Star Wars

So now that I have seen the full series of the Star Wars TV series Ahsoka, I can say that it was better than I expected. However, it was pretty slow all the way up until episode 6 when a another galaxy far, far away was introduced.

The first five episodes where slow, predictable, and almost had the feeling of a fan-created film. Everything from the dialogue to the uniforms to the spacecraft was odd. And creating a female-based story that merely mimics earlier tropes, such as the first episode with Ashoka playing Indiana Jones and Sabine Wren playing a disgruntled teenage (much like the younger Luke Skywalker), was a bit too much. Plus, the idea that these women were pining for a lost boyfriend (Ezra) who they needed to save was the cherry on top of a collapsing pile of mess.

The presence of Anakin Skywalker mid-series did not enhance my feelings towards the show. More than anything, I found it confusing. Why is this show trying to resurrect the reputation of a man who slaughtered children in a Jedi daycare and murdered millions by blowing up planets? Did the creators really need a cameo that bad that they would sink to that level?

Only with episode six with the Grand Admiral “Papa Smurf” Thrawn and his Macbeth-like witches did the series become interesting, though I do not know why the storm troopers were unable to wash their armor and the Imperial Star Destroyer was painted up like a hippie van. And did the creatures on the planet remind you of gentle Jawas and warlike Sand People, or is that just me?

Anyway, I will give the show another chance now that I know what is possible, though I would not say this was the strongest showing by Disney. That said, it was better than some of the other Star Wars spin-offs.

Here is my ranking of all the Star Wars live-action series to date:

1. Andor
2. The Mandalorian
3. Ahsoka
4. The Book of Boba Fett
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi

I have many more comments about the new series, but I will leave it there. I am dropping in a few more comments I found that parallel mine to some degree.

At least we still have “Andor.”
—Ben Travers, indieWire

No matter how hard it strives for widespread accessibility, it’s a sequel that will be of primary interest to established fans.
—Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

At a time when audiences have thinning patience both for super-heroics and too much fan service, Ahsoka will still need to raise its game to prove it’s more than wish fulfillment for longtime Star Wars fans.
—Eric Deggans, NPR

If you thought that Disney had run out of Star Wars series ideas, you are far from the mark. The past few series have pulled a variety of stories from the movies, be it The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett. However, the new series Ahsoka comes from the animated The Clone Wars series rather than the films. Is this going too far for the original fans?

The trailer for Ahsoka, which premieres on August 23rd, is fast-paced and intriguing, as expected. Yet Disney’s description is pretty sparse:

Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

So what do we know about this Ahsoka? The Star Wars page share this:

…prior to The Clone Wars, no one had known that Anakin Skywalker taught an apprentice — no one, that is, except George Lucas. In creating the character of Ahsoka Tano, George Lucas offered a vital point of view for the audience, one that kids could directly relate to as they watched the galactic confrontation between the Jedi Knights and Darth Sidious unfold. Ahsoka’s experiences could be their experiences, and as she grew up, so did they. Arriving first in the Clone Wars film, her journey unfolded in the series and beyond.

The eight-part series will also include Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, giving it a little more heft as was the case with Luke Skywalker appearing on The Mandalorian.

I plan to watch a few episodes to see what Disney has created, though at the outset I have some doubts. Are we looking another The Book of Boba Fett (which was pretty bad) or Andor (which surpasses expectations)? I am eager to know.