#going rogue

Good Omens Prime has shared the new page out of the Book of Life, this time belonging to everyone’s favourite corporate harpy. Notice how Michael’s quote is placed on the upper right side of the design, that is in exact opposite to Crowley’s, either setting up those two for a possible conflict or as two powers competing over Aziraphale’s attention: his home life and his office life.

Back to the former theory though. Some of you might remember that Doon Mackichan (Archangel Michael) was a guest on The Lewis Nicholls Show on Thursday, 10.04.2025. She hinted at an autumn release for the final instalment of the show (RIP) and shared an important crumb of information pertaining to her character’s role in it:

“I play Archangel Michael in it, but I go rogue. It’s a great part for me, except… I never had to play a complete psycho. That’s fantastic”.

What can this rogue version of Michael consider motivational?

I'm proud of the Golden Age video, but I much prefer video essay style pieces. If you are interested in my other work, here's my 5 best videos from this year:

Arguably my best writing of the year is my video on Titanomachy's "NIGHTHAWKS," where I talk about its relationship to Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks."

I'm really happy about my setting analysis of Felix Isaacs' "The Wildsea." I think it's extremely fun to play with implications that a text provides, and try to extrapolate out what that world might be like using those prompts

My video on Andor and Jess Levine's "Going Rogue" was really important to me, not just because I love Star Wars so much, but because Jess' personal insights and voice helped me find hope in the grim beginning of this shitty year

My comparison of Haunted Table Games' "Triangle Agency" to the video game "Control" was extremely fun. Loved how Huett & Ireland made a game of reading the text itself, and talked about how both media are interested in various narrators trying to "control" you.

And my read of Takuma Okada's "Stewpot" against the typical fantasies of Dungeons and Dragons was unexpectedly very enjoyable. I don't love to take shots at D&D, but Takuma deftly inverts the power fantasy it sells, imagining a life beyond adventuring, which rules.

There is a beating heart at the center of the galaxy. You are the brave who hear it. As members of The Liberation, you have dedicated your lives to the war against The Mandate, on the dream that one day the stars might shine free of its fascist rule. You are rebels, soldiers, spies, and criminals, or perhaps someone who simply picked up and blaster and said "enough is enough." Whoever you are, The Liberation has a place for you—and so do we.

In Galactic & Going Rogue, two beloved TTPRGs of rebellion in space are finally coming to print in a new third edition, with both games now bound together in one fully illustrated, full-color 5.5"x8.5" hardcover with all new art and layout. Whether you're the charming heroes of Galactic, inspired by the classic Star Wars trilogies, or the tragic martyrs of the Rogue One and Andor-inspired Going Rogue, these games have everything you need to tell your story of resistance, relationship, and galaxy-spanning adventure. Best of all? No GM required. 

Just gather your party of 2-6 players, and let the Pillars in Riley Rethal's Galactic shape your story of rebellion. Is The Liberation of your campaign more interested in retaliatory violence and ideological discourse, or imagination of a better world and working together? Does The Space Between—that mystical energy which binds the galaxy together—pull you towards intense bonds and uncontainable emotions, or unity with those who came before? Will any of that be enough to save you when The Mandate opts to put someone in immediate danger, or a player has The Scum & Villainy invite a betrayal? You'll have to play to find out.

Does your party want to explore the darker, more difficult moments of revolution? Then flip to Jess Levine's Going Rogue, winner of CRIT Awards 2023 Best GMless Game of the Year. In your galaxy, do Liberation spies in The Intelligence want reduced oversight and leverage over Liberation members, or are they content to bear the heaviest burdens so others don’t have to as they hunt for the heads of Mandate officials? What do they do when The Parliament governing The Liberation desires lengthy deliberation and safety from retribution for the innocent? Decide quickly, because fate is calling. The gravity of The Sacrifice pulls every game of Going Rogue towards one inevitable end. You know from beginning that your characters will give their lives in a selfless act that moves the galaxy closer to freedom, but why would your band of cynics, loners, and misfits grow into people who would sacrifice everything in pursuit of a dream? That's a question only you can answer.

Also featuring actual plays with:

Dimension 20's Ify Nwadiwe

Friends at the Table's Austin Walker

A More Civilized Age's Natalie Watson

A podcast recommendation for anyone remotely interested in the making of Rogue One - Going Rogue by Tamsye Gardem. It's a really fun listen that assembles a lot of the disparate interviews and articles about how Rogue One was made, from the original pitch to the rewrites to the reshoots and the final release, in exquisite detail.

If you want to learn how Jyn Erso was originally conceived as a forty-something Rebel commander based on Jessica Chastain's character in Zero Dark Thirty, or how Cassian Andor started as an Imperial mole working for Krennic with a grudge against Saw Gerrera, this is the podcast for you.

It's also a great listen if you want to learn about how Gareth Edwards eventually lost control of the movie, how the script changed between 5-6 screenwriters, and how Tony Gilroy would eventually take over to shape the final film. Also you'll learn a heck of a lot about how and why Lucasfilm was sold to Disney and how movies in general are made. It's a great education in how Hollywood works and why Rogue One turned out the way it did for both good and ill.

This is a very sympathetic portrait of Gareth Edwards here, but it's also clear-eyed as to why Edwards would eventually lose control of the film. It's also quite skeptical towards Tony Gilroy. But overall I believe it presents a pretty even-handed view of how Rogue One turned out.

The podcast has gone on to cover many more films (for Star Wars fans, the coverage of Solo might be just as interesting as that of Rogue One), but for my money it's still by far the most informative summary of the making of Rogue One that exists on the internet.