The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have continued one major Star Wars problem that flows from George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. Lucasfilm’s recent Star Wars TV shows have fleshed out the New Republic era, a time shortly after the fall of the Empire after the Battle of Jakku. Already viewers can see some of the pieces being set in place for the build-up to the sequel trilogy, although that won’t technically occur for decades.
In general, although there have been a few missteps, the various shows set during the New Republic era have met with popular and critical acclaim. This is in part because of the skilled leadership of Dave Filoni, George Lucas’ protégé, who has recently been promoted to Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer. But the apprentice is repeating one of the master’s mistakes, a failing seen in Lucas’ own Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The Mandalorian & Ahsoka Struggle With Political Stories – Like The Prequels Did
The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 took viewers to the Republic capital of Coruscant, introducing a major political plot that continued on in Ahsoka. Unfortunately, for all there were delightful cameos in Ahsoka, most of the New Republic dialogue was pretty rigid and the scenes just didn’t flow well. It felt odd that Mon Mothma had such little power, making her unable to protect her friend Hera Syndulla, while Senator Xiono had such influence. While all this furthered the plot, the New Republic Defense Committee’s refusal to listen to reason just seemed baffling.
Unfortunately, this follows the same pattern as the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The political scenes in the Senate were too formal and rigid, with political figures never really given any time to develop a personality. The precise roles of the different political forces were unclear, with the Trade Federation’s role in galactic politics only clarified through titles like Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Political dialogue was stilted and unemotional, making the politics feel uninteresting.
How The Mandalorian & Ahsoka Can Fix Its New Republic Problem
The flaws of the New Republic are important, helping connect The Mandalorian and Ahsoka to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. It is, however, crucial that Star Wars improves in its handling of these political themes. Andor has shown that political scenes can be handled more effectively, and better writing is needed. Meanwhile, rather than dilute individual shows with political scenes that feel tangential, Lucasfilm could do a short limited series or a special presentation that would take the place of the canceled Rangers of the New Republic TV show. This would be a much stronger approach as this story continues.
