Happy New Year 2023! (Patreon)

I just wanted to poke my head in real quick to thank everyone for an amazing 2022. This past year was a personal favorite for myself as a podcaster but more importantly, as a Star Wars fan. 

The year started off strong with the Book of Boba, and I know that series received the worst criticisms. But I'll come clean with you and say it was the most fun I've had as a Star Wars fan in a long time. Plot holes galore...You don't have to tell me...But it's comic book goofiness appealed a great deal to me. We finally got to SEE Boba emerge from the Sarlaac and learn how he survived. Watching him interact with the Sand People was an unexpected pleasure as we got to observe the Tuskens in ways we've never seen before. Boba visited Anchorhead and kicked everyones asses in Tosche Station. We saw the Slave I mow down a speeder bike gang and go head-to-head with the Sarlacc itself. We saw how Fennic survived, got to prowl around in Jabba's Palace, and watch Max Rebo jam one more time. We received updates on Din Djarin, The Armorer, Sweet Baby Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and Luke Freaking Skywalker himself! We saw the Rancor rip apart Mos Espa, Mando take on a Scorpinek Droid, and some kick ass Naboo Starfighter action.  Yah, da Mods sucked and were ridiculously out of place, and there was no central antagonist for the season, but overall, it was awesome and I hope there's another season. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi was the most divisive Star Wars since The Last Jedi, but it had it's moments. Boy, it had it's moments! I have to agree with Swank that the greatest highlight of Star Wars in 2022 was the final duel between Ben and Vader. I get chills just thinking about it. But, looking back on the whole series with a little bit of time and perspective, I very much feel like Lucasfilm took a half-assed approached with this series. This is super unfortunate because we are talking about two of the biggest icons in the franchise: Vader and Ben Kenobi.  But looking back, some scenes and sequences are not very solid. The entire subplot surrounding Reva is a massive fail and even I cannot connect the dots to make sense of this mess of a character. Nothing about the character is ever earned...Her segue from Jedi to Inquisitor...Her knowledge that Luke is the son of Vader...Her ability to survive a saber in the gut...Her ability to win over Darth Vader when he is ready to kill her...ALL OF IT...UNEARNED! I have yet to have anyone explain this to me in a way that makes sense. 

Yet, I was still sucked in by Ewan's acting and mere presence. I loved seeing this era of the timeline in live action. Vader was brutal! And I really appreciated seeing the prequels come back to life via Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse and yes, Hayden Christensen all returning. The experience of being with my favorite fellow Star Wars fans in Anaheim when it premiered made the whole experience even sweeter! At the end of the day, those elements will always make the Kenobi series a hit with me.

And what about Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022? That was one for the ages! The RFR Rooftop Bash went down as everyone's favorite event of all time tied to this podcast, the live podcasts from Swank's room on the Lanai Deck were a hoot, and we had a great week emersed in all-things STAR WARS at the convention center and at Galaxy's Edge! Even better, we got to share our experiences with you via audio podcasts, photo galleries, and video reports. A classic! 

And the year wrapped up for us with ANDOR. I was so skeptical of it because showrunner Tony Gilroy was acting like an arrogant snob as he promoted it. He has this "Star Wars At Arms Length" approach that almost offends me as a hardcore fan. Yet, as a fan of great storytelling and suspense, Gilroy did not disappoint! By the time we made it out of Aldhani, I was a signed-sealed and delivered believer in Tony Gilroy and this story. Cannot wait for season 2!

Now we are rolling into another year of insane Star Wars activity. We can look forward to THE BAD BATCH, season 3 of THE MANDALORIAN, AHSOKA, SKELETON CREW and there is a great possibility the next Star Wars film will go in front of cameras in the spring. There is another Star Wars Celebration happening in London but sadly, RFR will not be a part of this one. Also, our desire to have an event here in the states will not be possible. But rest assured Force Freaks! We will be providing thorough coverage of the event as the news breaks during the week of the convention, so we will still be your Source of the Force. 

As for RFR, 2022 goes down as a great year for our show and podcasting in general. As very early adapters to the format when it debuted in the mid 2000s, we have been pleased to see podcasting grow as a legitimate broadcast medium like we always knew it would. Our audience continues to build and the enthusiasm amongst Jason and myself to provide continued coverage and content has never been stronger. 

Thanks again for sticking with us in 2023. It's gonna be a wiiiiiiild riiiiiiide, yeaaaaah. 

MTFBWY!

JMac