5 things to thank Star Wars for this year

It is a habit of some people to get together on Thanksgiving Day and recount a few things to be thankful for. It's a great thing to practice at any time of year, but with Thanksgiving Day in the United States, I thought I would name a few of the things that have me thanking my lucky stars that I'm a Star Wars fan. I hope it makes you think of what would go on your list.

Here are 5 things to be thankful for with Star Wars this year.

1. The Acolyte

A young friend recently asked me if I'd watched The Acolyte and what I thought of it. I told him that I loved it so much that I'd written about it twenty-four times.

I spent a lot of time looking at the pre-release speculation and what we knew based on interviews. I joyfully watched Amandla Stenberg play a solo of the Force theme and knew I was going to like their enthusiasm for the project.

And then we got to the twists and turns of the story itself. As a lover of mysteries, I thought it was a great thing to make everyone a slightly unreliable narrator. Thanks to Qimir, I developed the inability to trust my first impression of anyone. I definitely had opinions on Master Sol's identity as a scapegoat and spent a lot of time wondering why people were so happy when the series got canceled. I'll never understand that last part, but I'm proud to still love the stories of Mae and Osha.

2. Music by John Williams

I'm a huge music nerd who comes out of every Star Wars project prepared to tell everyone why the score was the best part. The documentary on the music of John Williams, which has created the ambiance for our favorite movies, was a must-see for me.

The documentary film on the 90-year-old composer was so rich in history and little-known facts I can't listen to Figrin D'an in the Mos Eisley cantina without remembering John's background in jazz now. And"Binary Sunset" has a special poignancy to it now that I know it wasn't the original choice of music for that iconic moment in the first Star Wars movie.

3. The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on the day I started my last exams in high school, so it's hard to imagine that twenty-five years have passed since I brought my trigonometry textbook and my English notes to the front row of a theater in exchange for getting to see the new movie as soon as it came out.

This time around, I treated myself to a seat at the Boston Common AMC and remembered just how awesome the movie is. I got to feel my heart pounding throughout the podrace and grinned when Padme outed herself as Queen Amidala. I got very close to tears when Shmi Skywalker told her son not took back at the life he had as a slave on Tatooine.

It was a delight to revisit the movie that ushered in the long-awaited prequels and get some answers about how we all got to the drama of Star Wars.

4. Young Jedi Adventures Season 2

One February afternoon, I had some time alone with my youngest niece and nephew. Their older siblings let me watch things like Star Wars and Harry Potter with them, so when they asked if we could watch TV, I put on Disney+ and introduced them to the ways of the Force with Young Jedi Adventures.

I loved being able to share something I loved with the kids I love, so when Season 2 came out, I was thrilled. The stories maintained their whimsy and simple lessons while still making me laugh. I still identify most with Nubs, but it's nice to see the way that the kids who were once in over their heads are now starting to help others cope with similar feelings and frustrations.

5. Tales of the Empire

I want the Alliance to win, but I always want more stories about the Empire. I'm intrigued by people who choose to fight on the side of tyranny and see the good in totalitarianism. So I looked forward to the release of these stories in Tales of the Empire. Morgan Elsbeth's stories and the way that she placed herself within the Imperial system were fascinating and made me want to go back and watch Ahsoka.

What really compelled me to watch was the tales of Barriss Offee, a Jedi fallen and repentant. Not having a lot of knowledge of this character's fate, I looked forward to having some questions answered. She was another Jedi who touched the darkness and had her own reasons for embracing it, but I loved getting to see her realization that she could turn back from it.

Thanks to every creative at Star Wars for what they've given us this year, and we look forward to much more.