Ahsoka - from a writing POV

[EmilyMiller]

Precisely that. And you know, future space magic bacta spray heals most anything and Ahsoka was right there after she dropped from the stab.

It’s not the light saber eviscerating your chest, it’s the fall from the obligatory gantry into the rotoscoped megastructure below.

Em

 

[ZfrkS62]

I'm tiring of this interwoven crap that the MCU started. I don't have time to invest in all the shows I didn't care about when they were relevant to follow this one.

Wife and I started this weekend, only watched the first episode. I don't know if we will get through it since my wife doesn't have a clue as to who anyone is talking about, and I only know who Thrawn is from the old books. The pacing is clunky, and the missing background on everyone they're introducing leaves gigantic holes for both of us.

To me, Thrawn is the only carry over from the extended universe of the 90s that I remember as he was the central target in Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, but since Kennedy has disregarded EVERYTHING that was accepted as canon from those eras, I have zero hope that this series will use any of the plot devices brought forth in those books.

This is the perfect opportunity to bring in Mara Jade IMO as that's when I was introduced to her.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I'm tiring of this interwoven crap that the MCU started. I don't have time to invest in all the shows I didn't care about when they were relevant to follow this one.

Wife and I started this weekend, only watched the first episode. I don't know if we will get through it since my wife doesn't have a clue as to who anyone is talking about, and I only know who Thrawn is from the old books. The pacing is clunky, and the missing background on everyone they're introducing leaves gigantic holes for both of us.

To me, Thrawn is the only carry over from the extended universe of the 90s that I remember as he was the central target in Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, but since Kennedy has disregarded EVERYTHING that was accepted as canon from those eras, I have zero hope that this series will use any of the plot devices brought forth in those books.

This is the perfect opportunity to bring in Mara Jade IMO as that's when I was introduced to her.

If you hit up Wookieepedia it can catch you up to speed, if you're interested enough and don't give a flip about spoilers. Thrawn is actually a bad ass. He's got one of the longest pages on there with some serious details of his progress as a ruthless Imperial War Stategist. He made a few appearances in the Clone Wars series, which is veeery long, but honestly, probably one of the best things that Star Wars has to offer in their whole spider web universe. Clone Wars really picks up around season five and you get sooo much insight to Anakin's turning to the dark side, you get to see Asajj Ventress, Dooku's first apprentice, and a ton of Ahsoka's backstory from it.

It's not necessary for the show or so the writers and directors have said but I feel like having watched it before hand has me up to speed with what's going on and not relying on poor explanations and drowning in the 'WTF is happening right now and who are these people and why should I care?' that people who haven't seen CW are going through.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

It’s not the light saber eviscerating your chest, it’s the fall from the obligatory gantry into the rotoscoped megastructure below.

Em

Honestly I felt like they did him fucking dirty writing him out like that. He deserved to go down in an epic space scrap in a blaze of glory.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Honestly I felt like they did him fucking dirty writing him out like that. He deserved to go down in an epic space scrap in a blaze of glory.

It was meant to be emotional. Wasn’t IMO.

Em

 

[SeraphNocturne]

It was meant to be emotional. Wasn’t IMO.

Em

Right?! It was so disappointing! He survived the fucking Battle of Hoth to die like that? I don't know what they were thinking with the entire Rey saga... I'm just... pretending like none of that ever happened.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Right?! It was so disappointing! He survived the fucking Battle of Hoth to die like that? I don't know what they were thinking with the entire Rey saga... I'm just... pretending like none of that ever happened.

I didn’t mind most of TFA. And I liked Rey (in more than one way). But the way they handled all three of the original stars across the three episodes was poor - I know they had not much choice with Leila.

Em

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I didn’t mind most of TFA. And I liked Rey (in more than one way). But the way they handled all three of the original stars across the three episodes was poor - I know they had not much choice with Leila.

Em

It left me wanting more at every other turn. I didn't mind Rey as a character, Maisie was fantastic and gorgeous, but how they handled every interaction she had seemed forced and fell short... I hated what they did with Luke and Han. Leia, as you said, a bit hard to handle that since our Queen Carrie Fisher passed while they were filming. Idk... it seemed like it had so much promise and then six different people tried to do all their ideas at once.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It left me wanting more at every other turn. I didn't mind Rey as a character, Maisie was fantastic and gorgeous, but how they handled every interaction she had seemed forced and fell short... I hated what they did with Luke and Han. Leia, as you said, a bit hard to handle that since our Queen Carrie Fisher passed while they were filming. Idk... it seemed like it had so much promise and then six different people tried to do all their ideas at once.

It was movie by committee for sure.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

Thought episode three was an improvement. I liked Sabine better with longer hair though - color me shallow.

Em

 

[SyleusSnow]

Well, I watched Clone Wars only enough to know Ahsoka is a compelling character, but I'd watch Rosario Dawson in anything. I'd pay to watch her shave her armpits, pluck her nose hairs or trim her toenails. SW writing, especially lately, has been horrifying, but I caught Rosario as Ahsoka at the tail end of Mandalorian and loved it, so I'll sign up to Disney+ for a month just to see more. Rosario is my Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who I grant is almost as hot. I apologize for nothing

 

[AchtungNight]

Same here on Rosario. I got into the Netflix Marvel Universe a while back primarily because of her.

 

[Wifetheif]

The reason the direction is so sluggish is because the script is weak The episodes are barely a half hour long minus credits but there is only enough dialogue for, at most, twenty minutes of airtime so those long lingering glances and endless walking scenes are to pad out the run time. This wasn’t a problem in the old days but the new hands have really lost the SW magic,

 

[AchtungNight]

Fans of Mary Elizabeth Winstead- I feel compelled to plug another great film of hers. Scott Pilgrim. Check it out if you haven’t seen it already. It rocks . Google the title for more details.

 

[CyranoJ]

What do others think?

The cons: It feels clunky in many places, and like there isn't enough actually happening to justify the episode runtimes. There's a lot of padding (they seem weirdly fond of long sequences of people playing with rotating puzzles of various sorts). There's a pronounced sense of its being effectively a sequel to a whole other TV show, and like a lot of the emotional beats would land better if I had seen more than a single episode of that show, but I haven't. I don't understand the decision to render Sabine Wren, supposedly an experienced war hero, as a bratty irresponsible teen. Most of the villains are not particularly compelling, and I don't love that we're in another "map to find a guy" story.

The pros: Dawson is, as ever, freaking great as Ahsoka, a character who feels lived-in and has real gravitas and badassery in equal measure. Most of the performances are solid, and the villain who actually is compelling for my money -- Shin -- is really compelling, with that wide-eyed forty-yard stare. When the action gets going, it's as fun and Star Wars-y as one could ask for. The dope SW visual effects and design work that fans have come to take for granted really stands out (the giant tentacled space whales are cool AF, for instance). The storyline about investigating Imperial remnant followers on Corellia was very cool. One character I do remember from the little bit of Rebels I watched was Chopper, who as an Artoo cousin with his own cranky personality is good fun.

Verdict so far: I'm not over any moons or space stations about it, and it would benefit from far tighter editing and a more original central idea. But there's still plenty of fun stuff to enjoy and the episodes are a pleasant way to kill some time, so I'll keep watching and see how it develops.

 

[CyranoJ]

Fans of Mary Elizabeth Winstead- I feel compelled to plug another great film of hers. Scott Pilgrim. Check it out if you haven’t seen it already. It rocks . Google the title for more details.

The fuller title is "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," and it is indeed amazeballs.

She has also appeared in her own action vehicle, "Kate," which is maybe a bit formulaic but she's pretty incredible in it.

And if you haven't seen her in "The Thing" (a 2011 prequel to the John Carpenter classic from the Eighties), you owe it to yourself.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The fuller title is "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," and it is indeed amazeballs.

She has also appeared in her own action vehicle, "Kate," which is maybe a bit formulaic but she's pretty incredible in it.

And if you haven't seen her in "The Thing" (a 2011 prequel to the John Carpenter classic from the Eighties), you owe it to yourself.

You guys are really missing the boat here. The movie to recommend to the Lit crowd is All About Nina.

 

[CyranoJ]

You guys are really missing the boat here. The movie to recommend to the Lit crowd is All About Nina.

I appreciate the education. I don't know that movie yet... but I will.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I appreciate the education. I don't know that movie yet... but I will.

She gives a brilliant performance, but more to the point, it has her most intense sex scenes.

BTW, I bought this movie on Amazon with money from one of my monthly Readers Choice prizes.

 

[Willpkirk]

The whole thing about Thrawn is, that he is a tactical genius, that is why the empire wants him back so badly. I'm in an unfortunate situation where I lived and breathed the EU (now legends) growing up, so I'm not 100% sure what is canon any more with Thrawn, but basically he studies a species art and can determine their in built weakness, and flaws and exploits them to win battles, famous for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

The whole Timothy Zane's now non-cannon trilogy is well worth a read, they have kept some, if not most, of the character traits in tact.

I've been loving the show so far, I thought ep 3 was a little too short.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Am I the only one who's damn tired of ship repairs taking mere minutes if that? With no parts? There's nothing worse than seeing characters and actors you like, in bad writing.

 

[Willpkirk]

Anyone still watching this?

Just saw the E7.

Must say I might of squealed like a little girl at a <enter current hot boy band> concert when 3PO made his appearance.

I've been loving this show, and I hate having to wait a week to the next ep.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Anyone still watching this?

Just saw the E7.

Must say I might of squealed like a little girl at a <enter current hot boy band> concert when 3PO made his appearance.

I've been loving this show, and I hate having to wait a week to the next ep.

I’m a few weeks behind on it.

Em

 

[SeraphNocturne]

Anyone still watching this?

Just saw the E7.

Must say I might of squealed like a little girl at a <enter current hot boy band> concert when 3PO made his appearance.

I've been loving this show, and I hate having to wait a week to the next ep.

Spoilers, my guy, spoilers!

I’m watching it religiously. And I agree, waiting a week is annoying.

Edit: I also hate that the spoiler tag likes to pick and choose when it wants to be functional.

So you’re telling me on a desolate planet swarmed by raiders, in another galaxy, with three elder near psychic Nightsisters… Grand Admiral Thrawn… a man RENOWNED for his strategic planning and military prowess… couldn’t find Ezra Bridger?!

But yeah, sure, let’s send off a Jedi Padawan prisoner to do what a small army and three witches apparently couldn’t, and let’s watch her get it done in less than a day.

I’m gonna need the writers to do better.

 

[ChassonKnight]

I'm enjoying Ahsoka now, but the first few episodes seemed so perfunctory. I felt they had a load of ideas for the action on the planet in the other galaxy, and the rest of it was just about setting everything up for that, and it felt without heart to me. I loved Rebels, and I'm fine with the actors playing live action equivalents of those animated characters. They're doing a fine job. I just wish some of the spark it's now showing would have been in evidence earlier. We're on episode 7 (I think) on Disney+ now, and I could barely remember enough of what happened in the first five episodes to fill one episode.