Scavenger's Hoard: A Star Wars Podcast

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - 'The Mandalorian' gets a final trailer - Benioff and Weiss quit their Star Wars trilogy. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork. If you have any questions for Rachael and Kirsty, please email them to scavengershoard@gmail.com

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - 'The Rise of Kylo Ren' comic book details revealed - Ewan McGregor sheds light on his upcoming Obi-Wan series - Kelly Marie Tran talks Rose Tico's role in TROS Kirsty and Rachael then give over the bulk of the episode to a detailed breakdown of the trailer for 'The Rise of Skywalker'. They dissect it shot by shot (and, in relation to the voiceover, line by line!), attempting to figure out the story the trailer is selling and having particular fun delving into the more spectacular sequences (that confrontation among the waves, guys!). Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork. If you have any questions for Rachael and Kirsty, please email them to scavengershoard@gmail.com

Kirsty and Rachael went the extra mile (putting off sleep and sacrificing sleep, respectively!) to record a special trailer reaction for 'The Rise of Skywalker'! Listen for our immediate thoughts - we'll have a detailed trailer breakdown within the week!

(Kirsty is taking a break of a few weeks from the podcast, and in her absence Rachael will be joined by a series of special guests - in this episode, Rachael is joined by friend-of-the-show Caitlin, from the marvellous Skytalkers podcast!) In this episode, Rachael and Caitlin discuss the following news: - Kevin Feige being brought in to produce a Star Wars film - ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ previewed in Empire magazine - Various new pieces of publishing information revealed at New York Comic Con - Excerpt from ‘Resistance Reborn’ reveals heart-to-heart between Rey and Leia. We then round out the show by reviewing the first episode of Star Wars Resistance season two, ‘Into the Unknown’. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork. You can find the Skytalkers podcast here: https://skytalkers.com/

(Kirsty is taking a break of a few weeks from the podcast, and in her absence Rachael will be joined by a series of special guests - in this episode, Rachael is joined by friend-of-the-show Marie-Claire, of What the Force fame!) In this episode, Rachael and Marie-Claire discuss the following news: - Comic books for Snoke, Rey and Rose released - Kylo comic upcoming! - Character descriptions from Black series boxes give hints on what to expect from Rey and Kylo’s stories in TROS We then move on to an in-depth discussion of Delilah S. Dawson’s new novel ‘Black Spire’, covering everything from our general thoughts to how the characters of Vi and Cardinal have progressed since their introductions in ‘Phasma’. We also run through the new characters, as well as exploring how the novel picks up the storytelling threads left dangling at the end of ‘The Last Jedi’. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork. Listen to What the Force here: https://player.fm/series/w

(Kirsty is taking a break of a few weeks from the podcast, and in her absence Rachael will be joined by a series of special guests - in this episode, Rachael is joined by friend-of-the-show Courtney, of Who Talks First fame!) In this episode, Rachael and Courtney discuss the following news: - The pure unfiltered awesome that was the D23 experience of 'The Rise of Skywalker' (Courtney was there, and shares her 'on the ground' perspective!) - The Mandalorian is reported to dig into the origins of the First Order - Marvel's Age of Resistance: Supreme Leader Snoke gets a preview - Marvel's Age of Resistance: General Hux gets a review! Courtney and Rachael then round off the show with a discussion of Zoraida Córdova's 'Crash of Fate' - they were mixed on the book, but the discussion gives them a great opportunity to let Courtney share some cool anecdotes from her time in the park! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork. Listen to Who Talks First here: https

(Kirsty is taking a break of a few weeks from the podcast, and in her absence Rachael will be joined by a series of special guests - in this episode, Rachael is joined by friend-of-the-show Melissa! Melissa has previously joined the show for spotlights on General Hux, but this time she comes on to share her expertise on another fan-favourite character - Thrawn!) In this episode, Rachael and Melissa discuss the following news: - The Rise of Skywalker receives the spotlight at D23 (unfortunately this episode was recorded just before the footage was revealed, so we don’t go into detail about that here - check out episode #114 for that!) - The Mandalorian is showcased at D23 - Obi-Wan series officially announced at D23 - Star Wars: Resistance season 2 trailer revealed, and end of series announced - Poe and Hux Marvel comics previewed With the news all covered, we move into a beginner’s guide to Thrawn! Melissa draws upon her extensive reserves of Thrawn knowledge to answer Rachael’s burning questions, includ

In this very special and somewhat impromptu episode, Rachael and Kirsty assemble at their mics to record their breakdown of the D23 'Rise of Skywalker' sizzle reel. We cover our general reactions to the main news out of the convention before proceeding into discussion of the sizzle reel itself. We go into the significance of the shot choices from the old films before dissecting each shot from TROS to the best of our (sleep deprived!) abilities. (n.b. Kirsty isn't back on the podcast regularly just yet, but made a special appearance because that footage was just too good to not talk about!) Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

(Kirsty is taking a break of a few weeks from the podcast, and in her absence Rachael will be joined by a series of special guests - in this episode, Rachael is joined by friend-of-the-show Lisa! Lisa has amazing insights into Star Wars, and has produced great commentaries for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, which you can find at the links below.) In this episode, Rachael and Lisa discuss the following news: - Star Wars Rollout animated web series announced - Don Williams, brother of John Williams, reveals fresh insights into the score for ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - New book revealed to give Luke’s perspective on key events from the saga. Following the news, we enter into a meaty spotlight discussion (which starts at around 30 minutes in) where we delve into Luke’s journey in The Last Jedi, which has a particular focus on how Luke’s journey is carefully constructed to reflect the struggles and challenges of middle age. We draw in a whole range of reference points, including the Fisher King legend, Sond

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Solicit for Star Wars: Allegiance comic series revealed, as well as variant cover for issue #3 - Charles Soule shares intriguing info on the timing of ‘The Rise of Kylo Ren’ comic series - Kevin Smith talks the last shot of ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Following the news, we dive deep into Alan Dean Foster’s legendary 1978 novel ‘Splinter of the Mind’s Eye’, a sort-of sequel (it’s complicated!) to the original ‘Star Wars’ that follows Luke and Leia on an adventure replete with casual sexism, pulp sci-fi tropes and incestuous lust. We break down the circumstances that led to the writing of the book before delving into the story, offering our beat-by-beat break down of the fascinatingly odd narrative developments. This is Kirsty’s last episode before she takes a break to have her baby, so join me in wishing her well! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Further information on the allegiance of the Sith troopers revealed at SDCC - A wealth of publishing news emerges from SDCC, including information on the Kylo Ren comic series, the ‘Rise of Skywalker’ prelude series ‘Allegiance’ and the novel Force Collector. After answering a listener question, we move on to provide a quick run through of our main predictions for ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, based on our sprawling discussion in episode 109. While the predictions build on that discussion, they are presented in a standalone fashion, so you don’t need to listen to the previous episodes to follow what we talk about here! Finally, we indulge in a brief spoiler discussion that ties into our discussion of Robert Johnson’s ‘She: Understanding Feminine Psychology’, discussing some intriguing storytelling possibilities that may be explored in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwo

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Sith troopers revealed for ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - Lucasfilm presence at D23 revealed - Rise of the Resistance opening dates announced - Jon Favreau already writing season 2 of The Mandalorian - Daisy Ridley talks about crying on her last day of Star Wars filming. Continuing from the two previous episodes on masculinity and femininity respectively, we use our previous analyses to craft some predictions for what we might expect from ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. With reference to the Cupid and Psyche myth and Robert Johnson’s analysis of it (as presented in ‘She: Understanding Feminine Psychology’), we discuss the types of challenges that Rey may be faced with, as well as how these could be overcome. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Daisy Ridley speaks on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast about working with Adam Driver, where Rey ends up, and Rey and Kylo's big fight in TROS - The announcement of a Lucasfilm Publishing Panel for Comic Con. Building on last week's spotlight on the sequel trilogy's exploration of masculinity, we consider the other side of the coin - how the feminine is characterised in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi (with some mild spec on The Rise of Skywalker, which we'll expand on in a further episode). Specifically, we focus on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, comparing it to the Rey and Kylo strand of the story and considering how the sequel trilogy both adheres to and subverts the structure of the myth. We then dive deep into the implications of the sequel trilogy's emphasis on the feminine element, as manifest in Kylo Ren and Rey. If you're interested in further reading on the topics we cover in this episode, we recommend the following books: -

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Daisy Ridley speaks out about her and J.J.’s first meeting regarding ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - Daisy comments on the commonalities between Rey and Ophelia - Daisy speaks out about her emotions upon wrapping ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - Daisy comments on whether she’d make a return to Star Wars. This is followed by a spotlight on the topic of masculinity in Star Wars, where we draw on various theorists - including Robert Bly, Joseph Campbell and Robert Johnson - to consider the journeys and evolutions of the main male characters in the sequel trilogy: Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Finn and Kylo Ren. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Details of the ‘Age of Resistance’ comics line-up revealed (specifically, we discuss the issues on Rose, Snoke, Rey and Kylo Ren) - Michelle Rejwan announced as senior vice president of live action development and production - Star Wars Celebration - four-day tickets already sold out - Mark Hamill comments on his role in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - Keri Russell talks ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. We follow up the news discussion with a spotlight on the new Claudia Gray novel 'Master & Apprentice', which we delve into in some detail. Hear us admire Gray's new characters, speculate on prophecies and appreciate the charms of a human raised by protocol droids! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Celebration Anaheim 2020 - dates and ticket sales announced - Lego announce a new Star Wars video game at E3 - Maryann Brandon, editor of The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, talks editing TROS - More promo for The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker to come at D23 in August. We follow this up with a shout out to our lovely listeners, picking out some specific emails and reviews to spotlight. Finally, we round off the show with a sneaky spotlight section on the treatment of fatherhood in Star Wars, drawing in everything from Joseph Campbell to surrogate dads and murderous impulses towards paternal authority. It's our way of wishing everyone a Happy Father's Day! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the launch of Galaxy's Edge, as well as a fascinating new quote from Rian Johnson that sheds fresh light on the thought process beyond the Rey and Kylo dynamic in The Last Jedi. The bulk of the show is taken up by a discussion of the brand-new audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, by Cavan Scott. We have a detailed and fully spoiler-y discussion of the story, with a particular emphasis on how it further demonstrates the many (many!) flaws of Yoda and the Republic-era Jedi. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the reports of a new Star Wars trilogy based on the Knights of the Old Republic video game. The rest of the episode is then dedicated to discussion of the expansive Vanity Fair preview of 'The Rise of Skywalker'. We split the discussion into three main sections: - Discussion of (and plentiful speculation on!) every single gloriously beautiful image. - Discussion of highlights from the lead article by Lev Grossman. - Discussion of some of the more interesting spin-out articles from Vanity Fair. We discuss the coverage in exhaustive (but hopefully entertaining!) detail, so enjoy! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Their childhood memories of The Phantom Menace (in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the film’s release) - Three new Star Wars movies dated/confirmed to be from Game of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss - The full synopsis of the upcoming Star Wars YA novel, Crash of Fate, is revealed. Following the news, we dive into our spotlight, which concentrates on the Padme-centric YA book Queen’s Shadow. We discuss our feelings about the book, as well as our hopes for more materials on Padme and Sabe going forward. Finally, we have a brief spoiler section where we discuss a tidbit on ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. This is a relatively low-level spoiler, but still warrants discussion! The spoiler section starts around 1 hour 4 minutes in. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty discuss the following news: - Peter Mayhew has sadly passed away. - Lucasfilm reveal their full publishing slate for the 'Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' line (this is where we talk about that amazing cover art for 'The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'!). - Intriguing rumours emerge of a potential Kylo Ren/Ben Solo novel on the horizon. Following the discussion of these news items, we move on to discuss numerous spoilers that have emerged regarding 'The Rise of Skywalker' in recent weeks. We are very conscious of discussing some quite high-level spoilers in this episode, and have deliberately arranged the discussion so that we gradually escalate the seriousness of the rumours we discuss. In short, be cautious and feel free to drop out of the episode at any time! The spoiler section starts at 57 minutes and 30 seconds in. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.