Blank Check — Patreon: Return of the Jedi

Published 2020-03-01; 2:23:33 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “Blank Check with Griffin & David (Patreon)” and the episode “Return of the Jedi”.

Hosts: Griffin Newman, David Sims. Guests: Ben Hosley.

Subject films: Return of the Jedi (1983).

On the transcript: Auto-transcribed with many sound-alike errors and no speaker labels; the commentary is loose and jokes dominate, so many timestamps map to scene order only roughly. Speaker attribution is mostly low confidence.

Added from the extractor's memory, not said

Speaker names: Griffin and David are inferred from address ('David' said by Griffin) and from who owns the room; many speaker labels are guesses.
Griffin Newman starring in The Tick is not in the transcript; the Terry Windell fun item is tentatively assigned to Griffin because the speaker says they worked on a show with him (Tick). Treat as uncertain.

Films that came up

Claims (85)

lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Hangover Part II. Death Star 2 is framed as a sequel that repeats the first one, like a Hangover sequel.
“It's like hangover two.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:31 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. A second, bigger Death Star is called a lateral remake of the first.
“We're kind of, it's like a lateral remake.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Ben Burtt → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The sound designer (transcribed Ben Burt) is called the stealth MVP of all the Star Wars films, praised for the imperial noise.
“I mean, Ben Burt really is the stealth MVP of all of these films.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:05:48 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Matt LeBlanc → Matthew Perry. LeBlanc never made the rom-coms Perry did, though he is hotter and arguably should have made some.
“Isn't it weird that Matt LeBlanc never did any rom-coms that like Perry did the movies that he killed?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:07:35 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Matt LeBlanc → Three to Tango. LeBlanc should have starred in a Perry rom-com such as 3 to Tango.
“But he should have done like 3 to Tango.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:07:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Sydney Greenstreet → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Jabba is said to be visually based on Sydney Greenstreet.
“He's based on Sydney Green Street, right?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:12:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Casablanca. Jabba's court is conceived as Sydney Greenstreet crossed with Casablanca.
“The concept is he's sort of like Sidney Green Street and then Casablanca, yeah.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:13:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Eric Bauersfeld → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The voice actor (transcribed Bowersfeld) who voiced Bib Fortuna and Akbar was originally supposed to appear in Phantom Menace.
“Initially, he was supposed to appear in Phantom Menace.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:13:37 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Trek. Whether droids feel pain is compared to Star Trek's Data having a switch for his emotions.
“it's sort of like in Star Trek, like data can turn his emotions on.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:14:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Later CGI Jabba (prequels, special edition, Clone Wars) is perfectly balanced, unlike the lopsided puppet.
“And then when he's in the prequels, when he's in the special edition, when he's in clone wars, he's like perfectly balanced.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:18:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Trek. The film's alien-gender worldbuilding shares Star Trek's problem: utopian only by its own era's standards.
“sort of the same problem with Star Trek where it's like a genuinely utopian future.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:19:42 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Lucas's goofy special-edition additions anticipate the broad humor of the prequels, such as Jar Jar.
“It's weird how many of the Lucas alterations are like really goofy broad humor.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:20:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Rick McCallum → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Producer Rick McCallum is blamed for not telling Lucas that one of the 14 Jar Jar bits was superfluous.
“it is crazy that Rick McCollum wasn't like, maybe just like one of these is superfluous.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:20:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ford made Raiders and Blade Runner after being frozen in Empire.
“after Empire, he made Raiders of the Lost Ark at Blade Runner.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:21:43 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Ford wanted Han killed off, secure by then with Indiana Jones.
“That's the other reason I think Ford is just like, maybe killing Han Solo.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:21:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → Witness. The year after Jedi Ford made Witness and got his first Oscar nomination.
“The year after this, he makes witness, gets his 1st Oscar nomination.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:22:21 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → The Mosquito Coast. Ford kept working with good directors after Jedi, in Mosquito Coast and Presumed Innocent.
“Mosquito Coast, presumed innocent.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:22:41 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → What Lies Beneath. Ford's strong box-office run lasted until 2000, through What Lies Beneath.
“Yeah, it's through to wet lies beneath.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:22:51 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Blair Witch Project. Jabba's snot-and-spit commitment to every take is compared to Heather Donahue in Blair Witch.
“we just have to have some, like, Heather Donahue in Blair Witch Project.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:23:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Jabba the Hutt → Viola Davis. Jabba's willingness to produce snot on cue is compared to Viola Davis, with Jabba called the original Viola Davis.
“I was going to say Java was the original Viola Davis.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:23:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Warcraft. The Warthog creatures in Jabba's palace are judged better looking than the Warcraft movie.
“those Warthogs look better than the Warcraft movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:25:17 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Luke's lost lightsaber (his father's) turns up again in The Force Awakens.
“Which then reappears, of course, in The Force Awakens.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:29:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): J.J. Abrams → Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Abrams is accused of doing Maz Kanata dirty, reducing a promised sage to a base cheerleader.
“It is so bizarre how much JJ Abrams does Maz Canada dirty.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:29:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker → The Waterboy. Maz in Rise of Skywalker is likened to Rob Schneider's character in The Waterboy.
“she essentially becomes Rob Schneider's character from the water boy.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:29:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Mandalorian. After The Mandalorian the speaker wants new characters, not known ones, as a model for future Star Wars.
“after Mandalorian, I'm like, don't give me characters we already know.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:29:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Carrie Fisher → Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Fisher said she realized during Empire that she was addicted to cocaine.
“She was like, that is when I realized I was addicted to cocaine.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:31:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Little Shop of Horrors. The digital Sarlacc with all its movement now feels like Audrey II instead of a scary pit.
“It makes it feel like Audrey too.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:34:06 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Thomas Middleditch → The Wolf of Wall Street. Middleditch (transcribed Middleish) is remembered in The Wolf of Wall Street as the one who did not eat the fish; Jonah Hill did.
“Remember when Thomas Middleish was in Wolf of Wall Street?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:39:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Opening on the Emperor is an idea Rise of Skywalker did.
“But it's always one of these things you're like, guess what movie open with that?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:40:49 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker → The Irishman. Rise of Skywalker had to de-age Ian McDiarmid the way The Irishman did.
“For Rise of Skywalker, they had to de-age him Irishman style.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:41:43 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Mandalorian. Baby Yoda being 50 and still a baby is used to argue Yoda's 900 years are not comparable to human math.
“Yoda died when he was 900, if you do the math on that, then you're just like 35 in human years.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:43:17 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Yoda's advice in Empire was not to confront Vader; in Jedi he asks if Luke has done it.
“It's interesting that Yoda's advice in Empire was like, definitely don't confront Vader.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:44:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Yoda and Obi-Wan dumping plot revelations at the last minute resembles Rise of Skywalker's information dump.
“It does kind of have that feeling of the rise of Skywalker there, just suddenly like yelling a bunch of information at you.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:47:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Lucas's planned sequel outline, midichlorian-heavy, sounds like the prequels: wacky ideas, possibly unwatchable, dramatically inert.
“I mean, it sounds like the prequel trilogy and it would probably be at times completely unwatchable.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:49:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Cars. Lucas's idea of living things as cars for biomatter makes it odd he did not direct the Cars movies, given he founded Pixar.
“It's kind of weird that George Lucas didn't direct the cars movies.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:49:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Rogue One. Mon Mothma, newly introduced in Jedi, is later heard about in Rogue One.
“Yeah, well, you know, we hear about her in Rogue one.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:51:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Admiral Ackbar dies in The Last Jedi, which angered fans.
“No, Akbar dies in the last Jedi, which people were very angry about.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:53:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Complaints about Snoke being unexplained are answered by pointing to the Emperor: a creepy old withered guy is compelling enough.
“It's a compelling idea to have some creepy old withered old guy.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:57:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Jedi is the first Star Wars after Indiana Jones, whose pitch was a movie of only the exciting parts; Jedi chases theme-park set pieces.
“Indiana Jones, he was like, my pitch is, what if you make a movie that's only the exciting parts?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:00:59 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Raiders of the Lost Ark → Satantango. Next to modern action movies Raiders now plays like an art movie, jokingly like Satantango.
“Rears of the Lost Ark plays like San Antango.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:01:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Incredibles. The speeder bike forest chase is a clear inspiration for the Incredibles chase.
“This is such a big inspiration too, clearly, on the Incredibles chase sequence.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Richard Marquand → Eye of the Needle. Marquand's earlier film was the spy thriller Eye of the Needle (transcribed I the needle).
“so he had made a thriller, a really fun spy thriller with Donald.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Richard Marquand → Jagged Edge. After Jedi, Marquand made Jagged Edge, a Glenn Close/Jeff Bridges thriller.
“After this, he makes Jagged Edge.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:03:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Warwick Davis → George Lucas. Davis's Ewok performance made Lucas say he would write him a movie.
“Yeah, I mean, there's a reason that Lucas comes out of this and is like, I'm writing a movie for you.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:05:38 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Marcia Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Marcia Lucas (transcribed Marshall) edited the film, her last with Lucas; they divorce right after.
“Well, Marshall Lucas did edit this movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:07:18 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Harrison Ford → Blade Runner. Blade Runner bombed, but Ford had Indiana Jones in his back pocket, so he could not say no to Lucas.
“Like, even though Blade Runner bombed, he knows like, I got fucking Indiana Jones in the back pocket, that thing's a go.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:13:23 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Police Academy. C-3PO's sound-effect storytelling for the Ewoks recalls Police Academy and Michael Winslow's act.
“Yeah, this is some fucking police academy.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:19:12 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Michael Winslow → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Winslow is imagined seeing C-3PO's sound-effect routine and thinking the film stole his act.
“This guy stole my act.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:19:21 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Jedi has the weakest finish of the three; the first ends on the trench run, the second on the Cloud City battle.
“I still think it's the weakest finish of the three.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:20:43 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
unmapped (free-association): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → In the Heights. Leia's reference to her mother sets off a riff on Usnavi's greeting and a Broadway cast swap.
“Good morning, Usnavi.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:21:42 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. If Lucas went back to these films, Leia would be training with a lightsaber by film three.
“I think if Lucas went back to these movies, he would be like, Leia should by the 3rd movie Leia should be starting up with a lightsaber.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:22:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Han being over it and drifting back to old ways is what Force Awakens later does.
“Well, that's kind of what Force Awakens does”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:23:31 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Rob Leffield → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. A joke that Han's demand for the third film was to have Rob Leffield design his pocket-heavy vest.
“I want Rob Leffield to design my vest.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:25:03 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Vader confrontations in Empire are tense; in Jedi they feel like Luke and a chatty dad.
“I do love that like the Vader confrontations in Empire are like so tense.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:27:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (adaptation): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Lego Star Wars. Lego game levels from Jedi are always fun; the prequels' plot-heavy levels play less well.
“weirdly, like Return of the Jedi levels are always really fun to play.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:31:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Mads Mikkelsen → Rogue One. In a joke, Mikkelsen (transcribed Matt Mickelson) is the architect who put the weakness in the Death Star, tying Rogue One to Death Star 2.
“Yeah. Matt Mickelson put it there.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:33:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Rise of Skywalker has a great scene in the Emperor's throne room on the Death Star: the Sith Wayfinder and the Kylo/Rey fight.
“Of course, Rise of Skywalker has a great scene in this room.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:33:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Ian McDiarmid → Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. McDiarmid won a Tony the year after Revenge of the Sith, impressive since it followed his most prominent Star Wars role.
“And he won a Tony like the year after Revenge of the Sith, which was pretty impressive.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:34:25 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Ian McDiarmid → Awake and Sing! (play). Griffin conflates McDiarmid's Tony with Awake and Sing (Odets, with Ben Gazzara and Mark Ruffalo); McDiarmid is Faith Healer.
“I think he was in Awake and Singh, the Odettes production with Ben Gazara and Mark Ruffalo.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:34:53 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Ian McDiarmid → Faith Healer (play). McDiarmid won his Tony for featured actor in Faith Healer by Brian Friel, with Ralph Fiennes and Cherry Jones.
“It was with Ray Fines and Cherry Jones.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:35:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Zorii Bliss, with Keri Russell, as Rey's mother would have fit the theme that your parents were nobody.
“I wish Story Bliss was her mother.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:39:56 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Bombers rarely show bombings in the saga; Last Jedi finally has a bombing scene (Paige Tico).
“Of course, in last Jedi.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:43:23 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
unmapped (free-association): Frozen → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. A riff on rock trolls leads to the Frozen trolls being cut from the Broadway version, set off by the Death Star catwalk scene.
“Is it so weird that frozen on Broadway, they cut out the trolls because they were like, yeah, that stuff wasn't working, huh?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:44:18 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Apocalypse Now. The Ewok guerrilla war ties to Lucas's Vietnam interest; he was supposed to make Apocalypse Now before handing it to Coppola.
“George Lucas is supposed to make apocalypse now, right?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:46:41 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → The Mandalorian. The chicken-walker AT-STs are back in The Mandalorian.
“I like that they're back in the Mandalorian.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:48:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (adaptation): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Bringing down an AT-ST in Fallen Order felt great.
“I just took one down and fall in order.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:48:59 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Mark Hamill → Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Hamill's performance arc across the films, including Last Jedi, shows growth without feeling like different people.
“If you look at Last Jedi, how much of a shift there is every time from him?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:55:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Ghostbusters. Terry Windell, who made Palpatine's lightning, did the proton streams for Ghostbusters the next year.
“He also, the following year, did the proton streams for Star Wars.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:58:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Terry Windell → The Tick. Griffin says Windell was special effects supervisor on every episode of The Tick and mourns his sudden death after wrapping.
“he was the special effects supervisor on every episode of the tech.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:58:40 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars prequel trilogy. Sebastian Shaw makes Anakin tragic in one scene in a way neither Jake Lloyd nor Hayden Christensen manages in the prequels.
“Which I think Neither Jake Lloyd or Hayden Christensen ever get at.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:03:47 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Marriage Story. Blowing up the Death Star is a pleasure so rare in cinema that Marriage Story could have ended with it.
“Most movies, like marriage story could have ended with it blowing.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:05:46 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The special edition's final celebration montage adds Naboo and the Gungans.
“you get to see some Gungans.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:08:30 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Dan O'Bannon → Alien. O'Bannon, the writer of the number-two 1983 film, is described as co-creator of the Alien franchise.
“Dana Bannon, co-creator of the Alien Franchise, correct?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:11:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): John Badham → Blue Thunder. Badham directed number-two Blue Thunder, also Saturday Night Fever and WarGames.
“It's from John Badam, the director of Saturday Night Fever and war games and...”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:12:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Adrian Lyne → Flashdance. Flashdance was an Adrian Lyne film and an early Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer production.
“Adrian Lyne, early Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:13:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Breathless → Quentin Tarantino. The Richard Gere remake of Breathless is one Tarantino loves.
“Tarantino loves?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:13:27 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Tootsie → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Tootsie ran 24 weeks and made $177 million alongside Jedi's summer; its premise is that there are no good parts for men.
“So a team made $177 million.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:14:01 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Jedi's 1997 re-release opened to $19 million, lower than the other two re-releases.
“It opened lower than the other 2 rereleases.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:15:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Tim Allen → Jungle 2 Jungle. Number two in March 1997 is Tim Allen's Disney fish-out-of-water comedy.
“Jungle to jungle.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:17:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Private Parts → Howard Stern. The 1997 hit based on a shock comic's memoir is Private Parts (Howard Stern is transcribed as Howard Stark).
“Howard Stark.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:18:42 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Donnie Brasco → Corky Romano. Donnie Brasco is described as a more dramatic version of Corky Romano, an infiltrate-the-mob movie.
“It's a slightly more dramatic version of Corky Romano.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:19:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Sling Blade → Billy Bob Thornton. Sling Blade, a Harvey indie push, won the screenplay Oscar.
“It was sling blade.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:21:13 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Ben Affleck → Sling Blade. On the Armageddon Criterion commentary Affleck does a Sling Blade voice whenever Billy Bob Thornton is on screen.
“anytime Billy Bob Thornton is on screen, Ben Affleck starts doing a slingblade voice.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:21:17 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
people (people): Booty Call → Jamie Foxx. Booty Call, number 12, stars Jamie Foxx; the speaker loved In Living Color.
“Number 12 is booty call.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:21:47 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi → Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. The next Patreon commentary is Force Awakens, ten days later.
“The next commentary episode is the Force Awakens.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:22:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Fun items (35)

fun, about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: The Ziegfeld manager overslept before the first Sunday showing of a special edition and the speaker's family got in free with free popcorn.
“we just got in for free and they gave us free popcorn.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:07:07 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Fools Rush In: The previous commentary's Fools Rush In DVD cover still shows the Twin Towers.
“Look, it's such a throwback that the twin towers are on the DVD cover.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:07:31 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Jabba the Hutt: Jabba's appeal: an asymmetrical face, one eye more open, lopsided nostrils and mouth, which makes him more organic than later too-clean CGI versions.
“I love how asymmetrical he is.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:11:20 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Salacious Crumb: Running bit: Salacious Crumb as a boundary-pushing comedian whose humor would be too PC for the Empire's era.
“His humor was too PC.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:12:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Bib Fortuna: Bib Fortuna was played by Michael Carter, who played only that role, so he should retire.
“Michael Carter only played Bib Fortuna.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:14:23 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Oola: Some shots of Oola (transcribed Ula) were new for the special edition and the actress had aged so little she reprised the role and was cut in.
“she had aged so little that she just reprised the role”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:16:37 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Boba Fett: Titus Welliver is said to be under the original Boba Fett (transcribed Bosch), so the Bosch book series becomes expanded universe.
“and Titus Welliver's under there.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:17:18 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Jabba the Hutt: Jabba is a puppet run by about fifteen people stuffed inside a sack, unlike Yoda with puppeteers under planks.
“Java is like 15 people inside of that.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:18:21 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Carrie Fisher: Carrie Fisher learned Ubese, the language Leia speaks in the Jabba scene.
“Yeah, she learned it.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:19:22 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Rick McCallum: Rick McCallum is said to live in the Czech Republic making Czech movies; they joke about a series called Blimp Check.
“Now he lives in the Czech Republic and makes weird Czech movies.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:20:51 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Deep Roy: Deep Roy plays Droopy McCool, found by Wikipedia mid-commentary.
“He does play Droopy McCool.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:26:01 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Rancor: The rancor was originally going to be stop motion; it became a giant puppet with Luke added after.
“I think it was originally supposed to be stop motion.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:28:07 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens: The first shot was planned as the lightsaber with Luke's hand floating in space, replaced by the Maz Kanata reveal.
“Originally the 1st shot of the movie was going to be the lightsaber with Luke's hand on it, floating in space.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:29:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Rancor keeper: The sad rancor keeper adds a rare moment of humanity: someone loved the rancor.
“But it is this beautiful kind of moment of humanity of like, oh, of course, someone loved the rancor.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:30:30 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Slave Leia: Disney's first decision on buying Star Wars: no more slave Leia merchandise.
“First decision was like, we're not doing any more slave lay and merchandise.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:33:13 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Ian McDiarmid: McDiarmid was only about 35 when he played the Emperor.
“McDermott's like 35 when he's making this.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:41:35 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Yoda: Yoda's age math: if baby Yoda is 50 and still a baby, Yoda dying at 900 is only about 35 in human terms.
“if Baby Yoda is 50 and still a baby.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:43:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: Jedi has the only other speaking female roles in the trilogy, and they are all complicit or villainous.
“Well, this movie is the only one of the original trilogy that has another speaking female role.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:50:42 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Indiana Jones: Speeder-bike chase was shot by running a camera full speed through the forest, then sped up.
“And then sped up the footage even more.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Richard Marquand: Marquand is said to have directed little; by all accounts Lucas directed a good chunk.
“George, by all accounts, directed a good chunk of this movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:51 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Ewoks: Hot take: the problem is not the Ewoks but that they solve everything while Han and Leia have nothing to do.
“I think the problem is less the Ewoks and more that the Ewoks are solving everything and Han and Leia have nothing to do.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:04:12 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Warwick Davis: Wicket is played by Warwick Davis at about 15 or 16; the Ewok butt riff is the episode's recurring bit.
“Warrick Davis is what, like a teenager?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:05:22 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Force Awakens press screening: David missed the Force Awakens critics' screening while at the Atlantic Wire, after a year of weekly Star Wars podcasting.
“I didn't get in to that screening, I was still working at the Atlantic Wire.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:07:58 · David Sims (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Lego Star Wars: Jedi levels in the Lego Star Wars games are fun because the film is built from action set pieces, unlike the cantina.
“weirdly, like Return of the Jedi levels are always really fun to play.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:31:02 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: Death Star 2 is unfinished, which is why a flyable weakness exists.
“The thing about the Death Star 2 is that it's not finished, so you can literally fly into it.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:33:23 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Emperor's chair: Ben looks up Palpatine chairs: desk model $1,299, armchair $1,409, and a Han-in-carbonite desk for $10,000.
“they have a desk that is Han and Carbonite.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:42:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Batman Begins: A nosebleed story: opening night of Batman Begins, a guy dressed as the Joker and the speaker covered in blood.
“The guy dressed as Joker.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:48:19 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Mad magazine: Mad's Jedi parody joked about the Emperor's lightning: wait till you see his electricity bill.
“wait till you see his electricity bill.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:57:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Terry Windell: Terry Wendell (Windell) made Palpatine's lightning and the next year Ghostbusters' proton streams; the speaker's colleague on a show, who died days after wrapping.
“Terry Wendell is the visual effects artist who did Palpatine's lighting.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:58:17 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Sebastian Shaw: The unmasked Anakin, Sebastian Shaw, had his eyebrows digitally erased to match; the chunk missing from his head freaked the speaker as a kid.
“Digitally erased Sebastian Shaw's eyebrows.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:03:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Death Star: Few movies blow up a Death Star, so complaints about too many Death Stars are overblown.
“In the grand scheme, the history of cinema, there aren't that many movies where the dust star blows up.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:05:52 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: May 1983 box office: Jedi opened number one, ahead of Blue Thunder, Flashdance, Breathless, Tootsie, in a quiz format.
“This is May 1983.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:11:14 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Tootsie: The central premise of Tootsie is joked to be that there are no good parts out there for men.
“There are no good parts out there for men.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:14:16 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: A 1997 Entertainment Weekly re-release recap headline joked about Ewoks.
“Their headline was Ewok, don't run to see Return of the Jedi.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:15:03 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Armageddon: On the Armageddon Criterion commentary Ben Affleck does a Sling Blade voice whenever Billy Bob Thornton appears.
“He's like, around here, NASA, these part.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 2:21:27 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Griffin Newman (host): Loves puppetry and practical creature design (Jabba, Yoda, the rancor), the speeder chase, and Wicket the Ewok. Dislikes the special-edition CGI additions and the Max Rebo band number, and wants Han and Leia to have real jobs in the third act. A sucker for a gag that gets dragged across the whole commentary.
David Sims (host): Defends the movie's big set pieces (speeder bike chase, the Emperor and Luke scenes) while admitting the structure is sloppy; loves Akbar and Harrison Ford's career lore. Hates the Emperor's flat conception and the late sibling reveal. Likes box office trivia and games.
Ben Hosley (guest): A producer present in the room; prone to nosebleeds and quizzed on box office trivia, plays Star Wars games, likes lightsabers and Chicken Walkers. Hates the throne-room chair-sitter. Loves Max Rebo's keyboard-with-feet fact.

The show's recurring bits

Names the transcriber got wrong

Michael Carter - Bib Fortuna actor; spoken as 'Michael Carter' (probably right)
Eric Bowersfeld → Eric Bauersfeld
Droopy McCool / Deep Roy transcribed 'Droop McCool' and 'Dep Roy'
Mon Mothma actress transcribed 'Bea O'Reilly' (unrecoverable from transcript)
Titus Welliver 'original Bosch' → Boba Fett
Marshall Lucas → Marcia Lucas
Sydney Green Street → Sydney Greenstreet
Joe Esterhouse → Joe Eszterhas
Terry Wendell → Terry Windell (spelling uncertain)
Ray Fines → Ralph Fiennes; Brian Freel -> Brian Friel
Howard Stark → Howard Stern
Mads Mickelson / Matt Mickelson → Mads Mikkelsen
Dana Bannon → Dan O'Bannon
Java / Yabba → Jabba; Akbar -> Ackbar; Warthogs -> Warthog (Gamorrean) creatures
'the tech' → The Tick (guess)
'Viola Davis in Dallas' - film title mangled (unknown)
'Ula' / 'Oohla' → Oola; 'Sobulba' -> Sebulba
'Droopy' / 'Si Stundles' → Sy Snootles
'JD Amato' - mangled, unrecoverable

Blank Check — Patreon: Return of the Jedi

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

Added from the extractor's memory, not said

Films that came up

passing (47)

subject (1)

compared (19)

anecdote (7)

dismissed (1)

Claims (85)

Fun items (35)

Who's talking

The show's recurring bits

Names the transcriber got wrong