Online Series: Star Wars: Ahsoka (August 23rd)

[Scandale du Jour]

It was 20 minutes shorter than the 1st and 8 minutes shorter than the 2nd. Everything we have 'learned' thus far could have been covered in the first two episodes. Easily. But, they had to have Sabine survive being stabbed with a lightsaber in order to generate the necessary filler to fill the gaps of a story that is ill-conceived and monodimensional.

This show is seemingly typical of the current way they are doing these shows. Formulaic. First, establish a purpose. Second, spread out nuggets of information over a couple of episodes that are actually, mostly filler. When in doubt, insert a fight or space battle. Somewhere around the halfway point of the season grudgingly insert a cameo of a beloved character from the original franchise (because thats what most people actually want to see). Then, drag it out for a couple more episodes with more filler and the occasional useful nugget. Around episode 6 or 7 introduce the marquee antagonist. Finally, have a big battle.

What am I looking for? Less formula, more originality.

I mean, you must hate A New Hope, it is incredibly formulaic.

 

[#37]

I mean, you must hate A New Hope, it is incredibly formulaic.

No, it is the formula. The sequels, Rebels, and now Ahsoka are just poor derivatives of that story. It's like making copies of audio tape: The further you get from 1st generation stock, the worse the quality of the reproduction.

 

[MadDevil]

Saying it feels like the prequels isnt a bad thing lol

It feels like a continuation of TCW and Rebels...which is exactly what they said it was going to be. I get it if those shows weren't people's thing. I don't personally understand how somebody couldn't enjoy those shows but hey we all have different tastes. There are plenty of things other people love that I don't get at all.

 

[Tawnos]

It feels like a continuation of TCW and Rebels...which is exactly what they said it was going to be. I get it if those shows weren't people's thing. I don't personally understand how somebody couldn't enjoy those shows but hey we all have different tastes. There are plenty of things other people love that I don't get at all.

Yeah, specifically later Clone Wars and Rebels also often adopted the same pensive tone that this show has.

 

[StreetHawk]

Not bad. Didn't realize it was just going to be a continuation of the Rebels series. I assumed they'd be connected but not this interwoven. Having seen that show I had no problem picking up where it left off but I wonder how it is for the people that haven't. Sets kind of reminded me of a cartoon honestly, didn't have the same real world feel of Andor.

The temple thing with the map.. I dunno seems clumsy to have an ancient race of force weilding aliens build a map straight to Thrawn. I don't need my plots all that cohesive and complex but c'mon. That's just stupid. As far as a 1st arc goes I guess it's fine, but hopefully they've saved the better writing for later in the season.

As far as the characters the only one I didn't like much so far was Ahsoka herself. I like Rosario Dawson but I hope she's got more in store than crossing her arms and looking smug and critical. This is supposed to be her story, if all the character development they have planned for her is a warming up to an apprentice again because she's been hurt before that feels a little too safe and simple. If she's already a full fledged Jedi all calm and collected and knowing then I'm not sure what the point of the show is.

I did not catch many of the rebels series only a handful. Don’t know how they used the Ashoka character in those. Saw her in the Mandolarian. Don’t expect the same personality we saw of her when she was in the clone wars animated series. Been over 20 years since then and she is not a Jedi. But was trained in the ways of the force.

I agree that we should get to know more about her character through 3 episodes. She’s serious in this series which probably has to do with being hunted and having to remain in a low profile over the years til she joined up with the rebel cast.

 

[Baby Punisher]

IIRC, that was explained by rage / desire for revenge fueling her on. Similar to how Anakin survived being burned to death and losing three limbs and how the Grand Inquisitor guy also survived a similar thing. Or how Maul survived being chopped in half.

Perhaps not the best plot device, but it appears to be a dark side thing.


In conclusion, space magic.

Fair enough. I accept that answer.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I did not catch many of the rebels series only a handful. Don’t know how they used the Ashoka character in those. Saw her in the Mandolarian. Don’t expect the same personality we saw of her when she was in the clone wars animated series. Been over 20 years since then and she is not a Jedi. But was trained in the ways of the force.

I agree that we should get to know more about her character through 3 episodes. She’s serious in this series which probably has to do with being hunted and having to remain in a low profile over the years til she joined up with the rebel cast.

Yeah I'm not saying it needs to be the same personality from Clone Wars/Rebels. But like, some personality. Pick one, preferably more interesting than 'stoic Jedi that has seen some shit but doesn't want to talk about it'. Put some juice in there. We need some flashbacks to the Clone Wars or to her childhood or padawan time with Anakin to give this character some more shape. I know they figure fans mostly already know the backstory of Ahsoka but fill and round it out. Why else give a character an entire live action series? And maybe get her some better quips.

The script hasn't done her any favors. We've been in a hurry the whole time so far. Been basically all driving plot and/or exposition. What really gave the OT a lot of the needed heart was the out of action moments. Luke training with the lightsaber on the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan and Han cracking wise at each other about the force, the medbay scene in ESB, the Ewok feast with 3PO telling stories in ROTJ. You're doing a whole series here, with what you would probably hope to be more than one season. There needs to be some time allotted for that kind of thing.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I also don't want to be that guy but I just haven't enjoyed many on screen projects that are as female dominated cast wise as this one. Not to say I never have; Bridesmaids, Joy Ride, The Heat I thought were all really funny. Also have been into that Special Ops: Lioness show from this year. But I'm a Cheerleader is one of my go to guilty late 90s pleasures. But shit like Ocean's 8 and that Ghostbusters forced girl power type things they put out. Horrendous.

I'm not putting Ahsoka in either of those categories yet but there hasn't been much chemistry between the characters on screen so far. There's what two significant male characters in the show up until now? And one of them is a lightsaber droid. Maybe Thrawn adds whatever it is that's missing.

 

[StreetHawk]

Yeah I'm not saying it needs to be the same personality from Clone Wars/Rebels. But like, some personality. Pick one, preferably more interesting than 'stoic Jedi that has seen some shit but doesn't want to talk about it'. Put some juice in there. We need some flashbacks to the Clone Wars or to her childhood or padawan time with Anakin to give this character some more shape. I know they figure fans mostly already know the backstory of Ahsoka but fill and round it out. Why else give a character an entire live action series? And maybe get her some better quips.

The script hasn't done her any favors. We've been in a hurry the whole time so far. Been basically all driving plot and/or exposition. What really gave the OT a lot of the needed heart was the out of action moments. Luke training with the lightsaber on the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan and Han cracking wise at each other about the force, the medbay scene in ESB, the Ewok feast with 3PO telling stories in ROTJ. You're doing a whole series here, with what you would probably hope to be more than one season. There needs to be some time allotted for that kind of thing.

I agree. No reason really for her to be so stoic since she's not a Jedi anymore. Given this timeline is within the Mandalorian timeline, it's been like 25 years since she left the order. More time away from the jedi than with them.

Hopefully the script improves, but probably not likely we see a massive change in her personality moving forward.

 

[#37]

But shit like Ocean's 8 and that Ghostbusters forced girl power type things they put out. Horrendous.

I get where you are coming from, I think.

My problem with films like Ocean's 8, and that Ghostbusters movie is that they are lazy derivatives piggy backing on established branding. 'Hollywood' gives the impression that it wants to atone for the behavior of Weinstien and that ilk, understandable. But has anything really changed? I mean, they apparently don't trust that they can build a female dominated franchise from the ground up. Or perhaps it costs too much money and there are no guarantees of a return on investment. They are willing to atone, but there had better be a profit in it. Girl power is what they are selling, but it isn't what they are actually providing. It's quite cynical and ironic if you think about it. So, they try to convert established branding into some kind of turn-key mega-franchise. The failure rate is rather astounding, yet still they persist.

It's profitable (and cheap), for the production companies, in that they already own the rights and have to put very little effort into actual development. The PR is cheap too, because all they have to do is 'bait' both the left and right sides of the political spectrum... and social media does the rest. And 'idealists' applaud them for it.

 

[MadDevil]

She's been through two wars, had clone troopers who were like family turn on her, saw the entire Jedi Order destroyed, with the help of her master who became a mass murdering Sith, and had to go into hiding to avoid being hunted down by said former master. I'm not really surprised she's not showing a lot of emotion.

 

[RandV]

Yeah I'm not saying it needs to be the same personality from Clone Wars/Rebels. But like, some personality. Pick one, preferably more interesting than 'stoic Jedi that has seen some shit but doesn't want to talk about it'. Put some juice in there. We need some flashbacks to the Clone Wars or to her childhood or padawan time with Anakin to give this character some more shape. I know they figure fans mostly already know the backstory of Ahsoka but fill and round it out. Why else give a character an entire live action series? And maybe get her some better quips.

The script hasn't done her any favors. We've been in a hurry the whole time so far. Been basically all driving plot and/or exposition. What really gave the OT a lot of the needed heart was the out of action moments. Luke training with the lightsaber on the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan and Han cracking wise at each other about the force, the medbay scene in ESB, the Ewok feast with 3PO telling stories in ROTJ. You're doing a whole series here, with what you would probably hope to be more than one season. There needs to be some time allotted for that kind of thing.

I don't think you have this quite right. Those slower scenes are there, for example a 'blind' training session while in transit on a ship. Rather the difference is it doesn't have the cast of characters to create the effect you want here. Obi-wan training Luke with the blast helmet on had Han in the room making quips. In Ahsoka it was just her and Sabine in the room, with a mostly silent droid. I don't know the animated shows but at a glance I suspect Hera should fill that 'Han' role, but she's not there and at this point in the story she's post-RotJ respectable General Han, not roguish smuggler Han. There's also the Ezra guy that's missing from the picture.

 

[Hivemind]

Saying it feels like the prequels isnt a bad thing lol

Yes it is. The prequels are a giant garbage fire. It's only the universe that has been built up around the prequels (such as The Clone Wars) since then that has softened people's views of those movies (combined with memes of all the terrible dialogue). The movies themselves are dumpster fires, even worse than the sequels when compared directly against each other. You have a star studded cast who absolutely mails in their performances, with Ewan McGregor going full-cheese as the lone exception. You have all of George Lucas' worst impulses going unchecked. You have unnecessary cameos and characters shoe-horned into the plot in ways that stretches (and often breaks) elements of the original trilogy, to the point where they have to be "addressed" offscreen in novelizations or EU content. You have CGI that pushed technology forward, but it has aged like fine milk (as opposed to the OT, 90% of which still looks spectacular). Not to mention all the CGI characters are racist tropes. And the worst dialogue of any big budget movie I can remember.

 

[Hivemind]

She's been through two wars, had clone troopers who were like family turn on her, saw the entire Jedi Order destroyed, with the help of her master who became a mass murdering Sith, and had to go into hiding to avoid being hunted down by said former master. I'm not really surprised she's not showing a lot of emotion.

All of this also applies to her during the Rebels era, yet she's still got a lot of "Snips" on display there.

 

[MadDevil]

All of this also applies to her during the Rebels era, yet she's still got a lot of "Snips" on display there.

Fair point. I guess I just think the criticism of her being "too stoic" is overblown. But I'm also somebody who didn't really have a problem with Luke in TLJ, so maybe I'm just partial to stoic or outright jaded and grumpy Jedi.

 

[Sad People]

Yes it is. The prequels are a giant garbage fire. It's only the universe that has been built up around the prequels (such as The Clone Wars) since then that has softened people's views of those movies (combined with memes of all the terrible dialogue). The movies themselves are dumpster fires, even worse than the sequels when compared directly against each other. You have a star studded cast who absolutely mails in their performances, with Ewan McGregor going full-cheese as the lone exception. You have all of George Lucas' worst impulses going unchecked. You have unnecessary cameos and characters shoe-horned into the plot in ways that stretches (and often breaks) elements of the original trilogy, to the point where they have to be "addressed" offscreen in novelizations or EU content. You have CGI that pushed technology forward, but it has aged like fine milk (as opposed to the OT, 90% of which still looks spectacular). Not to mention all the CGI characters are racist tropes. And the worst dialogue of any big budget movie I can remember.

Yeah maybe if your 50. Fans are coming around to the prequels and are actually starting to appreciate them. We will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[TCTC]

Yeah maybe if your 50. Fans are coming around to the prequels and are actually starting to appreciate them. We will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Nah, that's just misguided nostalgia. Same reason why people are starting to like nu-metal again.

 

[Sad People]

Nah, that's just misguided nostalgia. Same reason why people are starting to like nu-metal again.

Well have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[RandV]

Yeah maybe if your 50. Fans are coming around to the prequels and are actually starting to appreciate them. We will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Just saying but the prequels have been out long enough now that any new appreciation for them should be already finished, after a big bump from the sequel trilogy.

What I always say though, there's sort of two sides to Star Wars. The movie itself, and let's call the other 'imagination land'. The latter is the part where after the movie you want more and get a thriving marketplace for toys, shows, video games, books, etc etc. So to make a good movie George Lucas obviously needs a lot of help which he had in the OT. For the PT he was so far up his own ass that he did everything himself, and the 'movie' suffered for it, but he's still the core creative mind behind 'imagination land' so they were passable in that respect. PT kids tended to like these movies a lot more than OT kids.

So in my opinion this is where the appreciation for the PT comes from. The ST on the other hand, the first two were (let's forget about the last, I don't even remember it's name off the top of my head) functionally much better movies than the PT, but on the imagination side it's creatively dead. There was no post-ST market of people wanting to buy anything, wondering what happens next, or what happened in between. Like even these new Disney+ shows are based on either the OT or the PT.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Waited a little before watching the third episode because I really wasn't too interested, but thought it was better than the first two. Even has some very nice SW imagery (the ship parked beneath the trees, the space whales).

I'm still not sold though. Oh, and I was kind of surprised to see a spacesuit in SW, is it common?

 

[sigma six]

I'm still not sold though. Oh, and I was kind of surprised to see a spacesuit in SW, is it common?

Not until it's time to stand on the wing of your ship and defeat attacking starfighters.

 

[MadDevil]

Waited a little before watching the third episode because I really wasn't too interested, but thought it was better than the first two. Even has some very nice SW imagery (the ship parked beneath the trees, the space whales).

I'm still not sold though. Oh, and I was kind of surprised to see a spacesuit in SW, is it common?

It's not new to Star Wars. Pretty sure it happened in TCW before, in fact I think it was the episode where Anakin (or maybe Rex?) came up with the tactic of dropping ground tanks from a star destroyer on to the hull of the enemy ship.

 

[Sad People]

Holy **** what an episode!!! Literal goosebumps.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Holy **** what an episode!!! Literal goosebumps.

Yeah, loved that cliffhanger at the end.

Shit is about to get real very soon.

 

[Sad People]

Yeah, loved that cliffhanger at the end.

Shit is about to get real very soon.

Like I said literal goosebumps. Holy f***ing shit hahaha