Star Wars: Another Political Take on the Empire

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image(Credit): Senator Amidala from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. (Starwars.com)

While the libertarians at Reason magazine have their view of the imperial story-line in the Star Wars television series Andor, the liberal folks at Mother Jones magazine have a whole different take on the Star Wars universe.

In an article last month titled “How Star Wars Reveals Conservatives’ Authoritarian Fantasies,” we read about how some Republicans are showing support for the brutality of the Dark Side as illustrated in Andor. For instance, it quotes former Mitch McConnell adviser and GOP operative Scott Jennings defending the Empire’s elimination of Alderaan in the original Star Wars movie, stating:

I think some could argue that it was warranted, given their rebellious activities. I mean, he defended the Empire against unelected hippies and violent protesters.

You can see the entire Mother Jone’s YouTube clip here.

This is not an encouraging thought at this point in history. In an interview, George Lucas himself said the rebel alliance came from his reading of history and his understanding of the Viet Cong battle against the American empire. He saw the rebels as anti-authoritarian. He also thought of the American rebels as they fought Great Britain, the largest empire in the world.

Supporting the Evil Empire is more or less the same as voicing support for the wannabee Russian empire as it attacks democratic Ukraine. I think we all can do much better than to stoop that low.

Either that, or soon we will also be quoting the line “So this is how liberty dies.”

Television: Season Three of Foundation is Coming Soon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Apple TV+

While our own local empires struggle, we need to turn our eyes to the galactic empire in Foundation, soon to return for a third season on Apple TV+. Mark your calendar for the appearance of the season premiere on July 11.

The trailer for season three indicates there will be no shortage of death-defying adventures. It looks like Mission Impossible in space. The first two seasons did not disappoint, so I am eager to see where this season takes us.

Here is the set up for season three from Apple TV+ Press:

Set 152 years after the events of season two, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as “The Mule,” whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess.

This is a show where you do not want to get too attached to the characters. They tend to disappear as often as those in the Game of Thrones.

If you are new to the series, I would not necessarily recommend the season recaps you can find on YouTube. The story line is too disjointed for an easy summary. Also, I do not know why you would want to miss these amazing earlier episodes. This is not Star Trek. Instead, it’s a long movie, where every episode builds on the earlier one.

I recommend you sit through all of the first two seasons to become immersed in this galaxy. You owe it to yourself, and you will not be disappointed.

Television: Season Two of Andor

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Disney+

Finally, after two and a half years, Star Wars: Andor is returning to Disney+. The second season, premiering on April 22, will also be the final season, but that’s okay. I am just glad it’s back.

The season two trailer is all you need to become invested in what is the best of the Star Wars spin-off television series. And if you need to catch up, you will want to watch this recap of season one.

Andor is by far the most adult of the Star Wars series, consistent with Rogue One, which became one of the best Star Wars movies after the original three films.

Critics are already raving about season two, such as this statement by Erik Davis from Fandango:

I have watched the entire second season of ‘Andor’ and it is as good, if not better than the first. From an epic opening Tie Fighter heist to a finale that left me in tears, this show has it all. Hang on cause the last six eps are all bangers. Absolutely loved it.

Be prepared to want to watch ‘Rogue One’ immediately after finishing ‘Andor’ – it truly sets up that film and expands upon the characters and stakes in some emotional ways. Just getting to watch Andor and K2 on a mission again meant everything to me. The cast crushes it. The sets are incredible. Star Wars fans will adore this and all the classic lore explored. Big recommend for me!

All of this is proof that the owners of the Star Wars franchise have the ability to produce quality TV. We just need to hold them to this standard going forward.

Television: The USS Callister is Back

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Crew from the Netflix series “USS Callister: Into Infinity”. (Netflix)

It’s hard to believe that we first met the crew of the USS Callister back in late 2017. The Black Mirror episode was a dark parody of the Star Trek universe where one twisted employee trapped the DNA clones of other employees in his make believe world. It was a typical twisted warning about technology in a way that one Black Mirror can deliver.

Well, the USS Callister crew is back in season 7 of the series in a new episode called “USS Callister: Into Infinity.” It do not want to give too much away, but most of your favorite characters have returned – both copies.

Some critics are skeptical about the returning episode, claiming the creators of Black Mirror have run out of ideas, yet I bet many will agree that it was a great idea back in 2017, and catching up with our old friends is fun.

A lot has changed in the real world with the rise of AI, so the central plot may be a bit out of date, but that make it more of a retro future, if that makes sense.

If you forget some of the first episode, check out this recap from Netflix.

And if you still want more, don’t worry, there is a chance that a third episode will be produced to complete the trilogy at some point, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

So sit back and enjoy the second episode. We can only hope we don’t need to wait another 7-8 years for the final episode to drop.

Note: Check out this video from Netflix as well showing the actors returning to the set for the second episode so many years later.

Television: Murderbot is Almost Here

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Apple TV+

After all the speculation, the Murderbot television series from Apple TV+ premieres on May 16.

If you are a fan of The Murderbot Diaries books by Martha Wells, you know what you are in for. And if you are new to this story, you have missed out on some great storytelling. I can only hope this new television series can do justice to the books.

Apple TV+ has this description:

“Murderbot” is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.

That is a very small part of what makes this series tick. The most important part of the books is the murderbot’s internal dialogue second guessing every move and cursing itself every time it helps bumbling humans.

The writing is both quick and fun, yet may be difficult to bring to the screen.

I will not miss this television series. Of course, I will also be the first to criticize it (or murder it) if it ruins the magic of the books.