Emperor Palpatine was an evil dictator who manipulated the Republic and formed the Galactic Empire, nearly wiped out the Jedi Order in the process, and seduced Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force.
So why do Star Wars fans love this Dark Lord of the Sith so much?
Is the Emperor a better villain than Darth Vader?
What could the Jedi Order have learned from him? Was he a necessary evil or would the galaxy have been better off if he'd been stopped early on?
What more can we learn from his possible return in The Rise of Skywalker?
Alan and Ryder are live at Fan X (Salt Lake Comic Convention) and will discuss Emperor Palpatine's story arc throughout the Star Wars Saga.
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Take that ridiculous thing off. Alan, Mark, and Ryder examine Kylo Ren from all angles on Episode 89. Was Kylo Ren justified in his reaction when he thought Luke Skywalker was going to kill him? What kind of kinship did he feel with Darth Vader? And when did he find out about his grandfather's history? Does Kylo Ren actually care about anyone besides himself? And do we feel any sympathy or empathy for this Knight of Ren?
We also discuss some of our upcoming Fan X panels, Mark and Alan discuss home improvements, and Ryder daydreams. You know what you must do.
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Alan and Ryder cover many different topics on Episode 88. First we answer some listener feedback and then discuss the results of our recent polls. We also talk about the new Sith Trooper and our favorite Stormtrooper armors. For our main topic we discuss who from Star Wars we would want to be our mentor/teacher. Only two there are for this episode. No more, no less.
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Alan, Mark, and Ryder are delivering happiness with Episode 87 by discussing what in Star Wars makes us happy!
Which characters make us happy?
Which moments bring us the most happiness?
Is there one Star Wars movies that makes us happiest?
Besides the movies, what about Star Wars makes us the happiest?
Join us for Episode 87 and get happy about Star Wars!
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On this Father's Day edition of Idiot's Array, we discuss fathers in the Star Wars saga.
How has Star Wars changed for us since we've become fathers?
What is the most tragic father story in Star Wars?
Who are our favorite fathers or father figures in Star Wars?
We discuss these topics, Mark and Alan sing, and much, much more!
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Mark Sutter has vanished, but Alan and Ryder are here to discuss each of their four favorite lightsaber battles from all of Star Wars. Mark was even able to get a transmission through before all communications were cut off, so Alan and Ryder will discuss his also. Top 5 lists are easy. Top 4 lists require thought and heartache. We would be honored if you would join us!
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On Episode 84, Alan, Mark, and Ryder re-visit The Phantom Menace on its 20th anniversary. Where and when did we see The Phantom Menace for the first time? What are some of our favorite memories from seeing it? Did we have a favorite scene? And what memories do we have of the marketing and merchandise? We would love you to join us! We have not doubt of that.
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Alan and Ryder are live at Fan X as they explore Chewbacca’s journey through the Star Wars saga, from the tragedy and heartbreak of losing his family to becoming a rebel hero. How did the battle of Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars shape Chewie’s character and outlook on the galaxy? What made his bond with Han Solo so unique? How did Han’s death affect Chewbacca’s goals in the sequel trilogy? And is Chewbacca the true hero and moral compass of Star Wars? We will discuss everyone’s favorite wookiee as he just keeps getting better with age.
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On Episode 83, Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss their Mt.Rushmore of characters from the different areas of Star Wars. Who will we pick as our favorites from the original trilogy, prequels, sequel trilogy, books/comics, animation, and Star Wars stories? And at the end we will try to guess each other's overall top four favorite characters from all of Star Wars. We'd love you to play along at home as you listen. Top five lists are for chumps. Mt. Rushmore lists are for heroes!
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Mark returns to join Alan and Ryder as we discuss the confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren on Crait, what led up to it, and the aftermath.
What did Luke mean during his final conversation with Leia?
Did Leia and C-3PO realize that Luke wasn't really on Crait?
What did Luke add to his own legend?
How tortuous was the outcome for Kylo Ren?
In this scene, did Luke truly become the Jedi he was always meant to be?
Is Luke's death the most powerful scene in any Star Wars movie?
We also have an exciting Star Wars Celebration announcement! We would be honored if you would join us.
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In episode 81, Mark Sutter has vanished, but Alan and Ryder fight on. They discuss the epic battle scene in Snoke's throne room, what led to it, and what happened in the aftermath.
What parallels are there with the throne room scene from ROTJ?
If Kylo Ren is the First Order's supreme leader, what kind of responsibility will that add?
Did Kylo blow his only chance to join Rey and the resistance?
Alan and Ryder also discuss the recently released Episode IX wrap photo, answer some listener emails, and much, much more. We would be honored if you would join us!
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In this episode, Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss what part faith and self-confidence play in using the Force. From Luke Skywalker failing to lift his X-wing out of the Dagobah swamp to Rey mind tricking a stormtrooper, faith in the Force and oneself seems to be crucial.
In what other instances do we see faith play a part?
What part does urgency play?
What about faith in other characters and not just the Force?
Is Chirrup Imwe the best example of someone having faith in the Force?
We discuss this and much more on Episode 80 of Idiot's Array!
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On episode 79, Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss Rey's vision in the cave on Ahch-To in The Last Jedi.
What did she discover about herself and did it open a Force portal within her?
How does Rey's experience in the cave compare to Luke Skywalker's in The Empire Strikes Back.
After Rey's time in the cave, why did she go to Kylo Ren first and not Luke?
Why is it so important to face our greatest fears in order to grow?
We take a deep cave dive in this episode and would be honored if you would join us.
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In this episode, Alan, Mark, and Ryder continue their discussion on empathy in Star Wars by examining The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and Ahsoka.
Was Ahsoka the template for what the Jedi should have been? (per Dave Hackerson's email)
Did Rey have empathy for Kylo Ren or just saw him as a potential tool to help the Resistance?
Was it empathy that kept Kylo Ren from killing Leia?
Why was Luke Skywalker conflicted about Rey leaving Ahch-To to go to Kylo Ren?
Was empathy the reason the Rogue One crew was successful?
Join us for this and much more! We would be honored.
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On Episode 77, Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss empathy in Star Wars.
Were Qui-Gon, Padme, Leia, Luke, Darth Vader and others actually empathetic or was there some selfishness involved?
Was empathy the Jedi way, and should it have been?
Are there instances when empathy from one character holds another back?
Why didn't Obi-Wan kill Anakin on Mustafar?
We discuss these topics and much more on part 1 of this topic. We would be honored if you would join us!
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Ryder is joined by his son Ranger as they go down memory hyperspace lane and talk about seeing The Force Awakens teaser trailer for the first time in 2014.
What do we remember from that day?
What were our initial reactions?
What was our favorite scene from the teaser trailer?
Also, Ryder gets emotional.
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He's searching for his, uh, I don't know if he said tribe or family.
Families and family-type units (traditional and otherwise) are very important in Star Wars and in real life. Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss examples of Star Wars families and what makes them so vital to overcoming and defeating evil.
Are there any examples of families that exist in the Sith, Empire, or First Order? If so, were they beneficial?
How would the outcomes of Star Wars battles and conflicts be different without families?
All of this and much more on Episode 76. We would be honored if you would join us!
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Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs. On this episode Alan, Mark, and Ryder start by discussing some recent Star Wars news: Chuck Wendig gets fired, more details on The Mandalorian, and Resistance premiers.
For our main topic we discuss why Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda think it is so important to stay in the present. How does looking to the past or future negatively affect characters? Luke and Anakin both looked to the horizon, but why did their outcomes differ? Kylo Ren tells Rey to let the past die, but does he really want that for himself? Which characters have a healthy balance of living in the present and planning for the future?
We would be honored if you would join us!
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What do you see? Balance. An energy. The Force.
In this episode Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss the balance in the Force. Does the Force correct itself to keep balanced between dark and light? What influence does it have on Force users? Is the Force most interested in being balanced and not necessarily good and evil? Join us as we take a deep dive into the true nature of the Force.
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We are live from Fan X 2018 in Salt Lake City as we discuss Yoda throughout the Star Wars saga!
-Was Yoda to blame for the Jedi Order's downfall?
-What did Yoda learn during his exile on Dagobah?
-How pivotal was Yoda's role in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels?
-How did Yoda save the Jedi Order in The Last Jedi?
We discuss these questions and much, much more! We would be honored if you would join us for this special live episode of Idiot's Array.
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We laughed, we cried, and Alan almost died on Episode 73 of Idiot's Array. Alan, Mark, and Ryder start this episode by discussing the new Star Wars: Resistance trailer. What did we like and what are we looking forward to?
Then the show goes out of bounds as we talk about many of our listeners responses to #StarWarsASportsMovie. Also, Ryder does his best to ruin the show with an Admiral Piett discussion and some personal stories. This episode may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts, kid.
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Alan, Mark, and Ryder begin the show by discussing the Episode IX casting announcement. What are we most excited about? What surprised us the most?
For our main topic we discuss the Star Wars theme that anybody can become somebody.
-Why do we love this storytelling theme so much in Star Wars?
-What makes for a better story: a character who puts themselves in the underdog situation or someone who is put there by another character?
-Does this theme work for Dark Side characters also?
We also ask for listener feedback on #StarWarsASportsMovie on our Twitter feed.
You are definitely somebody to us and we'd love you to join us for Episode 72!
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Hello, Master. It's been a while. On this episode Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss the exciting announcements from San Diego Comic Con:
-The return of The Clone Wars
-Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
-Queen's Shadow by EK Johnston
-New Star Wars Comics
We also discuss some of the recent comics and whatever else comes to our minds. We have a good feeling about this!
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In this episode Alan, Mark, and Ryder discuss Han Solo's cynicism.
Why did Han Solo become so cynical between Solo and A New Hope?
Was his cynicism a defense mechanism that helped him survive?
What changed between A New Hope and The Force Awakens to allow Han to believe in the Force and become less cynical?
Why do some characters Star Wars become cynical and others don't?
Also, Alan and Mark quote song lyrics and Ryder gets a new nickname. We have a really good feeling about this!
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In Episode 69 Alan, Mark, and Ryder continue their examination of the themes of Solo by discussing how a character's past affects their future.
In Solo, did Han overcome his past? What is his past? And what about in A New Hope?
Why is it so difficult for a character to overcome their past?
Is it harder for a character to overcome a self-inflicted past or one caused by others or events?
Did Luke overcome his past in The Last Jedi or was that who Luke always was?
In Star Wars, who else has overcome their past?
All of this as much, much more on this episode of Idiot's Array. We have a really good feeling about this!
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