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Riley: I have thoughts and more importantly, 2 00:00:03.236 --> 00:00:06.006 feelings about the state of Star Wars. 3 00:00:06.039 --> 00:00:08.074 But since this is a Floatplane Exclusive 4 00:00:08.074 --> 00:00:10.210 and there's no content ID system here, 5 00:00:10.377 --> 00:00:12.045 I figured to kick things off. 6 00:00:12.045 --> 00:00:13.947 I'd just play The Rise of Skywalker 7 00:00:13.947 --> 00:00:15.415 and maybe do some commentary. 8 00:00:15.582 --> 00:00:16.783 Hit it, Sammi! 9 00:00:19.486 --> 00:00:23.189 Wow. that part was good. 10 00:00:23.356 --> 00:00:25.458 No, okay, I'll star for real now. 11 00:00:25.658 --> 00:00:30.730 Star Wars has felt like a core part of me since I was just a wee boy 12 00:00:30.764 --> 00:00:33.133 and my dad first showed me the original movies. 13 00:00:33.166 --> 00:00:36.536 He's not even into Star Wars; I don't really think he knew what he was doing. 14 00:00:36.536 --> 00:00:41.875 Though I have tried not to care about it, I've tried to excise the part of me 15 00:00:41.875 --> 00:00:46.279 that still hungers for Star Wars like a vampire craves human blood; 16 00:00:46.946 --> 00:00:48.114 it's always there. 17 00:00:48.148 --> 00:00:49.949 Deer Blood just doesn't hit the same. 18 00:00:49.983 --> 00:00:51.284 This isn't a video about Twilight. 19 00:00:51.284 --> 00:00:53.119 What am I, what is this, what am I- 20 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.156 Star Wars won't let me go, even though, 21 00:00:56.156 --> 00:00:59.726 spoiler alert, I'm not very happy with it right now. 22 00:00:59.726 --> 00:01:03.696 So here goes another attempt to process my feelings about these stories, 23 00:01:03.696 --> 00:01:06.399 and characters, and settings, and even weapons and vehicles. 24 00:01:06.433 --> 00:01:12.372 I'm gonna unload them onto you; so then they'll be your problem and I'll finally be able to sleep. 25 00:01:13.673 --> 00:01:16.876 That's only half a joke, I stayed up all night working on this script. 26 00:01:17.677 --> 00:01:18.111 Huh. 27 00:01:18.111 --> 00:01:21.314 So I'm gonna be talking about The Acolyte and the sequels, and Andor. 28 00:01:21.347 --> 00:01:25.151 Thank God for Andor! And the Mandalorian and Ahsoka, Ahsoka. 29 00:01:25.151 --> 00:01:26.186 and the Jedi games; 30 00:01:26.186 --> 00:01:29.556 but before all that, here's my grand unified theory 31 00:01:29.556 --> 00:01:32.826 about just what the hell is going on with Star Wars right now. 32 00:01:32.826 --> 00:01:34.894 And I completely forgot to put this in the script, 33 00:01:34.894 --> 00:01:39.365 but big spoiler warning for The Acolyte and Ahsoka. 34 00:01:39.666 --> 00:01:43.636 Medium spoiler warning for Andor and light spoilers for anything else. 35 00:01:43.670 --> 00:01:45.905 I'm sorry this video is about the whole franchise. 36 00:01:45.905 --> 00:01:47.073 There is homework, apparently. 37 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:53.413 The core issue with Star Wars today as I see it, is that it's struggling to change itself, 38 00:01:53.413 --> 00:01:56.116 to adapt to the modern media landscape. 39 00:01:56.349 --> 00:01:58.785 It's far from the first big franchise to have to do this. 40 00:01:58.785 --> 00:02:03.723 Star Trek has periodically reinvented itself over its 60 years of existence. 41 00:02:03.857 --> 00:02:10.463 And the Bond franchise routinely resets itself, like a snake shedding its crusty old skin 42 00:02:10.463 --> 00:02:15.702 and slithering off to find another Bond girl to seduce and subsequently get killed or forgotten. 43 00:02:15.869 --> 00:02:20.406 So why is this such a struggle for Star Wars! 44 00:02:20.406 --> 00:02:24.677 To the point that it's essentially become another front in political culture wars? 45 00:02:25.111 --> 00:02:29.883 And there's a few reasons, one of which is that Star Wars is culture. 46 00:02:29.883 --> 00:02:36.356 The franchise has had a heavier impact than any other media franchise ever, on popular culture. 47 00:02:36.556 --> 00:02:37.790 With some exceptions, everyone has seen at least one Star Wars and has their own opinion on it, 48 00:02:37.790 --> 00:02:42.262 With some exceptions, everyone has seen at least one Star Wars and has their own opinion on it, 49 00:02:42.295 --> 00:02:43.129 except Sammy. 50 00:02:43.363 --> 00:02:45.732 you don't even know who Grand Moff Tarkin is. 51 00:02:45.732 --> 00:02:46.366 Sammy: I don't. 52 00:02:46.833 --> 00:02:47.734 Riley: Aaaah. 53 00:02:47.967 --> 00:02:52.205 Consequently, Star Wars means different things to different people; 54 00:02:52.205 --> 00:02:55.808 who are all going to feel differently about the movies and shows we've been given 55 00:02:55.808 --> 00:03:00.947 after the creator of Star Wars sold his creation to "white slavers". 56 00:03:00.947 --> 00:03:02.248 George Lucas: -and obviously to. 57 00:03:02.282 --> 00:03:03.483 Charlie Rose: And you sold them? 58 00:03:03.550 --> 00:03:06.152 George Lucas: I sold them to the white slavers 59 00:03:06.152 --> 00:03:08.021 that take these things, and- 60 00:03:08.555 --> 00:03:10.023 And uh... 61 00:03:10.023 --> 00:03:11.958 No one made you do it, George! 62 00:03:11.991 --> 00:03:15.895 Riley: The other major reason Star Wars is struggling so hard to change 63 00:03:15.895 --> 00:03:18.131 is because it's kind of old fashioned. 64 00:03:18.565 --> 00:03:24.404 Star Wars is, or used to be a straightforward story about good versus evil; 65 00:03:24.871 --> 00:03:28.174 and, we don't really do that anymore. 66 00:03:28.708 --> 00:03:32.512 We do anti-heroes that are just barely better than the bad guys, 67 00:03:32.512 --> 00:03:36.516 and critiques of supposedly good institutions that are actually bad; 68 00:03:36.516 --> 00:03:39.786 because of miscommunications between flawed individuals, more on that in a minute. 69 00:03:39.786 --> 00:03:40.987 because of miscommunications between flawed individuals, more on that in a minute. 70 00:03:40.987 --> 00:03:43.223 But it's true that by and large, 71 00:03:43.256 --> 00:03:47.527 the days when you could just plop an evil emperor or dark lord into your story 72 00:03:47.527 --> 00:03:51.231 who's bad for the sake of being bad are long over. 73 00:03:51.364 --> 00:03:54.100 Which, don't get me wrong, it's not necessarily a bad thing. 74 00:03:54.167 --> 00:03:58.571 It's almost always more interesting to give your antagonists somewhat realistic 75 00:03:58.571 --> 00:04:03.643 or at least understandable motivations; you know, add a couple drops of psychoanalysis 76 00:04:03.643 --> 00:04:08.414 and sprinkle some moral philosophy onto my space fantasy-adventure, brown sugar, double shot, 77 00:04:08.448 --> 00:04:10.984 oat latte, because I've been good, I deserve it. 78 00:04:11.050 --> 00:04:14.687 But it's hard to transition into morally gray stories, 79 00:04:14.687 --> 00:04:18.825 when you're working within a universe that was basically created to serve up 80 00:04:18.825 --> 00:04:24.497 kind of mythological allegories, not literally describe reality. 81 00:04:24.564 --> 00:04:25.598 I mean, look at Lord of the Rings. 82 00:04:25.865 --> 00:04:31.371 You got Amazon, trying to turn the Silmarillion into a TV show, The Rings of Power; 83 00:04:31.404 --> 00:04:34.340 and they just gave us a look at a young orc family, 84 00:04:34.340 --> 00:04:37.810 just trying to harvest enough mud from the mud pits 85 00:04:37.810 --> 00:04:40.680 to secure an education for their little orc baby; 86 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:46.019 so he can become an orc doctor and raise awareness of the importance of sterilizing rusty nails 87 00:04:46.019 --> 00:04:48.755 before using them for ritualistic piercings! 88 00:04:50.423 --> 00:04:51.124 Awwww! 89 00:04:51.124 --> 00:04:51.591 *Chuckles* 90 00:04:51.591 --> 00:04:54.761 The orcs aren't meant to be humanized this way; 91 00:04:54.761 --> 00:04:59.899 because they are an allegory for a type of monster all humans can become, 92 00:04:59.899 --> 00:05:04.170 when we're twisted and corrupted by the worst of our very human instincts. 93 00:05:04.237 --> 00:05:09.642 You don't look at the thematic spirit of rage and war and ask, hmm, 94 00:05:09.709 --> 00:05:12.512 but what does IT do when it comes home from work!? 95 00:05:12.545 --> 00:05:15.982 Now, that's not to say that Star Wars and Lord of the Rings can't 96 00:05:15.982 --> 00:05:19.052 successfully transition into morally gray stories; 97 00:05:19.385 --> 00:05:22.922 there were tons of decent ones in the Star Wars Expanded Universe 98 00:05:22.922 --> 00:05:25.191 years before Disney got their hands on it. 99 00:05:25.191 --> 00:05:30.830 And then we got Andor; sweet! Precious Andor! 100 00:05:30.863 --> 00:05:34.267 But it's hard, not everyone can pull these stories off. 101 00:05:34.267 --> 00:05:37.937 You see, the problem with needing every story to be morally gray, 102 00:05:37.937 --> 00:05:43.109 is that you're gonna get people trying to write those kinds of stories who just aren't good at it. 103 00:05:43.209 --> 00:05:50.116 They don't actually understand how complex systems and human psychology intertwine to f*** things up. 104 00:05:50.116 --> 00:05:53.986 Riley: I mean in real life, sometimes people do just 105 00:05:53.986 --> 00:05:59.859 accidentally do dumb things that end up getting people killed, but that doesn't mean it's good writing 106 00:05:59.859 --> 00:06:06.232 to make the core conflict of your show rest on a central character doing something that makes viewers go, 107 00:06:06.232 --> 00:06:11.104 huuuuh!? Whaaat!? 108 00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:17.243 Or perhaps even worse, have the conflict rest on a miscommunication that, if clarified, 109 00:06:17.310 --> 00:06:19.445 would diffuse the whole situation. 110 00:06:19.445 --> 00:06:20.947 I didn't even hate the show. 111 00:06:21.180 --> 00:06:23.449 I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. 112 00:06:23.750 --> 00:06:28.254 The fight choreography was a huge step up from Ahsoka's practice duel looking combat, 113 00:06:28.254 --> 00:06:28.454 The fight choreography was a huge step up from Ahsoka's practice duel looking combat, 114 00:06:28.788 --> 00:06:34.127 made even more interesting by incorporating the first live action depiction of Cortosis. 115 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.531 Qimir, whatever his name is, headbutts a lightsaber! I mean, come on. 116 00:06:38.564 --> 00:06:42.435 And there were some other cool ideas; I mean twins sharing a single soul, 117 00:06:42.468 --> 00:06:49.575 a Jedi scheming and trying to dodge Republic inquiries, another alternative faction of force users, 118 00:06:49.609 --> 00:06:52.845 a Sith who's just a cool dude like you and me; 119 00:06:52.845 --> 00:06:53.579 "Hey, maybe try being bad” 120 00:06:53.579 --> 00:06:54.747 "Hey, maybe try being bad” 121 00:06:54.747 --> 00:06:59.018 But these interesting ideas are not explored in a compelling way. 122 00:06:59.051 --> 00:07:01.754 They're just kind of there, and then bad stuff happens; 123 00:07:01.754 --> 00:07:04.323 because everyone in the show is bad at explanation. 124 00:07:04.457 --> 00:07:09.362 The Force Witches of the planet Brandok, not sure why we had to invent just 125 00:07:09.362 --> 00:07:11.931 Nightsisters, but different and not give them a name; 126 00:07:11.964 --> 00:07:15.168 there was presumably a whole planet of them at this point, but whatever. 127 00:07:15.201 --> 00:07:19.639 The Force Witches apparently think the Jedi are gaslighting, gatekeeping, 128 00:07:19.672 --> 00:07:21.641 and girl bossing the Force. 129 00:07:21.674 --> 00:07:27.580 In a painfully direct thesis statement for the show, Mother Aniseya tells one of the twins, 130 00:07:28.781 --> 00:07:34.220 this isn't about good or bad, this is about power and who is allowed to use it. 131 00:07:34.353 --> 00:07:38.591 The implication is the Jedi will come and shut down the coven if they get the chance; 132 00:07:38.658 --> 00:07:44.130 but when the Jedi show up, they pretty explicitly just wanna test the kids for force sensitivity 133 00:07:44.130 --> 00:07:49.302 and make sure that, like you know, magic child abuse isn't going on, 134 00:07:49.368 --> 00:07:52.038 which it kind of seems like it is, by the way; 135 00:07:52.038 --> 00:07:55.875 being marked with mysterious symbols in a creepy magic ritual. 136 00:07:55.908 --> 00:07:59.745 You know, I, hey, every culture's different. 137 00:07:59.779 --> 00:08:02.882 So anyway, Osha, one of the twins conceived through the Force, 138 00:08:02.915 --> 00:08:05.418 because Anakin wasn't that big of a deal, this happens all the time, 139 00:08:05.485 --> 00:08:07.787 decided she wants to go with the Jedi. 140 00:08:08.087 --> 00:08:11.724 And after struggling with this, Mother Aniseya decides to let her go. 141 00:08:12.158 --> 00:08:15.094 She doesn't tell the Jedi this though, 142 00:08:15.127 --> 00:08:20.032 until after she starts to disintegrate both herself and her daughter, Mae. 143 00:08:20.066 --> 00:08:25.705 Confused, but trying to save Mae's life, the Jedi's Soul stabs her with his lightsaber. 144 00:08:25.938 --> 00:08:28.841 This is presented as kind of the original sin of the show, 145 00:08:28.875 --> 00:08:32.378 with Soul admitting to Osha at the end that he did it, 146 00:08:32.745 --> 00:08:34.380 but not saying why! 147 00:08:34.881 --> 00:08:35.915 "Killed your mom!" 148 00:08:36.582 --> 00:08:38.751 That's all, that's all I'll say. 149 00:08:39.018 --> 00:08:44.056 So then, I guess thinking Soul just murdered her mom to steal her for the Jedi, 150 00:08:44.056 --> 00:08:49.896 Osha kills him with the most casual force choke outside of Vader dropping officers over Zoom. 151 00:08:49.929 --> 00:08:56.068 I'm still not 100% clear on whether Aniseya was trying to save or kill Mae 152 00:08:56.068 --> 00:09:00.506 to keep her out of the Jedi's hands, but I feel like stabbing someone 153 00:09:00.506 --> 00:09:06.946 who appears to be Thanos snapping a child away is not that crazy, of a split second reaction. 154 00:09:07.146 --> 00:09:11.417 Now, if you wanted to write a story criticizing the Jedi for 155 00:09:11.450 --> 00:09:14.287 "not allowing" certain people to use the force, 156 00:09:14.353 --> 00:09:17.957 why did you write it so that's not at all what's happening? 157 00:09:18.124 --> 00:09:20.626 Like one conversation, please, 158 00:09:20.693 --> 00:09:26.232 where maybe Carrie-Anne Moss's character Indara explains to Aniseya that it's illegal to use the force 159 00:09:26.232 --> 00:09:27.934 without a permit or whatever. 160 00:09:28.301 --> 00:09:31.404 One convo where Soul explains to Osha that, 161 00:09:31.704 --> 00:09:34.473 yeah, I was trying to keep everyone safe, 162 00:09:34.473 --> 00:09:37.243 and then your mom started turning yourself and your sister 163 00:09:37.243 --> 00:09:39.745 into the smoke monster from Lost, and I freaked out! 164 00:09:39.812 --> 00:09:41.981 But you can't have those convos, 165 00:09:41.981 --> 00:09:45.718 because it would remove major reasons for these characters to be in conflict; 166 00:09:45.718 --> 00:09:50.056 which shows that these are weak conflicts, and weak writing. 167 00:09:50.122 --> 00:09:53.993 You want characters to clash over deeper incompatibilities; 168 00:09:53.993 --> 00:09:56.696 because they have differing fundamental motivations. 169 00:09:56.696 --> 00:10:00.766 E.g. Caring about themselves versus caring about a greater cause, 170 00:10:00.766 --> 00:10:04.136 or having contradictory beliefs about their vision for the world; 171 00:10:04.136 --> 00:10:09.375 or even being so hurt by trauma, they ignore whatever explanation is given. 172 00:10:09.442 --> 00:10:14.647 Think about this, Soul tells Osha he killed her mother, and she immediately kills him. 173 00:10:14.981 --> 00:10:19.986 But what if he gave his explanation? Now she would have to deal with inner conflict 174 00:10:19.986 --> 00:10:23.456 between her anger at Soul for her mother's death, and empathy 175 00:10:23.456 --> 00:10:27.326 for someone who made a split second decision in an impossible situation. 176 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:32.665 That's interesting! That is a hard, morally complex situation! 177 00:10:32.665 --> 00:10:38.471 The Acolyte doesn't manage to evolve Star Wars into the form it needs to take in the modern era; 178 00:10:38.671 --> 00:10:45.411 but you know what show does? Obi-Wan Kenobi... No, Andor, it's Andor. 179 00:10:45.578 --> 00:10:49.181 You know, now that we're here, I don't even really wanna talk about the other shows that much. 180 00:10:49.248 --> 00:10:56.222 The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Boba Fett; because they didn't swing as hard as The Acolyte did. 181 00:10:56.222 --> 00:10:59.458 They're essentially live action sequels to the Clone Wars, 182 00:10:59.525 --> 00:11:02.061 and Rebels animated series for kids and young adults; 183 00:11:02.228 --> 00:11:04.230 I mean in some ways, this is inoffensive. 184 00:11:04.497 --> 00:11:08.501 Fans get to see their favorite characters and helmets brought to life, 185 00:11:08.701 --> 00:11:13.939 folding their arms in cosplay-looking costumes on sterile, Disneyland-looking sets, 186 00:11:13.973 --> 00:11:17.677 talking to zombie CG Luke and Lizzo, and Jack Black, 187 00:11:17.710 --> 00:11:23.783 getting stabbed with lightsabers and being perfectly fine, playing extremely amateur tag in the forest, 188 00:11:24.016 --> 00:11:29.121 learning a completely unearned lesson to "choose life" from Hayden Christensen, 189 00:11:29.155 --> 00:11:33.159 and getting white robes and smiling more as a substitute for character development, 190 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:36.562 and facing the most brilliant master strategist in the galaxy; 191 00:11:36.562 --> 00:11:40.733 whose plans constantly fail, but it's fine because he actually wanted them to 192 00:11:41.333 --> 00:11:44.637 and lightsaber fighting starfighters and being perfectly fine. 193 00:11:44.670 --> 00:11:48.307 Shoot the ship! The ship is not moving! 194 00:11:48.307 --> 00:11:49.608 Shoot the ship! 195 00:11:49.775 --> 00:11:51.210 Ah, this graph makes me so sad; because it shows that A, 196 00:11:51.210 --> 00:11:54.880 Ah, this graph makes me so sad; because it shows that A, 197 00:11:54.880 --> 00:11:58.517 yes, The Acolyte was canceled because of low viewership numbers, 198 00:11:58.551 --> 00:12:02.955 not because of harassment from bigots; even though that was definitely happening. 199 00:12:03.189 --> 00:12:04.790 And if you are one of these people, 200 00:12:04.790 --> 00:12:08.527 who somehow think that the reason Star Wars kind of sucks on the whole now is because 201 00:12:08.527 --> 00:12:14.233 there are more women and people of color involved? You are, unintelligent! 202 00:12:14.633 --> 00:12:21.240 The chart also shows that arguably the two most interesting Star Wars shows were watched the least! 203 00:12:21.574 --> 00:12:25.611 I am so grateful that a second season of Andor was negotiated upfront; 204 00:12:25.644 --> 00:12:31.584 because it very well might have been canceled too, in favor of these aggressively mediocre other shows. 205 00:12:31.784 --> 00:12:34.320 So yeah, I don't wanna talk about those or the Star Wars sequels. 206 00:12:34.487 --> 00:12:37.223 I talked about them on my personal channel and on They're Just Movies. 207 00:12:37.256 --> 00:12:42.595 I just wanna bring up Andor, the TV series about a new Disney side character 208 00:12:42.595 --> 00:12:45.998 no one expected to go this freaking hard! 209 00:12:45.998 --> 00:12:49.902 If you have watched the other Disney Star Wars shows, 210 00:12:49.935 --> 00:12:53.272 but skipped or stopped watching Andor part way through, 211 00:12:53.272 --> 00:12:54.507 you need to have a seat and think about your life. 212 00:12:54.507 --> 00:12:56.175 you need to have a seat and think about your life. 213 00:12:56.175 --> 00:12:59.478 Andor single-handedly kept me interested in Star Wars 214 00:12:59.545 --> 00:13:02.047 by proving that it wasn't like those other shows. 215 00:13:02.414 --> 00:13:05.718 They dangle the things, you know, Jedi, ooh, Mandalorians, 216 00:13:05.751 --> 00:13:10.189 Ewan McGregor, in an attempt to get you to watch a show that's just okay, or straight up bad. 217 00:13:10.189 --> 00:13:11.657 Ewan McGregor, in an attempt to get you to watch a show that's just okay, or straight up bad. 218 00:13:11.724 --> 00:13:13.492 Andor doesn't do this. 219 00:13:13.526 --> 00:13:19.165 In terms of recognizable characters, Andor has... Mon Mothma? Wha? 220 00:13:19.165 --> 00:13:22.802 We eventually see Stormtroopers for the first time like halfway through the series, 221 00:13:22.802 --> 00:13:28.774 and when a single TIE fighter shows up, it's a thunderously terrifying moment that reminds us 222 00:13:28.774 --> 00:13:32.344 the bad guys, are actually supposed to be a bit scary. 223 00:13:34.947 --> 00:13:41.153 Andor's sense of restraint manifests in carefully laid setups and glorious payoffs 224 00:13:41.153 --> 00:13:47.393 arranged into four major story arcs, that result directly from the consequences of character decisions. 225 00:13:47.393 --> 00:13:52.932 The writing on both a scene by scene, and plot structure level is immaculate. 226 00:13:53.098 --> 00:13:55.634 The Mandalorian gave us, "this is the way". 227 00:13:55.901 --> 00:13:57.303 Andor gave us: 228 00:13:57.303 --> 00:13:58.804 Cassian: I’d worry about you all the time. 229 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:02.041 Maarva: That’s just love 230 00:14:04.243 --> 00:14:05.444 nothing you can do about that. 231 00:14:05.744 --> 00:14:07.580 Luthen: My- What is my sacrifice? 232 00:14:07.880 --> 00:14:09.081 I burned my life 233 00:14:09.548 --> 00:14:10.583 to make a sunrise 234 00:14:10.583 --> 00:14:11.784 that I know I'll never see. 235 00:14:12.184 --> 00:14:13.385 What do I sacrifice? 236 00:14:15.888 --> 00:14:17.089 Everything. 237 00:14:17.389 --> 00:14:19.024 Kino: And I would rather die 238 00:14:19.325 --> 00:14:22.161 trying to take them down than giving them 239 00:14:22.628 --> 00:14:23.829 what they want. 240 00:14:24.096 --> 00:14:28.000 There is one way out right now. 241 00:14:28.667 --> 00:14:31.837 Riley: The attention to detail in this show is insane. 242 00:14:31.871 --> 00:14:36.642 Devices and terminals in Star Wars often look like non-functional props or 243 00:14:36.642 --> 00:14:42.781 uninspiring CGI placeholders, but every object in Andor looks like a real thing! 244 00:14:42.781 --> 00:14:46.051 From the same universe as the original trilogy, not a toy! 245 00:14:46.051 --> 00:14:51.190 The show doesn't break lore or break your immersion, instead it adds to it 246 00:14:51.190 --> 00:14:54.927 by giving us a window into what life is like for regular people 247 00:14:54.927 --> 00:14:57.663 who lose their job and have to move back in with their mom, 248 00:14:57.663 --> 00:15:01.667 or eke out a living under the oppressive heel of authoritarianism. 249 00:15:01.834 --> 00:15:04.336 But most importantly, for my thesis here, 250 00:15:04.436 --> 00:15:09.275 while doing everything it can to make you believe it belongs in this galaxy far, far away, 251 00:15:09.308 --> 00:15:14.079 Andor adapts the heart of Star Wars into a morally complex tale, 252 00:15:14.079 --> 00:15:18.450 where rebels are forced to sacrifice their own souls and others 253 00:15:18.450 --> 00:15:20.419 to give the galaxy a chance at freedom. 254 00:15:20.786 --> 00:15:26.892 Where well-meaning characters feel a misguided duty to "do the right thing", and help the empire. 255 00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:32.031 Where conscientious aristocrats weigh their principles against the threat of being discovered, 256 00:15:32.031 --> 00:15:36.568 and where a cynical thief has everything he thought he knew challenged. 257 00:15:36.835 --> 00:15:41.173 This is how Star Wars can be saved, not by bringing back another character 258 00:15:41.173 --> 00:15:43.909 or by having someone suddenly learn force powers; 259 00:15:43.909 --> 00:15:49.315 by careful character-driven writing from people who know what story they wanna tell. 260 00:15:49.348 --> 00:15:54.553 Andor shows that Star Wars CAN adapt, doesn't have to rely on memberberries, 261 00:15:54.553 --> 00:15:59.325 can have new things, despite people saying that Star Wars fans don't want anything new. 262 00:15:59.358 --> 00:16:03.696 The problem is, most of the new things we've gotten come along with, 263 00:16:03.696 --> 00:16:05.764 and attempt to destroy what came before. 264 00:16:05.931 --> 00:16:09.368 The sequel seemingly intentionally tarnished the legacy of the OT. 265 00:16:09.368 --> 00:16:15.407 And here's The Acolyte trying, and completely failing to argue that the Jedi are bad, 266 00:16:15.407 --> 00:16:18.877 for doing something we actually don't show them doing. 267 00:16:19.178 --> 00:16:22.281 Hey, you know what was new and awesome, because it didn't destroy anything? 268 00:16:22.281 --> 00:16:26.585 Star Wars Visions! Visions is great! Because it changes things, 269 00:16:26.585 --> 00:16:29.655 sometimes in a crazy over the top way, but it's okay; 270 00:16:29.688 --> 00:16:32.491 because A, it uses brand new characters and settings 271 00:16:32.491 --> 00:16:35.160 that don't throw existing universe elements under the bus. 272 00:16:35.194 --> 00:16:37.396 And B, it's non-canon; 273 00:16:37.396 --> 00:16:40.599 so yeah, go ham! Give us the good stuff. 274 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:42.034 We can have fun here. 275 00:16:42.067 --> 00:16:47.473 Andor also added something else new to the Star Wars franchise, good writing! That's a joke. 276 00:16:48.707 --> 00:16:52.945 Obviously there are moments of great, memorable writing in tons of Star Wars media; 277 00:16:52.978 --> 00:16:54.780 Gungan: Jar Jar, use-a booba 278 00:16:54.880 --> 00:16:56.615 Jar Jar: Messa don’t have-a booba 279 00:16:56.615 --> 00:17:02.087 but Andor, is like good good, as I hope I have proven. 280 00:17:02.087 --> 00:17:04.590 One more thing I wanted to put in here that I didn't actually put in the script, 281 00:17:04.590 --> 00:17:07.926 the Jedi games, Jedi Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor. 282 00:17:07.926 --> 00:17:12.898 I feel like, with the existing characters in the Star Wars franchise being treated the way they are 283 00:17:12.898 --> 00:17:15.934 and throwing things in front of me, trying to be like, remember this!? Remember this!? 284 00:17:15.934 --> 00:17:22.241 Having like a new protagonist, new ship, new crew, new adventure; that is very much Star Wars. 285 00:17:22.241 --> 00:17:23.876 Having like a new protagonist, new ship, new crew, new adventure; that is very much Star Wars. 286 00:17:24.009 --> 00:17:27.646 It was great, if you haven't played those games and you're a Star Wars fan, 287 00:17:27.646 --> 00:17:28.614 What are you doing? 288 00:17:28.614 --> 00:17:32.017 At the end of Jedi Survivor, I honestly felt like, I tweeted this, 289 00:17:32.051 --> 00:17:37.189 Cal Kestis is my new Luke Skywalker, because the old one, oh. 290 00:17:37.222 --> 00:17:39.958 So what does the future of Star Wars hold? 291 00:17:40.459 --> 00:17:43.429 Well, the next series coming along is Skeleton Crew; 292 00:17:43.429 --> 00:17:47.599 and while I think the whole stranger things in space idea is kind of intriguing, 293 00:17:48.067 --> 00:17:53.539 I'm a little worried seeing trailers that literally depict suburban America, but there's aliens. 294 00:17:53.572 --> 00:17:56.608 It's new, so I'll give it a shot. 295 00:17:56.675 --> 00:17:59.578 Andor season two, of course I am hyped as hell for, 296 00:17:59.578 --> 00:18:03.649 not at all so for the Mandalorian and Grogu movie. 297 00:18:03.682 --> 00:18:09.254 If Disney doesn't learn from Andor that this is the way, I may just be done. 298 00:18:09.254 --> 00:18:11.990 I, easier said than done. 299 00:18:11.990 --> 00:18:16.562 Because as fun as it used to be to identify so strongly with this universe, 300 00:18:16.595 --> 00:18:19.898 the identifying strongly is part of the problem. 301 00:18:19.898 --> 00:18:22.568 I waited to hear whether The Book of Boba Fett was good. 302 00:18:22.601 --> 00:18:24.002 I heard it was kind of bad. 303 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:27.906 I watched the first and the last episode just to confirm my feeling there; 304 00:18:27.906 --> 00:18:31.110 and yeah, I was right. 305 00:18:31.143 --> 00:18:35.447 Please, Star Wars fans, don't feel like you have to watch everything. 306 00:18:35.514 --> 00:18:39.651 In fact, I implore you, please don't! Just wait! 307 00:18:39.651 --> 00:18:44.156 Because Disney will never properly let Star Wars evolve the way it needs to, 308 00:18:44.156 --> 00:18:49.361 as long as it can keep shoveling the same crap into your gaping maw installation; 309 00:18:49.394 --> 00:18:50.729 that's a reference. 310 00:18:51.296 --> 00:18:55.501 I wish I could wrap this up a little tighter, but I already delayed this video like eight times. 311 00:18:55.501 --> 00:18:56.602 That was fun, ay Sammy!? 312 00:18:57.202 --> 00:18:57.703 Sammy: So fun. 313 00:18:57.703 --> 00:18:58.871 Riley: We got it done. 314 00:18:58.904 --> 00:19:01.673 It was a, this is a messy conclusion, but thanks for watching. 315 00:19:02.007 --> 00:19:04.009 Ah, I can finally sleep. 316 00:19:04.209 --> 00:19:06.278 Okay, what do we want? Do we want people to comment? 317 00:19:06.945 --> 00:19:09.648 Leave a comment with your thoughts about Star Wars, 318 00:19:09.648 --> 00:19:12.017 and what you thought about my thoughts about Star Wars. 319 00:19:12.017 --> 00:19:12.818 Sammy: And a like! 320 00:19:12.818 --> 00:19:14.753 Riley: And like, this is what we-? 321 00:19:14.853 --> 00:19:15.621 Sammy: Yes. 322 00:19:15.621 --> 00:19:16.722 Riley: And like the video. 323 00:19:16.822 --> 00:19:17.322 Sammy: Yes. 324 00:19:17.489 --> 00:19:18.190 Riley: Please? 325 00:19:18.257 --> 00:19:18.957 Sammy: Please. 326 00:19:20.626 --> 00:19:24.263 Riley: I like, Star Wars? 327 00:19:24.463 --> 00:19:25.831 Riley: I don't even know anymore. 328 00:19:26.532 --> 00:19:27.266 It doesn't matter. 329 00:19:28.133 --> 00:19:28.367 Bye. 330 00:19:28.667 --> 00:19:29.868 Did you play KOTOR? 331 00:19:29.868 --> 00:19:30.769 Sammy: Yeah I have a poster 332 00:19:30.769 --> 00:19:32.571 Riley: Sammy played KOTOR 2 guys! 333 00:19:32.671 --> 00:19:33.872 Sammy: What? Glenn: Woah! 334 00:19:33.939 --> 00:19:35.174 Sammy: I have a poster! 335 00:19:35.774 --> 00:19:37.142 Okay, you're back in. 336 00:19:37.576 --> 00:19:38.911 You're back in, Sammy. 337 00:19:39.511 --> 00:19:40.445 All right.