Short For A Stormtrooper: A 15 minute Star Wars podcast

It's Episode 66 (not Order 66) as we dive into two interesting, if not somewhat uneven episodes of The Mandalorian. It's all headed to a big finish, and it's headed there real quick!

May the Fourth Be With You! On this highest of Star Wars holidays, here's an early release of the podcast for a recap of current Star Wars news, followed by our usual two-episode recap of Mando Season 3. And as I am typing these show notes, I realize that this is the second anniversary of the debut of this podcast! Happy birthday to us, and May the Fourth Be With You!

We're picking up the pace on our Mando rewatch to finish it before the movie opens, so apologies in advance for the whiplash! On this episode of SFAS, we go from completing the quest that we thought would take all season to a mini-episode of Andor-Lite... an odd transition, and one we will cover very quickly!

Mando is back, having just said goodbye to Grogu... so wait a second, why is Baby Yoda with him? What did we miss? We'll fill you in and catch you up!

Strap yourselves in, this one goes a little long. But when Ben, Phil, and Bob have some differing opinions, it's time to either hash it out or break out the Teras Kasi! Let's wrap up Mando Season 2!

Who's actually the Believer in this episode? Mando? Migs? Both? We forgot to talk about that, but we talk a lot more about the next-to-last episode of this season of The Mandalorian! Come listen!

The baby sits on a rock. Boba Fett returns from the pit. Stormtroopers join the festivities. Chaos ensues! Hear our reactions to this action packed episode!

NOW we finally get to see Ahsoka Tano in real life... and boy, does it live up to the anticipation! Join us as we start this epic final arc to Mando season 2.

It's finally time for the live action debut of Ahsoka... oh wait, what's THIS episode doing in there? Join Ben, Phil, and Bob as we take a slight detour back to Navarro to help some old friends take care of business, in a "forgotten" episode directed by Apollo Creed himself.

We're back to the rewatch and chatting about "The Heiress" and... what the frack, is that Starbuck? Join us as we dive into another quality episode of The Mandalorian!

We're pausing on the Mandalorian rewatch to talk about the Mandalorian movie trailer(s)! We'll cover the Super Bowl spot (hmmm) and the second Official Trailer (yaaay). Is Bob more excited, or more dubious, about the return of Star Wars to the theaters? Tune in and find out!

We are FINALLY back with a mea culpa, followed by a deep dive on "The Passenger." Will we get munched on by killer space spiders, or will Trapper Wolf save the day? Tune in and find out!

We're back with a look at the Season 2 premiere of the Mandalorian (one of Bob's favorite episodes), but first we'll talk through the recent changes at Lucasfilm. Hot desert, hot tempers, and hot takes... it's all right here!

It's Mando and friends against the nefarious Moff Gideon... Who will emerge victorious? Join us as we wrap up the first season of The Mandalorian!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Sorry that our publishing schedule has been so wonky... a lot of really great life-stuff happening! But you don't care about that! You want to hear what Phil, Ben, and I thought about the penultimate episode of The Mandalorian's debut season! Well, look no further... here you go.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

You see, there was this prisoner on a New Republic prison ship who needed busting out... find out what happens as a space-fantasy version of a western jailbreak movie turns into a space-fantasy version of... a haunted house movie? Or a superhero movie? You decide as we dive into "The Prisoner" on our Mandalorian rewatch!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

He's a gunslinger, alright... at least in his own mind. Come hear Bob, Ben, and Phil dissect "The Gunslinger" as our Mando rewatch continues.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

It's the Magnificent Sev... er, the Mandalorian Two-and-a-Half as Mando and The Child team up with the notorious Cara Dune. Will the sanctuary be saved? Join Bob, Ben, and Phil as we discuss it all!  Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

It would be a SIN to miss this show, as we rewatch Mandalorian episode 3: The Sin! Join us and discover why we think this is one of our favorite Star Wars stories ever. This is the way!

Baby Yoda is a Force user! Are you surprised? Probably not, but the second episode of The Mandalorian was a fun one! Join Bob, Phil, and Ben as they revisit Arvala-7, some red-eyed Jawas, and an egg dish like no other. I have spoken!

It's time for the Mandalorian rewatch! Join Bob as he welcomes Phil and Ben back to the show for a rewatch (or in Phil's case, FIRST watch) of The Mandalorian! It's all leading up to the release of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" in May '26, so strap on your jetpacks and let's get started!

Next week starts our Mandalorian rewatch... let's get ready by revisiting those heady days of 2019 when we didn't know what to expect from the first live action Star Wars TV show!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

We are thirteen years into the Disney era of Star Wars... what's worked? What hasn't? And what does the future look like? We could debate for hours, but get some insight in 15 (okay 16) minutes today.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

We're back at the arcade to wrap up our deep dive on Star Wars: Fall of the Empire... a game I achieved my high score on yesterday, then came in to look at this episode posting and realized I forgot to hit "publish" on Monday night, which is why this is late! Does anyone read these liner notes anyway? Oh, and stay tuned at the end of today's episode for a funny appearance by an actual pinball legend.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Star Wars and Pinball... two great tastes that taste great together! Does the new Fall of the Empire machine from Stern deserve a medal from Princess Leia, or does it belong in the garbage chute? Join Bob and Harrison as we actually play the game together live on location and then share our thoughts.

I meet a new friend who also loves Star Wars... it's time to get them on this show! Join us as we get to know Rich Braden, a Learning Geeks guest who has made the leap to Short for a Stormtrooper. Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

You don't have to wait for the next Star Wars videogame release, or hope for a rebirth of the Starcruiser, to immerse yourself in Star Wars... the table-top role playing game is right here! Join us as we continue our conversation with TTRPG professor Tad Leckman.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Let's play Starships and Supernovas... whoops, I mean, let's check out the Star Wars Roleplaying Game! We welcome back Tad Leckman to dive into all things Star Wars RPG. Want to tell a story and roll a LOT of dice? You've come to the right place!

BREAKING NEWS: We have the first trailer for "The Mandalorian and Grogu," so we interrupt the previously scheduled programming to grab the Learning Geeks, Jake Gittleson and Dana Koch, for our reactions to the newness! This is the way!Before listening, make sure you watch the trailer!https://youtu.be/_pa1KLXuW0Y?si=ojhYShtD7kOM469KJoin the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

We're back after an unplanned one week hiatus! Hear about a spooky Star Wars comic, and more details on the new Star Wars pinball machine!

There's a new Star Wars pinball machine on the horizon... and someone is excited! Also, an update on "Star Wars: Starfighter" which is ACTUALLY happening!If you like this episode, follow Bob's pinball exploits on Instagram at @bobby_g_pinballJoin the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Pura Vida! We are live from Costa Rica with our good friends Sherri and Zack to chat about their lives as ex-pat Star Wars fans! You'll hear about how Costa Ricans stay looped into Star Wars with a little scoundrel spirit, why howler monkeys sound like angry wookiees, and more guest appearances from insane jungle wildlife than were frankly expected! It's the true Yavin Four experience on this episode!

Join us as Bob and Harrison Gerard turn their sights from a galaxy far far away back to this galaxy... but still a long time ago. It's an Indiana Jones takeover on this special edition of Short For a Stormtrooper!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Things are a little quiet on the Star Wars front, but there's always tidbits to talk about! Let's catch up on some random news, look at what's coming next, and get excited for the future.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Fresh back from GenCon, here's a look at the current state of Star Wars tabletop gaming! Miniatures! Paint! Dice! It's all here!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected] 

Our final week of looking back on the early days... for now! Join Bob and his new friend Doug Carter as they remember days gone by, review the new stuff, and reflect on being a Star Wars dad.

This week, Bob and Steve move into newer Star Wars, diving into the prequels and the sequels with some good collecting stories along the way. Listen as two old men try to remember stuff; it's kinda funny.

Do you remember what it was like when the original trilogy first came out? Not sure that WE do, but we had a lot of fun trying! Join Bob and his old pal Steve Groos as they try to remember what it was like in the day.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

What's it like to see your story come to life on the screen? What's it like to hear the audiobook reader record the screams? And what do we call the Padme Books anyway? Find out the answers to all these questions and more as we wrap up our chat with Star Wars author EK Johnston!

What's it like to become a Star Wars writer? How do you deal with playing around in someone else's universe? And what does Larry the Cucumber have to do with it all anyway? Find out as we continue our conversation with author EK Johnston!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

What do Star Wars novels, Narnia, The Boxcar Children, and forensic archaelology all have to do with each other? They're all subjects we discuss with our very special guest EK Johnston, author of Ahsoka, the Queen Cycle (?), Crimson Climb, and more!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

We wrap up our conversation with John Bucher, executive director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, by exploring how mythology and the hero's journey show up in Ahsoka. And while we're at it... let's do the same with Andor! Heroes to the left of us, heroes to the right, here we are!

Last week we talked about the Hero's Journey... but what is that anyway? And how does it apply to Star Wars? Join us as we continue our conversation with John Bucher, the executive director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, as we explore the connections between classic mythology and our favorite stories.

This week we begin our conversation with John Bucher, the executive director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and explore the deep connections between mythology and Star Wars. It gets a touch deep... but you won't want to MYTH it!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

BONUS EPISODE: Maybe this should be Episode 19 1/2, but since when did Star Wars fans care about episode numbers aligning chronologically? Anyway... I didn't have my hands on our discussion of Andor Season 2 episodes 7-9 while on the road last week, so in this bonus episode, we go BACK to that conversation and wrap it up.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Happy (Real?) Star Wars Day! As we celebrate the 48th anniversary of Star Wars, let's sit back, grab some caf (with apologies to CWK), and reflect on the past, present, and future of our beloved story.Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Rebellions are built on prequels that cast the story in a new light... and we got that and then some! Come hear Bob, Ben, and Phil's final thoughts on Andor Season 2, and how they lead into both Rogue One and A New Hope.

It's a wrap on quite possibly the finest Star War ever. Join Bob, Ben, and Phil in breaking down the grand finale and segueing right into Rogue One. We have friends everywhere... so come join us!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

Aren't you a little long for a 15 minute Star Wars podcast? Yes, but... we have a LOT to talk about with these three episodes. Find out what Ben, Phil, and Bob thought about the Ghorman Massacre, then come back for the rest of the discussion on our next episode!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]

We're back to Ghorman with more reflection on episodes 4-6. Join Bob, Ben, and Phil for more thoughts on this excellent arc. And get a brief sneak peek at Bob's reaction to the THIRD arc!Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFXEmail: [email protected]