Star Wars Visions: Screecher’s Reach

Summary

A group of children straight from the workhouse explore a cave system and come across an old Sith who has gone mad and is thought of by the locals as a ghost, little do the children know they have stumbled into a much darker game.

This episode was certainly not what I was bargaining for, in many senses this episode was deeply unsettling outright creepy. Normally I wouldn’t have an issue with this but in the context of the show and what Star Wars is this came across as being far too different.

Now the whole point of this show is to try and play around with Star Wars and do new things, however, I think it is a balancing act between doing something new that still feels like the brand at the same time. This I would argue crossed that line and no longer felt like Star Wars

The Sith Mother, who is the real villain behind the whole episode was a very intriguing figure that I have not been able to stop thinking about since watching this, there was just something so off-kilter and incredibly sinister about her that makes her interesting. I hope the wider Star Wars lore comes back to her at some point.

Overall, depressing and unsettling not really what I want out of a Star Wars show.

1.5/5

Pros.

The Sith Mother was interesting

It has great animation

Cons.

It is bleak

It doesn’t feel like Star Wars

It is unsettling

The narrative needed greater explanation

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Star Wars Visions: Sith

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A former Sith apprentice must face off against her old master in order to regain control over her own life.

I liked the focus on the Sith, it was nice to see them as something more than just the outright villains they are often shown as. Although the Sith shown here are still definitely villains. I also thought the focus of the grey area in between the light and dark sides of the Force was an interesting avenue for the episode to approach thematically, and I liked where they went with it.

My issues with this episode however were twofold.

Firstly, I wasn’t a fan of the animation style, the water colour esque aesthetic just didn’t work for me and I found it to be distracting. I understand the point of this show is to do different things and be experimental but this felt a little bit too abstract at times for me.

Secondly, I thought the episode was fairly sparse on context or dialogue, and though I am not saying I wanted long scenes of exposition but a lot of this episode’s narrative was told through your own inference rather than the show telling you what is happening. This approach definitely is appreciated in that it treats the audience as adults but also at the same time adds to this artsy, abstract, interpretative feel to the episode that just didn’t work for me.

Overall, a mixed start to the new batch of episodes.

3/5

Pros.

I liked the focus on the Sith

I also appreciated the comments and themes of moral ambiguity and grey areas of the Force

It was an interesting premise

Cons.

The animation style didn’t work for me

The show but don’t tell approach was taken to too far of an extreme here

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The Mandalorian: The Return

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The battle for Mandalore intensifies.

I think this episode did a lot to make the season better, was it enough to make up for some of the midseason episodes that were utterly awful? No probably not. However, I thought there were enough cheer worthy moments to get you back on board with the series here.

I really liked that this episode gave Din, played by Pedro Pascal, real time to shine and let him be a badass and have long drawn out action sequences. Moreover, I liked his reaction when the elite Imperial trooper were about to kill Grogu, you can tell that he thinks of him as a son it is very endearing. As was the scene wherein Grogu saves his adoptive parents from certain death with a force bubble, I must admit I teared up a little in that moment.

Of course I also enjoyed Din finally formally adopting Grogu as his own son and the two of them heading back off together to carry out new adventures of their own, I think it is both a good ending for their arc at the end of the season as well as a good set up so the next season can be better.

The one thing I would criticise this episode for was how it handled the return of Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito. They got it wrong in so many different ways, firstly by saving him to so late in the season there was not enough time to set up what his evil masterplan was as such the cloning thing really did fall flat. Secondly, though they tried to make him more physical here to try and match Din, you really had to suspend your disbelief to go along with that as clearly he was a bad fighter yet he was getting in some licks that he really shouldn’t have been able to logically. Thirdly, they gave him a rushed death with little to no acknowledgement of the fact that the series major antagonist has just died, it is all very much okay on to the next thing.

Overall, the action and the Din and Grogu feels make up for the incredibly wasted Moff Gideon. Lets hope next season will be better.

4/5

Pros.

Din and Grogu saving each other

Din getting action scene to shine in again

The action

The ending of the episode and where it leaves things for next season

Cons.

They really waste Moff Gideon

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The Mandalorian: The Spies

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Mandalorian people return to their home world, meanwhile Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito, returns from the shadows.

I think fairly easily the best thing about this episode is the return of Moff Gideon and the tease of not only Thrawn but all of these other wider Imperial factions out there in the galaxy. I never thought I would say it but the set up this episode does for how the Empire turns into the First Order actually made me like the sequel trilogy just a little bit more.

I also appreciated that this episode had a direction and didn’t feel like a side quest designed to kill time. The series now feels like it is leading to something again, which is nice as up until this point this most recent season felt directionless.

The action was well done and I enjoyed seeing all the Mandalorians fighting together, though I am slightly concerned for where things are going. I think considering Din was the only Mandalorian captured I am worried that the next episode will kill him off, which if so would prove that this whole season of the show has gone out of its way to reduce his role and replace him. In many senses the fact that Din went running in first also seems a little out of character, especially in the scenes before that he was shown at the back.

Overall, it is nice to see the series have a direction again but I am concerned for where things are heading.

3.5/5

Pros.

Seeing the Heirs to the Empire

The return of Gideon

Seeing all the Mandalorians fighting together

Grogu’s new mech suit

Cons.

Din’s future

Some of the decisions made no sense

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The Mandalorian: Guns For Hire

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Din, played by Pedro Pascal, and Bo-Katan, played by Katee Sackoff, head to a remote world to try and win over a Mandalorian fleet.

I thought the episode earlier in the season that ignored Din, Bo and Grogu was the worst episode of the show, but then this episode just came out of nowhere and blew that out of the water in terms of potential terribleness.

Where to begin.

I suppose the thing I hate, yes that’s right hate, about this episode was how goofy it was. Not only did it feel like a filler side quest, but it didn’t even feel like it fit into the tone of the show it was way too goofy and silly. It felt like fan fiction that Din and Bo had been placed into rather than an episode proper. I will admit some of the questions this episode raises around droid rights is slightly interesting but that by no means makes up for the rest of it.

Continuing on, I like Jack Black and have done since I was young, but he was entirely miscast here, as was Lizzo who only feels included because the older folks at Lucasfilm think the kids like her. There scenes were such terrible cringe that I couldn’t bare to watch them and skipped through them on my first viewing, only coming back for the purpose of review.

In addition though I like Bo-Katan a lot as a character and like that she is going to be the new leader of the Mandalorians, it is beginning to feel like Din is barely a part of his own show anymore as he barely gets a look in. I understand all of the Mandalore stuff is very important to the direction of Star Wars but I would like to see Din and Grogu go back off on their own for a while and leave the rest of it behind.

A final point I will note is that considering there is only a couple of episodes left before the finale this season doesn’t feel like its been building to anything, there is no ramping up of tension, I am not expecting much going forward from the show. I think Ezra and Thrawn will probably show up at the end of the season as the rumours say, but if the other rumours are true that they are going to kill off Din, then I think the show should end.

Overall, the worst episode of the show thus far.

1/5

Pros.

It is nice to see Bo-Katan getting another chance to rule

Cons.

It doesn’t fit tonally

It is stupid and goofy

Black and Lizzo don’t fit

Din is becoming a shadow in his own show

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The Mandalorian: The Pirate

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Mandalorians are called upon to serve.

I think for the most part this is a great episode of The Mandalorian and showcases the show at the top of its game. Having a fairly large urban warfare sequence wherein we got to see the Mandalorians fighting pirates in the streets was quite cool. I would have liked to see a bit more variety in the armour worn by the Mandalorians, in terms of colour and different elements but clearly the costume department had a budget.

I also thought the final tease that Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito, has escaped was nice. I have a feeling that he won’t be the big villain of the season as everything is quite clearly building to the return of Thrawn. Maybe Gideon will have been captured by acolytes of Thrawn or maybe Gideon will have been working for him all along. Either way knowing that Esposito will be coming back to the show in the future gives us something to be excited about.

My one issue with this episode was the stuff with Bo-Katan, played by Katee Sackoff. I don’t understand how she can be the one to reunite all of the Mandalorians despite her not having the dark sabre or even wanting to rule, it seems totally alien to her character to want to go back to a leadership position after how badly things have gone in the past, but maybe the show will address that.

Overall, a good episode but the stuff with Bo-Katan at the end dragged it down for me as it didn’t seem to fit her character.

4/5

Pros.

Seeing the Mandalorians in action

The teases of things to come

Moff Gideon’s escape

Din’s speech

Cons.

Where they take Bo-Katan by the end of the episode and the fact it feels totally out of character for her

Also the New Republic are just awful

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Star Wars The Bad Batch: Plan 99

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Bad Batch faces their darkest day.

I thought this episode felt very impactful, but at the same time I can’t help but be a little let down by it.

The good first. It was nice to see Tech get one final hero moment, it was so clear the season was building to his death, but I didn’t see that until after it had happened. The death was quite emotional and had me welling up a bit whilst watching it, for what it is worth I don’t think he is dead and think he will be back next season. Look at Echo and Maul.

I also thought it was nice to see the Batch finally get their will to fight back at the end of the episode, even if it did take them being betrayed and having Omega kidnapped in order to do it. I think the next season really does need to have the Batch be fighting back against the Empire and less focused on this idea of retiring, they need to accept that Echo was right.

Now the bad. I didn’t like the fact that other than a quick look in at the end of the episode Crosshair barely appeared in this two part season finale. In my head I thought he would escape with the Batch or at least die saving them but no he just stayed strapped to a table the whole time. I found the whole thing very disappointing.

Overall, a good season finale that sets up a lot of interesting things to come, but I found the lack of Crosshair disappointing.

4/5

Pros.

What it sets up

The emotional impact of Tech’s death

The Batch finally getting their groove back

Sid’s betrayal

Cons.

A distinct lack of Crosshair

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Star Wars The Bad Batch: The Summit

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Bad Batch attempt to rescue Crosshair and the other imprisoned clones.

In many senses this episode was anti-climactic.

My main issue with this episode is how it can’t stand on its own and exists almost only to prop up the final episode. Adding to that is the fact that a lot of the things that happen in this episode feel forced, it feels like plot contrivance after plot contrivance all to get the Batch to a specific point despite the fact that they aren’t behaving like they normally would do at any point along the way.

I quite like Saw Guerra as a character and think there is a lot to explore there with his ideology, as such I was happy to see him show up in this episode. However, his whole attitude towards the Batch and how he just happened to be there at the exact same time felt incredibly poorly set up and again to repeat the word of the day contrived.

Overall, a weaker episode made to set up what comes next without having enough to stand on its own.

3/5

Pros.

Returning faces

Hemlock and Tarkin

The things to come

Cons.

It feels contrived

The characters aren’t behaving like themselves

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The Mandalorian: The Foundling

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Grogu trains and a giant bird attacks.

I don’t know what it was about this episode but something just felt off with it for me. I think after the first two episodes of the new season were so good the third and now this one have just failed to get me to the same level. I think what bothered me about this episode was that it felt like filler, the story didn’t advance much, beyond the one area that I will get to, and the giant bird rescue felt very needless and forced in to pad for time.

However, that said I did really quite enjoy learning Grogu’s back story and getting to see more of what went down when the Jedi temple fell. Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, played by Ahmed Best was a cool addition and I will be interested to see where his and Grogu’s story goes. I hope the show doesn’t just kill him off to give Grogu some more trauma to deal with.

I also thought that once again Katee Sackoff’s Bo-Katan was a scene stealer. The final scene at the end of the episode where she is talking about the mythical Mandalorian beast was super interesting and it will be fascinating to see if she tries to capture it later in the season.

Overall, a good episode if somewhat lacking.

4/5

Pros.

Bo-Katan

Grogu’s development

The teases for the future

Learning more about Mandalorian culture

Cons.

It feels like it is missing something

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Star Wars The Bad Batch: Tipping Point

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Crosshair sends a warning to his old friends.

I thought this episode was one of the best so far, and it was so, so nice to have this after last week’s incredibly slow episode. I think this was a powerful episode on a number of levels, as it showed both the evils of the Empire but also how far the character development of Crosshair has come as not only does he defy the Empire but also tries to warn his old teammates.

Moreover, I am also very excited to see the return of Echo and see further insights into the clone rebellion and how they are fighting back against the Empire. I would like to see a spin off focusing on Echo or Rex and the clone fightback, or failing that I would like to see the Batch at the end of the season join the fight back against the Empire.

The one thing I would say about this episode in a negative sense is that it is very heavy and depressing. Which for me worked as I prefer the episodes of this show where they try and take a darker tone and deal with deeper issues, but could also be quite off putting to some, The torture scenes involving Crosshair were quite surprising in how far they went with it.

Overall, another great episode and it is nice to see a return to stakes after last week’s diversion.

4.5/5

Pros.

The darker tone for me

The emotions

Crosshair’s character journey

Seeing the clone rebellion

It is nice to have the Batch back together again

Cons.

It was quite dark and some people might find that off putting

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