s been ages since we last saw our heroes so Star Wars #16 by Jason Aaron and Leinil Yu is a welcome return to the Rebel Alliance. While Han and Luke are off making poor life decisions with the Rebellion’s money, the ladies have far more pressing matters at hand.
How great is it that Sana Starros isn’t just a one-arc character but is instead returning in this issue? Actually, how great is it period that the majority of this issue revolves around Leia, Sana, and Aphra? The Han and Luke parts are fine but I could have been perfectly happy with an issue or even an entire arc focused just on the women. Unsurprisingly, Aphra is not going quietly into the night even though she’s been captured. While I continue to be very concerned about her safety and continued living (looking at you, Darth Vader,) I love that this issue shows that she hasn’t lost any of her fire. Leia has an interesting line about how the Empire will scour the galaxy for her which may seem innocuous but shows how much the Rebels don’t know about Aphra and Vader’s side project.
Speaking of Leia, the interactions between her and Sana build wonderfully upon when we last saw them on Nar Shaddaa. They may not be friends but they can work together towards a common goal and really not give a crap about Han Solo. In fact, it’s rather refreshing that he never really even comes up in their conversation. At the same time, it’s going to be interesting to watch and see where her story goes. Will she also go for being in it for the money to actually actively supporting the Rebellion or will the payday always be her driving force?
Both on-goings are moving along nicely from the aftermath of Vader Down and Star Wars #16 definitely gets a recommendation from me.
The Official Site announced today that Star Wars Episode VIII has officially begun production.
Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.
Emphasis added. We had heard that Benicio Del Toro was in the running for a role in the film, but I believe this is the first we’ve hard of Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran’s attachment.
To assist with the hype, a teaser video was also released with the announcement.
Have we all recovered from Vader Down yet? No? It’s okay, me neither. This week, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca take us on a brand new adventure to the planet Shu-Torun where the ore barons are rebelling and being very inconvenient for the Empire. Who else would the Emperor dispatch to deal with the situation but Darth Vader?
While it’s probably not completely mandatory, I strongly suggest picking up and reading the Darth Vader Annual before delving into this arc as it provides all of the backstory. The dynamics between Vader and Queen Trios are what really make this issue stand out to me. In a way, it’s like a mirror to the dynamic between Vader and Palpatine in that you have an individual who is used to having power and to having their orders obeyed who is then faced with a stronger individual that they must defer to. I’m curious to see how far it’s taken and how far Trios and Vader can push each other before one of them snaps.
The shift from Skywalkers to royalty is certainly a welcome one at this point in the series. It’s a nice change of pace in the book’s second year before that storyline became stale. Plus, Shu-Torun also gives the creative team a chance to expand the universe and create another monarchy for a particular brand of Star Wars nerd to geek out of.
Of course, this review wouldn’t be complete without expressing A LOT OF CONCERN IN REGARDS TO THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF DOCTOR APHRA. (I’ve got my eye on you, Gillen. I’ve read too many of your comics to think she’s safe!)
Oh and also? The cover of this issue by Mark Brooks along with the one teased at the end of the issue is drop death gorgeous.
Darth Vader #16 is a worthwhile follow up to Vader Down and I’m excited to see where the story goes!
Millicent the Cat
Despite dozens of people saying otherwise, the theory that Snoke is actually Darth Plagueis continues to live on even though so many of us wish it would just die. Fear not! I come before you with a new theory… one far younger and more powerful. Per interviews with Andy Serkis, we know that Snoke is actually a brand new character for the Sequel Trilogy. Thus far, most of the Snoke Theories have ignored this.
Star Wars fans were recently alerted to the existence of a new character this weekend… Millicent the Cat. Millicent is a bit of an oddity. Not only does she belong to General Hux but she also has a litter box in Kylo Ren’s torture room. This is no mere kitty. She is Millicent, Daughter of… some other cat. You owe her your allegiance. Therefore, I feel that it is my obligation and my sworn duty to present to you a theory backed by what I consider to be irrefutable evidence: Snoke is actually Millicent the Cat.
Fact: No one has ever seen Millicent and Snoke in the same room.
This is indisputable. Throughout the entire film, Snoke and Millicent the Cat never appear in frame together. Now, of course, one might argue that Millicent never appears in The Force Awakens period but that certainly does not take away from the fact that you never see them together. There’s definitely a reason why.
Fact: We’ve only see Snoke as a hologram.
Millicent is one smart kitty. She knew that she’d never have a chance for galactic domination as herself so she found another plan of action. The giant Snoke hologram on a throne is merely a digital projection created entirely by computers that Millicent is clearly controlling. (Pay no attention to the cat behind the curtain.)
Fact: Cats are assholes. Just like Snoke.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a cat, when given the opportunity, must be in want of being an asshole. What could be more asshole-ish than corrupting a kid to the dark side and encouraging him to kill his father?
Fact: Kylo Ren puts his helmet in Millicent’s litterbox.
Do you think the Master of the Knights of Ren would put his helmet just anywhere? Of course not. Obviously Millicent is no mere cat and Kylo should feel lucky to temporarily place his helmet where Millicent’s *ahem* business also goes. And honestly, do you think that any mere cat, even one owned by General Hux, would have a litterbox in such an important place? (Although I suppose there’s room for an argument that this is just another way for Millicent-Snoke to exert her dominance over Kylo.)
Fact: Neither Hux nor Kylo appear to have any cat hair on them.
As anyone who owns a pet or has spent any time around hairy mammals can tell you, this is impossible. I don’t care how many lint rollers you have or how religiously you use one, some hair will always escape your efforts. Millicent must have supernatural powers if she’s able to keep her two humans and their very dark clothing from perpetually having orange hair on it.
Fact: Snoke intends to complete Kylo Ren’s training.
This entire line is a bit of misdirection on Millicent’s part. She orders Hux to go collect Ren from the blood and snow heap because she wants her humans in one piece but she also tells them to come to her. She doesn’t want to let them on the secret just yet so this is her keeping up the charade. The hologram can still be used wherever Hux and Ren have to go. She’s clearly very serious about training Ren though. His temper tantrums keep destroying computer consoles and do you know what warm and lovely spots those are for sleeping? Especially in freezing cold space? He must be trained to stop such destruction. Plus, every credit redirected towards repairs is another credit that won’t be buying her treats or catnip which is just rude.
Fact: Supreme Leader is exactly the smug sort of title a cat would come up with.
“Emperor” is just so three decades ago. Also, Supreme Leader is gender neutral and Millicent is all about gender equality. Species equality will be at the top of her list once she achieves galactic domination.
You may laugh but prepare yourself to be astounded and amazed when this theory is revealed as fact in Episode VIII or Episode IX. Or perhaps Pablo’s Twitter. The ramifications of something like this may be too dangerous and blow theatregoers’ minds if seen on the big screen. Just wait.
Hail Supreme Leader Millicent!
Art by coattailsofdoom on tumblr. That is the face of a cat with an evil plan and a mission.