#chronological order

[karanseraph]

Still going with the Star Wars Timeline Order rewatch.

I'm on Skeleton Crew (2024-2025). I watched it once when it first came out. Then I watched most of it yesterday, but I was trying to do other things at the same time, so I didn't fully pay attention. So, I'm watching it again.

I probably won't do super in depth write up for this one??

But, my general impression is that it's like: "But what if Star Wars was Goonies?" And then it goes ahead and gives you a Goonies-like Star Wars story.

It also asks us "What if Cobra Commander was a Space Pirate?"

Wim is like every boy protagonist from every 80s Fantasy and/or Adventure movie. Like, Not just Goonies, but The Neverending Story, or Time Bandits, etc. "Boy, you don't quite fit in here, but go on this Hero's Journey adventure and later you'll be a bit more confident and wiser but also quite ready to come home."

Neel is the friend.

"Alpha Five, find me pre-teens with attitude!"

Fern and KB most remind me of Janey and Lynn from Girls Just Want to Have Fun. But less wanting to dance on TV and more going on adventure with the boys Goonies or Stranger Things style. Like Fern is the Janey with the somewhat more controlling home life and KB is her enabling friend.

I've said in other posts that Timeline Order makes the child exploitation baked in from the start. It's definitely here. But something refreshing is that these kids do have parents that do develop and show concern for them and do things to try to get their kids back.

The Finding of the Thing is big in these movies (or series). It can be an alien, a book, a map, etc. It's the "bump" that interrupts the status Quo and draws the children out from the Ordinary World.

Jane-I mean Fern and Wim meeting outside the school office has to be a trope.

Also things being "In the woods" is just so folk and fairy tale. It's like Hansel & Gretel type stuff.

Fern also sometimes channels Clark/Mouth when she tells her spooky tales.

SM33. Smee? Really? Anyway this droid is like the eccentric NPC your DM makes for one bit of exposition or plot point but then all the players at the table keep trying to have interactions with them. But also kinda Real Steel.

They really went and threw in the lost civilization time-capsule world with special currency subplot.

At Attin society doesn't have free school lunches? I mean, sure we need the lunch money to be a thing so that when Wim is wept into an adventure he has money and it's distinctive to draw interest and 'help'. But, at the same time, make sure all kids are fed.

Jod showing up like Jafar in the cell is some kind of clue. But he's like equal parts Jack Sparrow and probably Long John Silver.

Kh'ymm gives me Secret of NIMH vibes, but also like Titan A.E. where some eccentric animal-shaped astronomer helps the protagonists.

Doppelganger worlds. Coming across warring factions on a planet is a Science Fiction staple. I'm sure Star Trek and Stargate and probably Farscape have such episodes.

"What if One-Eyed Willy's secret pirate cave hideout full of booby traps was under a spa?" Onsen episode but the kids' alternate costumes are just robes and beards.

"What if Tamatoa had trash crab babies?"

Chekhov's switch you should never touch.

The Skeleton Crew theme reminds me of music that would play in a video game while you do some thing like cooking or crafting potions.

Meanwhie everyone's parents are doing reverse ET and phoning from home.

The old computer-run society.

Hover bikes are the new dirt bike.

X-wings are the new calvary.

Everyone lives.

[karanseraph]

I'm now rewatching Ahsoka Season One in my overall rewatch of Star Wars in Timeline Order. I think this is maybe the third watch of this series for me.

I thought I might have already posted about this series, but I may not have tagged it appropriately if I did, because I couldn't find it.

So, firstly, this is set somewhere in the timeframe of 9-10 ABY, I think. The Mandalorian Season One starts 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi/Battle of Endor, and about 9 years after A New Hope/Battle of Yavin, as I understand. And Ajsoka had appearances

The Rebels series led up to the events of A New Hope. So, there's 9 or ten years since we've seen Sabine?

I think Sabine is like 3 years older than Luke, Leia, and Ezra. So, at this point she's around 30, and Ahsoka is around 45. They aren't young, but they aren't quite middle age. More just adults.

But, that means based on just the shows and movies I've seen, there's been a time skip.

From references in dialogue, it seems like Ahsoka and Sabine traveled and trained together for some number of years during the war between the Alliance and the Empire.

Then, sometime after the Second Death Star was destroyed and the Empire (without Palpatine) was in decline, is when the Night of a Thousand Tears happened on Mandalore. Sabine was off planet, but must have known of it. At that point, Ahsoka has said she had fear that Sabine was fighting for the wrong reasons.

They parted ways.

it's been 4 or so years since then.

Sabine, at the start of this Series and Season is a cat mom on Lothal, living in the same tower where Ezra once did. She also attained the rank of Commander sometime during her work with the Alliance or New Republic.

Ahsoka, we know from watching the series preceding this in Timeline Order, has been continuing a search for Thrawn and his allies, such as Morgan Elsbeth. She was assisted in capturing Elsbeth by Mandalorian Din Djarin. She's met Grogu. She's also met Luke Skywalker the son of her former Jedi master who was like an older brother to her. And she's searching for a map. She's traveling with Huyang, a droid thousands of years old who appeared in Young Jedi Adventures and The Clone Wars, I believe.

Episode 1. Morgan Elspeth had allies, and we see her freed by them: Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati.

It's Hera Syndulla, a General withe the New Republic now, who gives Ahsoka the bad news. The good news is that Ahsoka found the map and the droids sent to attack her did not stop her or obtain the map.

It's also Hera who encourages Ahsoka to get back in touch with Sabine. (The title of this episode is Master and Apprentice, and though it most overtly refrs to Ahsoka and Sabine, the theme carries with Baylan and Shin, with Morgan being in service to Thrawn, and even with Ahsoka still being in the shadow of her former Master.)

Sabine's still kinda a rebel in a lot of ways. But, notably, the officer, Porter who is sent to find her is callsign Spectre 21. (Understandable Sabine does not want to attend the anniversary ceremony dedicating the new monument and listen to or give speeches about Ezra. That was a loss, but the kind of mysterious loss that doesn't provide closure.) But on her own, Sabine watches an old Holo of Ezra (so the audience knows what he looks like in this series.)

(I hope someone feeds this loth-cat when she's away.) (Is the cat a puppet? It looks like a puppet.)

Morgan's team goes to Arcana (a name associated with obsure knowledge, magic, and archetypes), to see if they can retrieve the map, at which time Mogan relates to Shin (and the audience if they have forgotten) that she is descended from Nightsisters of Dathomir and thus in common terms a witch. (They wield the force in their own way that is neither Jedi nor Sith, though there has been overlap with characters like Asajj Ventress and Maul.) The map was in a temple belonging to the Nightsisters when Ahsoka took it.

But if Ahsoka has it, Morgan's team can retrieve it.

And she seems to be aware there's a connection to Lothal, dispatching Shin there.

Ahsoka and Huyang do arrive on Lothal, meeting with both Ryder Azadi and Sabine Wren. "I think I know how to find Ezra."

Ahsoka's current vessel was clearly also once Sabine's home where she also had a bunk. It's awkward between them, Sabine seeming to feel abandoned.

Also Huyand is such an expert on lightsabers he can identify a Jedi or former one by their weapon. So, Ahsoka's team identifies Baylan Skoll. (Shin, given her age, may have been more like Baylan's foundling apprentice after the fall of the temple?)

Despite advice to the contrary, Sabine takes the map back to her tower alone. (I have a bad feeling about this.)

Ahsoka totally knows Sabine took it. She discusses this with Hera via holo. (It's cool hey still seem to be friends who can confide in each other.) Maybe she does have issues of her own to work through about commitment. (It's scary. commitment to another or an organization does mean there's potential for loss or betrayal.)

(Having rewatched Rebels fairly recently, it makes sense Sabine figures out this map. Matching the lines into different configurations was also how she opened the portal at the Jedi Temple on Lothal.

Surprise droid attack!

When the droid gets the map, Sabine first calls Huyang for help. Then she goes under the table, where there's clearly an option to grab her Mandalorian armor. But what she grabs is a lightsaber. (This is reverse of the choice we saw Grogu make. Though his choice was presented as more long term, he chose the Mandalorian armor and Din Djarin over Luke and Yoda's lightsaber. In this moment of need, Sabine grabs a lightsaber and calls Huyang for help. Interesting. Later Sabine will confirm this particular lightsaber belonged to Ezra, so there's possibly attachment there as there was with Grogu.)

But Shin is waiting. Unclear if Sabine could have seen or sensed her.

They fight. Sabine does hold her own for a while, but is run through by Shin's sabre just as Ahsoka and Huyang arrive. Sabine collapses, vaguely seeing Ahsoka running towards her as Shin is escaping.

(Side note: it looks like Kevin Kiner composed the score for Ahsoka. He also worked on both The Clone Wars and Rebels, so that makes sense.)

Episode 2. Sabine is recovering from the injury in the hospital and relates concerns to Ahsoka. "No, you've done enough" is vague in tone. Is Ahsoka appreciative or disapponted?

Meanwhile, Shin and Baylan, having the map, confirm a reflex point is on Seatos.

(I guess the loth-cat was an outdoor cat and they don't need to feed it??)

Ahsoka visits the tower and finds a droid was in waiting. Her "I was hoping you were still here" sheds light on her earlier statement to Sabine. She may actually have been grateful Sabine relayed there had been multiple droids and only one had been taken out.

They use the droid to track where the droid has been. It came from Corellia. Morgan Elsbeth, among others, had shipyards there.

While Ahsoka and Huyang prepare for a trip to Corellia, Sabine has a moment to talk alone with Hera via holo. Hera's very like Mom-ish older sister to her, an encouraging and praising toward Sabine. It's a contrast with Ahsoka, who at the surface seems a little more reserved with Sabine. But Ahsoka is trying to fill the role of wise master and mentor, and it seems like that's not easy for her.

Morgan reaches Seatos to plan with her team. She says Thrawn calls to her? Baylan mentions Marrok being involved and tells Shin to go to Corellia to assist him.

Ahsoka's ship continues to Corellia, as does Hera (it looks like her phantom dropship?) (This is where Solo and Qi'ra were from.) There's a bit of bureaucracy at the shipyards. And the facilities employ somenumber of ex-Imperials. (The Amnesty Program is not specifically mentioned but we've seen similar situations.)

Ahsoka's conversation with Hera sheds some more light on Ahsoka's current opinion of Sabine. It seems mixed, really. Hera openly suggests Ahsoka re-accept Sabne as her apprentice. Ahsoka voices doubts that Sabine is ready.

Back at the hospital, Sabine confirms that her lightsaber is actually modified from Ezra's lightsaber. Huyang also confirms that Sabine's force sensitivity doesn't test very high. Back in the day the Jedi would not have accepted her. (But Ahsoka is no Jedi.)

On Corellia, some information about how Morgan Elsbeth's products included hyperdrive technology. Also, this facility does sometimes employ HK type droids, such as those that attacked Ahsoka and Sabine. "For the Empire!" Some of their human employees are pretty Impy and attack.

A shipment is just departing! Ahsoka pursues on foot, encountering Marrok. Hera, with Chopper in the Phantom pursue the hyperdrive shipment.

(Marrok was an Inquisitor, but with Lord Vader dead some 5-ish years, I guess they surviving ones are mercenaries or work for whatever witches and dark Jedi they can find??)

Marrok receives a signal and disengages, meaning he was only stalling Ahsoka, as Shin appears in a shuttle to collect him. But Chopper manages to put a tracking beacon on the hyperdrive shipment.

Back on Lothal (is this an indoor cat or not?) Sabine goes to he tower and retrieves her armor from under the table. She dons the armor, and then kneels to ceremoniously cut her hair. (This is clearly parallel to Kanan's shaving and haircutting scene when he was preparing to find where he was needed most. It's more obvious having rewatched Rebels not long before this. It's also maybe a trope, because Mulan also has a scene like this.)

Sabine calls Ahsoka, who is on Corellia. "I'm ready."

Before leaving Lothal, Sabine does go to the monument alone.

And Ahsoka comes to meet her there. (Aw, y'all gonna make me cry.)

Huyang is also ready, reporting the Chopper and Hera traced the shipment to Seatos in the Denab system.

They depart, Ahsoka addressing Sabine as Padawan.

As the shipment arrives above Seatos where there's a ginormous jump ring under construction. Inside the structure, Morgan calls it the Eye of Sion, as she communicates with Baylan, Shin, and Marrok via some creepy particulate holo.

Baylan's a bit enigmatic giving his impression of Ahsoka, saying her presence in the Force is elusive. (Whatever that means, but she is a person who died, was resurrected by a Mortis god, and then got timeline displaced via the World between Worlds.) Also, he finds her determined. (That tracks.) It would be a shame to kill her, he says. Morgan isn't as convinced, but objectively, there are so few Jedi left. (But arguable either Baylan or Ahsoka are technically Jedi. That Luke Skywalker fellow is going to start an academy, some hear. But otherwise, there are few. Ezra, who disappeared along with Thrawn, may be among the few.)

(The episode title was Toil and Trouble, which has definite witchy connotations, being famously used in the song of the witches in that Scottish play by Shakespeare. And in the episode both teams are making preparations and causing trouble for each other.)

Episode 3. Time to fly (is the name of the episode in which we start with space travel and move on to dogfighting and Hera getting pushed toward taking matters into her own hands.) On the way to Seatos, Huyang and Sabine practice lightsaber forms with practice bokken. Ahsoka arrives and suggests Sabine fight while masked so she cannot see. (This was something Kanan earned out of necessity. But the scene is also vaguely reminiscent of Luke's training with Obi-Wan aboard the Falcon.) Sabine, Ahsoka acknowldges has martial skill and strength from her upbringing, but she does't have trained senses or spiritual techniques. (Ahsoka phrases it like Sabine needs to train her mind, but Sabine is very learned in art and technology both. I think she means the more spiritual aspects.

Meanwhile, on a New Republic vessel, Hera is to holo-conference with Chanchellor Mon Mothma (she's Chancellor by this point.) But Senator Xiono and some others are skeptical and strict whenever Hera mentions Thrawn or there being any coordination between Imperial Remnants. (We know there's a Shadow Council coordinating and sharing resources. But we also know that agents like Elia Kane are in place to influence Republic opinion so they do not focus on fightng Imperial Remnants.) Several Senators seem content with all the ex-Imperials working in every sector of the New Republic.

Outside the conference room, Hera is approached by her son Jacen, and Hopper. Jacen, about 10-ish (?) has heard Aunt Sabine is training to be a Jedi again and professes his own wish to be a Jedi. Hera acknowledges him. (Hey, I heard there's this Skywalker fellow...)

Back on the ship to Seatos, Sabine and Ahsoka discuss the Force. It's in all lving things, but not everyone feels it or wields it. And though Ahsoka admits some level of talent is certainly a factor, she really thinks that training and focus can lead to success. Huyang, having trained Jedi for thousands of years, disagrees. But, Ahsoka has a point when she says the previous system failed. It failed her when the Jedi Council was so quickly willing to betray them when she hadn't, but also in he sense that Palpatine and Anakin were able to get into a position to destroy most of the Jedi.

Hera attempts to contact Ahsoka, but transmissions are jammed as they near the Deneb system. Fighters, including ones piloted by Shin and Marrok attack as they drop out of hyperspace. Banter and dogfighting. (This is a very Star Wars type of scene. Like, you need to have the space dogfights on your souped up ships and do your banter and chatter through the ship and over comlink.)

Ahsoka and Huyang sight the Eye of Sion ring and correctly dedice its function, but they don't know that and try to get in close for a scan. But that leads to their ship getting hit and Huyang knocked offline.

Ahsoka goes outside of her ship in a spacesuit, leaving Sabine to make repairs. Ahsoka uses her lighsabers to deflect laserbolts from the attaching fighters!

Somewhat functional the ship is piloted by Sabine into the atmosphere, where they encounter Purrgil! Flying close to the large beings lets them evade Shin and Marrok's detection, for a while, and they land to complete repairs.

Sabine reminds us that she saw Purrgils the day Ezra disappeared.

Coming back online, Huyang delivers exposition about inter-galactic travel theories and space whales called Purrgil.

But their enemies still search.

Episode 4. As repairs are underway, Ahsoka broaches the possibility that if they cannot regain the map and use it themselves, that destroying the map and ring might be the right thing to do, even if it means abandoning Ezra, if it also means Thrawn is prevented from returning. Sabine is not happy.

Morgan Elsbeth's team is at the stone henge of the reflex point with the map, their forces setting out to search the forest.

As Ahsoka and Sabine discuss their option, Huyang is attacked by one of the HK droinds.

Sabine and Ahsoka hear him and exit the ship where other henchies attack. They fight those off, then decide to head toward their enemies. Huyang asks hem to stay together, while he stays at the ship.

Meanwhile, Hera not having heard from them, is heading out, though a lieutenant Hawkins reminds her she does not have authorization. She takes Chopper and Jacen with her on the ghost.

Hera is joined by Captain Carson Teva, who informs us Hera's callsign is Phoenix Leader. (We know Carson believes something is up with the Imperial Remnants.)

Back on Seatos, Elsbeth uses the map at the reflex point henge to display some navigational data.

Ahsoka and Sabine, heading toward Elsbeth, are intercepted by Shin and Marrok. At first Ahsoka engages Marrok. She's dueled Inquisitors before and held her own against the likes of Vader and Maul. But Sabine, confronting Shin is coming just off of her injury and recovery. (She is wearing her armor this time, but it doesn't cover the previous injury site on her abdomen.)

Marrok ties to his hypno-rave-saber thingie, but Ahsoka slices right throughhim with a carefully timed strike and he bursts open and scatters into a cloud of particles (whatever that's all about.)

Sabine encourages Ahsoka to go after the map, as she still fights Shin. But...that would split them up, which Huyang asked them not to do. Shin seems to ponder the situation a moment before warning Sabine she will regret this choice.

Ahsoka leaves as Elsbeth is still working at the reflex point with the map. There's some kind of upload to the Eye of Sion, so they don't have the data for the inter-galactic jump, yet.

Morgan Elsbeth then goes up to the ring, leaving Baylan Skoll to guard the map. (Convenient?)

Ahsoka arrives from the forest just in time to see Morgan taking off. She quietly approaches Baylan, who seems to be sitting waiting for her. "Anakin spoke highly of you." (so, if Anakin had lived, he would have been around 50 years old. Hmmn. He and Grogu were the same age? Also, Ahsoka and Hera are a few years younger, but Bo-Katan may be nearly Anakin's age as well. How old is Baylan? We don't know, exactly. Maybe in middle age?)

(Baylan's costume is roughly alike to attire Anakin wore during the Clone Wars, the black knee-length robes fitted about the torso, with pauldron armor and pants and tall boots beneath.)

He attempts to taunt Ahsoka, reminding her that few lived to see what Anakin would become and she abandoned him. (At this point, Ahsoka has also confronted Darth Vader.) Ahsoka will not discuss her past.

Baylan implies he's less interested in war, but in a certain future.

Ahsoka is determined and focused to retrieving the map, it seems. So they duel.

Ahsoka eventually grabs the map, but it burns her hand, causing her to drop it, though it does stop the upload.

Meanwhile, Shin disarms Sabine of her lightsaber, and Sabine relies on her Mandalorian weaponry (darts??). Shin also relies on practical tools and deploys a smoke bomb to hide her retreat back to Baylan.

Baylan meanwhile becomes more forecful in his attack. And when Shin returns, Ahsoka fears for the moment Sabine is lost Force-throws Shin against the stones of the henge, and Baylan is even more forceful in his strikes, pushing Ahsoka to the edge of the cliff.

Sabine arrives, picking up the map, and Ahsoka seems surprised or mabe relieved to see her. Ahsoka calls out to destroy the map, but Sabine cannot.

Baylan drives Ahsoka into the sea like a bull driving a unicorn. (The title of this episode is Fallen Jedi and can refer to both of these characters in some sense, either through falling away from the Order or falling in battle, or off a cliff.)

Sabine tries to attack Baylan with her blasters, but he has a lightsaber.

And he knows any threat she makes to destroy the map is a bluff. They all understand she wants to find Ezra. (either he has intel about her, or Baylan can read something in Sabine's mind or feelings.)

And whatever his purposes, which he claims is for the greater good, Baylan offers for Sabine to willingly make the journey with him.

Shin, whether understanding the situation or not, starts to Force-choke Sabine when she turns over the map. But at some commands from Baylan she releases the hold.

Baylan reactivates the map in the henge and navigational display and upload resume. They have the route!

Meanwhile, Hera is calling "Fulcrum" and Huyang answers, explaining about the hyperspace ring.

At the henge, Baylan destroys the map, so others cannot follow.

The Ghost and about five X-Wings approach the hyperspace ring, as Baylan, Shin, and Sabine have all ha time to shuttle up from the surface.

The hyperdrive is engaged.

The massive hyperspace jump produces a reaction that damages the Republic vessels.

Jacen's got a bad feeling.

Meanwhile, Huyang cannot get anyone on comlink.

Ahsoka wakes up in the World between Worlds.

Anakin is there.

(Hayden Christensen is nearly as old as Anakin would be if he had lived, but a bit older than the character would have been at time of death. Rosario Dawson is roughly the age Ahsoka would be in this series. But, Dawson is a couple years older than Christensen.)

Episode 5. Hera lands the Ghost on Seatos as Captain Teva's X-Wings fly a search pattern. When the henge appears abandoned, Jacen is permitted to come out from the ship with Chopper. Hera then discovers Huyang behind part of the henge at the edge of he cliff, holding Sabine's helmet. the ancient droid seems sad that Ahsoka and Sabine didn't stay together.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka is in the World Between Worlds with Anakin. He's maybe more enigmatic than in life, but he says has a chance to live, if she finishes her training with him. They duel; his lightsaber is a blue-white and Ahsoka's more a yellow-white.

Back at the henge, Jacen listens to the waves crashing on the cliffs, as Huyang and Hera discuss the possibility that either Ahsoka, Sabine, or both could have been on that intergalactic ship. But if not, it doesn't look good. Carson, with them, reminds them they are short on time. Senator Organa is buting time for them, but it may not be for long.

Jacen hears something in the waves: lightsabers.

This prompts Hera to command they search over the ocean. Carson is confused, but Huyang relays that Jacen has abilities and that Kanan Jarrus, his father, was a Jedi.

Meanwhile Aksoka is guided into a flashback in which she (played by Ariana Greenblatt) was fighting in the Clone Wars—but it's not a flashback, really. Young Ahsoka, in dark red costume and green lightsabr, is conscious of being displaced in this flashback to their early missions together. There, young Ahsoka comforts an injured Clone Trooper. (I think the episode title Shadow Warrior refers to mostly to these mind battles Ahsoka is having, but minorly to the external conflict Hera and Carson both have against the Shadow Council of Imperial Remnants who are expected to unite more strongly should Thrawn return.)

Ahsoka is struggling with loss and that their mistakes can cost real lives. Because she was trained during the war, she learned to be a soldier. She wonders if there's something more she may pass on to her own Padawan or if she can only teach war.

As the battle continues, Ahsoka has a vision of Anakin's saber shifting between blue and red.

Jacen watches the X-Wings search.

Inside the ghost Huyang discusses with Hera the nature of her mission here and that it's not officially authorized. As they worry over Ahsoka, Huyang compares her to her Jedi Master. Hera asks what he was like, either not knowing who he was, or not knowing what he became. Either way, "Intense."

Over comlink Jacen relays that Chopper, with him on the cliff, may have detected something.

Back in the flashbacks, Ahsoka is apparently on Mandalore fighting Mandalorians loyal to Maul with her pair of white lightsabers. Rex briefly appears, seemingly encouraging her to continue fighting.

Anakin appears, noting that he didn't recognize the Seige of Mandalore, becaue he hadn't really been there. Ahsoka wonders again if she's no more than a warrior. But Anakin says he must be more, because he is more.

But Ahsoka sees only that he is more powerful and dangerous. Anakin is not satisfied Ahsoka has learned her lesson and attacks with a red lightsaber.

Their fight continues into the World Between Worlds and Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson again) has a vision of Anakin's figure shifting to Vader and back, his eyes turning red. They continue to duel. During the battle, Ahsoka isdisarmed but grasps Anakin's own red lightsaber; it's so close to his neck. Whether it's just the lighting or not, her eyes also seem to shift color.

And then she tosses the saber away. "I choose to live."

Anakin looks at her with his own eyes, and smiles. "There's hope for you, yet."

A rumbling sound.

Ahsoka is alone.

The world becomes water. (This is all very symbolic transitional and liminal stuff, whether death, or rebirth, or something else. The water provides passage, literally or figuratively. I feel like Obi-Wan had this several times, as well.)

Ahsoka slips beneath. There's rumbling and light above, and someone in an orange flightsuit. Ahsoka is pulled up onto the ramp of the Ghost.

Jacen informs Chopper the got her.

Ahsoka recovers on her ship. Huyang says she's been out for a day and accredis Jacen for helping locate her. Ahsoka seems surprised Jacen is there. Huyang tells her of the whole unauthorized mission, and that they still do not know where Sabine is. Though they have found the damaged map.

Outside, at the henge, Jacen runs to greet Ahsoka and she thanks him. He heard her fighting, he says, and asks who she was fighting.

At that, Hera suggests Huyang take Jacen into his Jedi Starship.

As Hera needs to ask Ashoka a serious question: "Where's Sabine?"

The map may be a clue. Ahsoka holds it as she walks into the henge, trying to sense impressions on the place. (Like Force psychometry. We've seen characters do his before.)

Ahsoka understands then that Sabine went willingly, but what she says to Hera is that they took her with them. Hera is keen to follow but Ahsoka tells her it's complicated.

Carson approaches with news their Fleet is on the way, but he's not sure their purpose is to help.

Hera says she will handle the fleet if Ahsoka works on finding Sabine.

Ahsoka looks doubtful, until she notices there are still purrgil in the area.

Hera and Carson, meanwhile, receive a holo from Chanchellor Mon Mothma. Without hard evidence Thrawn is returning, it's possible the Senate will suspend Hera's command permanently.

Their ships all take off into the atmosphere to locate purrgil.

Ahsoka walks out onto the wing of her ship to communicate with a purrgil.

The fleet arrives over Seatos. Carson tries to stall them.

Hera has still not reported to the fleet, as she and Jacen are on the Ghost watching Ahsoka talk to a purrgil. Jacen comments how he's heard that the Purrgil took Ezra and the bad guys far, far away.

"He saved us," Hera says.

Ahsoka reaches out to a large purrgil and it opns its mouth wide. She tells Huyang to fly into the mouth.

Ahsoka confesses she doesn't actually know this purrgil will take them to where Sabine went, but she's excited just to see where it goes.

As the Ghost moves away along the exterior of the purrgil, we cut to Captain Teva tring to explain the whole crazy plan about riding the purrgil.

As he's finishing, Hera reports in to warn Captain Girard to move the fleet from the purrgils' path.

The purrgil fly Magestically out of the atmosphere of Seatos and into spac, coming in close to the large capital ships in the fleet, some of the space whales just as enormous.

As their tentacle-like tails start to glow Hera calls to Ahsoka to inform her they are about to jump. Ahsoka promises she will find Sabine and Ezra.

"May the Force be with you," Hera says.

They jump.

Episode 6. Ahsoka and Huyang share a quite moment within their ship within the mouth of a star whale / purrgil. They reference a History of the Galaxy with at least three parts, and how Huyang used to tell younglings stories. But he's hoping to hear something from Ahsoka. And that's the confession that she knows Sabine went willingly. But then, when Huyang does relate one of his stories, it starts: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." (The title of this episode is Far, Far Away.)

Meanwhile Sabine is in some kind of cell or brig aboard the Eye of Sion vessel. When Baylan Skoll comes to check on her, she attempts some banter, so she doesn'y look demoralized. He suggests reflection, but that's not her style. Sabine emphasizes her understanding of their deal that she can see Ezra.

Baylan then goes to the bridge where Morgan Elsbeth and Shin Hati are just standing attentively during travel. Shin senses his approach. Morgan questions whether Baylan sincerely made a deal with Sabine. He claims to find her focus on Ezra useful, that Sabine may be of some use to them, yet.

At that point, they exit hyperspace at their destination, a ringed planet Morgan identifies as Peridea. She says this is the ancient home of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, her ancestors. Baylan adds that the Jedi Archives also had records of this place, including it was the known end of a migration used by the star whales / purrgil. Morgan says her people rode the creatures in some vastly ancient time. Baylan adds also that the purrgil come here to die, that it is a graveyard. As the Eye moves towards the Peidea, is rings are shown to be composed of bones and dust.

(This seems to be a matter of ancient 'lost' knowledge being rediscovered through map and henges left behind within their own home galaxy. Morgan's "before days were counted" could figuratively mean just long, long ago, or maybe this happened before their calendar systems. With Baylan's statement about the graveyard, this takes on even more of a visit to the underworld symbolism as Mythic Hero's Journeys go. Ahsoka is already playing "In the belly of the beast" fairly literally. Add to this "Peridea" sounds not unlike "perdition" which can mean utter destruction, or else the place of such punishment, like Hell.)

Sabine is collected by Shin and guards and she joins the party of Morgan, Baylan, and Shin to take a drop ship down to Peridea where they detect a beacon signal.

The dropship descends through atmosphere over a barren surface dotted with spire-like of the Mothers (leaders among the Nightsisters?) and lands atop the flat mesa-like top of a fortress rising from the surface. Debarking, they find another henge is here and three figures robed in red stand within.

Morgan leads the ground to greet them, addressing one or all as Great Mother as they call her Child of Dathomir. It is they who have been guiding Morgan Elsbeth through visions. (Apparently these characters are named Klothow, Aktropaw, and Lakesis, in obvious reference to the Fates/Moirai of Greek Mythology usually transliterated as Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis.)

Morgan asks after Thrawn, and is told he is coming (not physically at this fortress at the moment.)

Sabine is sensed to be Jedi and is captured by their pokeballs. (I don't know the term for these devices, but it's like some three-part energy retraint.) She's then taken to another cell.

Meanwhile, Baylan and Shin investigate the henge alone. (Based on later dialogue, Morgan Elsbeth had gone to visit the catacombs with the Mothers.) He sees this planet as children's stories come to life, that at the Jedi temple there did exist stories of another galaxy, but they were treated as fanciful or folktales. (Baylan does say "when I was a bit older than you are now" to Shin when referencing the fall of the Jedi Temple, but we don't know her exact age, either. But we can estimate he means young adult, roughly as old as Anakin or Grogu or Bo-Katan. He's at least 50, I guess.)

He continues discussing history, admitting to a cyclical view of history, that a confusing destruction in his youth became revealed as one part of an inevitable and never-ending cycle declines and rises. But when Shin asks if this all means it's their turn to have power through their current alliance with Mothers and Thrawn, Baylan shakes his head. He doesn't mean worldly political or military power, it seems. Bu twhat he really wants is to break the cycle (we're getting a little Wheel of Time here.) He suspects Peridea somehow is the point of beginning?

Sabine, in her cell, seems to actually attempt reflection, than attempts to use the Force to open the door. But when the whole of the room rumbles, she kows that is not her.

Thrawn's ship, the Chimera, arrives, a massive Star Destroyer now roughly patched and painted with some sort of sigils. It alings its lower hangar bay precisely with the henged top of the fortress so that one can walk from one to the other.

Thrawn's troop assemble as if for formal inspection: the Night Troopers, with their Stormtrooper armor cracked and repaired kintsugi style and wrapped with red bindings, and their commander, Enoch, with bronzey faceplate like an actor in an ancient Greek play.

Thrawn strolls in, with his usual apparently calm manner. He acknowledges Morgan and they discuss the timeframe for moving unspecified cargo from the catacombs: three days. (Three days and a typical resting place of the dead no biblical or solar symbolism there!)

The mothers announced Sabine is a prisoner and that it was Baylan's idea. Thrawn is unbothered. He even has Sabine collected and provides her with a mount, provisions and some location data so she can seek Ezra.

Sabine is a bit defiant and flippant with Thrawn and Mothers, but accepts the offer. (The howler mount is kinda like a rat-faced wolf??)

(The music for riding is simila, but I don't think identical, to that of Rebels as theloth-wolves rabbitholed through Lothal.)

Sabine then travels a bandit-roamed wasteland and has some conflict with said Peridean bandits. (Probably these people have a whole culture we don't know about in the way that someone else's raiders or bandits are another's indigenous culture. But we don't know heir origin, just that the attack Sabine on her howler.)

Back at the fortress Thrawn reveals that although he allowed Sabine to go, he's happy for mercenaries Baylan and Shin to go out and kill both Sabine and Ezra. He also, later admits to Morgan that's he's as comfortable with Baylan and Shin dying. So long as he and the cargo escape this galaxy, he's accomplished his goal.

Back in the wilderness, Sabine rejoins her howler and search. Through the howler's sense of smell they find a being hidden by its turtle or snail-like shell. (apparently they taught Sabine howler commends?)

The being notices the Rebel Alliance symbol on Sabine's right pauldron and reveals it has a pendant with the same symbol. Other similar beings rise fom concealment and discuss with each other.

They seem to recognize and repeat "Ezra Bridger".

(Are these Noti peeps puppets?)

Sabine follows the shelled beings.

Meanwhile, Baylan and Shin investigate the site where Sabine fought with bandits and determine she survived. They discuss the identity of Ezra Bridger and Baylan refers to him as a "Bokken" Jedi, apparently referring to those trained "in the wild" by Jedi survivors, after Order 66 and the fall of the Jedi Temple. Baylan excludes Shin from this description, when she asks, as he trained her to be "more".

When asked if he misses the Order, Baylan says he only misses the idea of it, that the reality was weak and had no future. (Kindalike the US having ideas of equality and such without in reality living up to that.)

Shin doubts where they are now is better, if the Great Mothers are so set on fleeing this place. But Baylan suggests perhaps they flee from a power beyond their own. Baylan feels called, as if something stirs.

Shin sees only the bandits approaching.

Sabine meanwhile arrives at a camp of these shelled beings who live in large shell-like pods like RVs.

Ezra is revealed behind her. "I knew I could count on you." (I think he stole some of his garments from the bandits?)

They banter a bit about how long its been and then embrace. Sabine is reluctant to say how she got there or if they can go home. But it's time to move the camp, anyway, Ezra says.

Back at the fortress the Mothers have sensed a Jedi rides a "traveler" meaning the star whales / purrgil. Thrawn wonders if Morgan might have been mistaken about Ahsoka dying, since that report came from Baylan, a former Jedi. He requests a full dossier on Ahsoka Tano and then commands any approaching star whales to be attacked.

Episode 7. On Coruscant, A Senate hearing is held to determine if General Her Syndulla acted appropriately. Senator Xiono is again combative. He seems to disbelieve star whales or even that Imperial Remnants are a thing. He thinks Hera is on a strictly prsonal quest to locate Ezra Bridger.

But then C-3PO shows up with a message from Senator Leia Organa. (She does not appear, it doesn't seem a 30-ish year old has been cast or that the part justified a virtual actor. But Ben Solo would be about 4-5 years old at this time, I believe, so she's busy being a mom and Senator.)

Threepio claim Senator Organa approved Leia's mission and since Leia is, apparently head of the Defense Council, that's the end of the inquiry.

Chancellor Mon Mothma has a quiet word aside with Hera, admittinng she knows this is Leia covering for Hera. Hera confirms for her that Thrawn's return is still very much possible.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka and Huyang are still in approach to Peridea with the big Purrgil. To pass time, Ahsoka uses the training room to view a holo of Anakin giving lightsaber instruction and advice. In the recording he forsees a time when he will not be available and Ahsoka will need to be prepared to survive on hr own.

Huyang alerts her the purrgil are decreasing speed. Ahsoka trolls Huyang a bit when he tries to point out the odds the've arrived at the destination as Sabine.

The star whales come under attack. Ahsoka's starship exits the mouth of the purrgil to see they are in a minefield. The purrgil hyperspace jump to save themselves, leaving Ahsoka and Huyang to navigate mines, debris, and incoming fighters.

At the fortess, Enoch reports to Thrawn via holo to say a T-6 class Jedi Shuttle. At this same time, Mogan Elsbeth delivers data to Thrawn. she mentions this is from the Inquisitorial Database. (She had access to this? Or can all Imperials check it like a wiki of Force Sensative subjects?) He observes from the data pad the Ahsoka's Master was General Anakin Skywalker. (Thrawn wasn't around to have heard of Luke Skwalker destroying a Death Star, so it is Anakin Skywalker's name he recognizes. Whether he knows of the Vader connection or not is uncertain, but he describes Anakin as "unpredictable" and "dangerous".

Thrawn has them withdraw fighters. He seems to think Ahsoka will be more predictable if allowed to choose her path. He probably does suspect she will attempt to find Sabine and Ezra, and Thrawn's already indicated he'll happily just leave all the Jedi and former Jedi out in the wasteland whe he departs Peridea.

Ahsoka parks the shuttle on the large bones of a star whale in the debris ring to hide for a time.

Sabine meanwhile is traveling with Ezra and the Noti beings. Apparently, she's both informed Ezra of recent events and gotten some rest in the pod between scenes. She's covered Battle of Endor, the Emperor, allegedly, dying, there being a New Republic, Hera being in command of a fleet, and Zeb training recruits somewhere. (Unclear if she mentioned Jacen, the son of Ezra's Jedi Master, as well as Hera.)

Sabine then confesses she's Asoka's apprentice, and Ezra does have a moment of surprise before concluding that it makes sense. But Sabine still doesn't want to talk about Ahsoka. It seems she suspects Ahsoka is dead.

The Great Mothers use their abilities to locate Ahsoka's hiding place in the debris. )They use their pokeballs for this so they are multifunctional.)

In the field, Huyang cannot detect Sabine with scans, so Ahsoka tries reachin out through the Force.

Sabine feels something familiar. She spaces out and misses part of Ezra's story about meeting the Noti and how they gave him this pod to use and staying together is a defense against bandits in the hills.

Having sensed Sabine's location, Ahsoka flies out from the debris rings.

Thrawn comments that even if Ahsoka can sense Sabine, he wisely made sure Sabine was away from their fortress.

Out in the wasteland, Baylan and Shin are traveling with the bandits and come across the caravan of Noti.

Baylan suggests Shin defeat Sabine and Ezra with the bandits to seal her place in the coming Empire. But he has other goals. Shin then calls back to the fortress to report Ezra's location. "Impatience for victory will guarantee defeat," Baylan gives a final lesson.

Thrawn, not informed of Baylan's separation, commits two gunships with Night Troopers to attack Ezra.

A chase ensues and Sabine defends the caravan with her blasters. One og the Noti has a slingshot. (Ezra had one of these once.)

When one of the pods is disabled, Ezra has the others circle around it for defense.

At that point, Ahsoka's shuttle comes upon the scene of fighting below.

Ezra and Sabine go out to fight, telling the Noti (and Sabine's howler in one pod) to hide inside.

Ahsoka drops from the shuttle, but upon landing finds Baylan. Waiting or actually surprised, I don't know.

Sabine tries to offer Ezra her lightsaber modified from his, but he refuses it, all "the Force is my ally."

An interspersed montage of battles as Ahsoka duels Baylan as Sabine and Ezra defend the caravan from Shin and the bandits. It seems Ezra mastered halting a lightsaber blade with the Force.

Both are somewhat interrupted by ships incoming. The gunships approach the cravan of pods as Huyang bring's the Jedi shuttle, tailed by enemy fighters, back around and fires on Baylan's position. It is time enough for Ahsoka to escape.

Watching a holographic drone data feed Thrawn notices his side is missing one mercenary. Baylan has wandered off.

As the Night Troopers surround Sabine and Ezra, Ahsoka arrives to join their fight. Huyang is still evading fighters.

Seeing the Jedi seem to prevail, Thrawn orders the gunships recalled. His cargo transfr is almost complete.

Shin has a moment of choice to surrender to Ahsoka, or run to catch the departing gunships, but she instead gets n a howler and rides out.

Battle ended, Sabine, Ezra, and Ahsoka all have a chance to reuinte. Ahsoka embraces Ezra as well. Huyang arrives safely with the shuttle. And then the Noti come out from hiding.

(The episode title was Dreams and Madness and is a line Baylan said in an earlier episode about this folklorish realm of the Far Galaxy, but The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness also happens to be a title of a documentary about Studio Ghibli and has a number of quotes from Hayao Miyazaki in it. Also, Baylan gives cycle-breaking Wheel of Time vibes and dream and madness are big parts of that series. )

Episode 8. (Episode title is The Jedi, the Witch and the Warlord, an allusion to C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a foumous piece of allegorical portal fiction about travel to another world.) At the fortress on Peridea, the last cargo is being loaded onto the Chimera and it is nearly ready to depart. They do need to bring the Eye of Sion down to interlock it with the Chimera for the intergalactic jump.

Enoch reports they may have a comm-based scan of the Jedi Shuttle location. Thrawn has him send two TIE fighters to engage. He warns Morgan Elsbeth not to underestimate their enemies, He did so, once.

At the nearby henge atop the fortress The Great Mothers invite Morgan to recieve the Gift of Shadows and pledge herself to the Sisterhood. Morgan Elsbeth so vows and pledges loyalty and her life. (Some glowing green majik happens. We've seen an effect like this for Nightsisters before). Morgan's eyes go black, the dark remnnts of the Mother's touchon her face. The Great Mothers conjure the Blade of Talzin and instruct Morgan to take it, addressing her as Sister. She takes it and the blade ignights into green flame.

The Jedi shuttle flies slowly along with a caravan. Inside, using Huyang's resources, Ezra builds a lighsaber. Huyang criticizes his methods. Sabine says that Kanan Jarrus instructed Ezra. Ezra confirms this was his Master. Huyang knew him as as the youngling Caleb, and instructed him in constructing his first lightsaber. Clever, curious, and shy is how Huyang describes him. One of the parts Huyang offers is identical to one Caleb used.

The new lightsaber lights up blue-white. Ezra turns to speak to Sabine but she's gone. Ezra asks Huyang is something happened between Sabine and Ahsoka. At that, Huyang relates the history of the Purge of Mandalore, which happened while Ezra was in the far galaxy, and how Sabine lost all her blood relatives to The Empire. And, Ahsoka's fear further training could make Sabine dangerous caused her to separate from her.

Outside, Sabine talks to Ahsoka out on the exterior of the shuttle. Ahsoka admits she knows Sabine willingly went with Baylan, calling it a "gamble". Sabine admitts she did it to see Ezra, but also appologizes, "I'm sorry." Ahsoka says, "I know," in typical Star Wars fashion. She does understand, she explains because she made difficult choices in the past. (perhaps thinking of when she left the Jedi.) She says her Master understood. Sabine knows this is Anakin. Ahsoka then makes a promise that whatever comes she will be there for Sabine.

Just as Ezra comes outside, TIE fighters approach. Their attack damages the shuttle, endangering pods below, Ahsoka and Ezra rush down to hold the ship up long enough to get the Noti out, as Sabine races into the cockpit to help Huyang.

Sabine rgs the shuttle, and with a Force push from below, it gains brief enough propulsion to fly into the TIE fighters, disabling all three ships.

Thrawn, having report of the atack orders preparation for ground assault.

Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra take a pair of howlers to the fortress, leaving Huyang with the Noti attempting to repair the shuttle.

As they are preparing to leave, Thrawn clarifies that the Night Troopers in the ground defense may get lef tbehind, but this all for The Empire and security of the Galaxy.

Seeing the Chimera and Eye almost fully integrated, Ezra explains that he knows Thrawn discovered this fortress and woke up the Sisters/Mothers and they rebuilt the Star Destroyer. It was not safe for him to face them alone.

Thrawn anticipates there will be no negotiating with an apprentice of Skywalker. Better to bring the rain.

And Ahsoka is charging in to the front door.

Ahsoka calls for Ezra, and Sabine as well to use the Force with her to open the gate. (Ezra's done stuff like this with Kanan or Maul.)

Thrawn briefly loses his usual calm demeanor at the information the the Jedi got through the gate.

Ahsoka leads Sabine and Ezra in battle, calling out commands and strategy. This was what he used to do. Anakin trained her to be a soldier. She was a Jedi and Commander of the Republic.

But, the Jedi now here realize they are not fighting a droid army. The Great Mothers use their powers to raise fallen Night Troopers.

Now the Jedi have to fight zombies!

(I like how in Star War if you just destroy the control pad near a door it either moves or doesn't move as needed.)

The Chimera finishes locking into the Eye of Sion.

Thrawn explains to Morgan Elsbeth that he needs her to stall the Jedi, "for the Empire", meaning she's also possibly to die or get left behind.

"For Dathomir," she whispers.

The Three Jedi continue climbing and reach the henge, still at the level of the Chimera's hangar. Morgan Elsbeth, Nightsister is there to stop them.

Ahsoka tells the other two to stop Thrawn, taking on Morgan herself.

But a pair of Not-Crosshai sharpshooters delay them. They are also gross zombies inside, not caring if they get stabbed by lightsabers or shot in the face.

Sabine is pinned by one until she tries and tries and tries and then Force-pulls her lightsaber!

But the Chimera is slowly pulling away from the fortress!

Maybe Sabine and Ezra can make it if they both jump and push/pull each other. (Ezra definitely did a thing like this with Maul once.)

Ezra jumps and then Sabine Force-pushes him. And then also provides cover fire with blasters for him to Board the Chimera.

But when it's her turn to cross, Sabine sees Ahsoka fighting alone against Morgan, and then incoming Night Troopers.

And from Ahsoka's POV, it does look like she's alone as the Chimera pulls farther away.

"Not alone," Sabine says. She didn't go with Ezra.

Sabine fends off Troopers, allowing Ahsoka to stand against Morgan. And she slashes the witch across the midriff.

The Great Mothers sense her death.

Thrawn has the Chimera target the fortress.

Ahsoka and Sabine run...

Just in time for Huyang to pick them up with the shuttle.

Huyang's "now" is a bit channeling Zero as he diverts power to engines.

The shuttle climbs to pursue the Chimera.

Over comms, Thrawn taunts Ahsoka, saying how alike her Master and wondering how similar still she might become.

"Long Live the Empire." The Chimera jumps away.

Its hyper wake effect disrupts the shuttle as it previously did the Ghost and X-Wings.

Ahsoka, Sabine and Huyang are not immdiately getting home.

They later return to the Noti caravan.

An owl appears. (Or a "convor" in Star Wars. This one often appears as a sign that some form of The Daughter is still tied to Ahsoka. But it also is reminiscent of The Labyrinth, another Portal Fantasy story. )

Elsewhere, Shin Hati locates a bandit camp and signals with her red lightsaber.

Elsewhere still Baylan Skoll stands atop an enormous statue, which is not one of the Mothers as seen near the fortress but looks ver much like The Father, and at it's left is a statue of The Son. But on it's right, where once The Daughter might have stood the mountainside is broken. He spies something gleaming in the distance, like the top of a pyramid.

In another galaxy, The Chimera and Eye of Scion approach the red-hued planet of Dathomir.

And a patched Imperial shuttle is escorted into the bay of the Hera's command ship where she and others (Is one of these named Hawkins?) investigate. A Night Trooper steps out of the shuttle. But Chopper scans something and approaches.

The trooper removes his helmet to reveal Ezra.

Hera needs a few seconds to recognize and believe. (He's some years older and bearded.)

"I'm home."

Back in Far Away, Sabine is at the Noti Caravan camp at night and finds Ahsoka gazing out into Peridea's boney ring. Ahsoka says that Sabine did well. Even though Thrawn got away, Ezra go home; Ahsoka is sure of it. Maybe they are all where they need to be. (Kanan's last lesson was something like that, about finding the moment in which you are most needed.)

They turn to head back to camp but Sabine things she sensed something, but then doubts herself. "Just shadows in starlight." But we see Force ghost Anakin is there watching them.

So, I really like this series. It's Star Wars. It's also Portal Fantasy genre in a sense. It has spooky, witchy elements. It has whimsical creatures. It has a lot of women characters that do things. The men characters are interesting, too, like how Thrawn is cool, calculating evil serving authoritarianism, Baylan is enigmatic mature man who is more neutrally aligned and following his own path, and Ezra is a fun, good man who seeks where he's needed.

How many shows do we have where like a main protagonist and antagonist are middle-aged women who fight each other with magic and swords? I'm middle-aged woman. That sounds cool.

Also I like how these characters have their own costumes and fashion sense. Ahsoka always looks comfortable and like she probably understand the good of natural fibers, and layers because it's cold when you walk on top of your space ship, but also like she can easily move if she has to fight.

Sabine has a more boyish style with coveralls and custom-painted armor and trim pants and jackets. She also looks stylish and like she can move or easily ride a speeder bike.

I like Shin's costume a lot. It's like she's wearing a dress, but it's the most drab colored outfit and not overtly feminine, but she has well shone bits of protective armor fixed over it which makes it a bit fancy while still functional. Also, her choppy bob looks like she cuts it herself with her light saber.

And Morgan Elsbeth is just doing a very witchy look with her dark gown. It doesn't have too many flowy bits to get in the way, but it looks like it's warm and supportive.

Also, Ezra looks a bit hedge wizard horseman of the steppes or something.

[karanseraph]

Still on my rewatch of Star Wars in Timeline Order. I'm now on The Mandalorian Season Three (2023), which takes place after events in The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022), and before events of either Ahsoka Season One (2023), or the movie The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026)?

Season Three opens not with "The Mandalorian", Din Djarin, but a group of Mandalorians, setting the tone for this season. It is revealed in the opening scenes that The Armor and Paz Vizsla who had said they and Din Djarin were the last of their covert, did have other surviving members of their Mandalorian Clan, who were also Children of the Watch to have survived the Purge on the moon of Concordia, and then gone into hiding.

On a planet with mountains, caves, and sea the Armorer fashions a new helmet and this is ceremoniously presented to Ragnar Vizsla as he is of Age and takes the Creed, in the waters of their current home, continuing their particular Mandalorian tradition.

But just then-! An enormous crocadilian type beast attacks from the water! The Mandalorians fight it.

One. N-1 Starfighter.

Din Djarin arrives with Grogu. After battle, he confirms information with The Armorer (and any members of the audience who need a reminder) that he's an apostate (the title of the episode), for having removed his helmet previously, but if there were a way for him to access the waters below the mines of Mandalore, he might then be redeemed in their tradition and creed. Between seasons, Din Djarin has acquired an artifact that is said to be from Mandalore, and wonders if the planet is not as poisoned or cursed as believed.

This becomes the ongoing mission of Season Three.

Din Djarin and Grogu then return to Nevarro. "A lot has changed around here." They meet with High Magistrate Greef Karga. Navarro is prospering with interstellar trade now, and "Mando" is invited to settle down on a nice tract of land (hey settling down was Boba's thematic content), but now Nevarro's success has had the effect of attracting pirates!

Side quests unlocked? Fight Pirates to protect Nevarro. But on hold for now.

Din Djarin is interested in IG-11's parts for some reason. The Mandalorian attempts to restore IG-11 himself, and some power is restored, but his programming is revealed to be back to default hunting mode, endangering Grogu.

A group of Anzellans are consulted. Their species is even smaller than Grogu's, Din Djarin can barely sit up straight in their little workshop. Grogu practically glomps one of them. (Are these Anzellans puppets or animatronic or such?) They inform the Mandalorian that they cannot fully restore IG-11 without a replacement memory circuit, apparently.

New sidequest unlocked? Fetch a memory circuit.

Din Djarin and Grogu depart Nevarro and have a random encounter with pirates leading to the discovery of a large pirate mothership captained by Gorian Shard (he looks like he should answer the shellophone "Shello?" and have a younger brother to bully.)

The souped up N-1 rockets away, arriving at Kalevala (I believe this planet is in the same system as Mandalore?) where Bo-Katan has an ancestral castle. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan meet again, he's interested in her former plans to retake Mandalore, but she's now brooding on her throne because he won the dark saber and her plans were thwarted. Best she'll do is provide general directions for him.

Episode 2. Peli Motto (was I spelling her name wrong? I might have had too many Ls.) is about her mechanic business on Tatooine, running a scam with some Jawas. Din Djarin and Grogu arrive in search of their droid part: the memory circuit. The Jawas don't have any. Peli offers R5-D4 (I believe this droid did appear with her in Book of Boba Fett?).

The Mandalorian and Grogu set off to the Mines of Mandalore (title of the episode) with astromech droid R5-D4. As they've been traveling, Din Djarin is instructing Grogu on Mandalorian lore and some details of navigating. (It makes sense, as in their story, Grogu has now consciously chosen a Mandalorian path with Din Djarin, as opposed to the offer to be a student at Luke Skywalker's academy. Din Djarin is attempting to provide training, though in the past he had worrie aloud that Grogu was too powerful to be trained by him.)

On Mandalore, with the surface vitrified, R5 is sent out to test the air. But the droid disappears off the Scope. So Din Djarin has to go out and investigate. (Apparently this Mandalorian helmet has pressurization or some respiratory functions??) He discovers some like mutants or something, and a toppled over R5.

(When Din Djarin gets the results from R5 and says "The air is breatable; Mandalore is not cursed," he is notably side/backlit by an apparent sunbeam. Because, things are looking brighter, literally and figuratively.)

Din Djarin and Grogu go down into the subsurface levels, below the glassy vitrified surface, to ruins of cities. The Mandalorian goes to pick-up a Beskar helmet from the ground-

It's a trap!

As Grogu watches from the shadows, a cyborg partly organic and partly droid exits from a spider tank and restrains and disarms Din Djarin, including the dark saber. (IDK what this being is, but Star Wars has had beings with droid parts (hands, legs, etc) and also character's mostly droid with a few organic parts (General Greivous). This one is multi-limbed vaguely like Greivous.)

Grogu sneaks out to try to help the Mandalorian, but is instructed to get to Bo-Katan for help. Grogu races in his pramall the way back to the surface alone, past various creatures, jumps into the N-1 and points where R5 should navigate.

On Kalevala (isn't this the name of an actual epic? Like from Finland?), Bo-Katan is set to be angry at Din Djarin for returning, but finds Grogu alone.

They then board Bo-Katan's ship (I think this is called the Gauntlet?) and go to Mandalore, where Bo-Katan asks Grogu to lead her to Din Djarin, leaving R5-D4 in her ship.

Underground, Bo-Katan acknowledges Grogu's fear but still says she needs him to guide her. (This seems healthy enough as the stories of exploited children go. Fear itself is natural, it's what one does next that tends to matter.) Grogu appears determined as they continue. (Also, like Bo-Katan and Grogu are similar in age, though being in different stages due to being of different species.)

Bo-Katan confronts some Alamites, she calls them. She takes this as an indication that some life survived on Mandalore.

Meanwhile, the multi-limbed cyborg injects Din Djarin with a needle to drain his blood. (creepy. Now Din Djarin and Grogu have both had their blood stolen by enemies.) But soon after, bo-Katan comes upon them and starts firing. but the cyborg uses some type of electric weapon against her. Fallen on the ground, Bo-Katan spies the dark saber!

(Hmmmn, might we say this cyborg won it from Din Djarin in combat and now Bo-Katan might defeat the cyborg and lay claim to it? I mean, I already have seen this season.)

Bo-Katan pierces the cyborg with the dark saber, and perhaps thinking it dead for the moment, goes to aid Din Djarin. (She call's him Din in this scene.)

But the organic bit in the head of the cyborg is still active. It detaches into a smaller droid component and then goes to operate the spider tank.

Din Djarin is able to warn Bo-Katan of the tank's approach. She expertly dispatches it with the dark saber. (She's wielded it before, in the past, she just didn't have the 'won through combat' claim to it. She's much better at using it than Din Djarin ha been.)

They shelter in a higher area, Din Djarin freed and recovering, and Bo-Katan and Grogu tending a fire to warm pog soup. When Din Djarin wakes he's a bit foggy on what just happened, but asserts that Bo-Katan was right and Mandalore isn't cursed. She gives him soup and offers to transport him back to his ship.

But Din Djarin is still set on redeeming himself by bathing in the living waters beow the mines.

(And notably, in this scene, seeing the dark saber among the times in their camp, Din Djarin stows it on his person without a thought.)

Bo-Katan decides to go with the other two to the waters, though she is certain they aren't "magical". Along the way she laments Mandalorian in-fighting between clans, like theirs.

When they reach the waters, Bo-Katan reads a plaque about a legend of the Mythosaur, and Din Djarin removes some accessories and weapons and steps down int to water, reciting the creed (as Ragnar did). But suddenly-! He goes under. Bo-Katan dives into the water after him, saving Din Djarin and rocketing him back to the water's surface.

And on the way she sees...a Mythosaur!

(When they're in the caves, a lot of the scenery they are shot against is probably StageCraft. But there do seem to be steps and a water feature. But the diving scenes are probably digitally enhanced and layered and such. I'm guessing. It all looks kinda realistic.)

Episode 3. Down near the living waters Din Djarin wakes up coughing water and collects himself, while Bo-Katan askes if he saw anything in the water. But he doesn't seem to have. But he makes sure to collect a sample.

As they fly to Kalevala on the Gauntlet, Bo-Katan notably doesn't remove her helmet either and makes a jest about it being unlikely they could dine together and repeats the "This is the way" mantra—TIE Interceptors attack!

Din Djarin alone drops from the ship to reach the N-1 Starfighter and join the dogfight over the castle. There's a whole chase through canyons and along cliffs. (I don't know how they make these scenes. Like, are both ship exteriors and background fully CI scenes, or do they film models against a backdrop at all? The cockpits seem like a practical set?)

As they come around from the cliffs they find the castle bombed and an unusual numer of TIE bombers and interceptors incoming. So, Din Djarin gives Bo-Katan jump coordinates to meet him someplace safe. (Kalevala is no longer safe. But also, where are that many ships dispatching from.

Then cut to The Adventures of Doctor Penn Pershing. Pershing, Amnesty Scientist L52, has joined a New Republic Amnesty Program for former Imperials to show they can be rehabilitated. At his TED talk, a bunch of Neo Liberals—I mean a punch of swanky Capital types schmooze with him before he returns to Amnesty Housing. Because of course the New Republic has Housing First policies. (But it's pretty Millennial Gray and almost Brutalistic.)

Does Penn recognize one of the other Ex-Imperials? Unclear when they are all addressing each other by anonymized alphanumeric designations like they are droids. (We know Amnesty Officer G68 was was Moff Gideon's Comms Officer. I think this character's name is Elia Kane.)

In the night a secret admirer has left him Lembas—Impy Travel Biscuits.

Later, in cubical pool, it's cubical like.

Penn and his old-new Impy friend take a stroll in front of a panoramic view of Coruscant. (Sometimes the backgrounds look convincingly, but the stroll on Coruscant really looks like they take a stroll in front of a backdrop.)

(Also are they like eating energon?)

A helpful droid parole officer interviews Penn about how he's feeling.

With some subtle guidance from his Amnesty Program friend, Doctor Pershing begins to wonder if he might "help" the New Republic by continuing his work in cloning and such. If he just had a mobile lab station he could be so helpful...to the Republic?? He keeps telling himself this.

L52 and G68 take a train out to the disposal yards where Imperial tech is being decommissioned.

"We're gonna jump." Yeah, they jump from a train. (IDK if the train car itself exists as a set, but the exterior around the train is all beautifully rendered space railway ambience.)

They sneak onto a decommissioned Imperial vessel, where G68 admits she knows they both served on Gideon's ship and is sorry she did not introduce herself. Elia and Penn introduce themselves. Then they enter a lab.

Penn starts grabbing what he needs, feeling secure enough to share some personal information about his family and motivation. Elia does not confess and childhood aspirations.

Penn is alarmed by some strange noises and they make their way out.

But-! Back outside in the disposal yards a spotlight falls upon them! L52 is arrested. But not G68? Was this a set-up!?

Next he knows, Penn is being put under a Mind Flayer/Mitigator device "this will only take a moment."

"She set me up" he keeps saying.

But Elia's in the ontrol room diaing the mind flayer up to eleven and eating travel biscuits.

Cut back to One. N-1 and One. Kom'rk Class Fighter.

They land at the location of the tribe's covert and are greeted by Paz Vizsla and others. Din Djarin announces that he's been to the waters and is redeemed. bo-Katan stressed she witnessed this. Din Djarin says "we have been to the living waters." And presents his vial of water.

Inside the meet with The Armorer. Din Djarin again offers his vial as proof. Bo Katan mentions that when he fell into the waters she went in to pull him out.

The Armorer concludes that both are redeemed as they have not removed their helmets.

(This episode had the theme of conversion, being titled "The Convert", but it applies in various ways, to Bo-Katan, to Penn, but also on some level to the other Mandalorians of the Tribe being convinced of the account of the trip to Mandalore and accepting Bo-Katan who previously would have been of a rival Clan.

Episode 4. The Tribe are about their usual Mandalorian training. Some together, others alone, like Bo-Katan distant from others, or Grogu playing with crabs. Din Djarin collects Grogu and says it's time for training like other foundlings.

There's a lot of questioning about Gorgu's age and size, but ultimately Grogu and Ragnar are to challenge each other with darts. Grogu stands there taking the paint darts a while, but then Dad says it's OK to show the others what he can do. So Grogu jumps to dodge the next dart and does multiple backflips before clustering three paint darts on Ragnar's chest in quick succession.

Ragnar feels a bit embarrassed about it, which it seems like maybe Grogu knew all along? And this leads to Ragnar distancing himself, only to be perceived by some giant winged creature and abducted!

A number of the Tribe go off to follow the beast to it's lair, as Paz says.

But Grogu stays behind with the Armorer. She gives some lessons about the Forge and Mandalorian Culture. The Mandalorian is figuratively refined and forged, as ore.

But the industrial noise of the forge triggers a flashback for Grogu and he's back in the Jedi Temple under attack after Order 66. Someone shouts, "Get him to Kelleran!" as Jedi defend the corridor.

Armored Cone Troopers come in firing blasters. Grogu was there in a pram, afraid. But then there's this Jedi with a green lightsaber who says, "Everything's gonna be all right, kid." He picks up the blue lightsaber of a fallen Jedi and starts duel wielding against advancing Clone Troopers.

They escape, Grogu in the sidecar of like an Old Republic speeder bike with Jedi Kelleran Beq driving. There's an exciting chase scene past trains and the plaza where years later Penn and Elia took their stroll.

They make it to a spacepad where a ship waits. Conversation indicates there were meant to be other younglings evacuated but Kelleran says, "There are no others." More Clone Troopers arrive. Kelleran and Grogu get into the fueled ship and take off. They jump to hyperspace—

And then Grogu is back in the forge with the Armorer.

(The title of this episode is The Foundling and this can apply to multiple characters.)

The armorer presents Grogu with a rondel piece of armor with the Mudhorn signet on it.

Meanwhile, most of the older Mandalorians in the Tribe are strategizing how to rescue Ragnar. When they make camp for the night and distribute rations, Bo-Katan doesn't know the procedure for eating. But others explain they will go off to find privacy to remove their helmets, but because she is designated leader of this war party, she can stay by the fire.

The next day there are cliffs to scale to reach the aerie. At the nest, Paz Vizsla rushes in to find ragnar but finds baby giant birds instead. Then Mama shows up with Ragnar in her talons and grabs Paz in its mouth. Aerial combat ensues. Bo-Katan is able to free Paz, but he needs to land with jetpack damage. Eventually Din Djarin is the one to free Ragnar and bring him to Paz.

Back at their cave shelter, Bo-Katan presents the giant hatchlings they have captured, is praised for the honor of saving a foundling (Din Djarin and others helped, but she scouted the aerie in her ship and led the party. Also, whether the Tribe knows or not, Bo-Katan did also participate in several rescues of Grogu who is also a foundling.)

Inside the cave shelter, The Armorer helps Bo-Katan with some repairs, replacing a missing pauldron. Bo-Katan inquires if she can have a Mythosaur signet, as opposed to her nightowl on her left shoulder. This is acceptable.

Bo-Katan then inquires how it might be received if she saw a Mythosaur. Not a vision, but a real one beneath the living waters. The Armorer is enigmatic.

Episode 5. Back on Nevarro High Magistrate Greef Karga is dealing with a pirate attack. He and his people evacuate the city as it is bombed and retreat to the lava flats.

Cut to New Republic Adelphi Base. Captain Carson Teva (who keeps having repeated run-ins with The Mandalorian) is at the bar when he received a message. He views the holo of High Magistrate Greef Karga informing him Nevarro is being attacked by Pirate King Gorian Shard. He's afraid that if Navarro falls it will become a pirate base for the region.

Who is that behind Carson!? Zeb? Garazeb Orrelios?! (Only his Mom calls him that.)

Too bad, Zeb thought Nevarro was going to make it.

But Carson thinks he can forward this request to Coruscant (cubical world) and get permission to intercede. (Padme's ghost shouting something about committee.)

But Zeb says they are busy and they won't get an answer in time to help.

Carson is determined, so he flies his One. X-Wing. to Coruscant.

He talks to Colonel Tuttle (who's like the commander of cubical world and yellow mail droids and has Amnesty Program personnel working in his department.) (Also, Tim Meadows is here?) and Elia Kane pops in and points out that Nevarro is not a member planet of the New Republic. The Colonel agrees, member worlds get priority.

Carson argues that something is just up on Nevarro. Stormtroopers reported there, TIE fighters, PIrates. He also mentions, so casually, that he's heard that Moff Gideon never made it to trial. Was that a look from Elia? Anyway, Carson makes his request, but not without some micro-agressions towards Elia and the Amnesty Program. She plays the part of The Good One for the Colonel, so understanding of the slights.

Back on Nevarro, Karga and his people are sheltering such as they can on the lava flats. Karga tries to give the citizens hope that help will come

Cut back to One. X-Wing. Carson Teva follows some sort of becon in his cockpit and lands on the same planet of the Mandalorian's cave shelter. He identifies himself as one of the Adelphi Rangers. When th eMandalorians show themselves, Din Djarin asks how they were located. Apparently R5-D4 is an old Rebellion comrade.

Carson Teva tosses Karga's holo message to Din Djarin. They discuss motivations. Carson doesn't know what's up exactly, but he believes the Imperial Remnants aren't as small as Coruscant believes. And he knows Karga is a friend to Mando. He should know.

When the Ranger leaves, Din Djarin holds th etalking stick and makes an argument for intervening to help Nevarro. Then, Paz Vizsal gets the talking stick and it sounds like he's opposed to what Din Djarin just said, but no! They are Mandalorians and people who you thought were rivals can save your child, etc. They should do what they can to help.

Bo-Katan provides some strategy and exposition, pointing out that their covert lived on Nevarro once before. And it's an independent world. It could be a home for them, if they help keep it independent of New Republic, Imperial Remnants, or Pirates.

On. N-1 Starighter. Off the port bow of Shard's ship. (Is this a hammerhead corsair? Like the one that made the Star Destroyers scissor each other in Rogue One?) There's also One. Kom-rk Class fighter transport and it drops Mandalorians into the city before engaging the corsair.

Urban warefare ensues, Mandalorians securing parts of the city and Karga's band of citizens approaching to join the fight against the pirates.

Meanwhile, in the skies, Bo-Katan and Din Djarin (Grogu is rising in the cockpit, too) target the corsairs engines to being it down. (What's that thing dot and Megatron say? "Honor in the streets, honor in the skies?" Or maybe I am remembering that wrong.)

Whooo!

High Magistrate Greef Karga makes a speech and cedes a tract of land (From Western Lava Flats to Bulloch Canyon whatever that actually means) to the people of Mandalore.

Afterward, Bo-Katan is summoned to see The Armorer. They wax poetic about forges. And then The Armorer requests Bo-Katan to remove her helmet. Because All Mandalorians must walk the Way together. And if all Mandalorians are to come together, Bo-Katan who has walked both worlds (Ways?) is the one to lead them. Also she saw a Mythosaur and maybe that's a sign. (Also she can claim the dark saber, but it's not clear if The Armorer knows that part.)

So, together The Armorer and Bo-Katan (bare-headed) walk out to meet the Tribe. The Armorer spins it that bo-Katan just walks both worlds and can do this for the purpose of bringing the Mandalorians together. Their shared ultimate goal is retaking Mandalore, but first Bo-Katan must go bring the other dispersed Mandalorians into the fold.

Cut to Carson Teva's One. X-Wing. Investigating the wreck of a lambda class shuttle. It was a prison transport. The ship that had been transporting Moff Gideon. (Also apparently Teva's green astromech droid is R7. ) And there's a clue onboard: a piece of Beskar alloy!

(The title of this episode is The Pirate. And it's a little Peter Pan flavored in as much as there's pirates, a lost group returning to fight pirates, and it's in a place called Nevarro.)

Episode 6. A Quarren ship giving Outlaw Star vibes with Captain Shuggoth in a tube on the bridge. She encounters what she thinks is an Imperial Remnant vessel, but it turns out to be Mandalorians led by Axe Woves, hired by Mon Calimari to bring back the son of a Viceroy. The Mon Calimari in question reveals himself to be on Shuggoth's ship. They are in love! But, The Mandalorians don't care, and board the ship to lead him away. They have another job waiting on Plazir-15.

Cut to Bo-Katan, Din Djarin, and Grogu on her Guantlet approaching said planet Pazir-15, totally a democracy. (It's not the Epcot Center at all.) There's a monorail. They are summoned to meet the leadership.

There's a fancy teaparty. (Jack Black and Lizzo are here?) Captain Bombardier is an ex-Imperial who has gone through the Amnesty Program who has married The Duchess of Plazir's royal family and the two held direct democratic elections on their world. Much of their labor comes from reprogrammed battle droids, allowing the citizens to be at leisure, such as their fancy parties.

But there's a problem in this utopia. Some of the droids seem to be malfunctioning and doing harm. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan must independantly investigate. If they agree to help, Plazir-15 could use its influence to recognize Mandalore as the soverign system of the Mandalorian people again. Or something.

Din Djarin just wants to get to fight battle droids.

First they visit some Ugnaught workers to get a list of malfunctioning droids, where Din Djarin can show off his Ugnaught culture skills learned from Kuill.

They chase down an apparently malfunctioning droid and find a clue leading to a droid bar, The Resistor. The skinny among the droids is that they fear being shut down and replaced by humans if these incidents continue; they want to help.

It turns out the lubricant the droids have been drinking had a bad batch (?) and included nanodroids that reprogrammed them.

And that leads them...to Helgait (Christopher Lloyd is here?!) the Security Director who secretly was a Separatist the whole time. He ordered the nanodroids leaving an obvious datatrail!

Mystery solved. Time to go fetch Grogu who's been helping the Duchess cheat at space croquet. (Seriously there's a Wonderland theme here.)

Bombardier and Duchess exile Helgait to the moon, separating with the Separatist.

And they grant permission for Bo-Katan to contact Axe Woves and his Mandalorians who have been serving as their guns for hire (Guns for Hire being the episode title), since legally Plazir cannot have a standing military due to Bombardier's Imperial past.

And, also, The Duchess whimsically decides to knight Grogu, dubbing him a knight of the Ancient Order of Independant Regencies.

Traveling to meet the Mandalorians, Bo-Katan seems unsettled over how she will convince them.

When they arrive, Bo-Katan says she intends to reclaim her fleet, and challenges Axe Woves. They duel .

Bo-Katan ends up on top, literally, but Axe says that she ought to be challenging Din Djarin for the dark saber.

Bo-Katan instead argues that Din Djarin who took the creed is following the way of their ancestors, even if not born as a Mandalorian. He is Mandalorian!

But Axe continues pressing that their clan's ways say the leader must have the dark saber.

But then Din Djarin explains that Bo-Katan may have it. "She defeated the enemy that defeated me."

That would mean she has a right to it. They agree.

So Din Djarin returns the dark saber to Bo-Katan.

Episode 7. It's Gothic-Industrial night somewhere in lower levels of Coruscant and Elia Kane—TK2755—meets secretly with an Imperial Probe Droid, which enables her to communicate via holo with Moff Gideon! It seems to them that Bo-Katan and Din Djarin both having been involved in repelling the pirates from Nevarro indicates the Mandalorian factions may be uniting. Gideon will not have this!

Switch to Gideon's place of hiding (I know, I saw this seasons before), where he traverses a corridor of red forcefields and walks past cloning tanks to get to a chamber where he holo-meets with the Imperial Remnant Shadow Council. They (Captain Pelleon in particular) mention that should Grand Admiral Thrawn return he could unite them as a leader. Gideon is skeptical that Thrawn will ever return. Maybe they should have new leadership. (Him?) Another (Commandant Brandol Hux) mentions Project Necromancer is in place for that 'new leadership', and asks about Pershing. Gideon denies interst in cloning argues he should receive resources to prevent Mandalorians from retaking Mandalore. others agree. Hail Hydra—I mean, Long live the Empire!

Meanwhile on Nevarro, the Mandalorian Fleet, including many stolen Imperial ships, arrives. The Mandalorians of the Tribe on camping openly on the surface watch the approach. Bo-Katan expresses her hope for their two factions to get along. Din Djarin says they will if they want to survive. (Meaning if it comes to war, between these last Mandalorians, none of them may survive?)

The Armorer welcomes them as guests.

Karga is there and presents Mando with an imported beverage and invites him back into the city to show him something.

The IG-11 restoration quest has been advancing in the background with the Anzellan NPCs. They still haven't restored the memory circuit; it's missing, but they were able to make the droid body (Karga refers to this version as IG-12 (but I thought IG units typically had the twined digit numbers.) into a pilotable exo-suit for a small being, like an Anzellan...or Grogu.

Grogu is a mecha pilot now! (As Rule of Cool as this is, it's played for humor at first with his abuse of the Quija buttons.)

Is that a meilrooun? (Is that a pineapple vs hydraulic press reference?)

After the comic relief, it's back to serious strategizing among the Mandalorians in their camp at night. Bo-Katan announces the goal to retaike their homeworld. Move the FLeet, send down scouting party, secure perimeter, then bring down others. She asks for volunteers. (This is very Han's mission to Endor scene where his friends all volunteer. Most of the named characters are on the mission.)

They go to Mandalorem and as planned a scouting team goes ahead in Bo-Katan's Gauntlet. R5 is still with them, apparently, as well as Grogu in the IG-suit.

"There on the horizon" (Of the screen we're all looking at.) They find a sail vessel and several surviving Mandalorians. They meet on the ship for a meal (these survivors were low on rations) and discuss how they variously came to survive.

Bo-Katan confesses that she ultimately did offer surrender. Ater the Night of a Thousand Tears had happened, she met with ISB to negotiate a cease fire. If they had spared surviving Mandalorians and remaining cities at that point, she would surrender and agree to a cease fire. Moff Gideon obtained the dark saber because she went to try to save those Mandalorian who were left by surrendering.

The Armorer also relates to the survivors on the planet that athough their people survived on Concordia, Death Watch is no more, having splintered into various factions and dispersed. Her Tribe is one such group of Children of the Watch.

Bo-Katan emphasizes that it is the division among them that defeats them.

Then, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan being members of formerly separate factions, have a moment and share their regrets for not understanding each other or being selfish. Din Djarin expresses his hope they can build again; their people are survivors. But, Bo-Katan worries she may not have what it takes to keep them together. (Even, yes, considering she saw a Mythosaur, and wield the dark saber, and saves foundlings. ) Din Djarin tells her what matters is one's actions: their honor, loyalty, etc. This is why he does and will serve her, "Lady Kryze." (So knightly.)

Their ship delivers the injured survivors among them to the Gauntlet along with The Armorer and then continues out to the location of the Forge.

Along the way, Axe and Paz come to blows over alternate rules in a board game. Until Grogu steps in with the IG-suit and "No, No, no, no."

A Kaiju appears! This forces the group to abandon their sail vessel and go literally underground.

Imperial Troopers fly in, with jetpacks and Beskar armor. Axe flies off to get reinforcements from the Fleet. A firefight ensues. And then a pursuit. Leading to an ambush as they realize there is a vast Imperial base underground here...and Moff Gideon.

The makes a vilian monologue about how he's going to destroy their fleet, is exploiting their resources to make his improved dark troopers. And is going to build an army with clones and M-count and Beskar armor all combined.

Din Djarin is taken away separately, but with Bo-Katan cutting through a door with the dark saber and Paz Vizsla sacrificing himself to guard their retreat (he takes our so many troopers but then the fancy Imperial Guards team up against him), most of the Mandalorians escape into other parts of the base.

Chapter 8. Bo-Katan and the group of Mandalorians still with her move through the Imperial Base, reaching out on comlink to Axe, who asccends on jetpack to try to reach their Fleet, warning him Moff Gideon is involved and will be sending ships to attack their Fleet.

Meanwhile Din Djarin is being escorted away by troopers and starts to fight back to escape, but is nearly choked and shot, until Grogu arrives and crushes the blaster. He also applies way too much bacta spray in his willingness to help.

Din Djarin is all like: Son, we have to kill this guy. But he does phrase it like a choice for Grogu to be with him and do this plan. To which Grogu sagely nods.

Din, freed, is able to contact Bo-Katan via commlink. He confirms Grogu is with him and they will go after Gideon. Bo-Katan establishes her priority is getting the troops somewhere safe to regroup.

Gideon's Trooper informs him that fighters and bombers have launched and will target their capital ship. (Is that specific one Imperial Light Cruiser? It's angular, but not the bigger Star Destroyers or Super ones. ) But, this poor Trooper tells Gideon that The Madalorian has escaped. (He doesn't need to specify which, because only one had been taken captive.) Gideon says he will deal with him. (The sensors in the base inform him of his position along with Grogu.)

Din Djarin, scouting for Gideon's location, then contact the droid R5, who apparently is just out on the surface somewhere, to get into the base and use the computers to locate the command center. R5 is able to fly into the base through the same opening the TIEs departed. (because unlike R2 who lost flight ability, R5 got some tweaks from Peli before she sold him to The Mandalorian, and R5 has flight thrusters. )

Din Djarin and Grogu receive the schematics with command center location from R5.

Meanwhile Axe Woves ascends to the Fleet and relays commands to load EVERYONE in the drop ships and get to the surface, he'll hand the capital ship. Mandalorians rush to evacuate in the drop ships.

R5 is needed again to get through the Corridor of Red Forcefields, Din Djarin commanding him to open one at a time, in order to limit how many Troopers he has to face. Tension rises when a mouse droid distracts R5 and he has to deal with that before opening the next shield.

Through the forcefields, Din Djarin and Grogu infiltrate into the clone storage area. They are all clones of Gideon himself. Somehow, the Mandalorian can use the control panel to just make the tanks all explode open? Self destruct?

Bo-Katan meanwhile has some of the survivors wil her and they lead her to shelter in one fo their near-surface farms, where they receive a call from The Armorer that reinforcements have arrived.

With almost all the Mandalorians together, bo-Katan raises the dark saber and leads them all into battle, entering th ebase through the upper opening. (Same way R5 traveled.)

Deeper in the base, Din Djarin and Grogu encounter Gideon. He monologues again, saying how he was going to give his clones the Force.

Gideon and Din Djarin fight. Then, the three Imperial Guards appear and team up against the Mandalorian. "No!" Groguindicates. The Guards attack Grogu's droid-suit. But he jumps out onto a ceiling fixture to avoid them, leaving Din Djarin fighting Gideon on his own again, until Bo-Katan returns!

"Go save your kid."

Just as Grogu is trapped and menaced by three Guards, Din Djarin runs in shooting. Their fight continues, Grogu effectively contributing with some Force pulling and pushing to spare himself an dDin Djarin the worst and keep Guards at bay.

Axe Woves calls whoever is listening, Bo, Koska...he's going to use the now burnign capital ship in a dive through the atmosphere to take out the base. They need to evacuate!

Bo-Katan is still dueling Gideon with the dark saber, but then he crushes the saber hilt itself. He takes a moment to gloat. saying Mandalorians are wek without their weapons.

"Mandalorians are stronger together."

Din Djarin and Grogu arrive from the room where they'd dispatched the guards.

The ship continues falling towards the base. Axe jetpacks out from the bridge. Many Mandalorians do evacuate from the base. But three are still in combat with Gideon. As the firey capital ship plunges past them, the whole area is in flame.

Grogu does a Kanan, again, and shields himself, Bo-Katan, and Din Djarin from the fire, while Gideon is consumed.

Cut to afterward. Mandalorians are gathered at the living waters in the mines. Ragnar retakes his creed.

Din Djarin then presents Grogu to be his apprentice, rather than foundling. But, he's too young to speak, so he wouldn't be able to ascend to apprentice, without special parental permission. So, Din Djarin adopts Grogu as his son Din Grogu. Then giving his son permission to be an apprentice.

Grogu gazes into the water and somewhere below a Mythosaur opens its eyes.

Fade to a Mythosaur banner, as later all are gathered in the forgeand The Armorer passes a torch to Bo-Katan, who uses it to relight the Great Forge. So much clanging (it's how they clap, kinda.)

Later still, One. N-1 Starfighter, arrives at Adelphi base, where Carson Teva is at the bar. Above which is an old IG unit head. The Mandalorian proposes he work for the New Republic on a case by case basis to help them hunt the Imperial Remnanants. As a small advance, he'd like that assassin droid head.

Back on Nevarro, High Magistrate Greef Karga presents Din Djarin and Din Grogu a deed to a new cabin.

And they give Karga the IG unit head.

And IG-11 is restored to act as the new Marshall of Nevarro.

---

I'm not sure if both Ashsoka Season One and The Mandalorian and Grogu were available to watch in Timeline order which would come after The Mandalorian Season Three.

I'm trying to think if there are any shared characters between the two. It's possible the events in Ahsoka are somewhat concurrent. If she is last seen departing Luke's academy/temple in The Book of Boba Fett, their seasons could take place concurrently.

IDK if that's right, but if so, Sabine not being part of the Return to Mandalore would makes sense if she were already on her way to another galaxy. This would mean one can watch Ahsoka and then The Mandalorian & Grogu movie.

[karanseraph]

Rewatching Star Wars i Timeline Order. I'm on Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022), which is set between seasons two and three of The Mandalorian.

Within the series itself the timeline is presented somewhat non-chronologically. It starts in "story present", following events in The Mandalorian Season Two in which...

Boba Fett showed up, with Fennec Shand (whom had been believed and left for dead by Din Djarin), when Din Djarin and Grogu were at the henge on Tython and they assisted in rescuing Grogu when he was taken by Dark Troopers.

Then, several episodes use the device of a dream sequence to show flashbacks to events prior to that, relaying how Boba escaped the sarlacc, had his armor looted from his injured bodyby Jawas, was taken by Tuskens, learned their ways, found his Tusken allies killed, and discovered Fennec, got her help from a modder, then sought his former armor, which leads him to Din Djarin.

Then, in story present Boba, with Fennec takes over Jabba's old territory and begins to consolidate power in the Mos Espa area of Tatooine (back in the Old Republic era this was where they held major podracing events). Dealing with the Hutts (who supply a rancor) and various 'tribes' and a duplicitous mayor. Several attempts are made on his life, and there are various suspects but it looks increasingly like the Pykes are involved.

But then, in Episode 5, the story follows Din Djarin, possibly skipping back a short time to cover the same timeframe as Boba and Fennec's enterprise, as the Mandalorian seeks the survivors of his covert, trades a beskar spear for some armor for Grogu, trains with the Dark Saber, confesses that he previously removed his helmet and thus is exiled and can only be redeemed by the water beneath the mines on Mandalore (yeah, the glassed planet; there's flashbacks of the bombing depicted), and then departs goes to Tatooine to acquire a ship from Pelli, goes for a test flight, and then encounters Fennec, who wants to hire him for Boba.

(This episode made me 'see' the StageCraft, I think. Like, there are bits where I'll consciously think that it looks like the Mandalorian is standing in front of an ambience video on YouTube. Like, IDK who watches a lot of ambiences, but I got into it for a while, and it's like a slightly moving rendered scene often with ASMR and/or SF/X and/or atmospheric music. And they aren't all library fireplaces. There's a whole lot of cyberpunk Bladerunner styled rainy cities at night, and space ship interiors with various amounts of engine hum and so on. It's like you look like you're in a room, but you aren't in a room, you're in front of a rendering of one side of the room.)

Episode 6 opens with Cobb Vanth, who temporarily had Boba's armor, acquired from Jawas in The Mandalorian Season two, and he's in the Mos Pelgo area of Tatooine also have run ins with the Pykes.

But then the episode cuts back to Din Djarin seeking Grogu at the future site of Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple, where he is kinda given the run around by R2-D2.

Meanwhile Grogu is training with Luke, who's gotten pretty masterful with this Jedi Force stuff.

During their training we cut briefly to Grogu's flashback of Order 66 times and the Clones attacking the Jedi in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Ahsoka is revealed to be there while the temple is under construction and talks to Din Djarin, disuading him from seeing Grogu in person, as it would make things difficult.

Luke and Grogu training montage, after they watched Din Djarin's ship depart. Ahsoka shows up to be Luke's auntie and deliver Grogu's armor, but then she departs as well.

Cut back to Din Djarin traveling to Fett's palace on Tatooine, where Fennec is briefing their other allies on the situation with the Pykes moving into the underworld territories of Tatooine. They need more soldiers for the upcoming conflict. Segue to Din Djarin going to Mos Pelgo—Freetown to meet Cobb Vanth. He asks for Freetown's help against the Pykes.

But as soon a The Mandalorian departs, Cad Bane shows up. He tries to say Vanth shouldn't team up with Fett because Fett is bad and worked for The Empire. (But like, we know Bane literally trafficed Force-sensative children for Darth Sidious in Old Republic and Empire times.) Then Bane shoots Vanth.

Cut back to the sanctuary in Mos Espa and Pykes show up and leave a camtono unattended

Cut to Grogu being given a choice by Luke: Take the armor from the Mandalorian and give into attachment and rejoin the Mandalorian, forsaking the Jedi, or take Master Yoda's old lightsaber and become a Jedi at Luke's academy and possibly never see the Mandalorian again. (Does Luke not know of Tarre Vizsla, or is he just being enigmatic master and presenting this arbitrary choice because he thinks it's what Grogu needs? Like we potentially have two Mandalorian Jedi: Sabine and Grogu, but it might be that both become a new thing that's neither strictly Jedi methods of weilding the Force or typical of Mandalorians.)

Episode 7 puts u back in the story present with Boba Fett, Fennec Shand,and Din Djarin meeting in the bombed ruins of the Sanctuary cantina.

Meanwhile Cad Bane and Pykes are plotting.

But in Mos Eisley One. X-wing. lands at Pelli's place, containing R2-D2 and Grogu who is seeking his Mandalorian.

Back in Mos Espa's ruined cantina, Fennec discusses the situation. (She gets a lot of exposition.) They have the mayor's obsequious majordomo, a failtastic droid, a squad of modders (including named characters Drash (the one that most looks like she's the Descendant of a Disney villain) and Skad), a pair of Gamorrean guards, A wookie gladiator named Krrsantan, one Mandalorian...and possibly the people of Freetown.

Cad Bane shows up but that's a stall tactic. After a too-late warning from Drash, the various tribes of Mos Espa start attacking Fett's people around the city. Fennec heads out to Mos Eisley to attack the Pykes head-on, stopping briefly on her way to assist the mod squad. Fett's team attempts their own stall tactic by having the majordomo go out to pretend to negotiate, so Boba Fett and Din Djarin can surprise attack on jetpacks!

And just when they are getting overwhelmed by Pyke forces, people from Freetown show up. Then the mods arrive to also show support, then Krrsantan ("Santo" for short).

But then some big bubbly droids (scorponeks) show up to attack them.

It's just war in the streets.

Fett flies off to get help, leaving Din Djarin and the rest of his team to avoid and fight the scorponeks.

(The fight choreography is like they watched Power Rangers or some other Tokusatsu series with masked heroes. Like, it's very about the battle poses at times.)

Amid all this, Pelli and Grogu show up on some kind of droid rickshaw. The Mandalorian hops onto the back and is reunited with Grogu. (But seriously, Grogu running of instead of completing his training in order to help his friends is exactly what Luke Skywalker did to Yoda.)

Oh, then Bob Fett shows up riding on a rancor and it's like infamous Christmas Special but better.

They start popping droid bubbles.

Grogu helps take down a droid by Force-pulling one of its small parts out.

Seriously this rancor just swats at droid bubbles like they are hamsters.

But Cad Bane comes back to confront Fett and scares the rancor with fire. Boba says sme stuff about not being a boy (Back in The Clone Wars we saw episodes with these two, back when Boba Fett was still an underwolrd teen hanging out with Bossk.) Bane taunts. Boba kills him with his gaderffi stick.

But now there's an uncontrolled rancor running around. It swats the Mandalorian pretty good. But then Grogu casts Speak with Animals or Sleep or whatever. Then takes a nap himself.

The Pykes are planning their retreet from Mos Espa to Mos Eisley when Fennec just assassinates them all and, apparently, the mayor.

Epilogue: Boba and Fennec take a stroll through Mos Espa while the Ren Faire version of Boba Fett's theme plays. But then it fades out into The Mandalorian's theme as he and Grogu depart Tatooine in the modified Naboo starfighter.

OK, so that was that series. It has flashbacks and cut-aways and such so that the whole thing itself isn't fully in chronological order. I fell like for me, it wasn't my favorite, but it's not bad at anything in particular.

I think Boba Fett is a difficult character to expand upon. I mean, in some ways, I think of this character like Drift in Transformers, who had his origin in a specific comic book continuity where he kinda came across as some fanboy's rule-of-cool OC. Like, if you saw Empire and Jedi as a kid, Boba Fett had mystery. He kinda really just stood around looking cool alongside a bigger bad like Darth Vader or Jabba. He had a jetpack. He was a slate upon which a kid could project cool ponderings. And, like Drift, other writers or media expand the character. Boba Fett got a clone origin and witnessed Jedi Mace Windu kill his father. He joined up with various underworld characters from a fairly young age. (the child exploitation themes just keep returning!) It's like: who is Drift? Sometimes he's who he thinks you want him to be. Sometimes he falls in with shiny knights. Sometimes he is an assassin. Sometimes he spent time in a thieves guild with a bounty hunter or something. Sometimes he has apprentices of his own. Sometimes he's the medic's love interest. It's like that, I think, with Boba Fett. I mean, he hasn't canonically been all those things. But what he canonically is cannot be as cool as whatever a kid projected onto him when he had less canon.

And I think this is where Timeline Order has an effect. In Timeline Order Boba starts out as the unaltered 'alpha' clone raised as if as a son by his genetic donor Jango Fett, who is a bounty hunter, and witnesses a Jedi behead him. That armor Boba grows up to wear is his father's armor he died in! He ran around with all sorts of characters like Aura and Bossk doing underworld jobs before he even went on to work for Jabba or Vader hunting Han Solo.

Whereas if you watched the movies and/or series in release/production order, then Boba Fett starts out the mysterious cool bounty hunter and then it's like becomes less cool because he's just a traumatized kid. And than gets less cool again as he grows into a middle-aged man who can start to see his previous path was not leading to a real sort of life with stability and safety and loyalty. And hey, maybe he wants that. A man can want to settle somewhere and have a home with his squad. But, not everyone respects that. Like, in the show the water monger says this. Boba Fett had not yet earned the respect of the people he was claiming as his.

But, then he cool battle poses and rocketed around on a jetpack and rode a rancor. So he looked like a cool old (middle-aged) man!

But also people should respect him because he's taking care of his own in his neighborhhood.

Next up in watch order is The Mandalorian Season Three.

[karanseraph]

Continuing the rewatch of Star Wars in Timeline Order. I'm watching The Mandalorian Season 1-2 (2019-2020). I last rewatched this only a month or so ago, after seeing The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. But this time, maybe third or fourth watch, I'm thinking about the effect of timeline order. And, I also only recently read about the development and use of the StageCraft technology and the Volume they shoot the scenes in, so I'm looking at that, too.

TL;DR;TL;DR This is a space-western-samurai serial about a pair of unlikely allies who each survived both massacre and genocide forming a familial bond while doing what they have to to survive yet trying to do what good they can in the galaxy.

They could afford to make this series by developing a photographable 360 degree screen that contemporary video-game-quality graphics are rendered upon within a sound stage so they don't have to go to Northern California or Tunisia.

Some seasons follow an effective adventure serial formula in which a wandering hero helps people he meets, a tragedy happens, and then the hero needs to call in all those favors for a big job to save something or someone important.

So, given timeline order, I'm trying to really place these events in the timeline this time. I think certain things hit differently watching just after having seen Return of the Jedi. I've seen "Jedi" like a zillion (hyperbole) times because back in the day we had it on VHS and my brother watched it practically every day. But, I had not rewatched that movie much in the era in which I first saw The Mandlorian, so there was some disconnect.

So, I understand that the events of the Season One of The Mandalorian when he gets the bounty for "The Child", take place about 5 years after the destruction of the Second Death Star (Return of the Jedi) and about 9 years ABY (after the Battle of Yavin) and the destruction of First Death Star (A New Hope.)

There's also a flashback that indicates this Mandalorian, Din Djarin, was a child when the Separatist droid army was about during the Clone Wars. But he was not yet "of age" at that time and says that he later took on the Mandalorian Creed when he came of age. So, I estimate he was around 10 or younger in that era.

The end of the Clone Wars with Order 66 and Empire Day was 19 BBY, I've read. So 10 (ish) + 19 +9 = 38. The character is possibly in his 30s, but maybe 40.

For reference, Luke, Leia, and Ezra are born within days of each other and are 19 around the time of the Battle of Yavin. They would be 28ish during the events of The Mandalorian Season One. (The Force was pissed off around that time day and was like, "And you'll be an amazing pilot with high empathy, you'll have off-the-charts insight, you'll be really, really good at jumping!")

Some things we know Din Djarin did in the past: Was from a planet called Aq Vetina (name provided in other sources not the show). He probably doesn't like droids because the Separatist droid army attacked his world and murdered his parents. He was rescued by Mandalorians. They were specifically some of the Death Watch Mandalorians. He says he was trained in the Fighting Corps. He must be aware that Mandalore fell under Imperial Control at the same time that the Clone Wars ended. (Ahsoka and her Clones as allies of Bo-Katan and her Mandalorians had freed it from Maul and those Mandalorians aligned with him, but like that same day Order 66 happened and the Empire was established.) So, he probably isn't fond of the Empire, either. He came of age, took the Creed, possibly spent some time apprenticed to his master who trained him out in the galaxy. He spent some time (apparently after apprenticeship ended??) doing some type of underworld jobs for hire with the likes or Ran, Qin and, Xi'an. He also spent a fair amount of time on Tatooine to the point that he can communicate with the Tuskens. And he is certainly informed of the events of the Purge of Mandalore (a genocide circa 4 ABY-5 ABY) and the specific "Night of a Thousand Tears" in 5 ABY. Meaning that's recent memory! Like, roughly in the era when the Second Death Star was being built and destroyed, the Mandalorians were busy with the Empire committing a genocide against them and having their planet glassed. Din Djarin is one of relatively few survivors of those events, The Children of the Watch likely having been on Concordia and not Mandalore proper. And he takes up bounty hunting.

The first season of the series involves receiving the bounty for The Child, acquiring said child, delivering on the bounty, upgrading armor, rescuing the child from the bounty hunting guild's client, an imperial remnant, going on the run, realizing bounty hunters would keep being sent after them, and confronting the client, leading to the reveal that Moff Gideon is involved with pursuing the child and happens also to be among the Imperials involved with the Purge of Mandalore, making him a common adversary.

The child, later revealed to be called Grogu, is specifically said to be 50 years old. He's of a species that ages differently, but would be older than Din Djarin, although still in a juvenile stage. Ahsoka's account as well as a later flashback reveals he was at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant at the time of Order 66 when the Empire was formed. Grogu would have been merely (50 - 28 = ) 22 years old then. (Ahsoka would have been about 17 then and Din Djarin probably 5-ish years younger than her.) It wasn't clear if Ahsoka had actually met Grogu at the temple, or was relaying information she sensed from him. We know that Grogu had assistance in escaping the attack on the temple, but what happens after that is mainly unrevealed, until he came to the attention of the Imperial remnants and bounty hunters.

In Season 2 Din Djarin and Grogu are on their mission to find Jedi via finding other Mandalorian survivors who may have information about Jedi and encounter Bo-Katan of House Kryze, who begins to educate them somewhat on the differing practices of various Mandalorian Clans and such. I don't know if she has a canon age, but I'd estimate Bo-Katan is at least as old as Ahsoka (45-ish during events of The Mandalorian.) They also spend some time helping clean up the planet of Nevarro where they happen into clues to a genetics/cloning plot in which Moff Gideon likely had Dr. Pershing use blood previously taken from Grogu to attempt to transfer his M-count and thus force sensitivity to other individuals. Eventually they encounter former Jedi Ashoka Tano, an then later Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight...or was he styled Master by then?

TL;DR The New Republic is really quite new, the Purge of Mandalore is in recent memory, and everyone saw the destruction of the Second Death Star on their holos. There are "Imperial Remnants" sometimes passing as independent warlords still operating, often in the Outer Rim. There are still some number of science programs attempting to clone individuals and/or to transfer M-count blood and genetics from one individual to another. The Mandalorian dispora is torn on what their collective path should be.

(Gideon's plans for Grogu seem similar to work that Hemlock was doing in "Project Necromancer" in The Bad Batch, where Omega was sought for having blood or genetics that was a suitable "binder" for M-Count transfer, though she herself did not have the high M-count. Omega, if not deceased, would probably roughly the same age as Din Djarin still being a child at the end of the Clones Wars and having joined the Rebel Alliance sometime in adulthood; she's probably also roughly as old as Boba Fett, to whom she is closely genetically related.)

The first two seasons do somewhat share a format in which the wandering hero's travel around with a specific goal, face challenges and encounter allies, some tragedy happens, and then they need to call on those allies they met along the way to help them get through or past the tragedy.

It's a formula that works. It's on some level just the "Mythic Journey" pattern, where one goes out from their status quo, there's a road of challenges, some aid or assistance may also present itself, there's a difficult confrontation or tragedy of some type (like the episode title will be like "The Tragedy" or "The Reckoning" or such) , this is like that low point on the circular graphic illustrating this patterns, and then they'll have to call in all the allies they made along the way for some big job to save the day in a finale episode. Next Season there's a new normal status quo.

I always liked the way the show looked. It is generally space-western in aesthetics, with some trappings of deviations into something like some level of technoir or like space-samurai. IDK someone knows the subgenre terms better than me. It's Star Wars. But, I mean, compared to a series like Andor, set in the same universe and galaxy, the specific locations they visit in this show are often more rocky and deserty and less what looks like a northern industrial town and the capital and the juxtaposition of those two. Like, they aren't going off to space Ibiza (Niamos.) A lot of the architecture they visit is earthen structures with rounded corners. Occasionally they'll go to a planet that is a little more dense with vegetation and see oppressed villagers and have a conversation about the ills of colonialism for resource extraction.

Something that occurred to me more in this rewatch, having just watched Return of the Jedi, is how little things like the eye-droid at the door aren't callbacks to something from decades ago. That's just probably contemporary technology to them. There's used, somewhat worn speeder bikes available, like what probably got stolen or salvaged from the Empire during its fall. Mandalorian coverts are taking a lot of time and care to track down and recycle Beskar, because they can't just mine it on their world anymore since the Purge, still in recent memory, and they are aware some amount of it was looted from their world where many Houses and Clans were completely wiped out.

There's numerous stunt sequences on moving vehicles such as we've seen in Solo, or in several Indiana Jones movies, or older Westerns involving train or stagecoach heists.

What's the origin for the whole trope of running through spacestation/ship corridors? I mean, A lot of Science Fiction does that, like Star Trek and Stargate both have their share of defense or infiltration large spaceship scenes. Does this go back to like castle settings? Where your set is just so many halls and staircases to fight through? I expect it's maintained by so many dungeon crawling games, whether more Science or Fantasy in aesthetics. Anyway, The Mandalorian certainly has its share of this type of scene, too.

"One X-wing?" Yeah. One. X-wing. It's a bit deus ex machina when Luke Skywalker shows up at the end of these two first seasons. But, I need to remember that this is like five years after Return of the Jedi. We would totally expect this hero that was involved with both Death Star's destructions and who is one of the very few Jedi remaining to be part of a Star Wars story set during this time.

But because production/release order is also a thing it necessitates either recast or this sort of deaging/virtual actor technology be used. And they did the latter. And, I guess that is the Luke Skywalker you would expect, even though sometimes they have recast in this franchise, as it is Mark Hamill in Return of the Jedi but also in the Sequel movies.

I also did try to see if I could tell which parts of the scenes were practical, the StageCraft, or other digital effects. It's all well put together. I think most exteriors and exterior views through doors and windows are the Stagecraft projections. I think the floor is real. I think most prop and costume pieces are real. I think Grogu is parts puppet, animatronics, and digital CGI tweaks to get more expressions. Pretty sure light and dark sabers are an after-effect situation.

Mostly it looks good, but if you know to look for it sometimes it starts to seem like characters can only walk so far toward something before there's a cut and you see their action from another angle.

I'm not sure about when ships are flying around. A lot of old Star Wars had actual models that were filmed and then that layer had to be combined with others for the final scene. They may sometimes now just be looking at CGI ships on a wall or ceiling of screen??

I can't tell. And that's fine. We're supposed to be able to suspend disbelief.

But I like that they had matte paintings and models and puppets. I genuinely like that people had to craft props and dress sets and such.

There's still artists involved in all these effects technologies. It's still nerdy, but maybe less "crafty"?

Anyway this is so long and rambling. This is one of my favorite Star Wars series. Like, so many are good, seriously, but The Mandalorian is just a really comforting show to watch, even if the characters deal with some distressing types of history and politics that may or may not be analogous to things in our world. It leans into the whole adventure serial format, but without imitating poorly aged elements of the genre like a character's whole origin story is "went to The Orient and learned hypnotism and gained the power to cloud men's minds."

And, like I've said in other posts about my Star Wars rewatch, if you watch in Timeline Order, the child exploitation is baked right in. It goes away as a theme for the Original Trilogy and then it comes back and everyone's trying to kidnap this one 50-year-old toddler for bounty money or to steal his blood for science or to re-kidnap him from kidnappers. It's a whole thing.

But, here, there's a strong opposing theme of characters who genuinely show concern for this child and are willing to protect him. The nearest thing I think thematically is Omega in The Bad Batch. Imperials wanted her either to manipulate Nala Se or to get her blood as a binder for their experiments. But, she had like a whole squad of younger big brothers.

Grogu has a younger dad.

It's kinda funny if you think about it too much, which I have. But Grogu does have people who want to protect him, and also to enable him to protect himself. It gives the show a comforting vibe. And so many masculine characters are allowed to show their emotions. Like, even if you can't see their face, you can hear their inflection. They can express if they are angry, sure, but also if worried or sad or concerned. And they are still badass.

Like, imagine if someone had really, really, protected Anakin without having any ulterior motives or expecting him to do some chosen thing. Imagine if they'd had empathy for his attachment and told him it's normal to have attachment and fear of loss, but important to accept those feelings and understand change and death are natural. We can do the best with what we have while we have it and appreciate that all the more because it is worldly and transitory. Imagine them saying it's fine if he's attached to Padme or Obi-Wan or Ahsoka or R2. He's allowed to spend time with them. Jedi can just do that and enjoy each moment.

Grogu is more in a situation like Ezra where he's allowed to go a bit dark when under pressure. That would probably be normal in their world. Like, if you are in a cell and masked, armored soldiers are holding you against your will, it would be understandable to lash out and push them. Yoda is not present to say fear leads to the dark side blah blah. Sure, but it's now proven that that's not necessarily a one-way path. Luke and Vader showed us. You can come back out of that rabbithole. You can listen to a spooky holocron or Sith Lord for a while, but you can also have awkward interactions with family and realize there are better things to do and places you are most needed.

(Granted the harm you did in the past was still harm and those involved are not required to forgive you, but you, a person, can find a way to be a better person who stops harm or benefits others, and allows others to choose to help you.)

Anyway, I have so many feelings about all these fictional characters.

I'm going to watch Book of Boba Fett next, before The Mandalorian Season Three, which seems the chronological order.

[karanseraph]

Still continuing my rewatch of Star Wars in Timeline Order. I'm on Return of the Jedi (1983, 1997) <-not sure how to most properly indicate, but it's the now default Special Edition version.

I actually watched this movie twice last night, but I was doing other things at the same time and it was late, so I'm just going to rewatch it *again* to focus on my "timeline" impressions.

Is the video/film actually of different quality? Or is this early scene in the Imperial hangar just really well lit or something? Darth Vader looks so shiny here. This movie has a lot of Imperial pagentry.

Theepio and Artoo on Tatooine, again; still funny every time they end up back on this planet together where their paths first vaguely crossed in The Phantom Menace, having been associated with "maker" Anakin and Queen Amidala's Naboo starship respectively.

Puppet Jabba is so good! Like, I know in Timeline Order we've seen the Hutts, including Jabba, in animation and Jabba did appear in the restored scene in A New Hope as a CG type character. But the big puppet looks so good. And he's got the little Salacious puppet next to him. I know this means he can't move as much, so it's not practical for all characters, but he just looks so convincing to me. (They didn't maybe touch him up in the 90s??)

Luke Skywalker Jedi Knight educating us all on how to compose a resume cover letter! He's just decided he's a Knight, I guess??

Side note: the Original Trilogy movies give me so much nostalgia because when I see the costume changes from one scene to the next I often think about how there was a separate toy for that. Like X-Wing pilot Luke, and Bespin outfit Luke, and Jedi darks Luke were all separate figures.

The musical number is the updated version. Not sure I love it, personally. (Did they release this in 3D or something once? There's some super-close-ups of the singers.)

"Boussh" shows up with Chewbacca. Infamous thermal detonator scene. Although...I think in Timeline Order this has been done before??

The carbonation tray has some oscilloscope-looking bit on it.

It's hilarious how Jabba and minions were just hiding in an alcove waiting to surprise Leia and Han. I skipped back to rewatch the scene and the shot of Leia as Boussh entering the room does clearly show Jabba's usual place is vacated. And then Leia does appear to glance in the direction of the curtained area near Han's display as if maybe she suspects someone is behind there. The curtained area is also clearly visible and closed as she steps back to view the unfreezing. Jabba just waits so quietly until they try to leave then, "Ho ho ho ho ho!" And then, when the camera is on Han, we see another curtain was opened across the room, revealing more of Jabba's crew! Like they all just cozied up in these sleeping (?) alcoves until someone tried to free Han. It's so funny.

Then Luke shows up in a cloak all reminiscent of his father with his shadow entering a room before him. We're still in the unresolved plotline of will Luke turn to the dark or can Anakin be turned toward the light?

Slave outfit Leia. Not as new when in timeline order they also made Ahsoka do this and Hera and multiple other Twi-lek characters dealt with the reality of many of them being in servitude.

I think this rancor is still a tiny handpuppet. They might have cleaned up the effect? IDK. But it looks good.

Now Jabba has to go John Wick and take the whole gang out on his barge to be executed in the sarlacc pit for this outrage of killing the pet rancor.

I think some of these barge and Sarlacc scenes got digitally tweaked in the 90s.

"Hey, Luke, Nice boots."

I know others and myself have posted about this, but in timeline order Artoo being able to launch a lightsaber from a hidden compartment is an old trick. It's still cool. In this order, it's clear the old trick is going to happen and then we can all get the reference.

"A little higher!" is still a not infrequent quote in our family, and I imagine in others, whenever something needs to be a little higher. Is Lando's guard outfit the same guard outfit that Beckett wore on Kessel??

I think in production/release order the first appearance of the Emperor in person is here, but in Timeline Order it's like: "Oh, sure we all know Darth Sidious/Sheev Palpatine."

Puppet Yoda. Did they tweak the puppet? IDK. I think he's mostly puppet.

OK, so in Timeline Order we know that Yoda, a Jedi Master, exiled himself after failing to stop/defeat Palpatine/Sidious. And, he's telling Luke not to underestimate the Emperor's power. But like, is Yoda counting on Vader being in that fight? Because sending Luke to confront them both sounds ludicrous. I know Yoda only tells him to confront Vader. But Vader's likely to take Luke to the Emperor.

Artoo's looking kinda shiny. I guess Luke both provides proper maintenance and is able to keep him out of the swamps these days.

"From a certain point of view." Classic.

Did Obi-Wan take it upon himself to train Anakin and think he could train him as well as Yoda? I mean, we're kinda leaving out, in Timeline Order, that Qui-Gon had any part in the recruitment of the precognitive young pod-racer and that Obi-Wan did kinda get stuck together with him after Qui-Gon's death. I mean, maybe that's just one point of view.

When Yoda and Obi-Wan say "confront" and "face", Luke is making an assumption they mean "kill." But they don't correct this misunderstanding.

I guess Luke has some insight, too, like his sister.

Cut to the Rebel Alliance Fleet. They look so clean and colorful and have various matching uniforms and everything. They've come so far from "Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy" and when they were separate rebel cells using guerilla tactics on so many separate fronts. They aren't all mismatched and muddy anymore.

Also, I think in real world terms this white decor some of their interiors have was vaguely 60s inspired and "Modern", when this movie was was made in the 80's, but by happenstance it has a somewhat Y2K aesthetic now, because the late 90s borrowed from the 60's, as well, but made it a bit more silvery and tended to pair the interiors with black outfits with some sheen or shine.

Lando has to wear a cape.

Mon Mothma now portrayed by Caroline Blackiston and not Genevieve O'Reilly (who was only maybe 6 years old when Return of the Jedi was released, LOL). Timeline order gives us these reverse recasts. The costuming sells that it's the same character. Her appearance is brief though.

Ackbar helps explain the plans. It's kinda underwhelming how well they all seem to be taking the fact that there's a second Death Star. And maybe there's a story about it. But just watching the series and movies, it's like: "Did they do a Contact and build two at twice the price? Or, has enough time passed that the Empire was able to begin new construction of this version?" Like, for the plot of the movie itself it doesn't matter. But as a lore issue it's like, wasn't the previous one like 15+ years in development? I know they learned a lot in the process, but it doesn't seem it's been very long. And thanks to Bothans they know where this one is and that the Emperor will be visiting.

Skywalker family sensing each other through the Force.

Endor, the Sanctuary Forest Moon of Endor.

OK, in production/release order, Return of the Jedi was the first appearance of speeder bikes, yes? I remember this scene being so cool to watch in theaters. Like, some special feature explained how they walked slowly through Northern California with their cameras and then everything got sped up for the movie. The sound design really sells it. But, in Timeline Order, I think we've seen various models of speeder bike before. "Oh, sure, speeder bikes, we all know about speeder bikes." Pretty sure Ezra and Sabine disguised themselves as Imperial speeder scouts.

R2 is navigating California Redwood forests of Endor without use of flight thrusters. But I guess that would be a big fire hazard. (although blasters and lightsabers are in use.)

Wicket! OK, I think I posted on this before, but Warwick Davis was literally a kid when he played Wicket. Like, 13 by the time the movie was released, I think.

Seriously, what happened to Ewoks? They were a big deal in the 80s and then it's like the franchise doesn't want to revisit all that so much. (Like, we're past the fear that a segment of fans will complain Ewoks exist just to sell plush toys, because we have Grogu. Also I did have a Wicket plush toy when I was a kid and there's nothing wrong with that!) Though, I understand that there's a brief cameo in Rise of Skywalker where an older Wicket is played by Warwick Davis.

"He will come to me?" James Earl Jones gave such a curious reading on that line.

They really made Chewbacca the Scooby of this movie having him fall for the meat trap.

Another culture mistaking a character for a deity is sure a trope.

Ewoks were legit going to eat these people??

Cannibalistic plush toys!

Also, there's certainly a beautiful nerdy population of people who will just conlang for fictional media.

"...friends, not food!"

Leia has "images" and "feeling" about her birth mother? The she was "kind but sad"? Wow. She really has super high insight to have gathered all that at the moment of her birth!

Also, notice that although Leia was the one who sent Artoo to Obi-Wan which led to Luke traveling with the older man to rescue the beautiful girl in the hologram that we don't see scenes of Leia telling Luke about the adventure she had with Ben when she was about 10 and all the Jedi tricks he used to do. And she doesn't mention that Obi-Wan had been their mother's friend and some portion of the information Leia has about her mother came from Ben or possibly her father Bail??

Luke goes off to confront Vader. "I must obey my master" seems so assertive. Like, for real, what is the mechanic there? Like, is it actually compelled behavior like a command spell or more like suggestion, or is it just fear of the force lightning punishment that may come?

Cut back to the Rebel Alliance Fleet where we left Lando and Ackbar. Also Nien Nunb is there. This part of the movie has a lot of cutting between interspersed scenes of the fleet, squad on Endor Moon of Endor, and Luke's visit to the Death Star.

Weirdly, as iconic as the Emperor's throne room scenes in the movie are, what this evokes for me now is the Lego Star Wars games and how you had to partner operate elements in the room and such.

Ian McDiarmid was only in his late 30s or early 40s in the 80s, so he was in heavy age make-up to play Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi (1983). But then, he was in his 50s in the Prequel movies, sometimes appearing with little effects makeup? But, then he was in his 70's to play the version of Palpatine in Rise of Skywalker (2019). Is he an outlier in not needing a recast because he initially appeared as a young actor in age makeup before later appearing as an older actor in prequels?

(Can we make the special special edition and it's just editing C1-10P into all the movies and hearing Filoni cackling "chop chop chop"?) <- serious/not serious

"from the redwood forests to the gulf stream water this land was made for you and me"

"It's a trap!"

Palpatine is such a creep.

This forest is so droid accessible.

Wedge is Red Leader in this one.

"Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station!"

This is like the downturn part of the plot. The dark moment of the Death Star being operational, Ewok's dying, and Palpatine telling Luke how much it's his destiny to be his servant and how his friends will not survive. "My young apprentice." "Ha ha ha ha ha!"

(Somewhere the not-ghost of Maul is not-saying "I learned it from watching you!")

In release/production order, Luke's current light saber may have been the first green one. But others had such. Ezra after Kanan's injury. Kanan. Ahsoka at one point. Qui-Gon. Yoda.

What's the doomy, sad score bit that plays when Luke and Vader duel?

Ah, this parallel with the hand again.

The design of this throne room over the reactor shaft is so wacky. Like, there's a catwalk with railings that don't appear to provide much safety, but then there's an edge that just has some canister like bits and no railing.

Yes, Vader, look at your son being tortured, look at your Master, look at your son, look at the Emperor. "No!"

These scenes of the Falcon flying inside the Death Star look cool.

Oh, no the Super Star Destroyer model is falling into the Death Star model!

Anakin "Let me look on your with my own eyes" Skywalker is suddenly played by Sebastian Shaw.

The power core thingie of the Death Star being destroyed vaguely reminds me of that scene in Tron, which was a movie released just a year prior, so given production time was not likely an influence, I guess. It's just like climactic battle against a cylinder was probably a thing that one could portray in 1980s video games and movies.

In Star Wars movies just kissing means you have kids in the future, I think. (But if you leave someone in your bed, it does not mean you have kids?)

(Side note: was Hera already pregnant when Kanan went to rescue her and she confessed love to him? Like they had very clearly been a couple the whole time. The Impys don't mandatory test for pregnancy before interrogation procedures?)

Fireworks!

Much rejoicing...around the galaxy. This is one of the tweaked scenes, right?

Hayden Christensen?! I mean, yes, the real Anakin we always knew is now a force ghost with Obi-Wan and Yoda even though he had no special training from Qui-Gon or weird priestesses, because his slaying of Darth Sidious and subsequent death just made it so through the Force, I guess.

I like this movie. Return of the Jedi is fun. I can mock bits of it because I love it. And my brain vaguely remembers the not tweaked version.

Peeps, The Mandalorian is next in Timeline Order! Seeing The Mandolorian & Grogu in May is what inspired me to start rewatching Star Wars. I got up through Ahsoka Season 1 before going back to Young Jedi Adventures to start in Timeline Order.

[karanseraph]

More star Wars Timeline Order rewatching with The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Luke is still such a newbie at the beginning of Empire, even considering there's some amount of time skipped between movies. Can't use the force or sensors to detect life well enough to prevent getting nabbed by a lifeform.

The current iteration of the Alliance is so much nicer to the roguish Solo than they were to the roguish Andor. Like, maybe we're to think that Yavin was so much more a secret in its time than Hoth? But, still, the Rebels aren't trying to get found. But the General is so chipper about Solo having a death mark and just needing to leave. Like they got an HR department now to protect the Rebel Alliance by making sure they aren't the ones exploiting children or holding people against their will simply because they are useful. It's afterward they determine that no ships should leave before the energy sheld goes up.

In Timeline order, Ben's force ghost mentioning Yoda is like "Oh, yes, Yoda, we all know Yoda." Whereas in production order Yoda would be this mysterious Jedi we know nothing about.

Maybe Luke just isn't great at scouting, because he's really quite a good pilot.

Another timeline weirdness (and maybe it's for budget or aesthetic choices) is that Old Republic had a lot of communication via holo. And in some series, this seems to continue to be the common tech, like in Rebels, yet in Andor and Rogue One both there's a prevalence of radio and even telegram like pulse code devices. Even imperials are often calling each other on view screens. Like it's all very "kitbashed 1970s" style. But in Empire, we see the holo technology coming back (in timeline order), where a tiny Vader will appear to give orders or the Emperor will channel the Wizard of Oz.

Also, apparently between movies the Empire received intel that the pilot who destroyed their Death Star is named Skywalker and is definitely/probably the son of Anakin. This is obviously known but important to the audience in timeline order, whereas in production order it's like more vague who Anakin is...someone who was a pilot in the Clone Wars and was murdered by Vader?

Also, wasn't Artoo with Yoda when he first investigated Dagobah? Like R2-D2 was specifically the droid that escorted Master Yoda on his investigations inspired by the voice of Qui-Gon. So, Yoda is just pretending not to recognize Artoo, because they are both kinda trolling Anakin's kid.

I think Leia's time in the asteroid creature thingie and Luke's time on Dagobah are both symbolically (but literally) a cave and/or belly of the beast stage on a mythic journey. Luke's moment is confronting a dark side of himself which is also in a sense his father and perhaps the potential for a confrontation between them to be deadly, but also the potential for one of them to become more like the other, I think, while Leia's test is more about how much to allow herself to give in to a handsome scoundrel when there's so much anti-imperial work to do.

The scene with the bounty hunters is funny, because in production order, these are all such random nobody characters. But in Timeline order it's like "Oh, yes, all these bounty hunters we all know!"

Also, side note: The CGI characters in movies can be a good thing and there are talented artists that work in that, but puppetry when done well is so great! Like it just has a different look. I think, these days, like at least since Dark Crystal Age of Resistance era and in The Mandalorian, they combine the practical puppets with CG enhancement. Best of both.

Also, I still kinda disagree with Yoda's "There is no try." I mean, I think it's more positive to frame it as succeeding at a goal or else learning from the attempt. Because even an attempt or progress short of a planned goal can be positive or educational or just turn out other than expected. The idea of telling students they do or will fail is kinda cold. Like, I'm saying this as someone who suffers with perfectionism that leads to choice paralysis and being too anxious to even begin a process until I am informed how to do it the best most right way. "Succeed, or learn, there is no fail" seems a healthier mantra.

Lando is suddenly Billy Dee Williams.

If I was writing The Empire Strikes Back after Solo movie existed, I probably would have included Qi'ra. As of now, I don't know what happened to that character except that she was Han's childhood friend who also got sucked into the world of scoundrels and smugglers, but ended up working for Maul. But Maul was apparently killed by Kenobi on Tatooine sometime BBY. So, I might have written her into the bounty hunter aspect of this movie. It's possible she's meant to have been killed off, but we don't know that as of now.

But, interesting, in timeline order, we totally know Vader was Anakin and that Anakin had dealings with various Hutts in the past, so Vader allowing Fett to take Solo to Jabba makes sense that he'd grasp how the underworld works and that it's better for the government to allow them to exist so long a they operate in a reliably predictable way that gives the Empire an excuse to point to a need for order.

The light saber style Vader uses is consistent with his recent previous (timeline order) appearances where he uses a very blunt, forceful downward striking movement. There's no fancy twirling. He doesn't do back-flips anymore. It's just beating on an opponent with a laser.

The reveal is not surprising in timeline order. It's more like: "Finally! Finally they figured this out and revealed it."

Also the hand thing follows on from the hints on Dagobah. The future's still in motion. Luke and Vader may yet become more like each other or destroy each other.

And when, soon after confronting Vader/his father Luke reaches out to Leia through the Force and she is able to sense it, that's a hint that they're close to figuring that out too. (Because even though Anakin and a few other characters had known Padme was pregnant, she was apparently not expecting twins, and only a few characters like Bail, Obi-Wan and Yoda knew Padme bore twins.)

Lando certainly did a heel face turn in this movie.

Ta Da! John Williams score plays over the credits.

I so wish they did more with Leia and the Force. Like she needn't have wielded it the same way. In Kenobi series she's super-insightful, which I take to be her aptitude in the Force, as opposed to the precognition that makes one good at piloting or dueling with lightsabers, or the jumpy stuff that Ezra, Yoda, and others were good at.