The Force Awakens, Part 1

Our non-toxic, loving, and chronological coverage of Star Wars has wound its way through five years to bring us to this point: Episode VII, The Force Awakens.

In the first half of the most expensive movie of all time, themes of baptism and rebirth, found family and lost family, and the subtle manipulation of the Dark Side are all strongly apparent.

We do a deep dive into our leading characters, discuss the plot to position Kylo Ren as a Sith apprentice before he was even born, and talk through the resurgence of fascism in the galaxy. We also wonder if this movie was either 1 or 10 years too early to catch the winds of resurgent fascism in our own timeline.

The Force Awakens is a total bop. Find our recap everywhere you get podcasts—and join us next week for the thrilling conclusion.

Want more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We've got Book reports on Heir to the Jedi  and Twilight Company coming up this week and next.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Who Are We?

00:02:37 Plot Summary

00:13:38 First Impressions

00:16:15 Character Deep-Dives: Finn, Han, and Rey

00:39:48 Kylo and Snoke

00:53:55 The First Order

01:14:58 Bae Watch

01:24:41 Closing Thoughts