Star Wars TV Is Way Too Serious, And It's Bumming Me Out, Man
Let me put this as straight as I can right off the bat: some of the best "Star Wars" stories are serious. "The Empire Strikes Back" is the least pulpy fun of the original trilogy and is my favorite by a country mile. "Andor" blew me away with its kind of radical approach to focus on the banal evil of Imperial bureaucracy that is just as much of a threat as space wizards with lightning fingers, if not more so.
So, if you clicked on this headline expecting a ragebait article, I apologize. You might not agree with what I'm about to say, but know it is coming from a deep place of love for "Star Wars" which is the most rich, diverse, and exciting blockbuster cinematic landscape I've ever experienced.
After watching the first two episodes of Disney+'s latest "Star Wars" show, I was struggling with something I couldn't quite put my finger on. The visuals weren't the problem. Unlike "The Book of Boba Fett" I didn't find "Ahsoka" overly cartoony. In fact, that opening shot with the spaceship gave me instant OT model work vibes.
There wasn't a villain issue. I'm intrigued by Ray Stevenson's character who, after two episodes, seems to be resting in a fascinating gray area between altruistic Jedi, dastardly Sith, and selfish Han Solo-ish rogue. And we know that the smartest "Star Wars" baddie is out there somewhere and when Thrawn shows up that means some big trouble for our heroes.
So what's the issue, then? Why did I feel there was something a little off, like I was missing a crucial piece of what makes "Star Wars," "Star Wars" to me?
I came to the conclusion that everybody in "Ahsoka" was just being too damn stoic.
Someone needs to bring balance to the force
"Star Wars" is all about balance. That first movie is a miracle of balancing conflicting tones. The stakes are dire, death is lurking around every corner, and the bad guys are constantly on the verge of winning, but the characters take a minute to acknowledge the rollicking adventure they're on. Luke's enthusiasm when he destroys his first TIE Fighter while manning the Millennium Falcon's gun is a rush of giddy energy that is infectious, and that happens within moments of Obi-Wan's sacrifice!
I think the balance is off in live-action "Star Wars" TV right now, and that's after a promising start with "The Mandalorian" managing to be both fun and emotional. Yes, Mando is just as stoic, but his journey was about his rigid belief system cracking thanks to the love of his adopted child. That's his arc for two seasons and then this last season Mando spends it entirely trying to earn his way back into that same rigid, dogmatic formula he spent two seasons breaking free from, which was a massive step back.
"The Book of Boba Fett" went a step too far in the other direction, as so much of it is taking its cues from the worst instincts of the prequels, depending on goofy humor while making the title character the most boring possible version of Boba Fett they could think of. He's stoic to the Nth degree. We don't see a single glimpse of the ruthless mercenary that he was supposed to be and because of that, there's nowhere for his character to grow into being his more altruistic self.
Shouldn't we be celebrating the fall of the Empire a little bit?
I fully admit that judging "Ahsoka" after only two episodes is foolish, especially considering showrunner Dave Filoni's impressive track record. I'm trying not to make any broad critiques without seeing the full story, but I was shocked at just how gloomy these characters I've come to know and love from "Star Wars Rebels" are, especially given the time period.
This show is set between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens." The good guys have won! Yes, there was a cost and there should be some room for the characters to acknowledge that given that they're unsure if Ezra is dead or not, but this should be an exciting time for the rebellion. A challenging time as well, granted, as the remnants of the Empire are still out there and need to be rooted out, all while a whole new, fairer system of governance is put in place. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for the thrill of the adventure as well.
Maybe we get there before this mini-series is all said and done and I'll look very foolish for being so impatient. I hope that's the case, but I do have a good basket of recent tonal missteps to help back up my critical skepticism.
Why so serious?
I just want to see someone having fun being in "Star Wars," damn it! Criticize the sequel trilogy all you want (and there's plenty to unload on), but Poe was that character for those movies. He took the job seriously but also had the thrill of the adventure in every situation he found himself in, whether it was a brutal interrogation at the hands of Kylo Ren, a thrilling dogfight against First Order spacecraft, or emotional scenes where he was bonding with Finn.
Having a series filled with Poes would be aggravating, but that's where the balance comes in. My worry is that "Ahsoka" is starting off on the opposite side of the spectrum. Everybody has the weight of the world on their shoulders and seems to be surrounded by a Pigpen-style cloud of depression. Even when we get that therapeutic release when Sabine is running from the dedication ceremony (along with that wicked punk rock score), she's ultimately doing it in a "leave me alone" sad, emo kind of way.
Rosario Dawson is wonderful casting for a live-action Ahsoka Tano, but I have to admit she's part of the problem for me in these first two episodes. The way she's playing this bright, energetic character is just ... well, damn I keep using this word, but she's too stoic. When she's doing her Indiana Jones/Lara Croft puzzle-solving routine, there is no thrill of discovery beyond a half smile. When she's taking down attack droids, she does it in a methodical, rehearsed way, which might work as a nod to Akira Kurosawa's samurai, but lacks that spark of fun "Star Wars" viewers are used to seeing.
Has Ahsoka become the very thing she walked away from?
Ahsoka was a fascinating character because under Anakin's training, she represented the best side of him. She was powerful and maybe a tiny bit reckless, but in a selfless way. She serves as a reminder of what Anakin would have been had he taken a different path. If he had followed his apprentice's lead and left the fatally flawed Jedi Order instead of trying to dominate it and mold it into something darker, then the galaxy would have been a better place.
She's been through so much, and seen so much, so of course she has grown more mature in the process, but I don't buy that Ahsoka would have left the Jedi Order only to then imitate the emotionless, strict Jedi Master's stoic style.
I can only talk about my perspective on this and I want to make it clear that I'm not demanding Dave Filoni change things because I'm a "real" fan. That man knows the ins and outs of "Star Wars" better than I ever could and his creative instincts hold way more water than an early middle-aged nerd on the internet. But I can tell you that I'm longing for a "Star Wars" anything that isn't either doom and gloom 24/7 or a goofy cartoon with random celebrity cameos as, like, an android librarian or whatever.
I love "Andor" and the whole reason to make that show is to share what it feels like to live under the bootheel of the fascistic Imperial machine, but I don't want that to be the dominant flavor of "Star Wars." I'm not even going to use the quote of George Lucas saying "Star Wars" is for kids and should always be made with them in mind. I don't agree with that, but I do believe "Star Wars" is at its best when the characters are clearly having fun, especially in the face of catastrophe.
There's still hope
We need more Poes and Han Solos and Landos in "Star Wars," especially in this reconstruction era the TV shows have mostly been focusing on. We need to see that the New Republic isn't just making the same mistakes as the Old Republic. Why is every single person we've seen working within this new system either incompetent, a secret Imperial sympathizer, or just dumb as rocks?
All I know is I shouldn't be thinking about how maybe the First Order didn't really get rid of anything worthwhile when they obliterated the new galactic government.
I'm not the biggest fan of "Solo," but I will give that movie credit for fully embracing the fun adventure side of "Star Wars." That one takes place during the height of the oppressive Imperial regime and still manages to capture the "Aw, shucks, we're on an adventure" feeling I love so much about "Star Wars."
As I mentioned above, I'm kicking around all these thoughts after only seeing two episodes of "Ahsoka" and it's very possible I'll be proven wrong, especially if the later episodes bring back the "Rebels" crew to adventure together in live action. Their dynamic can't help but capture some of that feeling and if anybody knows that deep in his bones it's Filoni.
I still believe finding that tricky balance between super serious and light-hearted adventure is the biggest challenge facing "Star Wars" at the moment and I hope the juggernaut that is "Star Wars" is slowly steering back in that direction. The first couple of episodes of "Ahsoka" don't seem to be that, but there's still hope for the future and nobody will be happier to see that return to form than yours truly.