The Edwards Edition

Review & Commentary from Derek Edwards

I am a hobbyist writer. This site is where most of my writing can be found. My work here can generally be categorized as either Review or Commentary. I don't write much about myself, personally, which, depending on your definition, might mean this isn't a blog. Think of this as a one-man magazine, focusing on the things I find interesting. I'm here to write about the world as I experience it.

"A Running Commentary" is the weekly newsletter from The Edwards Edition, featuring quick coverage of the latest media and culture, Bird of the Week, and links to the best things found around the rest of the web. New editions go out every Monday to email subscribers

Latest

Aug
02
Book Review | Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

Book Review | Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous is not the best Star Wars book I've read but it deserves better than to be lost in the pile of mid-2000s Prequel tie-ins. While the story isn't the most thrilling or meaningful, the character work really is excellent.
14 min read
Jun
09
Film Review | The Big Year

Film Review | The Big Year

The Big Year is a very sincere look at the world of competitive birding that lets its humor come from the actual funny things that happen to birders. It's a nice little movie that deserves more love than it's gotten. 8/10
10 min read
May
23
Television Review | The Mandalorian (Season 3)

Television Review | The Mandalorian (Season 3)

Season 3 is a marked technical and writing improvement over previous seasons. It isn't flawless, but the flaws aren't so persistent or egregious as to spoil the viewing experience. It feels like it could have been longer, and that the first episodes were transplanted into a different show.
11 min read
Feb
13
Book Review | Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith

Book Review | Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith

Author: Adam Christopher Publisher: Del-Rey Length:  465 pages EE Critic Score: 7/10 Shadow of the Sith, by Adam Christopher,
4 min read
Jan
30
I'm not a Midwesterner; No One Is

I'm not a Midwesterner; No One Is

The Midwest isn't a thing, not really. Moreover, the Midwesterner isn't a person. The term "Midwest" refers to land truly part of three different regions...
14 min read
Jan
21
Television Review | Andor (Season 1)

Television Review | Andor (Season 1)

I don't want every future Star Wars show to be like Andor, but I do want every future Star Wars show to have the same level of effort for excellence that Andor had. Andor is the present high water mark for Star Wars television, arguably for Star Wars generally, so I award the first season 10/10
16 min read
Jan
05
Television Review | Tales of the Jedi

Television Review | Tales of the Jedi

An enjoyable watch that will go over well with fans of The Clone Wars. Makes me want an entire Dooku series more than ever. The show itself is just okay, seeming like streaming catalog filler. 6/10
10 min read
Sep
20
Television Review | Obi-Wan Kenobi

Television Review | Obi-Wan Kenobi

This show is sort of a reverse Solo, a television series that should have been a movie. If you’ve avoided the show due to bad word-of-mouth, I’d say give it a watch, expecting something a little small-scale but which builds every episode toward a satisfying finale. 7/10
5 min read
Mar
29
Television Review | The Book of Boba Fett (Season 1)

Television Review | The Book of Boba Fett (Season 1)

Good, not great, but good. Treats the main character as a character, against the obvious direction such a show might take.
4 min read
Jan
19
Film Review | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Film Review | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Producers: Marvel Studios Runtime: 132 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 EE Critic Score: 7/10 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the
9 min read
Oct
13
Film Review | Black Widow

Film Review | Black Widow

Black Widow succeeds in showcasing the title character while telling its own compelling story. It's not the best MCU film, but it's exciting and never collapses under the weight of detailing a known character's backstory.
9 min read
Sep
28
How to play Bismarck Whist

How to play Bismarck Whist

I'm posting this in the interest of cultural preservation. Bismarck is a type of whist played by three independent players,
3 min read
Aug
07
A Proposal for the International Olympic Committee

A Proposal for the International Olympic Committee

Imagine, for a start, that the two goals in a football are placed not at either end of an open field, but instead at either end of a region more like a golf course.
4 min read
Jun
03
Book Review | Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good

Book Review | Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good

This book works well as the middle chapter. It follows from the previous volume smoothly, it points toward an interesting third book, and the story of Thrawn, et al, racing to prevent a civil war between the Chiss is more than enough to justify Greater Good in it’s own right.
3 min read
Apr
30
Thirty Years of Thrawn

Thirty Years of Thrawn

Heir to the Empire, the first appearance of Thrawn, was published thirty years ago today. Since then, he's been in books, comics, and animation. Thrawn isn't heroic, he isn't even terribly ethical, but he is a weirdly selfless evil that makes him respectable, where the Emperor was contemptible.
33 min read