Marvel Star Wars Explorers

As Luke Skywalker faces off against the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, we are joined by Crystal Beth (thecrystalbeth.com, The Fifth Eleminute, Unlimited Lives Podcast) to tackle the final issue of the Empire Strikes Back comic adaptation, to address the politically motivated attack on The Last Jedi, and to board the hypetrain to Jon Favreau's Star Wars newly titled TV series, The Mandalorian.

As the Star Warriors find themselves captured and imprisoned in Darth Vader's clutches, Brian and Sam find themselves captivated by What Were We Watchings?'s very own Cam Siemer and Eric Ambler in a rousing super-sized discussion about such classic Empire Strikes Back subjects as Cloud City, Lando's introduction and force ghosts, as well as a dive into the special features and deleted scenes from Solo: A Star Wars Story and a restrospective look back at all of our favorite Star Wars video games throughout the years.

This week, as Luke begins training under the tutelage of a wise Jedi Master on Dagobah, Sam and Brian are joined by Brian's star-wife, Blythe Rudloff for an examination of Han Solo's somewhat problematic behavior towards Leia, a discussion on the frequently changing (and shockingly small) size of Yoda and a variety of tangents regarding The Last Jedi.

As Han braves the dangers of an asteroid field to flee his Imperial pursuers, Sam and Brian welcome back both talking apes from The ApeCast, Geoff Clarke and Jack Stovold, for a super-sized discussion about Solo: A Star Wars Story, the development and creation of this six-part adaptation of the film, the increasingly complex character of Darth Vader, the pure magic of The Empire Strikes Back and... our childhood memories of crayons. For some reason. 

As Luke, Leia and Han squabble in Echo Base and a group of Imperial walkers prepares to strike (back), Sam and Brian welcome Melissa Thiede to the show to hear about her amazing Star Wars-themed instagram account (tk421andme), to discuss the ecosystem of Hoth and the science of Bacta and to examine the murky issue of droid rights in a galaxy far, far away.

As the Rebel Alliance acclimates to its new base on the ice planet Hoth, Sam and Brian welcome Josh Lee and Sean Davis (After the Credits podcast) onto the cast to kick off their six-part coverage of The Empire Strikes Back! That means we're talking about Wampas and Tauntauns, forgotten scenes from the cutting room floor and new casting announcements in Episode IX!

As Luke and Leia find themselves stranded aboard a mysterious spaceship located an unfathomable distance outside of their own galaxy, Jack Stovold (The Apecast, Jack's Silly Little Friendly Neighborhood Star Trek Discovery Podcast, Reopening the Wormhole) finds himself stranded with Sam and Brian for a discussion of the unsettling dreamlike nature of this issue, fetishism in comics, Stanley Kubrick's filmography and a retrospective look back at our favorite covers, characters and issues that we've seen so far, before we begin our next journey into The Empire Strikes Back and beyond!

As Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader descend into the Crystal Valley for a final showdown, Jack Stovold (Reopening the Wormhole, The Apecast) joins up with us to weigh in on the hot new Resistance trailer (YES!), to debate whether R2-D2 is force-sensitive, to reminisce on all the landings of the Millenium Falcon throughout the entire saga (happy or otherwise) and to bid a teary farewell to our old friend Orman Tagge.

As Domina Tagge maneuvers the Dark Lord of the Sith and Luke Skywalker towards a Crystal Valley showdown, Kevin Young (Reopening the Wormhole podcast) joins Sam and Brian to talk about O.J. Simpson footwear ads, blue cougars (blougars?), a daring rescue from Princess Leia and a bevy of listener e-Words.

As Luke Skywalker comes face to face with Darth Vader on the planet Monastery, Sam and Brian field Sean Davis (of After the Credits)'s questions about inclusivity in The First Order, delight in the outlandish speech of Darth Vader and do their best to cast the entire Tagge clan.

As Han Solo leads the Rebel fleet into a trap laid out by Silas Tagge, Sam and Brian welcome back Sean Davis (After the Credits) to dive headfirst into the recent Episode IX casting announcements, to examine the inherent weaknesses of the Tagge line and to discuss which film of the entire franchise is their favorite.

As Orman and Silas Tagge lure Luke into a clash of sabers, Jack Stovold (The ApeCast, Reopening the Wormhole) joins us once again to talk about Jim Carrey-mania, to bid farewell with us to the seventies and to open the old mailbag for some Star Words (of the e- AND regular variety!). #SilasWasRight

As Luke and Han form a tentative alliance with a group of Jawas, Sam and Brian welcome a new star friend (and ACTUAL Marvel employee), Carlos Galan, to the podcast to discuss our love of Dewbacks, some treasured memories of old Star Wars video games, our experiences with the now legendary expanded universe and, of course, a delightful issue about Star Warriors and Jawas murdering Sandtroopers.

As a mysterious MAJESTRIX with connections to both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker's past draws our heroes into a trap, Sam and Brian welcome first-time guest and composer of the Marvel Star Wars Explorers intro theme, Daren Sprawls, onto the cast to talk about musical inspiration, some colorful theories about Lando's role in the future of Star Wars, The Last Jedi haters and, of course, a sexy blue man.

As Luke begins to uncover a mysterious Imperial plot underway on his home planet, Cam Siemer (What Were We Watching?) returns to the show to help us figure out just who the Tagges really are (and who their real world counterparts may be), to journey back to his middle school days when a young dreamer penned a complete Star Wars screenplay and to fill a vast fruit pie shaped void that has too long been a part of Marvel Star Wars Explorers.

As Princess Leia embarks on a daring solo mission at the factory world of Metalorn, Kevin Young (Reopening the Wormhole) returns to the cast to chat with the explorers about unsettling films like mother! and Antichrist, to weigh in on the recent rumors regarding future Star Wars Stories and to dive into some Star e-Words.

One episode was not enough to contain our Solo: A Star Wars Story Spectacular! In Part II we add a drop of coaxium (hyperfuel) to our engines to pick up at the Kessel Run and make our way to the end of the movie (including a heated debate about THAT cameo), then dive into some special features to rate and rank it, pitch our ideas for Solo sequels and more! Featuring a dream team of podcasters: Eric Ambler (What Were We Watching?), Sean Davis (After the Credits), Cam Siemer (What Were We Watching?) and Kevin Young (Reopening the Wormhole)

Buckle up, baby, and prepare yourself for part one of our Hutt-sized Solo: A Star Wars Story Spectacular! Truly, we are leaving no thermal detonator shaped stone unturned in our six person roundtable discussion, as we tackle the film scene by scene and examine what works for each of us and what doesn't! Featuring a dream team of podcasters: Eric Ambler (What Were We Watching?), Sean Davis (After the Credits), Cam Siemer (What Were We Watching?) and Kevin Young (Reopening the Wormhole) Part II is available now!

As the half machine Hunter and the Dark Lord of the Sith race to find a rebel alliance deserter with invaluable information about Luke, Sam and Brian welcome Eric Ambler (What Were We Watching?) back to the show to discuss their favorite recent Disney movies, Kelly Marie Tran and toxic fandom, the future of the post-Solo Star Wars franchise and a surprisingly dark issue centered on Valance and Darth Vader.

As Han and Chewie are pinned down by blaster fire and facing an infestation of stone mites on the rainy planet Orleon, Geoff Clarke (of The ApeCast) makes his debut on the show to discuss whether or not he wants to see a Boba Fett movie, to go APE over Canada's own beloved superhero team Alpha Flight and to help us answer the age old question: What Ever Happened to Jabba the Hut?