Two weeks later, I worry Barriss's half of Tales of the Empire lacks staying power. It's something after eleven years, but not enough.
It confirmed what Barriss fans knew the whole time, that Barriss cherished the ideals of the Jedi and is not irredeemably evil, especially when compared to other servants of the Empire. But it didn't do much to convince casual fans, it's too short to explore her thoroughly and didn't build interest in her character. I've been picking apart her brain for a decade, I don't expect average viewers to know what I know and TotE didn't show them.
It also doesn't leave much room for future appearances. Considering Lyn's desertion and Ahsoka's implied involvement, Ep 6 takes place anywhere between the Kenobi show and Twilight of the Apprentice, 9-3 BBY. Maybe ANH at the latest since we don't know exactly when Ahsoka left Malachor or what she did after. Since Lyn looks exactly the same, the shorter time skip seems more probable, but that's not conclusive. Barriss presumably lived in that snowy area for a few years to become known locally, and went unnoticed by the inquisitors since her escape. She isn't actively involved with the Rebellion.
Then there's her ambiguous death. I know it's Star Wars, nothing is unsurvivable and Barriss could return Somehow, but this is getting absurd. Barriss sent away her attendants and told them not to come back, implying she didn't expect to survive, she seems accepting as Lyn holds her, and her breathing stops. Animation isn't easy, they could've picked any environment for this episode, they chose a snowy area where breath becomes visible so it could be seen stopping. This franchise should not rely on its audience expecting increasingly implausible fake-outs.
If she's dead, there's nothing left to do. If she's alive, she's also unusually aged, possibly due to sacrificing her lifespan for healing purposes. That's not confirmed or textually supported, it's just people guessing about a visibly extreme change, and I don't have any better explanation. Her unnamed attendants call her "wise mother", fans are saying she's a milf now. Guys, she's in her late-20s to mid-30s depending on what year this is. Barriss looks older than Luminara, and Mirialans can live ~3x longer than humans, aging so much from stress seems unlikely. She's not just aging worse than Obi-Wan, she's aging worse than the clones. She'll probably keep sacrificing herself to death in a decade at this rate, limiting what can be done with her.
For another thing, I've only seen one person make fanart with Barriss's latest look. I know people generally like the haircut, but the outfit sure didn't leave much impression. A new hood & robes reconnecting her to her culture would've been more appropriate. She didn't get any more tattoos suggestive of later adventures, either.
Looking around at the fan response, the interest in Barriss plummeted within a week of the premiere, nobody new got invested. Barriss fans won the battle and lost the war.
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