Right, the topic isn´t the matter, the tone is.
But all you wrote in your long reply shows that you won´t or can´t accept this, instead forgoing in the same way I critisized before.
Of course I can´t and won´t dictate how anybody should argue I just mentioned what I dislike and if you can´t accept it this is fine.
It´s easy for me I just won´t discuss with you any longer.
I really appreciate your engagement on this.
The reason I gave the example that I did was not to say that Anakin’s story was disconnected from Vader’s, but that story-wise (again, technical quality notwithstanding), Anakin is a compelling character without the consumer having foreknowledge of Vader.
That is how I believe prequels should be. I think the story of the prequel trilogy was excellent, and (I digress) The Clone Wars only built upon it. I’ve just started rewatching the whole series (for probably the fifth time), and have only been reminded just how wonderful it truly was.
That’s fair. I think they’ve done an excellent job technically, in portraying the story that they are (well-plotted, excellent dialogue, etc.). As for the story, I may have preconceived notions, but I don’t ever come with an opinion of “it must be this way.” If I dislike a story, it’s usually because they did something I didn’t like (for various reasons), not because they didn’t do something I wanted them too.
(Just for example, I came into TLJ with virtually no expectations. I didn’t like it because I didn’t like some of the things they did with the story.)
To be specific to Andor, my issue isn’t at all with the story (although I have a few continuity quibbles), it’s the tactical approach to Cassian’s portrayal. On the subjective side, I just don’t like the character and am not invested in him. On the analysis side, I think that the character is not compelling outside of us already knowing his future. That’s the difference I see to Anakin.
In fact, the only reason I’m critical of the portrayal is because I know his future. Were this an entirely new character, I would find the twist of his getting arrested hilarious and an absolutely perfect way to end the character’s story (“poetic justice”). I would also not like the character very much and may have already given up on the show, because it just isn’t really my speed.
Can you explain how you would like me to converse? Because I really have no idea what you want from me other than essentially deleting portions of what I would otherwise write, where I detail my position.
Could you guys just please stop or send private messages if you can’t?
To make a pro sports analogy, you will often see fans picking apart a GM’s decisions. “Oh, he should trade that player,” “Oh, he shouldn’t have traded that player,” “Oh, he should have offered that player a bigger contract,” etc. My usual position on it is “He probably knows better what he’s doing than you do, maybe there’s something he sees that you don’t.”
I also am fairly ordinary as far as sports are concerned, certainly not an expert.
The reason I differ here is because I think that in stories, mistakes are much less speculative, and understanding these mistakes is much more constructive. I write kind of a lot. Stories are a huge focus of mine. We’re in an RPG community, where stories are quite important.
Conversations around what makes good and bad stories have helped me tremendously, both as a GM and amateur writer. I also have a very analytical, dissecting mind. I pick things apart and put them back together (and it’s a large part of how enjoy things). However, mistakes stick out to me more obviously than things done right, especially if (I’ll touch on this more later) I come in jaded. They also take much more discussion to explain, so even if a good thing sticks out to me more I might seem to focus on it more in a review because it takes more words to explain.
I totally understand this, and have, to a certain extent, arrived at this same place. I’ve become very jaded about Disney Star Wars, much to my chagrin.
However, I don’t think confirmation bias explains my conclusion, though it bears some relation.
I read the Thrawn novels expecting to hate Mara Jade (bias from when I was ten and she married my childhood hero), but ended up really liking her.
I came into Mando season one cautious, but excited, and was very pleasantly surprised.
I came into Arcane expecting not to like it, and was completely won over.
I came into Andor with mixed feelings: I’d been looking forward to it because I thought it was a story that needed telling (ever since Rogue One), but I had been so frustrated by Kenobi and other products that I had no confidence it would be good. It’s much better than my pessimistic side projected. I’m having trouble enjoying it for subjective reasons, but also have some technical critiques.
So if I expect something to be bad, it’s harder to overcome that and get me to like the show. If I’m predisposed to like something, I may be more likely to overlook or forgive its flaws. But I never conform my opinion of media to match my expectations, at least not so dramatically, and am willing to be won over. Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown and the football, but that’s besides the point.
Sorry. Hopefully we’re about done.
This episode was pretty good. I found it boring at times, but the prison/manufacturing scenes were very interesting and I liked seeing Melshi.
The best part of the episode was Luthen as per usual. The scene between him and Saw was impeccable, and probably my favorite part of the show so far. I especially like that Saw didn’t capitulate and refused in the end. Very Saw-like, and nice to see someone actually draw a hard line.
Were they making a TIE fighter part in the factory? It has the basic pattern of the central hub of a solar panel.
The part they were making did look like a tie fighter part.
I did like the show this week. Empire fighting to take a Rebellion serious and the Rebels fighting to make a serious rebellion.
So much to say but this latest episode mentions Belsavis! I guess it’s still a prison planet in the Empire era!
After a single glance I was thinking it was the trunk and start of the arms/legs for a Security Droid, which got me thinking how Cassian is going to escape while also finding/building K2!? Then I rewound and yes too many branches and it matches up pretty well to the center supports of a TIE solar panel, before the hub is overlayed and longer “arms” are attached?
Belsavis is also a prison planet in the Old Republic MMO as well, with truly ancient stuff kept in cells there too., Made me happy when I heard Belsavis get mentioned
My thoughts exactly!
A few thoughts about the ISB office drama between Meero and Blevin in Episode 7 (Announcement)…
The office drama is superb! These actors have tremendous chemistry. Dedra Meero is superbly cast and portrayed, Major Partagast sublime and Blevin smug and articulate. Attendant Heert, Dedra’s sidekick, reminds me a lot of a young Tarkin.
If “the blues” (corporate security) were supposed to be the goons, the worst of the Imperial bureaucracy, are these ISB officers supposed to be the best? Are we supposed to like Meero and her sidekick officer? They’re the space bad guys for sure but you can’t help but get sucked into their ambitions, drama, smugness, smallness and way of communicating and debating.
There’s just so much to say about this one episode!
During the ISB scenes, I routinely find myself wishing that either Andor had debuted a couple of years ago, or a recently-ended AoR campaign in which I played a Rebel intelligence agent who was also a double agent embedded in the ISB was still going. While the Imperial Handbook gave me a lot to work with, there’s SO much I could have done with this material as inspiration, seeing some of the canonical inner workings of the ISB.
I agree about ISB background, so enjoying the inter politics between agents. Hopefully we will see another SWRPG book about the ISB.
Hmm, now you’ve got me thinking Blevin is going to be a rebel spy. His actions were actually helping the rebels. And the actor’s race makes his character high on the good guy scale per the trend in casting lately.
For sure. For me it harkened back to a Saga Edition campaign I had more than a decade ago with heavy Imperial politics and villainy such as COMPNOR and the Imperial culture committees. That campaign also had strong Inquistorius story lines so between Andor and Kenobi I finally feel I have experienced in live action TV what so many gamers and Extended Universe fans have loved for so many years.
Definitely want to go back there for my next campaign! The era where the Empire is supreme but the rebellion has not yet formed is a powder keg of ideas and narrative drama! Andor shows us with spy guys, kids, anarchist war lords, old ladies named Maarva, political actors, salvage droids, defectors and more what the rebellion looked like before it was cool guys in X-wings. Help is not coming and every alliance is a threat or a risk. The ISB is out there. Inquisitors. The might of the empire. The Deathstar. Yet the empire is also ineffective, arrogantly blind and so spread out that it can’t squeeze all of the galaxy at once.
Thoughts for the upcoming Episode 9:
—What is this “Code Droid” that Agent Meero asked to requisition!? Could it be K2-S0?! If not, hey, new droid!
—This prison scene has been set and instinctual SWRPG thoughts kick in: How will Cassian escape!? As I’ve been rewatching, I note that he was laser focused on the security of the prison as he went in! He carefully studied the guardroom, guard patterns, security devices and systems. Of course the “Tunqston” floors and electricity are a challenge but this is gamer stuff! Climb the walls, hang from the ceiling, steal the shoes! There a whole rack of the guard boots right above their work area… And he’s got Melshi with him!
This show is GOOD! Think about the ammo for game encounters this gives us! Skill challenges! Villains! Clowns! Regular people!
Hmm. Security Droids included “strategic analysis” which doesn’t equal “code droid” to me, but analysis actually might be more of what Meero would desire anyway? Perhaps “coding” is just some slang for strategic analysis which avoids her saying she’s getting a “security droid” and ruining the surprise?
But I’ve got my credits on Cassian using a certain security droid to help him escape the factory prison.
