Talking Star Wars

Episode 076 - Culture, History, and Context for the Skywalker Saga

Connor and Alex Season 3 Episode 24

In this episode, the hosts take a step back from an in-universe perspective and analyze what was happening in the world during the release of each of the trilogies of movies that comprise the Skywalker Saga. They explore the influence of 70s cinema and the post-Vietnam era on the production of the original trilogy, which was released in the divided world of the Cold War period; the turn-of-the-millennium release of the prequel trilogy right around the birth of the Internet and the rise of global and domestic political tension; and the sequel trilogy, released after the Disney acquisition and firmly in an era of more diverse (and more risk-averse and corporate) filmmaking. Evolving themes this episode examines include the depiction of fascism, increasing multiculturalism, trust and mistrust of authority, and familial legacy. Listen now to hear Alex and Connor’s thoughts on how the times of each film influenced its storytelling.


This episode mentions content from and contains potential spoilers for: Episodes 1 through 9.

Thank you for listening to Talking Star Wars with Connor and Alex!

Check us out on Reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TalkingStarWars/