You are living in a special time.

If you didn't realize it yet, this is a very unique time for Star Wars fans. In just ten months, we will be sitting in theaters watching Star Wars: Episode II. The only problem is, is that it could also be known as the second to the last Star Wars movie ever made.

According to our best information thus far, including word from Lucas himself, we are at a time just prior to the release of a Star Wars film, a time that will again occur only one more time. In the months preceding May of 2005, fans will sit in anticipation of the very last Star Wars movie. Hopefully I'll be sitting right here at TFN to join in on the madness of those last days.

Just think, in the future people will only be able to look back at Star Wars, they'll never be able to look forward to it like you and I. Sure, they might reissue the films again in theaters and there's the never-ending possibility of a Special Edition XII but it will never be the same again. And I don't know about you, but there's something cool about waiting for a Star Wars movie. Knowing only bits and pieces, lining up, speculation and spy reports are things to really get excited about.

Should we petition George Lucas to make Episode's 7-9? While I would love to watch the sequels with a renewed interest no doubt, Lucas' plans are very definite. Not to mention the fact that I would be happy just to see Indiana Jones 4 made as well for that matter.

My point then?

Regardless of what you thought of Episode I (this editorial written the day EOnline called it the worst sequel ever!), it is one of the last movies in the Star War universe you will ever see. The excitement over a new spoiler or a bit of dialogue won't happen again after 2005. Yes, there will still be books and the EU, but it will never be the same. You are living in a special time, so enjoy it. Someday fans of Star Wars will look back at you with envy like the minions of current fans who weren't born before 1977 and missed all of the hoopla of the original movies. I was born in 1974 so was right in the middle of the excitement, right in the thick of things. There's some great childhood stories that will be told for generations to come.

You know the ones I'm talking about, right? Going into Star Wars: A New Hope not knowing a thing about the movie. Having all of the vintage toys open on your bed, a collection today that would be worth thousands. Watching it premiere on TV with a dozen friends around the TV set, hissing at Vader as he entered the Blockade Runner, screaming as Luke's one-in-a-million shot goes in and the Death Star explodes. There isn't enough money to buy the memories I have of that time. To this day I don't have a single unopened figure, but I've got a shoebox full of guys without guns, a torn up Slave I and memories that are priceless.

So don't let the dawn of Episodes II and III pass you by. Make friendships and get to know people on the boards, send in the cool observations you find and enjoy looking forward to a great movie - it is the second to the last one that will ever be made. Impress your friends with your Episode II knowledge as you wait in line for Final Fantasy this week, drool as the new Select picture appears on your screen on Thursday. Grumble when TFN Digital is a day late or there's still not a new Making of Video on the Official Site. Live the legend that it will someday become.

You are living in a special time, make sure you're making the most of it.

Joshua Griffin
July 13th, 2001

RECENT EDITORIALS

04/08/03 - Christopher Knight - Oscars Give Short Shrift to Fantasy
03/17/03 - Joshua Griffin - Put the REAL Classics on DVD
01/29/03 - Joshua Griffin - Imagine a Star Wars HALO Videogame
01/14/03 - Michael Potts - Clone Wars: Expanded Universe Editorial

2002

09/03/02 - Joshua Griffin - Digital Pirates Sink Ships
05/17/02 - Chris Knight - Digital Projection: The Audience Is Watching... And Waiting
04/11/02 - TFN Staff - Thumbs Up, Tumbs Down for SW2 Marketing
03/08/02 - TFN Staff - Clone War Trailer Reaction
01/13/02 - TFN Staff - TFN Reaction to SNL N'Sync Skit
01/03/02 - TFN Staff - Boy Band Jedi Reactions

2001

12/12/01 - Chris Knight - Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
12/07/01 - Jeff Yankey - All I Want for Christmas
11/17/01 - Guest Editorial - Ritual and Romance of Episode II
10/04/01 - Guest Editorial - Why Episode I is Brilliant
10/02/01 - Guest Editorial - Episode I is Star Wars
09/30/01 - Guest Editorial - Why I Loved Episode I
09/25/01 - Joshua Griffin - Episode II: Make It or Break It Time
08/21/01 - Chris Knight - SW2: Attack On The Soul?
07/13/01 - Joshua Griffin - Special Time for SW Fans
05/14/01 - Joshua Griffin - AlphaCon is Finished
05/09/01 - Chris Knight - In The Beginning... Star Wars Comes To A Wired World
04/17/01 - Joshua Griffin - Global TFN - International Outlook on Star Wars
03/14/01 - Chris Knight - Palpatine vs. Hitler: Prequel Speculation Runs Amok!
02/13/01 - Chris Knight - "The Force" of Love: A Valentine's Day Editorial
01/17/01 - Chris Knight - Star Wars Could Continue... As Television Anthology
01/11/01 - Guest Editorial - A Review of A New Hope After the Prequels
01/07/01 - Guest Editorial - No - We Want the DVDs Now!
01/04/01 - Chris Knight - New Digital Disciple Says "Lets Wait On Star Wars DVDs"

2000

12/21/00 - Joshua Griffin - Is George Lucas Really a Genius?
11/18/00 - Joshua Griffin - To Spoil or Not to Spoil
11/06/00 - Joshua Griffin - The Power of the Election
11/01/00 - Chris Knight - Why Isn't There A Star Wars Postage Stamp?
08/17/00 - Jason McCabe Calacanis - The SW2 Fan Trailer (guest editorial)
07/14/00 - Joshua Griffin/Scott Chitwood - TFN's Spoiler Policy
06/20/00 - Chris Knight - Star Wars and the Saga of Life
05/13/00 - TFN Staff - TheForce.net Wish List
04/08/00 - Special Guest Editorial by Skybaugh - Worth the Wait
03/30/00 - Joshua Griffin - What Star Wars Has Won
03/19/00 - Joshua Griffin - The Next Denver Celebration
03/14/00 - Joshua Griffin - Fair Weather Fans
03/07/00 - Joshua Griffin - Predicting the Academy Award Winners
02/22/00 - Joshua Griffin - Who should profit from Star Wars?
02/16/00 - Joshua Griffin - Episode I and the Academy
01/27/00 - TFN Staff - Flaming TFN over DVD
01/25/00 - Chris Knight - Motivations of the Sith
01/20/00 - TFN Staff - Leonardo DiCaprio as Anakin?
01/10/00 - Joshua Griffin - World-Wide Star Wars
01/03/00 - Joshua Griffin - Mass Merchandising Menace

1999

12/13/99 - Joshua Griffin - Questioning Star Wars
11/22/99 - Joshua Griffin - Trusting Internet Rumors
11/11/99 - Paul Davidson - Rise of the Empire: China and TPM
10/28/99 - Scott Chitwood - Signs There Probably Won't Be a Sequel Trilogy
10/18/99 - Joshua Griffin - Why not Episode I DVD?
10/15/99 - Joshua Griffin - What Makes SW Fans Special
10/01/99 - Joshua Griffin - The PG Rating of TPM
09/07/99 - Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens - Comic and Book Wishlist
08/18/99 - TF.N Team - Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down on Episode I Everything
07/11/99 - Joshua Griffin - Parody Site isn't that funny
07/10/99 - Brian Linder - The Jar Jar Factor
06/08/99 - Joshua Griffin & Chris Knight - Why is Jar Jar in Episode I?
05/06/99 - Darin Smith - Return of the Child
03/09/99 - Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens - A Chat with LFL
02/07/99 - Amy Pronovost - Convention Romances, Can they Work?
01/23/99 - Scott Chitwood - What's up with Prowse?
01/01/99 - Scott Chitwood - Uncle George and Episode 1

1998

11/23/98 - Scott Chitwood - What Lucasfilm is doing right
11/05/98 - Scott Chitwood - Prequel Spoilers
09/28/98 - David Coates - First thoughts on the the Episode 1 Title
06/19/98 - Scott Chitwood - How Godzilla affected Episode I
04/09/98 - Scott Chitwood - The Art of the Space Battle
04/09/98 - Scott Chitwood - DIVX SUX
02/26/98 - Scott Chitwood - X-WING TV Series Should Fly
02/09/98 - Scott Chitwood - Xerox Sites
02/03/98 - Scott Chitwood - Canon Issue, Part 2
01/07/98 - Terrence Daniels - Canon = Personal Preference

1997

12/17/97 - Darin Smith - Everything I need to know...
11/15/97 - Chris Kivlehan - Six Episodes or Nine Episodes?
11/07/97 - Scott Chitwood - How do you solve a problem like Ewan?
11/03/97 - Scott Chitwood - How we get our Prequel 'Spy' info
10/22/97 - Paul Davidson - Trek vs. Wars