Din Djarin visits Tatooine on Boonta Eve and all he got was this lousy droid with a bad motivator. Grogu learns where he is in the universe just in the nick of time. Time stands still on Mandalore (thankfully) and a creepy tick droid tries sucking the life right out of our hero. Bo-Katan saves the day and probably deserves the Darksaber, but she'll let her new boyfriend hold it for now. Yeah, I said it... If you thought you'd never see myths come to life, well, you didn't count on seeing what yo...
Mar 08, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 114
Last time, on The Mandalorian... Well, LUKE showed up for one. For those in the know, Din Djarin and Grogu got the band back together in the "offseason" which was actually the end of The Book of Boba Fett's season. I'm not talking post-credit scenes, either. There are purgill and space gators and monkey lizards and bat things and maybe even convors. Protocol droids abound. Anzellans steal screen time and Greef Karga makes his best pitch for a lawman even though he's still quick on the draw. A mo...
Mar 05, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 113
It's back! They're back! Convors and Purgills, oh my! Anzellan cuteness! Why did Din Djarin go to Bo-Katan before Tatooine? What's the deal with Greef Karga? Why is there always a pirate problem? Who is Ragnar's daddy and what does he do? Is Grogu going to become a great pilot? Where can we get our hands on some Mandalore glass? We expect to have first thoughts podcasts available each Wednesday, just like this, and then a recap and discussion podcast by the weekend, and then, if we've got some f...
Mar 01, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 112
This is the Way Podcast was developed specifically for the very first Disney Plus Star Wars show. We were fans well before we spotted "The Child" at the end of the first episode. The trailers that had been coming out for season one got Steve to ask everyone and anyone if they wanted to join him in discussing the show. It was an amazing and fun season. Season two came and Favreau and Filoni built on a solid foundation of Star Wars. The finale brought people to their feet and tears of joy to their...
Feb 28, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 111
More Star Wars news, more often. Now that's a slogan I haven't heard in a long time. A LONG time. That's from a West Texas television station the host once worked at and was number one until he left. This is the Way Podcast doesn't bear any resemblance to that workplace. Steve Loscalzo discusses The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Acolyte and more in episode 110. There are a couple of news items for gamers, some for collectors, and of course, a check in with Disney Parks news. This is th...
Feb 20, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 110
Steve has been watching season two of The Bad Batch weekly on Disney Plus, but you may have noticed there aren't any recap and discussion episodes of the podcast. That's how This is the Way Podcast did things during the first season two years back and that's how it is going to be here in 2023. As an animated show, it's still entertaining and no less interesting as far as lore and canon is concerned, but with The Mandalorian season three approaching and coming off the fantastic set of episodes of...
Feb 14, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 109
It's #StarWarsPodcastDay2023 and we are observing it by interviewing a "friend of the show" and focusing on the good. Maybe there is a friend out there that feels just like you do about a galaxy, far, far away. This episode was commissioned for Star Wars Podcast Day 2023 which is being observed by more than 100 different podcasts by different creators about Star Wars topics on February 7th. We were part of the first one in 2021 and released an episode last year as well. This is the third time Th...
Feb 07, 2023•20 min•Season 3Ep. 108
New year, same news update format. That may either delight or frustrate you, but we started these news updates as a way to keep our podcast (and the name This is the Way Podcast) current between seasons of The Mandalorian. That's right, even this news update has roots in the "original" Star Wars Disney Plus show. Andor might have perfected the craft of storytelling Star Wars on streaming services, but Din Djarin and Grogu are still our favorites and while news of the show is sparse, we do have t...
Jan 18, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 107
Do you love The Mandalorian? Do you think you'd be a great co-host if you were just given a chance? Do you think you can commit to weekly show recaps and discussions with host and creator Steve? Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Wait, wrong IP. The Mandalorian's third season starts streaming on Disney Plus on March 1st which means This is the Way Podcast is gearing up for coverage. There's still two months of news updates and a first half recap of season two of The B...
Jan 17, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 106
The year is coming to a close and our last news update of 2022 isn't a long one. Instead of reviews like many other content creators, This is the Way Podcast will avoid rehashing the good and bad and stick to the simple stuff. All fans need to know is "what's next?" and that's The Bad Batch second season and a third season of The Mandalorian less than 60 days away. Video game news, notes collectors might want to know, and your usual round up of Disney Plus show updates are inside, but just like ...
Dec 31, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 105
It's been...a few weeks since the finale of Andor aired (or streamed, rather) on Disney Plus, but it's not production delays, real life problems, or anything of that nature which has our last reaction and discussion podcast of season one coming out so late. Part of it was planned (since This is the Way Podcast doesn't get access to early watches, we can't have a podcast ready to go before some of the other outlets) and part of it was a lack of desire since there isn't anything new coming until a...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 104
The end of November and the end of season one of Andor. 2022 coming to a close and the Christmas shopping season still underway. One Bob out and another Bob in, Ahsoka and Acolyte in production and season two of Andor shooting. Star Wars seems to be in good shape. We've got your usual video game and collector news items along with some thoughts about the production of Star Wars content post-Andor. There's one more episode to cover, the Andor finale, but rather than rush it, we're releasing our N...
Nov 30, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 103
This is the Way Podcast sometimes runs into production trouble. Host Steve Loscalzo is now a "one man show" and with family obligations, even thorough preparations, recording can be tricky. The podcast episode is still out before the finale. The episode is fantastic. The space battle between the Arrestor cruiser and the Fondor haulcraft might be one of the host's favorites. Ultimately, this is a "set up" episode for the finale, but the writing and acting is such high quality that it doesn't feel...
Nov 22, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 102
This is the Way Podcast's 101st episode is out on the third anniversary of the first ever post. A lot has happened since that preview of coverage of The Mandalorian. There's no real fanfare for this one. I didn't know what to expect on episode one, but now I've settled in to what it's like to podcast about a show I'm truly enjoying and if you're a listener, thank you! If you're not, well, then...you like reading the "show notes" I guess, huh? Episode 10 of Andor is a "capper" for what is really ...
Nov 13, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 101
It's This is the Way Podcast's 100th episode! Almost three years since the debut alongside Disney Plus and The Mandlorian, season one. No special episode or fireworks...just our reaction to the latest episode of Andor along with our recap of important scenes, shots, and any secrets we find and discussion with you, our listeners! Episode 9 is called Nobody's Listening! and at times that's how it feels to be a Star Wars podcaster. Plenty of people are watching Andor, but the last few Disney distri...
Nov 05, 2022•59 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Well, it was bound to happen. Episode 8, "Narkina 5" may have been the least enjoyable season finale of all the Star Wars episodes on Disney Plus. Except, it isn't the season finale. That's right! We get four more episodes after this one! Still, this might have actually been the weakest episode, but that's not really a dig against a show that has raised the bar for Star Wars television (or streaming, or whatever you call this new age of media we're getting off the airwaves). We see what prison l...
Oct 29, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 99
Is this show getting better each week? Announcement is the latest episode and since the writer only has this one episode, it's possible it's a standalone and not the first of a story arc, but something tells me we're going to continue with Keef's (Cassian's) incarceration, so we can call it part of the arc anyway. We thought tears would flow during The Eye last week, but Maarva delivers the gut punches, the I-S-B has some eyebrow raising developments, and it turns out you can't just avert your e...
Oct 25, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 98
It's October and Andor is halfway done. Somehow we've managed to still get a couple of news items out of it and as always, we keep tabs on collectors and gamers. It's the Disney Parks news that has us hoping someone manages to spark a rebellion. House of the Dragons and The Rings of Power both vacate the scene with season finales this month and that means Andor and Tales of the Jedi might get more eyes on screens. Star Wars content will always be king (emperor?) at This is the Way Podcast but we...
Oct 18, 2022•17 min•Season 2Ep. 97
Writing "chef's kiss" just isn't the same as emoting it. What a great set of episodes. Tony Gilroy teed things up with episodes one through three and Dan, his brother, really brought the rebellion home for us. Somehow, we also gained a little understanding for the people working in the Empire as well. Beehaz may actually be a terrible human being, but he's also trying to make his family happy and get them off Aldhani. Turns out his heart was really never into leaving the planet. The mission went...
Oct 17, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 96
The best keeps getting better, but we hear the commentary from fellow podcasters and fans about this being a slow burn. One prominent YouTuber even warned that a "slow burn" is fine as long as it doesn't turn into a "no burn" kind of show. I think next week is going to bring all the action we can handle emotionally. In the meantime, more set up, more characters filling out backstory, and more reasons to mourn the ones that won't make it off Aldhani with the credits. Who is Uncle Harlo? Is it Par...
Oct 11, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 95
Star Wars: Andor's first three episodes are a smashing success in the opinion of This is the Way Podcast. What would our show name have ended up being if this was the first Disney Plus Star Wars show instead of The Mandalorian? Showrunner Tony ("Toe pick!") Gilroy turned things over to his brother Dan ("The Man") and dialogue and action are still in good hands for the second trio of episodes, or so it would seem. Is there anyone Stellan Skarsgard couldn't act opposite and make it feel epic? Cass...
Oct 02, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Star Wars: Andor's first three episodes are already available and showrunner Tony ("Toe pick!") Gilroy set a high bar for shows in a galaxy far, far away. The dialogue is terrific and the acting has complimented it and the camera work and direction haven't gotten in the way. Will it be the best show from LucasFilm on Disney Plus? It's got a shot and that's saying something. Syril Karn and Timm Karlo could have been buddies in a different life. Maybe even closer than that, like mortal enemies? In...
Sep 23, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Star Wars: Andor "went live" with three episodes on September 21st, 2022, but instead of covering all of them at once and consuming all of them at once, host Steve Loscalzo decided to cover each episode one at a time, one a day. Three episodes in one day is a lot to handle! It's a great show so far, so that's made the work more enjoyable. It helps when the writing and acting has been superb and in the second episode, there is no sophomore slump, even though the pacing is slow. This was designed ...
Sep 22, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 92
It's here! The newest Star Wars show went live on the Disney Plus streaming service with three episodes (a complete story arc) on September 21, 2022. This podcast will cover the first episode and the first episode ONLY. In fact, Steve restricted himself to watching just the first episode to make it easier to compartmentalize each part of the story. What a story! Tony Gilroy does not disappoint in his showrunning and script. It's clear that it's a welcome departure from some of the terrible writi...
Sep 22, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Early September saw a Disney Plus Day and a D23 expo and yet, news is light. Also, we're at the point where we don't even feel like mentioning when shows will stream anymore, because Disney's "non-announcement announcement" policy is so bad, they must use disappearing ink. In a month where dragons and magic rings are dominating the streaming platforms, we get a really cool show before the movie with Andor (as a lead up to Rogue One). The clips thus far have been fantastic and I trust Tony Gilroy...
Sep 15, 2022•15 min•Season 2Ep. 90
August has 31 days, but it sure felt short on news. Nevertheless, the podcast must go on...because...um... Nothing much happened this month according to Disney, but that's because they decided to get sneaky. If LucasFilm doesn't announce the change, can you hear a redwood fall at Skywalker Ranch? I grow tired of the way things are being handled, both at the parks an on the small screen. This month there is a note about Han's blaster, stuff about Knights of the Old Republic and KOTOR II, and Ando...
Sep 01, 2022•12 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Ah, vacation. It's been nice; enjoying nature and experiencing summer somewhere other than in 95 degree heat and 70% humidity all the time. Now that's we are back at the rebel base, we wanted to collect some thoughts about recent "news" (if you can call it that) and get in the mental space preparing for Andor AND The Bad Batch, season two. I hope this episode is the first and last time I ever recommend AGAINST reading or giving business to Star Wars, but Disney better stop with the agenda or I'm...
Jul 30, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 88
I’m not sure news from Star Wars: Celebration in Anaheim way back in May constitutes news in late June. As it was, we planned for the eventuality that all our “news” would no longer be new by the time we finished our double podcast episode treatments of each Obi-Wan Kenobi series episode. It’s a function of releasing mid-month which is the best time for This is the Way Podcast to produce the news updates. Forgive us if we resort to a rundown of the upcoming schedule and a “hot off the press” Dis...
Jul 01, 2022•7 min•Season 2Ep. 87
All six episodes of the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series are available now on Disney Plus. Bottom line: does This is the Way Podcast recommend watching? OF COURSE. It’s STAR WARS. Is it GOOD Star Wars? Eh. It’s not awful, but that’s not a glowing recommendation, now, is it? There were plot problems throughout the show. Some resolved, but the resolutions weren’t skillful craft by the writers. In some cases, it was the sheer knowledge that some things could not change that kept the show on the rails....
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 86
I've seen things like "Finally! An episode that lives up to the hype!" and "Obi-Wan Kenobi can't deliver in the finale" and "Obi-Wan ultimately wasn't even about Obi-Wan" and I think the answer lies in the point of view. If you loved Reva, you probably love her underdeveloped arc. If you love Vader, you probably love how he's still obsessed with his master, but still shows great skill with a saber, metal legs and all. If you love Luke, well, you're probably disappointed with Disney's sly little ...
Jun 25, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 85
