Ahsoka has just one episode left after Dreams and Madness, Part VII. Remember the days when seasons were something like 20-25 episodes long? Back then, there were cliffhangers and you might have had to wait six months to see a thrilling conclusion. Six months? Now we wait years and get half finished plotlines instead of cliffhangers because the story teams haven't figured out how many years they can squeeze out of an idea. I sound a little bitter, right? It's hard not to be when you keep telling...
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Is the strike over? Will we get new (Star Wars) series (on Disney Plus) soon? We may or may not, but Ahsoka is almost over and just last month we talked about how great the first couple episodes ended up being. With the advent of the 8 episode season that has pretty much become an industry standard, a lot needs to happen early or people won't even get past the first half. Strike news, Ahsoka news, video games, collectibles, and even a note about Star Tours getting an update. Slow month, Septembe...
Sep 26, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 143
Ahsoka is back from "The World Between Worlds" and now "far, far away" in a brand new galaxy....that looks a lot like the old one we know so well. I don't think Lucasfilm and Disney were intending to start from scratch and introduce new concepts and yes, we've got new aliens and new planets, but as Baylan seems to say, Star Wars is a tale like our own history. It's going to repeat again, and again, and again... Far, Far Away is either giving us a lot to think about or tricking us into thinking w...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 142
Ahsoka starts the second half of season one with a blast from the past we never got to see and Ahsoka doesn't even give Anakin a big hug. Seriously, if you got to not just remember, but re-experience the past with someone you miss, would you whine and complain about learning lessons right away? No wonder she got her nickname for being snippy. The World Between Worlds operates completely differently each time someone seems to visit, as does the way in and the way out. Who needs consistency when y...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 141
Ahsoka reaches the halfway point of the season by visiting the "World Between Worlds" introduced in the animated series, Rebels . If you had that on your bingo card, congratulations. It's not that odds weren't great that Dave Filoni would take his creation to another time and space...err, place, but animation doesn't always translate well to live action. I suppose we've already crossed that stream, haven't we? Ahsoka wins one fight and loses another because she burns her hand with a power-filled...
Sep 11, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Ahsoka doesn't have to be serious to be a good show. I mean, the character sure has been acting serious and crossing her arms a lot, but Star Wars fans don't need everything to make perfect sense to enjoy it. It sure would help if the writing of the show was top level. What will be next for the show? That's hard to guess. Will Hera enlist a pirate or Maz Kanata since the Senate is so stingy? Will Ahsoka wipe out these "other" Jedi or will there be no finale to the fighting? Is discovering Thrawn...
Sep 02, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 139
Hurricane Idalia is out in the Gulf of Mexico, but the month ends this week, so it's news update time for us at This is the Way Podcast headquarters. There isn't much news, other than Ahsoka's first week, an Andor "easter egg" and Skeleton Crew operating with a skeleton crew in Hollywood. There's video game news and collectors have a couple notes and a certain Disney Plus show is promoting itself with a character at Galaxy's Edge (in California only, so far). We'll watch the weather, you listen ...
Aug 29, 2023•12 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Ahsoka's first episode set a tone and the second continued the theme. She's looking for Thrawn...oh, and Ezra, too. Hera and Sabine couldn't care less about the bad guys. They just want their friend back. Huyang is trying to preserve his circuitry while Chopper cares very little for collateral damage on Corellia. Baylan seems like the most interesting man in the galaxy and that's based on more than looks. Elsbeth dips her finger into witchcraft in the episode and Marrok shows off HIS lightsaber ...
Aug 28, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 137
Ahsoka feels like she's been around since the beginning even though her first appearance in Star Wars came this century and not a long time ago in a galaxy...oh you know. Since she became Anakin's padawan, she's been reviled and revisited as a Rebel and now, revered with a live action series of her own. It might be the most successful introduction to Star Wars canon since the prequels to the hearts of fans, at least of any character not named Grogu. The series premiere certainly isn't fan servic...
Aug 24, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 136
This is the Way Podcast was developed specifically for the very first Disney Plus Star Wars show, but my, how it has grown. Three seasons of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, animated series, and monthly Star Wars news. Now, in August of 2023, we're getting another live action entry: Ahsoka. The character has grown on the fandom from a canon breaking annoyance to a well developed and well loved icon that fleshes out Anakin in a way we might not even have realized was...
Aug 21, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 135
Steve finished watching the second half of season two of The Bad Batch a long time ago, but in a galaxy not so far away. As an animated show, it has to stand up to Rebels and even The Clone Wars and sometimes, well, it doesn't match the quality. Whether it's the story or the writing is up for debate, but it must be a challenge to tie together different shows in a meaningful way and please most of your fans. Season two's second half isn't all bad, but it's not mostly good, either. If a podcaster ...
Aug 15, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 134
Summer is in full sweat in the south, but San Diego Comic Con had most of the cool Star Wars news for the month. The guild strikes in Hollywood put a lot of coming content into question, but Ahsoka is close enough to the end of the production line to probably be safe for it's intended release. Shooting schedules are paused and actors and writers are less likely to market for an industry they feel is leaving them in a lurch over streaming royalties. It's the perfect time to catch up with collecti...
Jul 28, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 133
This is the Way we handle podcasts in the summer...sometimes. The middle of the year last year was cooled off by the chilly reception some people gave Obi-Wan Kenobi (the series, not the character). This spring, The Mandalorian (again, series, not characters) didn't exactly heat things up...unless you were Moff Gideon I guess. That's why the Disney Gallery behind-the-scenes look at season three of The Mandalorian felt lukewarm at best. Well, there was no Luke, like there was for season two or ev...
Jun 30, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 132
Return of the Jedi has been "a thing" for forty years now. FORTY. YEARS. This is the Way Podcast endorses Episode VI as the height of original Star Wars. Yes, higher than Empire Strikes Back. Certainly not possible without the first movie and fourth episode, but it is unlikely that any movie will supplant "the one with the Sarlaac Pit, Ewoks, Yoda disappearing and Obi Wan on a log and the best finish ever with old Anakin force ghost and Yub nub on the forest moon. Deal with it. As usual there is...
May 31, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 131
There are special episodes and then there are episodes that are special. This is both! Wait. We said that last year. It's true...all of it. For "May the Fourth" in 2023, Steve interviews...his first daughter. Today was a short interview about what she thinks of Star Wars and how she doesn't enjoy the death and dying that--for better or worse--has been part of the Star Wars watching experience since the beginning. There is no right or wrong way to like Star Wars, after all. There are no trick que...
May 05, 2023•6 min•Season 3Ep. 130
The finale of the season could have served as a series finale, but The Mandalorian might be back to his bounty hunting ways if we do in fact get the season four that Jon Favreau says is written. Will it serve the function of the shelved Rangers of the New Republic? Many of those (scripts or at least ideas) may be turned into new Mando chapters. Wait a minute, this is season four talk...how about season three's finale? Bo-Katan decides going it alone won't work anymore. Axe Woves drives a ship on...
May 02, 2023•56 min
Return of the Jedi is back in theaters and April is drawing to a close. Before we get to May the Fourth, we need to discuss Star Wars Celebration and Disney's dastardly deeds at Reedy Creek. The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch wrapped up seasons and Visions gets ready for another. Ahsoka is on the way, but so is Andor, Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew. Survivor is out to play and as usual, collectors have reasons to hooray. Are you ready for May? What do you say? THIS IS THE WAY! Questions or comments? ...
Apr 29, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 128
If you wanted a lot of action without a lot of answers, you got it. I don't dislike the season three finale of The Mandalorian, but I wanted to LOVE it. It's...okay. After a week of theories on "The Spies" it turns out everyone was right and wrong. It didn't matter who was more suspect because in the end, they were all Mandalorian and "The Return" to the planet is complete. There will still be challenges ahead, but finally, THE FORGE AWAKENS. Why did Grogu take Din when that's not the naming con...
Apr 19, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 127
Theory talk is thriving on the internet this week as podcasters and fans try to sort through who are the spies to which "The Spies" refers...plural. Is The Armorer talking about the Way while secretly advancing the aims of the Empire? Is Axe Woves going for help or getting out of harm's way? Is Captain Bombardier so concerned with pleasure that Plazir-15 is now really just a waystation for Imperial trade? Are the survivors really surviving or did they trade their loyalty to the planet for peace?...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 126
No. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes... Lucasfilm and Disney really cannot give up Grogu. They should not. They probably WILL NOT. What could have come off as a horrible parody ended up being cute and funny. It could still end up being terrible, but for now, we must admit, we like Independent Grogu-12. Who are the titular spies? Elia Kane is certainly one. Does Brindol Hux count because his son famously declares himself as one many years later? What about any and all of the Imperial re...
Apr 12, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 125
There were way too many people making excuses for this episode for me and I just couldn't ignore that, nor could I get past the casting surprises in Guns for Hire. Christopher Lloyd has been announced for the season so when we saw Commissioner Helgait, we had been looking forward to seeing the legendary actor on screen. I like Jack Black and I don't hate Lizzo. Those were...less than welcome surprises, even if they fit our criteria of "fans casted" for roles in a galaxy, far, far away. The less ...
Apr 11, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 124
This episode is a bit of a mess. Oh, the podcast, too. The tone was odd from the opening scene and ended awkwardly with a faction of Mandalorians that recently left Bo-Katan because she was an ineffectual leader and lacked the Darksaber. Now, they seem to be back onboard after a promise that she really does deserve it. Ya gotta trust him. The less I say about the episode in the show notes, the better. I ramble through "stream of consciousness" style and I haven't resorted to this few notes in a ...
Apr 05, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 123
This is a "clip heavy" episode. If I felt the disturbance in the Force, I went with it. The Pirate finally reveals where Moff Gideon ISN'T, which is what we all figured. The Armorer still doesn't have a name, but she elevates Bo-Katan and House Kryze to the heights of Mandalore...if she has that authority, but I mean, who is she, really? Zeb is back. Well, he was back for a couple of lines and we might not see him again anytime soon, but HEY! Live action Lasat! We are all out of trailer footage....
Apr 04, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 122
Still updating on Star Wars news, but for the first time, it's also on YouTube! The creator of the podcast and host discusses The Mandalorian and streaming numbers. He touches on the Bad Batch and This is the Way Podcast's upcoming season two second half recap. Next in episode 121 of the podcast is news on Ahsoka and The Acolyte. As usual there's gab for gamers, a collection of stories for collectors, and some tidbits that touch on comic conventions and Disney Parks. "This is the Way" we cover n...
Mar 30, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Just last week Ahmed Best took Kelleran Beq from internet game show to Star Wars canon. This week, Garazeb Orellios went from animated in an animated series to...well, okay, computer generated and animated in live action. It was still great to see a Rebels character come to life! Okay, we saw Ahsoka do that last season. Hey, you get my point! Did you ever think we'd see the Armorer tell someone to take it off? The helmet I mean. I mean, this isn't the way, is it? I guess it is now, since she's h...
Mar 29, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 120
This was a short episode. Oh, of the podcast? Sure, but wow this one would have needed to be stacked with commercials to fit an hour slot. In these streaming days, well, no such trouble. Yes, I know last week's description seems similar and that's purposeful when you consider the difference between the lengths. This episode was the shortest of the series! I went this far before bringing up Ahmed Best. Are you proud of me? I don't think I'll ever warm to Jar Jar Binks, but the man suffered a grea...
Mar 27, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 119
It was a challenge keeping emotions under control when we saw a certain character pop up to save the day at the Jedi Temple. Ahmed Best suffered greatly from a small but hateful group of Jar Jar haters who for some reason saw fit to punish the actor for the sins of the prequel creator. It must have been easier to blame the performer, even though the performance was exactly the direction desired by the producers. Make no mistake, we're not Jar Jar Binks fans (or at least Steve isn't), but This is...
Mar 23, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 118
This was a long episode. Oh, of the podcast? Sure, but wow this one would have had to have been cut down in the days of broadcast television watching. In these streaming days, well, no such trouble. How do the helmets of the Children of the Watch relate to the numbers given to officers under the amnesty of the New Republic? Well, we don't want to talk faces and names because then we have individualism and these groups are more into the "collective" style. What's with the yellow travel biscuits? ...
Mar 21, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 117
Just when I thought we were done in the mines, we got pulled back in. Din Djarin had to refill the ol' canteen and boy would those magic waters pay off in the end. Bo-Katan lost her home and found a new one, of sorts. Doctor Pershing gets rehabilitated and then his brain recombobulated. A certain Comms Officer feels upwardly mobile, doesn't she? Is that with her new friends or with her old. We're betting she's still got some of that "Imp" in her. Must be the biscuits. This episode got us thinkin...
Mar 15, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 116
"How long is this quest gonna take?" "Oh, maybe like, an hour...hour fifteen?" Din Djarin has been seeking redemption since finding out he made a boo boo when he took his helmet off for Grogu. I mean, that's according to his den mother, affectionately known as "The Armorer" but she rules the roost with a beskar hammer and tongs. Look, I'm not SAYING Bo Katan has a thing for Din, but those looks she was giving? She is giving herself over--not to him and not to The Way, but to the purity of his ca...
Mar 13, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 115
