Revenge/Justice

I have defended every Disney Star Wars project to date (except The Last Jedi) but I can't let this one go. I really hoped I wouldn't get to a point where I would say that Disney has ruined Star Wars but I am finally here. This show is absolute trash. The premise had so much potential, but the script is terrible. Might be the first ever Star Wars project I don't even finish. No desire to continue watching, even with nothing else on currently. It's so sad too when you wait so long for something Star Wars related to come out. I can only pray Andor season 2 will be as good as the first. Now that's how you write a show.

At this point, we have become so used to "Star Wars" being set in a specific place in time, and to see something that doesn't feel like it's a part of the Skywalker Saga can be a bit strange at times. There are moments where I have to remind myself that this is not set during the prequels, but actually an entirely different chapter of this universe. And it feels great to be watching something where I don't have any idea about its final direction. This episode continues in the veins of the previous one, both in terms of its strengths and its few shortcomings.

A lot of the issues I had with the first episode are repeated here, but the writing for this is considerably more of a mixed bag. The additions to the mystery of what went down on Osha and Mae's home planet and why Mae bears a grudge against the Jedi are all very fascinating and fulfills the promise of this feeling like a detective show in a way. It also continues to bring in a slew of interesting characters, but the issue is that the episode's don't dedicate nearly enough time for any investment in these new characters. Lee Jung-jae's Sol continues to be the highlight of the show, but a lot of supporting characters seem to be exclusively a personality and not a lot more. It's not that they are bad characters, there's just not enough in there for me to actually care for them, so a few big events of this episode left me pretty emotionless. However, the action sequences are still proving to be among some of the franchise's very best, and the idea of Jedi fighting without using their lightsaber and adapting more a martial arts style of combat is so visually pleasing to watch and it makes for some incredibly fun and badass fight scenes. The episode also features a more pleasing visual look as a lot of the visual effects are better and the Volume is less aggressively used in this episode, although some of the production design does feel reminiscent of things that we've seen in the universe before.

"Revenge / Justice" makes for another solid entry as it continues to lay the groundwork for the show, but the writing is an overall mixed bag. The fight choreography is still a highlight of the show, and the visual effects are better utilized in this episode, making the world feel more vibrant and lived-in.

I really hated the first episode. It reminded me of everything wrong with Disney Star Wars. Although the second episode wasn't MUCH better, it did get more enjoyable. They set up all the pandering in the first episode, so once you get past that and know what to expect, you can enjoy the show for what it is.

I'm disappointed at how they made yet another goofy male character over-eager to fight being berated by a wiser, more discerning female character. It's like Disney's go-to for the last 20 years.

The action is great. The Star Wars mysteries are being developed. Hopefully they finally bring in some more of the religious aspects of the Force that fans have been dying for in the live-action stuff.

The writers move the plot along through scenes that mostly work, but for me they should be more compelling than they are. I am still held by the central mystery, but the characters stop me from consistently enjoying it. It does not help that you want to overarching narrative to move on and reveal the key points already. For me the few attempts at humour do not work and feel quite forced.

That being said the important arc involving Amandla Stenberg's character does make me want to find out where it's going. It's concept of the old Jedi order is a pretty good one so far, but I will hold off on judgement until the story develops further. I have a slightly bad feeling that if it does not take us to something that cleverly relates to some of the movies I will be disappointed.

It does though end on a new hope with the introduction of what has the potential to be a cool new character, but it's still early days.

... but it gets so much right that the things that go wrong are twice as infuriating. While not the most original storyline with a twin-twist that was so lame that I was actually suprised (that they went there), this hasn*t really been done in this universe yet. While it is nice to experience an era with a fully functional order and repubolic this particular plot doesn't really make use of it.

I like the small scale, for once we are not in an all encompassing conflict that will decide the fates of trillions (or at least has the potential), and the writing, music and presentation are mostly ok - there are some bad hickups in all three of them, though.

What really could have made this a success is a better cast, or at least a more experienced one. Stenberg has to play not one, but two very distinct main roles, and she's just not there yet. This becomes even more apparent when she is on the screen with people who know what they are doing, like Moss or Jung-Jae. And with the main protagonist AND antagonist being overwhelmed AND outclassed most of the scenes don't stick the landing.

That being said, unlike pretty much every other offering after the Mandalorian I'll continue watching, if only to see if the cast and crew are getting more comfortable in their respective roles - the music, for example, is almost there, and could we maybe get a setting without sand! It's coarse, and it gets everywhere.