EP. 206Now that the dust has settled on the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, we peel back the curtain to look at the business side of the film. What do the Box Office and Rotten Tomatoes numbers suggest about the success of the movie according to fans…and according to the decision makers at Lucasfilm and Disney? What might be in store for the future of the franchise: will it stay the course or steer into a new era? And what can the MandoGrogu example teach us about interpreting these trends more generally? Buckle up, because we are going full-blown podcastariat on this one!You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP. 205They did it! After seven long years, Star Wars finally made its triumphant return to the movie theatre with The Mandalorian and Grogu. And oh boy was it triumphant, with thrilling action, heartfelt character moments and brilliant special effects. Oh and puppets! It had puppets! This week we give our full Eye on Canon review of the film – its characters, story, themes and more!You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP. 204Season 1 of Maul: Shadow Lord was thrilling, gripping, and all around good times. It gave us a deeper perspective on our favourite Dathomiri Zabrak former Sith as he navigated his way through the Janix underworld and beyond. It also introduces us to Devon Izara, a troubled but headstrong and skilled Jedi Padawan figuring out how to fight for the Light in an age of darkness. This week we look back on this stunning season of Star Wars animation, and look ahead to season 2.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialGuest Dominic Jones https://instagram.com/dominicj25 Bluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP. 203Happy May the 4th!!!!!You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP. 202Galaxies: they’re big. Like, really really huge. The Galaxy Far, Far Away is filled with countless worlds with trillions upon trillions of sentient beings. And yet, it's presented as a single political community, notwithstanding separatist movements and fringe outposts. Neutral coalitions like Duchess Satine’s non-aligned group in the Clone Wars may have been sizeable, but their lack of attention in storytelling gives the impression that they’re the exception that proves the rule. So how does a galactic government work? How can a Republic Senate or an Imperial military (to take the most important examples) effectively govern and police such a vast population? This week we explore the concept of a galaxy-wide political community in Star Wars, where it holds up and where it doesn’t.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP.   201It’s no accident that the design of the Jedi Council Archives is based on the famed library of Trinity College, Dublin. Since the galaxy of Star Wars particularly reflects our own western world, its communication is heavily reliant on documents, files and even books. Like us, the cultural heritage bestowed on (and forgotten by?) The Late Republic, Empire, New Republic and First Order is contained in these texts, whether that heritage comes in the form of lore and stories of meaning-making, or historical records and technical information. Even the habit of producing texts, written correspondence, news broadcasts and other messages is the work of cultural inheritance. This habit continues, in our world and theirs, even as digital and video technology have noticeably altered our perceptions. This week we look at in-universe texts in Star Wars, what they are and what they do.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP.   200The Disney takeover in 2014 brought a brand new era of novels, comics and short stories, as well as films, live action and animated shows (including a new animated show literally this morning!) This fresh start promised an incredibly bold ideal: a fully-integrated and continuous canon across all media. This allowed it to hit the reset button for the Sequel Trilogy as well as opened up new possibilities for exploring the Prequel and Original eras and beyond. Was that ambitious ideal able to sustain itself, or was it a delusion of grandeur? As always, reality is somewhere in between, and this podcast has spent much of the last four years charting that reality and what it all means. As we hit the 200-episode mark, it's only fitting that we tell the story of the story, the history of Star Wars Publishing from 2014 to the present!You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP.   199The Star Wars Expanded Universe — now known as Legends — was perhaps as sprawling, epic and varied as the galaxy itself. The real-world publishing saga may well be as interesting as the in-universe dramas told within those many, many pages. This week we chart this publishing timeline, from its humble origins, to its decisive turn into a staple of the fandom after the Original Trilogy, to its gripping interpretations of the Prequel Era and beyond on the eve of the Disney takeover.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP.   198We often consider the final act of characters such as Anakin Skywalker and Ben Solo in terms of “redemption.” Have their sacrifices made amends for the evils of Darth Vader and Kylo Ren? But the Abrahamic faith traditions give us another angle to interpret their stories: “repentance.” If redemption considers the destination, then repentance is about the journey, the process and moment of transformation out of darkness into the light. Is it a more meaningful approach to Star Wars’ “reformed villains”? Does it yield richer interpretive results? This week we present our Lent special and explore this very question.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq

EP.   197It's a moon! It's a starship! It's a podcast network! Ok in this case it's none of these…. The criminal underworld forms a vital part of Star Wars storytelling, especially for characters who want to, or could stand to, get their hands a little dirty. It challenges the narratives of order and security in a galaxy full of institutions that bank on those very narratives–literally and otherwise. More profoundly, it traces its own mythic origins to Campbell and behind him, the Hades of Greco-Roman imagination. It's therefore the essential first step in the hero’s journey out past the confines of everyday life with its familiar comforts of routines, practices and people. This week we truly go down to the lower levels, to the underworld.You can watch our episodes live every Monday at 5:30 PM PT, 8:30 PM ET at https://www.youtube.com/@Starwarsunderworld/streams Hosted by Matthew Neugebauer https://instagram.com/mneug1138 Joel Davis https://jid20234.bsky.socialBluesky: https://eyeoncanon.bsky.socialStar Wars Underworld Podcast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/theswu/ Join us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/xhbXgRuuGxAudible 30-Day Free Trial  https://amzn.to/3cfeebq