Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

Was so enjoyable watching the characters wrestle with their inner light & darkness, until nearing the end of episode 5...

If I was to retell others about this episode the way the filmmaker tells the story without spoiling it by referring to names and what had just happened, then it would be like... (read without the stuff in the brackets)

"It was utterly ridiculous hearing 'them' (plural, the Sith Inquisitors) commenting on 'them' (singular, a person) whom 'they' (pl.) have just dealt with, as if 'they' (pl.) cared about 'their' (sing.) life enough to a point that 'they' (pl.) decided to referred to 'them' (s.g.) as 'they/them' (sing.)... Were 'they' (pl.) trying to show 'them' (sing.) 'their' (pl.) respect? Were 'they' (pl.) trying so hard to not offend 'them' (sing.) Whom 'they' (pl) came to offend in the first place?

It also confuses the audience whether there were more of 'them' out there that 'they' were referring to whom 'they' might have forgotten about?"

Also, Disney isn't being consistent when 'they' wanted to refer to an individual person as 'they/them' in other languages, if you can read subtitles in other languages, give it a try and have a look/laugh!

Clearly 'they' wanted to play safe and didn't want to rattle the non-English speaking market.

Honestly, who cares about Morgan Elsbeth.

A one off character of the MANDALORIAN who became a mainstay in AHSOKA, but even then she wasn't all that interesting. Not sure why TOTE wanted to showcase her backstory when we already know it.

The issue with Morgan's three episode arc is that it doesn't tell us anything new about her and it doesn't make any sense.

Morgan states to Thrawn that she "seeks revenge," but revenge against who?? Grievous is dead, Dooku is dead, the CIS has been defeated-everyone responsible for the destruction of her people are dead. Sooo...what vengeance is she seeking? Morgan just becomes some corrupt bureaucrat for the imperials who basically turns a random village into a hard labor camp, but why though? Why is she going out her way to mistreat these people? We don't know. She just winds up running a pyramid scheme and then murders anyone who challenges it, and again, it's never understood why she's doing any of it outside of be generic "I want power," which isn't a goal Morgan states. Again, she's somehow doing this to "get revenge," one day against people who are already dead.

So in the end, we wind up learning nothing new about Morgan and her episodes were largely a waste of time.

I just stuck around for Barris, because we get to see what happened to her post RoTS. Barris' story does what Morgan's should had, which is sbowing us things we don't know, and exploring the depth of Barris herself. It was great seeing the Fourth Sister since we didn't get anything from her out of KENOBI. I won't go into detail about Barris' story because I'd be spoiling, but I do feel that it was better handled than Morgan's.

The Evil at the Center. Just as we once accompanied Anakin Skywalker on his journey to the dark side, there are now finally two more characters we get to accompany into the abyss.

The approach of the Star Wars creators is emotional and profound. The atmosphere is truly dark, rarely seen except in Andor. Now, we are actually on the side of evil. Whether Morgan Elsbeth, seemingly a supporting character, needed to be chosen as the main character remains questionable. There are certainly much more intriguing characters in the Star Wars universe. But in the end, after the story of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, we witness another transformation into evil. And it is precisely this that makes this series so compelling in the otherwise rather cheerful Star Wars cosmos.

The most intriguing question in all of this is ultimately why they had to make the whole thing an animated series.

Your perception of the show may differ quite drastically from others depending on how much you care about the characters that the show focuses on. Personally, I do not care much for Morgan Elsbeth as she doesn't really come off as an interesting character so I found the first 3 episodes to be relatively average, nothing insulting by any means but nothing that exciting either. The episodes focusing on Bariss Offee were more interesting to me as I like her more as a character but they weren't anything special. Overall there's a lot more they could've done with the show, but if you are interested in those characters then it might be worth a watch for you. Do not expect anything ground-breaking though.

"Tales of the Empire" is a delightful gem in the vast galaxy of Star Wars content. As a fan who watched this series alongside the disappointing "The Acolyte," I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and storytelling prowess of this show. The intricate narratives, well-developed characters, and attention to detail in world-building truly set "Tales of the Empire" apart.

The series manages to capture the essence of the Star Wars universe while offering a fresh perspective on the Empire's inner workings. Each episode delves into the lives of characters with complexity and nuance, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journeys. The production quality is top-notch, with stunning visuals and captivating performances that transport viewers to a galaxy far, far away.

After experiencing the lackluster storytelling of "The Acolyte," "Tales of the Empire" was a breath of fresh air. It proves that there is still hope for meaningful and engaging content within the Star Wars franchise. I wholeheartedly recommend this series to any fan craving a more fulfilling and satisfying Star Wars experience.

Here's to more content like "Tales of the Empire" that honors the legacy of Star Wars while pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons. May the Force continue to guide us on thrilling adventures through the galaxy!