Can Star Wars Be Saved?

With a new slate of Star Wars shows on the horizon, there’s a new hope for this fan

Disney recently announced a ton of exciting new shows coming our way, specifically several new Star Wars TV shows, Obi-Wan Kenobi being the first. This will be followed by Andor starring Diego Luna reprising his role from Rogue One. Which is to be set before Rogue One took place. The Mandalorian Season 3 will come next, followed by Ahsoka which need no explanation. Lastly, The Acolyte-which is still very far into the future-is reported to be “set during the High Republic era, as a ‘mystery thriller set in a prosperous and seemingly peaceful era’ but things are certainly bubbling under the surface.” The show plans to explain just how the Sith infiltrated the Senate. It takes place 100 years before The Phantom Menace.

So…a lot to look forward too, huh? I hope so.

Someone asked me which universe would I want visit most: Marvel Universe or Star Wars? For me it’s Star Wars. I love being in that world. I’m not a huge sci-fi person either, but I love the expansiveness of the Star Wars universe. Part of my adoration for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian is seeing these small vignettes-pockets of civilization on unknown planets in the far reaches of the universe. Cultures we’ve never met. Scenery we’ve never walked through. Planets that are inhabited only by weird evolved alien animal creatures. The beauty that was found on Crait, the planet covered with a layer of white salt with red dirt underneath, was so striking and painterly. When the Mandalorian gives Grogu to Luke at the end of season 2, I wasn’t crying because of their bond. I was crying because it meant no more one-off adventures.

There was once A Great Hope.

Yes. I’ll always be a fan of Star Wars. But can I remain a fan based on aesthetics alone? I mean, I think I could, but I don’t want to. I’d prefer to fall in love with the stories too. Which is what I’m hoping for when it comes to these new shows.

I’m about to go on record here, but I’m okay with it. I enjoyed The Force Awakens. I also enjoyed The Last Jedi. Yes, they made some decisions, but they seemed deliberate. At the time trusted the people poised to make millions of dollars from these films were being paid as much because they knew how to do their jobs. Of course we all know the answer to that now. The Rise of Skywalker-for me-was a supreme disappointment. I remember walking out of the theater feeling like all of the air was let out of my Star Wars hot air balloon and I was plummeting towards a much more boring planet: Earth. The politics that went on behind the scenes could be seen right there on screen-built into the screenplay.

It was a sacrifice of story for fan service. May I always write what’s best for the story, and not for who my fans think should hook up by its end.

Days after The Rise of Skywalker my fandom waned, but never departed. And then came The Mandalorian. A much hyped television show set in the Star Wars universe. The first of its kind. I wasn’t hooked with the first episode, but by the end I-and the rest of the planet-were in. Which meant somebody out there understood Star Wars and can deliver! Season 1 of Mando wasn’t perfect, but a solid 9/10. I instantly forgave what minor missteps it had. Season 2 brought more of the same, in spite of Skywalker. And then, The Book of Boba Fett.

Sigh. The Book of Boba Fett, following the excellent run of Mandalorian seasons felt like stepping in a rain puddle that’s deeper than you expected. You anticipate a fun little splash out in the rain, instead your rubber boot gets stuck in the mud, and now water is running over the top and inside.

So, where does this leave me? Talking about a fandom whose first film’s subtitle is A New Hope, with subsequent messages threaded throughout several films (i.e. Rogue One, The Force Awakens) is all about hope against all odds; I think you know the answer.

Keeping The Faith

I’ll always be a Star Wars fan. And have learned the hard way that sometimes you just have to decide to take the good and leave the bad when it comes to your favorite things. Actors, movies, books, TV shows, comic books, mega corporate mergers and small business struggles, we don’t live in a perfect world. I accept this. Which means I should also be more accepting of a less-than-perfect Star Wars as well.

I like to think of my fandom as a scale. The Good Parts on one side, The Bad Parts on the other. Ideally I want that scale to tip toward The Good Parts. I can live with balanced scales. But a scale that’s always tipped towards Bad…it’s difficult. It’s difficult to put on my favorite Star Wars Tee on May the 4th and go out into the world with pride knowing those scales are tipped towards Bad.

What I’m asking for is not perfection; I’m asking for a good story. Characters who are true to themselves. People and aliens I connect to. A reason to get excited again. I’m putting a lot of faith into these upcoming shows. I really want them to be great! We’ll see soon enough with the premier of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he our only hope? Maybe. But if that series falls short as well, rest assured there is another.