- This week, "Tales of the Jedi" arrives, "Andor's" Fiona Shaw stops by, and more.
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Perfect. Let's get to the news.
At last, "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" has arrived.
And just in time for International Animation Day
this Friday.
Follow Ahsoka Tano from her earliest days on her homeworld
with her parents and her clan to her time as a Jedi Padawan
working alongside Anakin Skywalker
and after–spoiler– she walked away from it all.
It turns out just because you say you're no Jedi
doesn't mean the Inquisitors aren't coming for you.
And the series also gives us greater insight into the fall
of Jedi Master Dooku, tracing the path of his rage
and disillusion with the Republic from his time as Qui-Gon Jinn's master
to his work alongside Mace Windu and Yaddle
and finally his affiliation with Darth Sidious.
Ominous!
All six shorts in the animated anthology are now streaming on Disney+.
Star Wars Celebration Europe is not yet fully operational,
but earlier this week we got our first look at the key art for the event.
The Millennium Falcon leads the charge, followed by the rebel fleet,
with the unmistakable London skyline on the horizon.
And that's no moon. It's the second Death Star looming above.
Take a closer look at the key art and other intel
on Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 now on StarWars.com/ThisWeek.
We're still in the thick of things with "Andor."
Today we're talking Episode 7, "Announcement."
You know the drill. Didn't watch it yet?
Skip on ahead.
It was breakfast time once again in the Karn household,
when reports of the mission to Aldhani reached Coruscant.
Inspector Meero is not gonna be happy about this.
And neither is Mon Mothma! But Luthen is resolute.
- The Empire has been choking us so slowly we're starting not to notice.
- And in the end, Mon gets back to work finding the funding for the revolution.
But this show isn't called "Mothma," although I would totally watch that.
What's going on at the Andor household, you ask?
Cassian is back, which is a real bad idea considering he's wanted by the Empire
for that business that went down on Ferrix earlier this season.
In a heartbreaking exchange, Cass tried to convince his mother
to leave Ferrix behind.
- You can't stay and I can't go.
- Ultimately they went their separate ways,
and Andor paid off his debts with a quick visit
to friend and former flame Bix
before kicking it Scarif beach party style on the resort world of Niamos.
Nothing like playing a game of chess in the sunshine
and dodging shoretroopers and KX droids to really help you relax, you know?
- I'm a tourist.
- To find out where Cassian's off to next, watch the latest episode
"Narkina-5," now streaming on Disney+.
I'll say it.
Maarva Andor is my new favorite mom in all of the "Star Wars" galaxy.
And today we're joined by the luminous Fiona Shaw.
Hello, Fiona. So lovely to have you here.
- Hi, Kristin. Lovely to meet you.
- Our question for you today is,
how would you describe Maarva and her homeworld of Ferrix?
- I would begin to say that Maarva is part of a planet
that you get a feeling is a bit like an old industrial town.
You know, that it hasn't educated itself into an Ivy League,
sort of highfalutin place, that it's very practical.
The people there work very hard, but they are full of community.
And I think the value of community becomes more and more important
as the series goes on, and I think that's very interesting.
It's not about showing off or doing well or capitalism.
It's really about the sharing of what little wealth exists
in that community.
She of course becomes revered in the town,
probably because she's had a very interesting life.
She's not small-minded, but she is a bighearted, very big person.
It's very interesting to play an older character
because you play somebody who has sort of boiled down their values
to just what they think matters rather than chaos,
and the chaos of her son, Cassian, is completely different
to the clarity with which Maarva is beginning to view the world,
including the oppression that she's absorbed,
because the Empire does keep them all down.
And they're not proud of that. People get ashamed of being kept down.
And Maarva's husband has been killed by the very same Empire
and hanged in the town square,
so she's had to swallow a lot of pride over the years,
and we meet her at a point where maybe that's becoming really untenable.
- Thank you so much for joining us, Fiona.
That's it for this week, but for more on these stories
and other news from around the galaxy, check out StarWars.com.
And be sure to join us right here for "This Week in Star Wars"
every Thursday.
Thanks for watching, and may the Force be with you.