Aldhani

This show takes itself seriously and it is very refreshing. It doesn't need jedi or the force or huge battles to tell a convincing story. This is strictly a personal story. Some are nobodies, some are higher ups, and they're all looking for something.

My favorite parts in this episode involved the officers of the empire. Something about the sheer cleanliness of the atmosphere and the strict demeanors of the officers draws me in. I am very excited to see how that plot line progresses.

From what I've seen, Mon Mothma is the only familiar character so far. And this show proves that you don't need familiar faces to tell a compelling Star Wars story.

My only gripe is that the weekly release schedule might hurt the viewing experience for some.

Overall, I'm excited for the future of this show.

After the gigantic battle of episode 3, we slow down here to introduce new locations and characters as Cassian starts his rebel journey. Saying that this episode is slow is not at all a critique though. It grants some time for great world-building and interesting inner-Empire politics and drama.

I enjoyed the ISB's metaphor that rebellions are a virus that needs to be contained. I was also beyond happy to see the return of Coruscant here! It's so interesting to see this capital planet become more gloomy after the empire took over.

Seeing Luthen's double life was very fascinating. Stellan is simply doing a phenomenal job playing the character and it's really cool seeing him and Mon Mothma secretly plan as they live their two-faced lives.

We oddly continue to follow Syril's character after he loses his job. There is clearly a deeper character arc they're delving into with him that I want to see. I like that he is still being focused on despite the plot currently moving on without him.

Dropping Cassian in the middle of a large-scale suicide mission is an awesome idea. While Cassian despises the empire, he has yet to be convinced a rebellion is the answer. I'm excited to see him have to put his life on the line regardless and eventually change his views.

Every member of the heist group has their own quirks and personality traits that are instantly evident. I felt familiar with each of them very quickly. I'm expecting many of them won't make it out alive, so I'm dreading the bloodshed to come.

This episode achieved its purpose of making me anticipate the future of the show. Can't wait for more!

Lots of comments about slow pacing in the first 3 episodes, and I agree with that. And while those flashbacks are an important introduction to Cassian's origin, they further reduce the momentum of an already sluggish plot. I like slow TV and I was entertained well enough, but the first three episodes did fail to properly hook me and get me invested in the story and characters, until Ep. 3. Hopefully just a stumble out of the gate.

Ep. 4 changes the beat, though. Cassian finds his stride (and so does his story arc), and we're treated to a set-up for several subplots involving Imperial politics, intrigue and espionage. The pacing, atmosphere and visuals are great, and more importantly: everything feels decidedly Star Wars-y; from agricultural backwater planets to the drawing rooms of Coruscant. The actors are finding their stride as well.

I'm looking forward to the next installment. If Disney can fulfil the promise shown in Ep. 4, we'll have a great season ahead of us.

In the last two episodes this show has gone from 'good' to 'great'.

The first two episodes of the series were a welcome departure from the standard Disney Star Wars formula but I disagree with those saying that it was a return to 'Star Wars', as the adult nature of the show and delicate dialogue do not hearken back to vintage Star Wars for me.

Episode 3 and 4 still don't have a vintage Star Wars tone, they very much so have their own tone, but the writing, directing, and acting are so good that I simply don't care.

The script is nuanced, as are the characters. The B cast, in particular, are utterly brilliant, being filled out by a host of British stage and TV actors, all of whom could and have lead productions, lending their immeasurable skills to background characters. This adds so much realism and flavour to the show.

It should also come as no surprise but Stellan Skarsgård is an utter joy. In a sea of great performances, his wave crests highest.

If the show can keep up this trajectory, it will be comfortably the best Star Wars content that Disney have produced.

With the first three episodes, this show did an amazing job of setting up the worlds that are outside of the Empire's constant overview and show how they are still being suppressed by the powers at hand. While furthering that underdog narrative, it seems like they're finally starting to go deeper into the workings of the system by giving us an insight into how the rebellion really began. It did really begin both at the top and the bottom with people of varying systematic importance. A lot of fun things to digest in this episode, and a lot of nice set-up for another big event.

A big part of the episode is dedicated to showing what Luthen Rael's actual role in the bigger picture is. The way they showcase his importance is done in a fascinating manner, putting a lot of great dualism into his work as a rebel and his service to the people of Coruscant. There's not a lot of that shown in here, but from a single scene, it's shown clearly how Luthen is able to move between these two worlds and it's done quite brilliantly. This episode also finally introduces the real Empire into the picture, setting us right into the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau) and setting their own drama in there. They smartly put us next to characters that we can root for, despite their evil ways. And it all serves as a good side dish next to the big meal, which is the things that are unfolding on Aldhani. With Cassian now thrown into something that he never wanted to be a part of, it's fair to assume that his rebel roots are growing and we're witnessing the beginning of the military leader that we meet in "Rogue One." How he gets there is interesting, as his demeanor doesn't scream team player yet. The show is doing a great job so far of opening up the universe to these other corners that we never heard of before, and with the show actually being shot on real locations for most of it, the landscapes easily make for some of the most beautiful "Star Wars" destinations.

"Aldhani" is a great follow-up to the previous arc, going even further into Cassian's evolution into the rebel leader that we're going to know later. It also brilliantly shows how the rebels started to form inside of the Empire and the troubles facing them, while providing some very interesting character motivations and places for them.