Fate of the EU… Uh, Jedi – SWBTF #21

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Welcome back to Star Wars Beyond the Films!

EDITORS NOTE: Ahead there be spoilers…. consider this your warning!
This week Mark and Nathan are joined by Intrepid Bothan Reporter and Lightsaber Rattling Jedi, Peter Morrison, to discuss the Fate of the Jedi series as a whole.

Mark ponders the excerpt at the start and end of the series and it’s possible ramifications.

The guys hit the plot in a nut shell to set the tone of the episode and then break down the series from there.
The series has an odyssey feel to it, while also telling a multitude of stories all enterweaved to make up a bigger overall story.
Jacen’s past was explored. Or was it? Was Abeloth TOO POWERFUL? Did Luke need an enemy more powerful than even him?

Nathan takes a moment to show his brotherly side. Did FotJ suffer an identity crisis?
Mortis makes its way into the series and the guys ponder how much Lucas knew of the plot. How much of this was made up on the spot? Nathan brings up the recent Insider interviews with the FOTJ authors.
He also ponders if the publishing group has changed the game plan and shifted to a looser planning style?
Did this allow for a more interchangable author feel to the series? Did that play into the success of Christie Golden stepping into Karen Traviss’s slot? Had Abeloth been Lucas approved would she have been the”Mother” in all respects? Instead of some being trying to be like them? Did Jacen’s story get resolved?
Peter proposes that the series might have done better had Abeloth been left out and the Lost Tribe been the main villian. Perhaps give her a stand alone book?
Mark ponders (or possibly rants) that Abeloth had to have hedged her bets and had a spare possessed body out there hidden away.
The guys focus on the pacing of the series. It almost made each book read like a stand alone. Was this a mistake? Should longer series be set to release closer together vs being spread out?
The Krayt factor: Was it or was it not Darth Krayt at the end of the story who came to Luke’s aide? Seems Denning doesn’t even know and he wrote the scene….
SPOILER WARNING: So in the end they stop Abeloth (for now) but in doing so have put back on the throne the dark man whom Jacen stopped which kicked everything off in the first place. Kind of crazy huh? But didn’t Jacen’s destroying Centerpoint Station cause her to get free? Wait, but wasn’t that ordered by Luke?
So did this give us closure? Or an open plot thread awaiting a crafty author later?
What? Nathan gets political with his satire? But it was necessary to understand the plot of FOTJ.
FotJ makes Dark Nest more meaningful to the SWEU.

Celestial, the Ones, and so much left open…. was this a good thing?? Bad thing? Or a GREAT Thing?
Random Mark ponder: Will Shelter be used to keep Beyond Shadows and the Mind Walker plots going?
They discuss Beyond Shadows, the Font of Power as well as the Lake of Apparitions, as well as Sith Spirits, Force Ghosts, Force Apparitions, Force Entities, and so forth.
This leads to pondering the “next generation” of Jedi. And how the Big 3’s story has overshadowed the newer Jedi’s individual stories.
Should the Jedi have destroyed the Font of Power? Is this something that should have been taken out? A weapon of Jedi Destruction….
Nathan touches on Ben and Vestara’s love plot. But not in a Tahiri touching kind of way…. …which leads to Vestara’s character growth throughout the series, dispite her Sithly Father’s pressures during the series.
Will this make Ves drop out of the saga? Or will the One Sith make an appearance BEFORE Legacy? (Even though it would happen after Legacy was published.)
Jaina Solo’s character grew a lot by the series end.  Even Tahiri had her character go through a lot of changes. Especially in light of past series directions with her character. We almost had our Imperial Knights!

The personal relationships were well executed. All the hosts agree that was a very strong point for the series.
Anakin Skywalker CAUSED the imbalance?! Wait… say again? So does that mean Luke and Ben are the Chosen Ones per Lucas before Mortis? This leads the hosts to discuss Balance and what that means for a bit.

Nathan had a very interesting outlook on it. Or at least gives EU Fans OPTIONS. Or was this addition to the FotJ plot a huge mistake? Or one to come?

Mark takes a minute to have a fan crush moment about the Horn family

Were the Barabels the ‘sleeper agents’ of the whole series?
Allana’s back in the open. They developed her up to own her own portion of the next generation of characters. She and Ben could have been 3rd generation, but ended up growing into the 2nd.
Does judging children characters age vary from person to person?
The hosts also judge the series, and give it a 1-10 ranking and a one word description.
And sit back after the credits for a Marvel treat… erm.. we mean bloopers!

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