'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker': JJ Abrams' Film Is The Last Word On The Saga, For Better Or Worse [Discourse Podcast]

Not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s a new “Star Wars” film out, and we’re totally confident that the Internet is going to be completely chill and nothing could possibly go wrong…

READ MORE: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Is Fan Fiction On A Galactic Scale [Review]

Other than perhaps “Joker,” there is no other major 2019 release that we have covered on The Discourse Podcast that truly lives up (or down, depending on your viewpoint) to the show’s namesake. On this episode, I’m joined by Lindsey Romain (Nerdist, Heylo Reylo) and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez to discuss “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the ninth film in the “Star Wars” saga and the conclusion to the entire nine-film arc (which now makes “Star Wars” tied with the “Friday the 13th” series in terms of how many films have claimed to be the conclusion). The film – directed by J.J. Abrams – arrives with a series of burdens, from having to wrap up a nine-film story that spans over 40 years, to delicately handling the passing of Carrie Fisher while the character of Leia is still alive, and dealing with the “fan” backlash to “The Last Jedi” (which should absolutely be a non-troversy, but here we are).

READ MORE: Rian Johnson Explains Why He Feels Giving ‘Star Wars’ Fans Exactly What They Want Is A “Mistake”

It’s a Herculean task for any filmmaker to tackle that is unenviable, but even on its own merits, the consensus on this episode is that “The Rise of Skywalker” is a flawed, rushed finale. But, as we break it down throughout, it still might work as a rousing, entertaining spectacle for some (as it is for one of us on this episode). The short? It’s complicated. The long? Well, this episode runs almost two hours and we have a lot to unpack. 

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