130: The Empire Strikes Back (4k80) Pt. 1
A More Civilized Age: A Star Wars Podcast
A More Civilized Age
4.9 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 2 April 2026
⏱️ 184 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Three years after Luke turned off his targeting computer, Star Wars returns. Indeed, one might even ask "Is The Empire Strikes Back the actual 'start' of what we know as Star Wars?" Maybe! It's here that Star Wars begins to take the shape of a franchise (without any of the bloat yet), Industrial Light & Magic performs even greater special effects miracles, and the story begins to effortlessly blend fairy tale and melodrama. Plus, we get to see the original little green freak in his natural habitat.
NEXT TIME: The Back Half of Empire Strikes Back
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Show Notes
Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Michael Hermes
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Let us return once more to a more civilized age, a Star Wars podcast. |
| 0:12.3 | I'm Rob Zakening, joined by Alia Kampura, Austin Walker, and Natalie Watson. |
| 0:16.1 | We are, as always, supported by you, our listeners via patreon.com slash civilized. |
| 0:20.1 | So head over there if you like to support the show and get access to all our listeners, via patreon.com slash civilized. So head over there if you |
| 0:20.9 | like to support the show and get access to all our Q&A episodes. Today, we are watching |
| 0:26.2 | the Empire Strikes Back. Uh, woo. Woo. This is the, as, as Austin posited, a sequel to a |
| 0:34.9 | movie that didn't necessarily need one. And you know what? Watching it this,, it does feel like we're picking up something that had already been sort of put down for a little bit. |
| 0:43.6 | It is now the 80s in the Empire Strikes Back in a way that it is distinctly the 70s in Star Wars. |
| 0:52.6 | But we'll get into all of that. |
| 0:54.5 | You already know the broad overview here, but just in case you don't. |
| 0:59.2 | The opening crawl informs us that the rebels are in hiding from a vengeful empire, while |
| 1:06.2 | Darth Vader is hunting down the rebel pilot who blew up the Death Star. |
| 1:12.3 | In short order, we see the Imperials scatter a bunch of what we will learn, |
| 1:17.3 | are probe droids to the winds in a search for the rebel base. |
| 1:22.2 | And then we are on Hoth, the ice planet of Hoth, |
| 1:25.6 | catching up with what the rebels are up to. Han |
| 1:28.8 | sexually harassing Princess Leia. |
| 1:31.9 | Luke putting |
| 1:33.2 | down nest cameras for the rebel |
| 1:35.2 | base and getting mugged by |
| 1:37.2 | a Wampa. |
| 1:39.1 | He's trapped out there in the Wampa |
... |
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