Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 30, 2020, 05:35:18 PM
A new Jedi (ish, if you know Ahsoka's backstory) character would have worked just as well. There was nothing about this role specific to her character.

Maybe, but it wouldn't have made fans as happy. Also, since Ahsoka is not, technically, a Jedi, having her around does not conflict with Yoda's statement about there not being any more Jedi except Luke and Leia. Though Yoda was not all-knowing.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 30, 2020, 05:35:18 PM
The idea of Thrawn really makes me wince. I don't like the character, and we already have an Imperial Remnant baddie with a master plan. Tossing Thrawn in there threatenes to water down the Moff Gideon character.

I like Thrawn, but it remains to be seen what role he will play. It is possible that Ahsoka wants to find Thrawn because Ezra Bridger went missing along with him. It is also possible that there will be a conflict between Thrawn and the New Republic that forms the backdrop to ongoing storylines. Mando trying to live on the edges of that conflict could be interesting.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 30, 2020, 05:35:18 PM
The Beskar steel being resistant, at this point it looks to be totally impervious, to blasters and lightsabers makes the Stormtrooper armor even more comical in comparison. I'd like to see Stormtrooper armor deflect or absorb a shot once in a while, and show that there's a reason to wear it, and Beskar not to be a complete counter to energy weapons. So far Beskar's only drawback is it's rarity.

Mando's pure beskar armor will stop blaster fire, but he still gets beat to shit underneath it. He nearly died at the end of Season 1. And if that spear was lightsaber-proof, his armor should have been also.

As for Empire-era Stormtrooper armor, it is probably more riot control armor than anything else. Useful for stopping improvised weapons and instilling fear in civilians. It is inferior to Republic Commando armor.

Was watching it with my youngest and she said, "that doesn't look anything like Ahsoka, except for the hat".  She's not wrong.

If I could get rid of one thing from the Prequels, it's the dumb idea that fear leads to the dark side. I'll take 15 Midicholorean references instead.

Overall though, the episode had a bunch of structural problems, most significantly was the intro sequence. There's no reason for Ahsoka, who's been fighting armies since she was a teenager to be sneaking through the forest murdering four random mooks. It would have been better to start the episode with Mando landing and using the time to setup the situation more (like who was that random dude that become king at the end of the episode). Then Ahsoka's reveal could have been when she fights Mando. This would have also gotten rid of the silly "You have one day" ... One day to do what, exactly?

Quote from: hedgehobbit on November 30, 2020, 09:01:21 PM

If I could get rid of one thing from the Prequels, it's the dumb idea that fear leads to the dark side. I'll take 15 Midicholorean references instead.

That predates the Prequels. It was around at least as far back as ESB, and may have been mentioned in ANH (but I don't think it was).

Quote from: HappyDaze on November 30, 2020, 09:06:40 PMThat predates the Prequels. It was around at least as far back as ESB, and may have been mentioned in ANH (but I don't think it was).

The quote in ESB is about using the Force out of fear or anger, not that if you are afraid of something then you'll automatically join to the Dark side. Those are two entirely different things.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on November 30, 2020, 09:39:47 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on November 30, 2020, 09:06:40 PMThat predates the Prequels. It was around at least as far back as ESB, and may have been mentioned in ANH (but I don't think it was).

The quote in ESB is about using the Force out of fear or anger, not that if you are afraid of something then you'll automatically join to the Dark side. Those are two entirely different things.

There's a part in the 1975 draft of the script that stuck with me.

QuoteAs you know, the "FORCE OF OTHERS" has two halves: Ashla, the good, and Bogan, the paraforce or evil part. Fortunately, Skywalker came to know the good half and was able to resist the paraforce; but he realized that if he taught others the way of the Ashla, some, with less strength, might come to know Bogan, the dark side, and bring unthinkable suffering to the Universe.

https://www.starwarz.com/starkiller/adventures-of-the-starkiller-second-draft/
(For anyone confused. Lucas shuffled names and concepts around while writing the original drafts. You'll find names from the finished films assigned to different characters.)

The point that I think persisted through the OT and Prequel series is that a Jedi who falls into negative emotions has access to great power to act out of those negative emotions. The consequences of a regular person being obsessed or fearful or angry can be bad enough, but a person with Force powers doing so magnifies it. And the "Dark Side" is a reinforcement loop where the emotions fuel more power to do more things until the character is all glowing eyes and Force choking their wife.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on November 30, 2020, 09:39:47 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on November 30, 2020, 09:06:40 PMThat predates the Prequels. It was around at least as far back as ESB, and may have been mentioned in ANH (but I don't think it was).

The quote in ESB is about using the Force out of fear or anger, not that if you are afraid of something then you'll automatically join to the Dark side. Those are two entirely different things.

Or they are entirely related things that just got more explicitly restated later. Which is the only possible true way...from a certain point of view.

This one really seemed like a side pilot for The Ahsoka Show. Which is fine, I guess. Like the CSI episode that was a pretty damn obvious pilot for CSI: Miami.

Thrawn reference pushed every button in the best way. Not too proud to admit they are playing me like a damn fiddle this season.

Tim Olyphant? Boom.
Darktroopers? Boom.
Thrawn AND Hicks? Boooooom.

Quote from: Thornhammer on November 30, 2020, 11:39:04 PM
This one really seemed like a side pilot for The Ahsoka Show. Which is fine, I guess. Like the CSI episode that was a pretty damn obvious pilot for CSI: Miami.

An Ahsoka show would be tough to do as you'd always need to keep coming up with reasons why she doesn't just join up with Luke Skywalker. IMO, they should have left her dead after her Vader fight. Dying while fighting Vader is a much better exit for the character than whatever they can come up with now.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on December 01, 2020, 08:37:22 AM
IMO, they should have left her dead after her Vader fight. Dying while fighting Vader is a much better exit for the character than whatever they can come up with now.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on November 30, 2020, 09:01:21 PM
If I could get rid of one thing from the Prequels, it's the dumb idea that fear leads to the dark side. I'll take 15 Midicholorean references instead.

Ha! It's not as dumb as Star Trek's "no money" idea, but yeah. Fear is natural, and good. It's how you react to it that defines you.

The alternative is being so detached that you're clueless, which was ultimately the downfall of the Jedi Order in the prequels.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on December 01, 2020, 08:37:22 AM
An Ahsoka show would be tough to do as you'd always need to keep coming up with reasons why she doesn't just join up with Luke Skywalker.

Or conversely, why she doesn't just go home to her family once the Empire has fallen.

Though, answering that question could make for good drama. Maybe her family is dead. Maybe they view her walking away from the Jedi Order as a failure or a disgrace. Maybe she hasn't seen them since she was five, because the Jedi were supposed to be her new family.

Maybe when she finally got home, it wasn't the same place she left.

Quote from: Thornhammer on November 30, 2020, 11:39:04 PM
This one really seemed like a side pilot for The Ahsoka Show. Which is fine, I guess. Like the CSI episode that was a pretty damn obvious pilot for CSI: Miami.

It's not that different from how they introduced Cara Dune.

Mandalorian 14, Stormtroopers 0. Spoilers on Monday.

Quote from: Lurkndog on December 02, 2020, 10:40:46 AM
It's not that different from how they introduced Cara Dune.

I don't remember if they had Cara Dune namedrop the Big Bad Bastard she was specifically chasing after.  "I'm chasing Thrawn" is a pretty meaty hook to throw out there.

Mando again is playing backup in his own series. The GM running this sure loves showing off his NPCs.