Claim OwnershipHoth Takes: A Star Wars Podcast
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Journalists Eric Geller, Grace Segers, and Haley Byrd Wilt combine their love of debating Star Wars with their professional curiosity, irreverence, and knack for asking hard questions in this freewheeling discussion show about the galaxy far, far away.
68 Episodes
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Kathleen Kennedy has left Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan are now co-running the company. What does that mean for the future of Star Wars? In this episode, Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Grace to discuss Kennedy’s legacy, Filoni’s creative style, and how the new leadership arrangement will actually work. Plus: We speculate about the future of artificial intelligence in Star Wars storytelling, and we call on Lucasfilm to rethink its conclusions about recasting iconic roles.
The start of 2026 means we’re only a few months away from the first Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker. And speaking of the final film in the sequel trilogy, we thought it would be a good time to look back at the original plan for Episode IX: Colin Trevorrow’s “Duel of the Fates” script. In this episode, Haley’s friend Jack Merritt joins us to discuss the highs and lows of Trevorrow’s story, from a worthy role for Finn to a controversial take on the dark side. We also cover Trevorrow’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker, his plan for Kylo Ren, and his use of Coruscant and Mortis. If you like imagining what could have been, this is the episode for you.
Between Andor and the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Star Wars is currently leaning into stories about the “regular” people of the galaxy. But what about the Jedi and the Sith, the people at the core of the Skywalker saga that started it all? In this episode, Wired’s Lily Hay Newman joins Eric and Haley to discuss the Jedi and the Sith stories we want to see, the challenges of superhero protagonists, and the value of the Force as a storytelling concept in an increasingly rational world. We explore how Star Wars should balance fantasy and relatability in its portrayal of Force-users, with special praise for some of the franchise’s weirdest Force-adjacent characters and creatures.
The teaser trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu makes it pretty clear that the first Star Wars movie in seven years will be a popcorn flick for Baby Yoda fans of all ages. But how much will hardcore fans get out of the film? Will it meaningfully expand the universe or shed light on the state of the galaxy? And if not, is that even a bad thing? Politico’s Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Haley to analyze the teaser trailer and discuss what we want and expect from the movie. We talk about the challenges of transmedia storytelling, Grogu’s inconsistent maturity, Disney’s marketing strategy, and tiresome nostalgia cameos.
With few Star Wars film or television projects on the horizon, it’s time to think about how we would fill the void if we were in charge. In this episode: three pitches for revitalizing the Star Wars franchise on the big and small screens. Eric offers a redemption story for an Andor villain, Haley proposes a subversive culinary journey, and Grace imagines a better sequel trilogy. Our ideas lead to conversations both silly and profound, with a lore connection that no one could have seen coming.
Star Wars is in a strange place right now. Many movies have been abandoned, several TV shows have ended or been canceled, and it’s unclear how the projects on the horizon will mesh together. By all accounts, Lucasfilm doesn’t have an overarching vision for the franchise. But does it need one? In this episode, Eric’s old friend Justin Bolger joins him and Grace to discuss the direction of the Star Wars franchise and whether it needs a storytelling czar. We also discuss the way the franchise feels now compared to its pre-Disney heyday, the tradeoffs of socially relevant storytelling, and whether stories with more synergy would exacerbate audiences’ “Star Wars fatigue.” Plus, Grace and Justin bond over their favorite underappreciated TV shows.
Strong women have been part of the Star Wars saga from the very beginning, but the franchise has often struggled with how it portrays them. In this episode, we compare and critique how storytellers have written Leia Organa, Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Rey No Surname, and other female characters; share our disappointments about these and other women’s narrative arcs; and explore how the franchise has become so inhospitable to female creators and actors. Plus, we find reasons for optimism in a few recent TV shows, and we celebrate the portrayal of one particularly great maternal leader.
Andor season 2 is over, and we have strong feelings about it! Join us as we debate and disagree about Cassian’s destiny, Bix’s trauma, Luthen’s amorality, and Mon’s eye-opening escape, plus two other, very different relationships. Andor raised important questions about the balance between idealism and pragmatism in a rebellion, but how well did it address this tension? Did the second season get too dark, or did it effectively follow up on themes from the first season? And what do Cassian and Dedra’s storylines reveal about the core differences between democracy and fascism? We’ll tackle these and other big issues as we bid farewell to the most revolutionary project in Star Wars history.
With the premiere of Andor season 2 just a few days away, we’re sharing our hopes and predictions for the long-awaited return of Cassian Andor and company. We discuss the show’s increasing political relevance, its unconventional release schedule, and our excitement about everything from Rebellion tensions to weird aliens and cool food. We also talk about whether Andor should stay away from the Force, which characters might make cameo appearances, and how we hope to see Cassian evolve in the lead-up to Rogue One. Plus: Eric has a theory he hopes is wrong, and Haley sets herself up for wedding disappointment.
Inspired by one of our favorite TV shows, we’re diving into the world of alternate universes and unexplored possibilities. Eric and Grace each pitch several ideas for “what if?” storylines that explore Star Wars’s most tantalizing roads not taken. From the end of the Clone Wars to the Sequel Trilogy, these alternate storylines have our imaginations running wild. Plus, with the Andor season 2 teaser trailer fresh on everyone’s minds, we take a few minutes to voice our concerns about Andor’s marketing strategy.
With Skeleton Crew, Disney told a Star Wars story unlike any other, but still rooted in the themes that make the franchise so successful and endearing. In this episode, we discuss our favorite storylines, analyze the characters at the heart of the series, and consider its depiction of morality, obedience, and bravery. We also share our favorite jokes, speculate about the show’s future, and debate the concept of “unclaimsies.”
We’re less than five months away from the premiere of Andor season 2, so what’s in store for us when the best live-action Star Wars TV show returns? In this episode, Eric, Grace, and Haley try to predict the twists and turns that lie ahead for Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, Luthen Rael, and the other characters we’ve come to know and love (or love to hate). We consider how far Mon will go, how Luthen will exit the picture (and what we’ll learn about his past), and whether Syril Karn and Dedra Meero are destined to gross us all out. Plus, some theories about Uncle Harlo that you probably aren’t expecting.
Would independent journalists have prevented the events of Star Wars from happening? In this episode, we unpack a topic at the precise intersection of our fandom and our professional lives: the role of journalism and media in Star Wars. How do people in the Star Wars galaxy get their news, and how does news consumption affect their lives? How do three successive galactic governments use HoloNet broadcasts to their advantage? And what does the lack of local news mean for people suffering from apathy or mistreatment on far-flung planets? We also discuss how Star Wars journalists balance morality and objectivity, including the ethical challenges of reporting the news from inside the Empire.
It’s a bleak time in Star Wars fandom, as the community processes the news that Disney has canceled The Acolyte following lackluster viewership and relentless online hate from bigoted trolls. What does the cancelation mean for the future of Star Wars storytelling, and what does it say about Disney’s corporate philosophy and the larger issues with streaming television today? Politico’s Bill Kuchman joins Eric and Grace to discuss the demoralizing cancelation and its broader implications, including what we think of a franchise dominated by The Mandalorian and its spinoffs, how it feels to see an ambitious project get scrapped without a peep from Disney, and how The Acolyte’s demise could hurt Disney in the long run.
Show notes:
Follow Bill Kuchman and read Popculturology
It’s rare that we at Hoth Takes are so overwhelmingly critical of a piece of Star Wars media, but The Acolyte’s final two episodes definitely earned that treatment. Listen in as we critique Osha’s fall to the dark side, the show’s moral message, and Vernestra’s coverup. We also discuss the Jedi’s culpability for the events on Brendok and the Republic’s interest in overseeing Jedi business. Plus, we speculate about what Darth Plagueis is up to and how much Vernestra will confess to Yoda. And you’ll never guess what big unresolved question Haley wants answered.
Things have taken a turn on The Acolyte, as a ruthless villain reveals himself — in more ways than one. In this episode, we discuss the middle act of The Acolyte, including a stunning fight on a forest planet and a fascinating dark-side seduction on a hidden world. We delve into Qimir’s insidious ideology, Mae’s messy behavior, and what, exactly, Osha could possibly be thinking. Plus, we’re nervous about Sol, and Haley has a food question.
Three episodes in, The Acolyte is taking Star Wars in a bold new direction with fresh characters and a disturbing but thought-provoking premise. Join Eric, Grace, and Haley as we break down the complicated relationships between the main characters, debate the portrayal of an exiled witch coven, and try to predict where the show is heading. Grace is on a social media break, so it’s up to Eric and Haley to fill her in on the awful online discourse. And you won’t believe how long it takes Haley to bring up her newest space-food obsession.
What’s it like being in love with a huge Star Wars nerd? To celebrate our fiftieth episode, we’re talking about the role that Star Wars plays in our personal lives, and we’re joined by three special guests: our partners. From first dates and pandemic TV marathons to naming cars and doing bad impressions, our significant others pull back the curtain on how our love of Star Wars manifests beyond the microphones of Hoth Takes. Plus, we ask our partners about galactic conspiracy theories and their best TV show pitches, and one of them asks a divisive question.
Disney is following Tales of the Jedi with Tales of the Empire, opening up new opportunities for Tales anthologies focused on other corners of the galaxy. Given the recent focus on the dark side, we decided to pitch our best ideas for anthologies about our favorite overlooked villains. But what starts as an episode about a future Tales anthology quickly snowballs into a brainstorming session about much wackier concepts — and eventually, we come up with a Star Wars TV show so perfect that it genuinely annoys us that it will never exist.
With the upcoming Star Wars TV show The Acolyte in the news recently, Eric and Grace sit down to discuss their hopes and expectations for the franchise’s first mystery thriller. We talk about the storytelling potential of a wide-open time period, the challenges of humanizing villains without glorifying them, and whether and how Disney will use the show to plant the seeds of the prequels. Plus, inspired by The Acolyte’s mature tone, we have a mini-debate about whether there’s room in Star Wars for stories that cross two very big lines.
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