TV #78 of 2021:
Star Wars Resistance, season 1
The debut run of this Star Wars cartoon about the lead-up to The Force Awakens gets marginally better in its last few episodes, but for the most part, it’s a real exercise in frustration. Despite the title and the hero’s nominal role as a spy, the story has very little to do with that movement, focusing rather on life aboard an obscure shipping station / repair-yard / race site. (As this description should suggest, it’s not particularly well-defined.) And that’s a shame, because even now there’s a lot that remains murky as to the exact dynamics of the Resistance, New Republic, and First Order — and their relation to the factions of the original trilogy — that a series set in this era could have clarified. But this show instead adopts the same approach as the newer movies, basically ignoring the ending to Return of the Jedi and featuring conflicts that might as well be just Empire and Rebel Alliance under new names.
The characters are disappointing too. Our protagonist is a schlemiel continually blundering into tiresome mishaps, only to be saved more by luck or outside intervention than his own bravery or smarts. His closest friend is an obtuse alien who takes everything literally, sort of like Data or Drax but with less nuance and worse writing. Between the two of them, any given storyline typically ends up falling flat.
On the bright side: the animated visuals are great, and both Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie occasionally drop by to reprise their respective live-action roles of Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma. The final arc offers a much-needed shakeup to the status quo, which could easily result in a stronger season 2. But so far, this is the worst venture I’ve seen from this franchise under the new Disney canon.
★★☆☆☆
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