Pirates of the Mandalorian

Spoilers ahoy for The Mandalorian Chapter 11, me hearties!

Chapter 11, with actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) back at the helm, is a swashbuckling white-knuckle ride that introduces a beloved character from The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels to the increasingly mythological live-action Star Wars spin-off on Disney+.

Our interstellar duo cross moon seas ruled by the quarrelling Quarren and Mon Calamari from Return of the Jedi and fall into another trap. Just when it looks like all is lost, a group of mysterious Mandalorians arrive to rescue them. The trio, featuring Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado) and Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides), is lead by Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff).

Fan-favourite Sackhoff, best known as Starbuck from the Battlestar Galactica reboot, reprises her iconic role from The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels as Bo-Katan gives Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) an abject lesson in Mandalore history as she continues her search for the fabled Darksaber, which is in the hands of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).

With the promise of aiding Mando in his quest to find the Jedi, Bo-Katan enlists him to aid an Imperial weapons heist on a freighter bound for Moff Gideon's fleet. What follows is a memorable shootout that perfectly captures the energy of the original trilogy. In the words of Star Wars creator George Lucas: "Faster, more intense."

Amidst the galactic fury, Howard includes an homage to her father, Ron Howard (Solo: A Star Wars Story). The battle-damaged Razor Crest entering the moon's atmosphere is a nod to Apollo 13.

True to her word, Bo-Katan tells Mando to seek Ahsoka Tano on the forest moon of Corvus. Oh, boy! There's so much to unpack and the notion of seeing Ahsoka in Chapter 12 is overwhelming...

Did The Child AKA Baby Yoda jump the shark last week in an episode that was filled with Easter eggs galore from sci-fi stablemate the Alien franchise?

The beloved tyke kept eating the last eggs of Frog Lady, an endangered species that had information that would lead Din Djarin to his fellow Mandalorians and the Jedi order. This saw some fans suggesting it was in bad taste. No pun intended. Certainly, it gave me pause. However, this new The Child plush toy (affiliate link) restored balance to the Force with special thanks to Claire from Evolution PR. This is the way.

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Coca-Cola's Christmas cheer by Taika Waititi

I rarely write about holiday commercials but there are exceptions. Last year it was Elliott (Henry Thomas) reuniting with E.T. in A Holiday Reunion and now it's the turn of Coca-Cola with Oscar winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) at the helm.



The world-famous truck, heralding the arrival of the holiday season, won't be touring the country this year due to the pandemic. Waititi, who most recently starred in and directed an episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+, weaves a tale of high adventure more suited to Indiana Jones and Uncharted before bringing heartfelt magic at a time when everyone needs hope.

Doctor Who series shortened due to pandemic

Doctor Who series 13, starring Jodie Whittaker as the titular Time Lord, has officially begun principal photography as a new national lockdown begins. As with the latest season of His Dark Materials, series 13 will be shorter due to the pandemic.

"In this strangest of years, the Doctor Who production team have worked wonders to get the show back into production," series showrunner Chris Chibnall explained.

"Given the complexity of making Doctor Who, and with new and rigorous Covid working protocols, it's going to take us a little longer to film each episode, meaning we expect to end up with eight episodes, rather than the usual eleven.

"But rest assured, the ambition, humour, fun and scares you expect from Doctor Who will all still be firmly in place. For everyone around the world, this is a challenging period — but the Doctor never shirks from a challenge."

BBC America will have a Doctor Who marathon between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, which would suggest the festive special, Revolution of the Daleks, is going to be on New Year’s Day again. However, this is unconfirmed.

HBO Max is exclusively streaming every series of Doctor Who since 2005. UK fans can watch series 1-12 on BBC iPlayer and all available classic serials on BritBox.

Are you excited for Revolution of the Daleks and series 13? Let me know in the comments below.

Cyberpunk 2077 won’t be delayed December

As next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft start getting into the hands of lucky gamers this week, a rumour on Twitter suggested CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 would be delayed again.

However, the Witcher 3 developer quickly took to social media to refute the claim and reaffirm the highly-anticipated video game adaptation will be released for PlayStation and Xbox consoles over the holiday season.

Given the impact of coronavirus and the furore surrounding crunch (something not unique to the video game industry), it's not entirely unreasonable to foresee a further delay until 2021. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Next-gen Xbox Series launches without Halo

The next-gen of video game consoles began with the launch of Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S without the brand's flagship, Halo, today. This isn't the first time Master Chief has been missing in action (MIA). Halo 5 wasn't released day-one on Xbox One.

Halo Infinite has been delayed, amid controversy and merciless memes, until 2021 at the earliest. Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) launches with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales in the US this Thursday. However, this hasn't dampened demand for the Xbox Series X and S over the holiday season.

The launch of new PlayStation and Xbox consoles is a welcome respite during the second coronavirus lockdown. So, it's understandable that fellow gamers are eager for something that will bring festive joy in a year that has taken its toll on everyone's mental health.

Retailers GAME and John Lewis had Series X and S stock online this morning but sold out. And friends are reporting, on social media, that Amazon pre-orders have been delayed. Although I originally pre-ordered both next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft, I decided to cancel and bump up the spec of a new iMac (the machine I'm typing this on).

My PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Xbox One X have life left in them for the foreseeable future.

I'll be getting Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PS4 and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the gift that keeps on giving with EA Play and Destiny 2: Beyond Light from Halo's original developer, Bungie. Also, Apple TV+ is now available.

Have you received your Xbox Series X or S and what video games will you play first? Let me know in the comments below.

Xbox Game Pass teases The Mandalorian

It's the eve of the release of Microsoft's next-gen consoles Xbox Series X and S.

The official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account has teased a Star Wars-related tie-in.

All we're gonna say is that we're not posting The Mandalorian and The Child for no reason pic.twitter.com/LK5iDuzDcn

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) November 8, 2020

Could it be The Mandalorian DLC for Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or Disney+ coming to Game Pass Ultimate as a perk? The latter is somewhat of a stretch, but the Redmond-based company has piqued my interest. EA Play will be bundled with Game Pass Ultimate from Tuesday.

In related news. Retailers are promising more Series X and S consoles will be available from 8:00AM Tuesday. Set your alarm and be sure to check Amazon.co.uk (affiliate link).

What do you think it could be? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who Lockdown brings Christmas cheer

During the first lockdown in March, Doctor Who Magazine's (DWM) Emily Cook galvanised Whovians (myself included) with Doctor Who Lockdown on Twitter.

What initially started as a few tweets quickly gathered momentum worldwide and brought the fandom together in celebration of the beloved BBC sci-fi series during a time of self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With a second national lockdown until 2nd December, Doctor Who Lockdown is back beginning with The Husbands of River Song, starring Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) and Alex Kingston (River Song), today at 7:00PM.

The Christmas special is notable for the first appearance of Nardole (Matt Lucas) who would go on to form part of a most memorable Team TARDIS in series 10. So much so, I was inspired to write into DWM and humbled when my email was printed in its hallowed pages - one for the bucket list.

With the holiday season upon us. Cook is looking to record another Doctor Who Singalong! This time Abigail's Song (Silence Is All You Know) from A Christmas Carol. Katherine Jenkins played Abigail Pettigrew, opposite Matt Smith as Doctor Who and Sir Michael Gambon as Kazran, and performed the haunting carol in the episode. A few years ago, I was thrilled when Ms Jenkins responded to my tweet congratulating her on her guest appearance. I wasn't alone in my admiration.



At a time of shared trauma and uncertainty, Doctor Who Lockdown is a unifying force to be celebrated.

Will you be watching The Husbands of River Song? Let me know in the comments below.

The Child in LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

Christmas is coming early for Star Wars fans (myself included). On Thursday Lucasfilm released a trailer for the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special and The Mandalorian and The Child AKA Baby Yoda make an appearance on Life Day.



Here's the official synopsis:

"The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?"

Set after The Rise of Skywalker, Rey sets out with BB-8 to learn more about the Force and meets friends and foes from the entire Skywalker Saga in a festive timey-wimey tale.

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special arrives on 17th November on Disney+.

Will you be watching this fun homage to the infamous television special from 1978? Let me know in the comments below.

PS5 and next-gen Xbox Series launch with Apple TV+

As rumoured weeks ago, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X and S will launch with Apple TV+.

In a blog post, Microsft said: “When our all-new Xbox family of consoles launch worldwide on November 10th, you’ll have more than just the entertainment apps you enjoy today on Xbox One. We’re excited to share that the Apple TV app is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on November 10th.”

The Cupertino-based company's streaming service lags behind Disney+ and Netflix. So, supporting more third-party devices makes commercial sense if Apple TV+ wants to become a serious contender in an increasingly saturated streaming space.

Aggressively including free 12-month subscriptions (extended due to the pandemic) with iPhones, iPads and Apple TV puts the vertically integrated tech titan in a very strong position in the mid-to-longterm. The launch of Apple One, bundling Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and more, will only add further value. I would have subscribed day-one if I wasn't already on a free 12-month Apple TV+ and pre-paid Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

The Apple TV+ app was recently launched on Sony TVs and will also be available for PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Xbox One next week.

My Samsung smart TV missed out on a native Apple TV+ app. Therefore, I'll be downloading the new app onto Xbox One X and resuming Ubisoft's Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet.

Thank the Force for The Mandalorian

Chapter 9, directed with taut economy by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), connects to the franchise's storied history with a fidelity that blurs the margins between television and silver screen. What follows are spoilers for the sophomore season premiere on Disney+.

You have been warned. Look out! Tusken Raiders...

How can series showrunner Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels) follow the Emmy-winning first series of the franchise's live-action spin-off on Disney+? As it turns out, by leaning further into its storied past and keeping to an elegant format lifted from the pages of classic Marvel Star Wars Weekly with Kenner toys upgraded by Epic Games' Unreal Engine.

The Marshal begins with the titular Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) taking The Child AKA Baby Yoda to an illegal fighting match between Gamorrean Guards, which foreshadows the episode's direct link to Return of the Jedi. As an amusing aside. This scene reminded me of when I briefly switched from the BBC to ITV in the late seventies, drawn away from Doctor Who by brash US imports' Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Glen A. Larson's sci-fi series were preceded by wrestling matches between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks. Suffice to say this didn't translate into becoming a lifelong wrestling fan.

I digress.

After this brief foray avoiding a trap sprung by Gor Koresh (John Leguizamo), Mando and Baby Yoda head to Tatooine, a planet synonymous with all things Star Wars. There they reunite with Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) and her hapless droids from The Phantom Menace before encountering the Marshal (Timothy Olyphant) adorned in Boba Fett's salvaged armour. At this point, I was in sci-fi heaven and wasn't ready for an ending that would equal the first reveal of Baby Yoda in Chapter 1. Olyphant plays a fantastic foil to Pascal's Mando and here's hoping this isn't the last time we'll see him play Cobb Vanth (a character introduced in Chuck Wendig's Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy).

Before they engage in a western shootout worthy of director Sergio Leone, a Krayt Dragon shows up in Mos Pelgo and the two are forced to work together and unite the town (Vanth had saved them from marauders following the destruction of the second Death Star and collapse of the Empire) with a band of Tusken Raiders. The dragon has to be stopped before more people die on both sides. The simplicity of the storytelling allows breathing room for organic nods to George Lucas' legacy resulting in much punching of the air - not unlike Tusken Raiders triumphantly wielding gaffi sticks - around these parts.

The dragon is dispatched by our band of brothers and Vanth hands Fett's armour to Mando. All well and good. As Mando and Baby Yoda head off across the dune sea on a speeder to continue their Jedi search, the aspect ratio widens as a mysterious figure is shown watching the fan-favourite duo from afar. Turning away, we see it's a battle-scarred Temuera Morrison. Boba Fett lives and he's going to want to reclaim his armour.

Some critics have noted the sparseness of the first-ever Star Wars live-action series, but I welcome its uncluttered aesthetic and focus on fringe characters populating the expanded universe. The cinematography is as expansive as anything on the big screen.

Favreau helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and has been heralded as the saviour of Star Wars by some fans. Personally, I loved The Rise of Skywalker. Sorry, not sorry. More Star Wars is always good in my book, especially during these troubling times.

This is the way.