Television ANDOR (Dragonlord's Recommendation: One of the Best TV Shows of 2022, post #439)

[europe1]

One noteworthy thing about this series is how few aliens there are in it. Think about it, in other SW shows or movies there's always some extraterresteral hanging about. Here everyone is human.

Probably a decision made to make Andor feel more "serious" and "mature". De-emphasize the fantastical elements of Star Wars. The dynamic between the rebels in the woods would feel quite different if one of them was an insect-faced mofo. When everyone is human the tension and mistrust between them feels more genuine and serious.

Still, this makes for an incongrious contrast with the rest of the franchise. It's a very radical thing to do and as such it feels discordant. Andor feels like a script that was written for another universe and then adapted to Star Wars.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I've alwayz loved that about Star Wars. We got people who want to work, but they say "wait a minute... this ain't right." At the same time otherz are full on agents of teh system. Programed to destroy at command. I've seen this play out irl too... scary shit.

IRL just about everyone has the capacity for good and bad. SW has many conflicted heroes, but they could do a better job giving that treatment to the "bad" guys. We have turncoats like Finn, Tala and LT Gorn who become "good" guys, but what about the regular bad guys? They can't all be 100% evil. Really hope they show an Imperial officer maybe helping some starving kid or townsperson out of charity, before going back to business - just to put some nuance on the Empire.

And I'm still holding out to see a real backstory for Sid at some point. We've seen Vader's struggle but Sid has to have one too. He's one of the most iconic villains but he's deceitful, manipulative and/or evil in literally every scene and that's hilariously impossible IRL. Did he just start out as some twisted kid burning up ants with a magnifying glass and disemboweling squirrels in his backyard while starving his pet cats and having them fight each other for rat poison? Would be much more interesting if he was a good kid who somehow got screwed over in life, had the wrong role models, set on the wrong path and went with it.

 

[Hog-train]

I tried watching the first episode and was bored and gave up. Is it worth it to try to watch?

 

[deviake]

Still thoroughly enjoying the series. 40 minutes flies by. I think it's still in the phase of building things up. Easily, easily, the most well acted, well shot, well written Star Wars of the Disney era or period in some sense. I'm curious to see where it goes, it should pick up nicely once we get to the operation.

 

[SiKnSiN]

I tried watching the first episode and was bored and gave up. Is it worth it to try to watch?

If you were bored with the first episode to the point of giving up, I'm not sure it would be worth it for you to continue. Or it may be better for you to just wait for the season to end and then give it a go.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Still thoroughly enjoying the series. 40 minutes flies by. I think it's still in the phase of building things up. Easily, easily, the most well acted, well shot, well written Star Wars of the Disney era or period in some sense. I'm curious to see where it goes, it should pick up nicely once we get to the operation.

If you were bored with the first episode to the point of giving up, I'm not sure it would be worth it for you to continue. Or it may be better for you to just wait for the season to end and then give it a go.

+1

Production value, acting and writing are excellent across the board. But the short episode format is incongruous IMO. Factoring in recap and end credits, there's only 30-35 minutes per episode and that's not enough time to show material progress in a series as (exquisitely) into the weeds as this one is. At this point I'm invested and will watch every episode as it comes but the viewing experience would be cleaner if you could just binge the whole thing.

 

[eddymotto]

+1

Production value, acting and writing are excellent across the board. But the short episode format is incongruous IMO. Factoring in recap and end credits, there's only 30-35 minutes per episode and that's not enough time to show material progress in a series that's as (exquisitely) into the weeds as this one. At this point I'm invested and will watch every episode as it comes but the viewing experience would probably be cleaner if you waited till they're all out and just binged the whole thing.

I agree re binging. I really like the show but I agree it it would play better (for me) if I could watch it in bigger chunks.

 

[GSP_37]

I tried watching the first episode and was bored and gave up. Is it worth it to try to watch?

Might be one of those shows where only the final two episodes are worth watching.

American Gigolo is the show I look forward to each week.

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Did Sid just start out as some twisted kid burning up ants with a magnifying glass and disemboweling squirrels in his backyard while starving his pet cats and having them fight each other for rat poison?

I knew a kid like that growing up, & it shocked me. He was an under-privilaged kid that grew up to be very frustrated & was self destructing the last I heard from him.

It's way worse for Sid though. (cue ominous music)

He was a spoiled & entitled rich kid from generations of nobility.

​

Lol... great topic... so I'm going to go off teh cuff here a bit.

I'm still holding out to see a real backstory for Sid at some point. We've seen Vader's struggle but Sid has to have one too. He's one of the most iconic villains but he's deceitful, manipulative and/or evil in literally every scene and that's hilariously impossible IRL.

Maybe impossible for regular folk... but "maybe not" for those born into generations of noble entitlement. Once teh "my way or the highway" mindset syncs in... it's very powerful if you've got status, bank, & nobility behind it. The only thing that breaks down that mentality for common folk... is that we need the cooperation of those around us to make our dreams happen.

Sid just effectively bypassed that dynamic.

With that in mind, it's easier to see how a dictator at heart could rise to this level without a "trauma experience" fueling it. He's just doing what's best for us... whether we agree with it or not. He's just simply bypassing the dynamic that he needs anyone else's cooperation & he'z making moves to manifest all of our dreams for us. (The power of positive thinking yeah?)

I hear you on wanting details from his development, because not much is known except that he started relic hunting as a young man which led him to Plagesie. Maybe they will do a backstory... but I'd imagine it being the story of a young super-entitled nobleman of many generations, being frustrated by the slow effectiveness of democracy, but his parents being over-worked at that crucial moment when young Sid innocently inquired as to why democracy was so difficult to navigate in order to get things done.

Spoiler

So the young Sid went to his room to play with his bath girls while developing the idea that the sheep need a totalitarian rool to make them comply to a quick & effective dictator that can make things happen.

He literally used that dynamic against the democracy in teh prequelz... when their slow response (too HIS attack... lol) was shown to the whole galaxy to be un-effective. Brilliant!!! So it was obviously something he considered greatly.

The problem is that this "quick response" mechanism in government requires one person to make those decisions... & if they're a Sith... well we know the rest.

For me, a common backstory for Sid... of a sniffling kid having his heart broken by a hot young Gungan isn't "my Sid." He probably had tail lined up for him his whole life, similar to the prince's bath scene in "Coming to America."



That said... maybe "the one" he really wanted... got away, but I don't feel that "confusion/frustration" is his drive, and he didn't surround himself with hot nude women once he got his power. (to surprisingly absent levelz )

His drive is too "untethered" for something like that to be his main drive. It's cold hard control... dispite the sacrifices others have to make. As long as you agree with me & let me do whatever I want, then you'll have no problem... (unless you rely on your natural resources that I need, in which case I'll just confiscate them & allow your people to die. It's nature.)

So It's more like being handed the world on a silver platter but wanting more, despite anyone else'z needs. I'd say that he had Sith tendencies & ideas way before he even was exposed to that religion. So he was primed & perfect for the spot... & his "off teh chart midichlorian count" helped that too. (fueled by the Jedi imbalancing the force to the light side & so had to correct the balance by creating Sid. Teh unsung reason for teh rool of 2, more power for teh few, while the Jedi's light was spread among thousands)

It might actually ruin it for me, if there's some traumatic event that swayed him

The way the mighty Vader'z backstory was resisted so much... by showing him as a frustrated & confused kid that was basically tricked into becoming a Sith wouldn't work with Sid because he never reconciled for anything.

With Vader's backstory though, it waz necessary that he was conflicted... otherwise it wouldn't make any sense when he turned at the end. (woops, spoiler)

Sid will never turn (not even after his next resurrection ) & so that backstory serves little purpose outside of curiosity.

Sid's natural entitled drive was perfect for the Sith religion going in. He didn't need to be twisted to become a Sith... he was already naturally & wholeheartedly twisted in that way... and that's why his power became so great and persisted for so long. His natural tendencies fit right in... & he wasn't weighed down by personal luggage.

Big difference there... & I'm not sure I would want anyone to alter that deal with Sid's backstory.

He did it for the common good, despite our pesky insistance of having our own ideas... that's all we need to know.

 

[moreorless87]

IRL just about everyone has the capacity for good and bad. SW has many conflicted heroes, but they could do a better job giving that treatment to the "bad" guys. We have turncoats like Finn, Tala and LT Gorn who become "good" guys, but what about the regular bad guys? They can't all be 100% evil. Really hope they show an Imperial officer maybe helping some starving kid or townsperson out of charity, before going back to business - just to put some nuance on the Empire.

And I'm still holding out to see a real backstory for Sid at some point. We've seen Vader's struggle but Sid has to have one too. He's one of the most iconic villains but he's deceitful, manipulative and/or evil in literally every scene and that's hilariously impossible IRL. Did he just start out as some twisted kid burning up ants with a magnifying glass and disemboweling squirrels in his backyard while starving his pet cats and having them fight each other for rat poison? Would be much more interesting if he was a good kid who somehow got screwed over in life, had the wrong role models, set on the wrong path and went with it.

You could argue Rogue One started that trend were by Krennic whilst obviously an asshole who killed thousands isnt rally a moustach tweaking villian killing good buys because he can, he's a careerist out for himself. The Imp intelligence people and perhaps Karn as well seem like another aspect of that, the people involved are focused on climbing the ladder not true believers in some cause.

I like that as a way to set up a lot of OT era(or just before) stories about the conflict personally, playing up the idea that the Empire is more about the banality of evil, having the Emperor and Vader more distant and it being more about ambitious people looking out for themselves and not caring who they hurt to do that.

Thinking about it really what Ander reminds me most of is actually Blakes 7 which itself was really an atempt to do more of a grounded cynical version of Starwars, production values*(thats writing and acting as well) are obviously vastly higher but I think you do almost see it making a few nods to it.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I knew a kid like that growing up, & it shocked me. He was an under-privilaged kid that grew up to be very frustrated & was self destructing the last I heard from him.

It's way worse for Sid though. (cue ominous music)

He was a spoiled & entitled rich kid from generations of nobility.

​

Lol... great topic... so I'm going to go off teh cuff here a bit.


Maybe impossible for regular folk... but "maybe not" for those born into generations of noble entitlement. Once teh "my way or the highway" mindset syncs in... it's very powerful if you've got status, bank, & nobility behind it. The only thing that breaks down that mentality for common folk... is that we need the cooperation of those around us to make our dreams happen.

Sid just effectively bypassed that dynamic.

With that in mind, it's easier to see how a dictator at heart could rise to this level without a "trauma experience" fueling it. He's just doing what's best for us... whether we agree with it or not. He's just simply bypassing the dynamic that he needs anyone else's cooperation & he'z making moves to manifest all of our dreams for us. (The power of positive thinking yeah?)

I hear you on wanting details from his development, because not much is known except that he started relic hunting as a young man which led him to Plagesie. Maybe they will do a backstory... but I'd imagine it being the story of a young super-entitled nobleman of many generations, being frustrated by the slow effectiveness of democracy, but his parents being over-worked at that crucial moment when young Sid innocently inquired as to why democracy was so difficult to navigate in order to get things done.

Spoiler

So the young Sid went to his room to play with his bath girls while developing the idea that the sheep need a totalitarian rool to make them comply to a quick & effective dictator that can make things happen.

He literally used that dynamic against the democracy in teh prequelz... when their slow response (too HIS attack... lol) was shown to the whole galaxy to be un-effective. Brilliant!!! So it was obviously something he considered greatly.

The problem is that this "quick response" mechanism in government requires one person to make those decisions... & if they're a Sith... well we know the rest.

For me, a common backstory for Sid... of a sniffling kid having his heart broken by a hot young Gungan isn't "my Sid." He probably had tail lined up for him his whole life, similar to the prince's bath scene in "Coming to America."



That said... maybe "the one" he really wanted... got away, but I don't feel that "confusion/frustration" is his drive, and he didn't surround himself with hot nude women once he got his power. (to surprisingly absent levelz )

His drive is too "untethered" for something like that to be his main drive. It's cold hard control... dispite the sacrifices others have to make. As long as you agree with me & let me do whatever I want, then you'll have no problem... (unless you rely on your natural resources that I need, in which case I'll just confiscate them & allow your people to die. It's nature.)

So It's more like being handed the world on a silver platter but wanting more, despite anyone else'z needs. I'd say that he had Sith tendencies & ideas way before he even was exposed to that religion. So he was primed & perfect for the spot... & his "off teh chart midichlorian count" helped that too. (fueled by the Jedi imbalancing the force to the light side & so had to correct the balance by creating Sid. Teh unsung reason for teh rool of 2, more power for teh few, while the Jedi's light was spread among thousands)

It might actually ruin it for me, if there's some traumatic event that swayed him

The way the mighty Vader'z backstory was resisted so much... by showing him as a frustrated & confused kid that was basically tricked into becoming a Sith wouldn't work with Sid because he never reconciled for anything.

With Vader's backstory though, it waz necessary that he was conflicted... otherwise it wouldn't make any sense when he turned at the end. (woops, spoiler)

Sid will never turn (not even after his next resurrection ) & so that backstory serves little purpose outside of curiosity.

Sid's natural entitled drive was perfect for the Sith religion going in. He didn't need to be twisted to become a Sith... he was already naturally & wholeheartedly twisted in that way... and that's why his power became so great and persisted for so long. His natural tendencies fit right in... & he wasn't weighed down by personal luggage.

Big difference there... & I'm not sure I would want anyone to alter that deal with Sid's backstory.

He did it for the common good, despite our pesky insistance of having our own ideas... that's all we need to know.

For all intents and purposes, Sid is Satan in the SW universe. He's all evil, all the time. His light side analog is Yoda, who is kind of like Dungeon Master in the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon.

He's practically omniscient and wants to help you make the right choices. But he won't give you all the answers. In the cartoon, Venger (who is like Sid) was revealed to be Dungeon Master's son who was somehow corrupted and became a demon fiend.

I don't think son quite works but given Yoda's age, it's absolutely possible he was some kind of mentor to or at least crossed paths with young Sidious. Just about every recent Sith worth a damn had some Jedi training and Sid's comments to Anakin in E3 imply that he has knowledge of the light side. Perhaps Yoda trained or at least knew of Sid being trained before he was corrupted by Plagueis as Sid did to Anakin. But Sid did it purely out of ambition and greed. And after becoming a Sith, he used dark side power to mask his true face and force aura.

Sid and Yoda are the two paragons of the SW universe and we don't know dick about either of their early lives. It's time they threw us a bone and gave us something. Given how Andor is going, an equally well-produced series on either Sid, Yoda or both would be fire.

 

[ChickenBrother]

You could argue Rogue One started that trend were by Krennic whilst obviously an asshole who killed thousands isnt rally a moustach tweaking villian killing good buys because he can, he's a careerist out for himself. The Imp intelligence people and perhaps Karn as well seem like another aspect of that, the people involved are focused on climbing the ladder not true believers in some cause.

I like that as a way to set up a lot of OT era(or just before) stories about the conflict personally, playing up the idea that the Empire is more about the banality of evil, having the Emperor and Vader more distant and it being more about ambitious people looking out for themselves and not caring who they hurt to do that.

Thinking about it really what Ander reminds me most of is actually Blakes 7 which itself was really an atempt to do more of a grounded cynical version of Starwars, production values*(thats writing and acting as well) are obviously vastly higher but I think you do almost see it making a few nods to it.

Krennic is a good example. Yeah they've shown some of the empire guys as simply careerists working in Corporate America and not true believers. Karn is a good one too. In the last episode, I appreciated when LT Meero was working late with her aide and was like, "I forgot how late it is, you can go." And the dude was like, "Nah, I'm staying and looking over another file with you." She's trying to be a good supervisor without overworking her assistant, and we find out he's as much of a workaholic as she is.

Also the scene where LT Blevin is assigning his subordinate the hotel and he's like, "Can I use the title "Prefect?" It comes with more pay." LMAO gotta pay the man.

 

[Madmick]

So far this has easily been the best Star Wars TV series. By miles. But only so far. A lot of them start well, but go off the rails in a single scene, and never get back on.

The Mandalorian is good. Not great, but good. Every other non-animated TV series in the franchise under Disney's reign has been a heaping pile of shit.

 

[moreorless87]

Krennic is a good example. Yeah they've shown some of the empire guys as simply careerists working in Corporate America and not true believers. Karn is a good one too. In the last episode, I appreciated when LT Meero was working late with her aid and was like, "I forgot how late it is, you can go." And the dude was like, "Nah, I'm staying and looking over another file with you." She's trying to be a good supervisor without overworking her assistant, and we find out he's as much of a workaholic as she is.

Also the scene where LT Blevin is assigning his subordinate the hotel and he's like, "Can I use the title "Prefect?" It comes with more pay." LMAO gotta pay the man.

I think you did get some sense of it in the OT as well, the round table scene in the original film suggests jockeying for power and the admirals serving Vader in ESB and ROTJ really seem more like brow beaten careerists than monsters. One of the (many) things the sequels got wrong IMHO was making the First Order simply space Nazis, some evil "other" compared to the empire that was more universal and could apply as much to the US/UK establishment, Luke wasnt just "fighting the badguys" he was taking the spiritual path rather than the materialistic one.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I think you did get some sense of it in the OT as well, the round table scene in the original film suggests jockeying for power and the admirals serving Vader in ESB and ROTJ really seem more like brow beaten careerists than monsters. One of the (many) things the sequels got wrong IMHO was making the First Order simply space Nazis, some evil "other" compared to the empire that was more universal and could apply as much to the US/UK establishment, Luke wasnt just "fighting the badguys" he was taking the spiritual path rather than the materialistic one.

I'd have to watch the round table scene again, but Vader's hierarchical inconsistency to the Imperial officers across the OT has always bugged me. He's the man standing next to the man and Palpatine's only true direct report. Him being under Tarkin's thumb in ANH seems irreconcilable. Agree that In ESB and ROTJ, the admirals just seemed like hapless lackeys that Vader terrorized. They're like stormtroopers with higher rank insignia. The only quasi-explanation I've found (on reddit) is that Palapatine repeatedly demoted Vader (before promoting him again) due to his failures. In ANH Vader is coming off the failure of allowing Death Star plans to fall into rebel hands, so I guess Palps temporarily made him Tarkin's bitch. Except... how stupid and brazen is Tarkin to shit talk Vader and his force powers, when Vader is shown force choking guys at will in literally the same scene.

 

[moreorless87]

I'd have to watch the round table scene again, but Vader's hierarchical inconsistency to the Imperial officers across the OT has always bugged me. He's the man standing next to the man and Palpatine's only true direct report. Him being under Tarkin's thumb in ANH seems irreconcilable. Agree that In ESB and ROTJ, the admirals just seemed like hapless lackeys that Vader terrorized. They're like stormtroopers with higher rank insignia. The only quasi-explanation I've found (on reddit) is that Palapatine repeatedly demoted Vader (before promoting him again) due to his failures. In ANH Vader is coming off the failure of allowing Death Star plans to fall into rebel hands, so I guess Palps temporarily made him Tarkin's bitch. Except... how stupid and brazen is Tarkin to shit talk Vader and his force powers, when Vader is shown force choking guys at will in literally the same scene.

I think some of it was simply rectoning Vader(and the Emperor) as the franchise went on but also I think in ANH Lucas was really going for the idea that the Emperor was still somewhat concerned with appearances. The Empire was still nominally a democracy run by the senate akin to the Principate era of the Roman Empire and the Imperial forces were part of that chain of command, Vader was the Emperors enforcer but he didnt nominally have any power. Then in ESB and ROTJ you see that the Empire drops any mask, the senate has been dissolved(technically happens in ANH but has only just happened) and the Emperor is ruling as a dictator with Vader as his #2 man in direct control of imperial forces.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I think some of it was simply rectoning Vader(and the Emperor) as the franchise went on but also I think in ANH Lucas was really going for the idea that the Emperor was still somewhat concerned with appearances. The Empire was still nominally a democracy run by the senate akin to the Principate era of the Roman Empire and the Imperial forces were part of that chain of command, Vader was the Emperors enforcer but he didnt nominally have any power. Then in ESB and ROTJ you see that the Empire drops any mask, the senate has been dissolved(technically happens in ANH but has only just happened) and the Emperor is ruling as a dictator with Vader as his #2 man in direct control of imperial forces.

It felt like a retcon to me for sure - I guess you can kind of explain it with the senate situation. It doesn't quite feel right but it's workable. But strongly agree with your earlier post about the ST getting a lot more (among many things) wrong with the First Order. Not sure how (if?) they'll ever properly retcon that.

 

[ChickenBrother]

So far this has easily been the best Star Wars TV series. By miles. But only so far. A lot of them start well, but go off the rails in a single scene, and never get back on.

The Mandalorian is good. Not great, but good. Every other non-animated TV series in the franchise under Disney's reign has been a heaping pile of shit.

Andor has for sure been the best written and crafted SW series so far, and it's not close. The depth they go into in each episode is amazing for SW. But 5 episodes in I'd argue Mandalorian was a better series so far, solely because to this point, the storytelling was very clear and very compelling. Andor so far is a lot of very promising but somewhat disjointed storylines and we don't even know yet why we're supposed to care about Cassian Andor himself. Given we're nearly at the midseason point already, it's getting questionable if they'll really stick the landing.

Mandalorian was more formulaic but they kept us guessing and on the edge of our seats at every turn, with payoff nearly every episode. It was an 8/10 difficulty routine but perfectly executed. Andor is much more ambitious and a 10/10 difficulty routine, but slow to build and with limited payoff so far.

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Great convoz...

it's absolutely possible Yoda was some kind of mentor to or at least crossed paths with young Sidious.

Well said... & this brings Sid'z deception to extraordinary levelz when you really think about how well Sid knew his own abilities... that he's obviously been face to face with Yoda (or at least top ranking Jedi) from well before the prequels... (even childhood) & his office waz in teh same fooking building as teh Jedi Council!!!

Being raised in royalty & understanding the masks people in high ranking politics have to put on. He was born into it... & his mask was ingrown from birth. It was easy for him to be 2 faced (or "20 fold faced" if applicable)

For all intents and purposes, Sid is Satan in the SW universe. He's all evil, all the time.

Satan & the Sith just don't wrap up their their mass slaughters, war mongering & devastation... in a nice neat political package that pushes blame to some seeming justifiable cause on paper.... while the politicians, churches & Sid (even the Jedi to an extent)... do it under the guise of political justification. Which is the greater evil is up for debate.

This is the whole premise of Star Wars' battle between the Jedi vs. Sith. Both feel they're in the right... & both feel the other is wrong.

I define "evil" as the purposeful infringement upon others.

I belong to a society called the USA. I own my home & have lived here for 20 years. If my city decides they need to build a freeway through my house, they will demand (through "common law") that I leave or they'll imprison me & even kill me if I fight the people they send to put me out of my home.

Now lets say my neighbor... wants my property to expand his gun selling business which will serve the community to protect each citizen... & he demands I give it to him or else he's going to make my life un-livable & even kill me if I resist. Is his plight that much different? Which one has infringed on me more? (Both equally) Is one more right than the other? Both will serve the community upon my death.

All the extraordinary measures in mind... from both sides... Sid's intention is for unity & order of a chaotic galaxy... after growing up seeing how dysfunctional & corrupt a democracy can be... so his mission is not necessarily all evil. In fact, it relies on the same war machine that the politicians rely on in order to force their pov. Sid's is just bigger.

Vader came out for sure "Evil" from the jump after Ep. 3 killing anyone who even looked at him funny... to the point where Sid had to ease him back a bit.

Sid has justification behind his means... where Vader was just killing for leisure, whim or even sport... at the onset of his Sithness. Sid just needs to be the final say... & he'll kill anyone who apposes, but only for a "justifyable" reason... we're not trying to kill "everyone..." Sounds like a lot of today's irl politics to me tbh.

I'm just displaying the gray area between Sith & politics to bring up the idea on what exactly is "evil."

Both sides seem pretty fooking evil to me. Is a "government" even possible without corruption? (evil) I have a hard time even finding small groups of people working together that doesn't have bullshit leaders making selfish choices that harm others.

"Survival of the fittest" is a law of nature that both sides embrace whether they do it outright & open like the sith or whether they wrap it up in a nice neat political package with a bunch of bullshit that gets them re-elected. This is the environment Sid grew up in. He just became the Alpha in the game.

Sid's doing it for the well-being of the universe as a whole. Even Vader was attracted by that dynamic as the only thing he held onto after he got duped into joining him when his wife died. He previously complained to Padme how dysfunctional the current system under the Jedi were & how a totalitarian government that does what it wants is best. The only thing Vader held onto after his wife died was that at least the democracy that frustrated him was now out of the mix & he can now be pro-active in a more straight forward government. (so he thought)

His light side analog is Yoda, who is kind of like Dungeon Master in the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon.

He's practically omniscient and wants to help you make the right choices. But he won't give you all the answers. In the cartoon, Venger (who is like Sid) was revealed to be Dungeon Master's son who was somehow corrupted and became a demon fiend.

Nice contrast...
That's imo... a very different dynamic though. Not entirely different... but I think the difference is significant with D&D son coming from the pinacle of their authority system... where-as Sid came from one of many thousands of authority systems that were over-ruled by another higher system of authority.

I'm just saying that the Dungeon Master's son is in a far greater spotlight than some other leader's son who is one in several thousand. it's a different dynamic. Sid was able to move and operate without the "pinacle spotlight" (though he did have "some" spotlight) & "the kid" wasn't considered as being such a cornerstone icon growing up on obscure Nabuu, such as the dungeon Master (highest authority)'s kid.

I hope that makes sense. I get your example... but there are significant differences.

Sid and Yoda are the two paragons of the SW universe and we don't know dick about either of their early lives. It's time they threw us a bone and gave us something. Given how Andor is going, an equally well-produced series on either Sid, Yoda or both would be fire.

I'm good with both backstories... or neither. It would be interesting to see what they offer in canon, but I'm fine not seeing all that play out for either of them.

I don't want a trigger for Sid. (like depression over a lost love or something) I want him to be the product of a corrupt political system.

Here'z teh first 50 years of Yodaz life...

Now we can speculate about the next 950 years.

I'd love a series about either, but I don't need them.

Vader's hierarchical inconsistency to the Imperial officers across the OT has always bugged me. He's the man standing next to the man and Palpatine's only true direct report. Him being under Tarkin's thumb in ANH seems irreconcilable. Agree that In ESB and ROTJ, the admirals just seemed like hapless lackeys that Vader terrorized. They're like stormtroopers with higher rank insignia. The only quasi-explanation I've found (on reddit) is that Palapatine repeatedly demoted Vader (before promoting him again) due to his failures. In ANH Vader is coming off the failure of allowing Death Star plans to fall into rebel hands, so I guess Palps temporarily made him Tarkin's bitch. Except... how stupid and brazen is Tarkin to shit talk Vader and his force powers, when Vader is shown force choking guys at will in literally the same scene.

There's Canon where Sid told Vader not to kill Tarkin... & if I recall correctly, Vader grumbled about it & Sid set him straight. It may very well be from the comic I posted above here in this post... (like the end of that same scene) but I don't recall.

For sure, that's a retcon... but remember that the original first Star Wars could very well had been a one off movie never to be heard from again... instead of this iconic 40 year ghorilla with an entire canon universe surrounding it... so retcons are a bit necessary. All good imo

 

[moreorless87]

It felt like a retcon to me for sure - I guess you can kind of explain it with the senate situation. It doesn't quite feel right but it's workable. But strongly agree with your earlier post about the ST getting a lot more (among many things) wrong with the First Order. Not sure how (if?) they'll ever properly retcon that.

At the moment I think they are simply trying to ignore the sequels but I wouldnt be shocked if they are erased from the timeline somehow in the future when the negative PR for it maybe less.