Ho, ho, ho and Happy Holidays everyone! The rumors of my carbon freezing has been wildly exaggerated. The Star Wars Week In Review makes a grand return to the interwebs just under the wire as we get ready to say goodbye to 2019 and greet 2020 with much anticipation. I couldn’t have picked a better time to come back. I guess there was a movie that came out recently? Some kind of fan favorite that had weird, hairy creatures doing all kinds of crazy things? Yes, we will talk about CATS later on, but right now, here at YODASNEWS.COM, let us get into the holiday bounty that is STAR WARS – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. Here is your week in review.

• What else is there, right? THE RISE OF SKYWALKER made its debut this week. VARIETY reports that it is on track to earn just shy of 200 million this weekend. Earning 40 million on Thursday preview alone, TROS sits behind THE LAST JEDI and THE FORCE AWAKENS in Thursday previews for the new trilogy (making 45 million and 57 million respectively). Reactions been split on Episode 9, with it earning 58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer but holding 86 percent on its audience score as of this writing. Whatever you think of it, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is the ending to the story that started over 42 years ago. Now, the next big question – What will DISNEY do next?

• I mean, What will DISNEY do next AFTER they give us episode 8 of THE MANDALORIAN? For all intents and purposes, Jon Favreau has been crushing it with this series. By providing a great story, well developed characters and the look and feel of the seedier corners of the Star Wars universe, Favreau just might be the “go to” guy in the future of Star Wars storytelling. And, of course, “Baby Yoda” doesn’t hurt matters either. In my other life, I work at a high school. In the last month, at least once or twice a day, I have heard students talking about “Baby Yoda”. Some have seen the show and some have no clue what Star Wars is. However, “Baby Yoda” is common knowledge. Is “Baby Yoda” a marketing tool? Absolutely. And you know what? It is working.

• That is all I have for this week. I hope you all have a great Life Day and enjoy the season. If I may get just a wee bit preachy here – if you are able to help out…Toys for Tots or your local giving tree…please do so this holiday season. I remember opening up many a toy (mostly Star Wars) on the 25 of December, both as a child and as an adult, and it is a joyous feeling that no child should miss out on. If you can – do so.

            Thanks for having me back!