The ShadowCast speaks with Delilah Dawson, author of Phasma, Black Spire and the upcoming Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (out October 1!) about writing,  writing for Star Wars, and the Snuffleupagus effect of seeing characters you created walking around in the flesh at a theme park!

What do Rey, Dorothy Gale, and King Arthur have in common? Well, as it turns out, quite a bit. Sort of. Today we look at Rey's character arc, and how it connects to both classic "hero's journey" narratives, and something a bit newer. Oh, and we talk about Labyrinth. That happens too.

Is Rey the baddie? Sprinx of the Star Wars Shadow Council does a close read of the "Dark Rey" sequence from the new Rise of Skywalker trailer, piecing together details to formulate theories about what could possibly be going on. And, of course, admiring Rey's contouring skills. Special thanks to SWSC Discord users Jake and Porg Solo (among others) for pointing out several details that inspired this analysis!

In the run-up to The Force Awakens, the teasers led people to believe Finn, not Rey was the Jedi character of the Sequel Trilogy. When it turned out the the new Jedi character was Rey, quite a few people felt misled into thinking they were about to see the first Force sensitive black main character. While The Last Jedi did nothing to suggest Finn’s story would go that direction, there are reasons to think The Rise of Skywalker may finally make good on The Force Awakens’ marketing.

Exploring Finn’s story in the Sequel Trilogy and how it may play out in The Rise of Skywalker.

**EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOST RECENT EPISODE OF GAME OF THRONES** In this episode, we explore the idea of "subverted expectations" in storytelling, and how fan discourse and online communication affect those expectations in the first place. Oh, and we also complain a little about Game of Thrones. Not too much though.

It’s bots, BOTS, I tell you. Russian ones at that. (Frickin’ Russians). Could it all really be so simple? Hold your horses…or should I say fathiers?

In this episode we expand on the key parts of the The Last Jedi that indicate there is much more going on between Rey, Luke and Kylo Ren beneath the surface.

In the first episode we explore how the themes of the movie and franchise belie the idea Rey is just someone caught in the middle of the Skywalker family drama. In making Rey appear unrelated, the Sequel Trilogy is actually thematically necessitating her inclusion in the family’s ranks.