The Peanut Butter Theory Explains Star Wars (sort of)

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · May 5, 2026 · 8m

Star Wars Day lands on a Friday and Ryan O'Donnell has a theory he has been sitting with since he was a kid.

The best peanut butter and jelly sandwich is your recipe. You could have an objectively better sandwich with fancier ingredients and it still would not be your favorite. Ryan O'Donnell applies the same logic to Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back is the better film. Revenge of the Sith is his favorite because it was the one he grew up on. He says the same split runs across every generation that has loved this franchise since 1977.

The darker part of the conversation is what happens when…