Following the climactic events of Starcourt Mall, the gang of Hawkins natives who battled the forces of the Upside Down have scattered across the country (and in some cases, the world), content with the knowledge that the threat has been neutralised. When a new threat emerges and a series of mysterious murders rock the town, the remaining Hawkins’ kids band together to uncover the source. Meanwhile in California, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) struggles to adapt to her new life away from Mike (Finn Wolfhard) as Joyce (Winona Ryder) uncovers a series of strange messages that could point to the location of a miraculously alive Hopper (David Harbour).
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin & Jamie Campbell Bower
Watch it now on Netflix
Netflix, 2022
Who would have thought that the Duffer Brothers humble little 80’s sci-fi homage would have turned into what Stranger Things is today: a totemic pillar of Netflix’s slate and a juggernaut of a show rivalling hits of recent years like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in its wild popularity. Season 4 is the best yet, bursting at the seams in its jumbo-sized penultimate adventure; the most mature the show has been and, despite its wealth of characters and plot lines, the most narratively focused since young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) first took that unfortunate trip to the Upside Down.
Like Season 3 before it, many years have passed since we last saw the kids from Hawkins, and the opening few episodes quickly establish that beyond their physical appearance, the show has matured with them to tackle larger issues. The threat of the Upside Down has never felt as monumental as it does here. Key culprit to that is Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), who essentially functions as the franchise’s Voldemort and leader of all the Demogorgons and other Upside Down nasties that have plagued our heroes since the very beginning.
Netflix, 2022
Apart from retroactively focusing the diverse cast of, mostly, one note villains in previous instalments, Vecna acts as a nice bridging point between two of the longest running mysteries the show has told: the Upside Down and the mysteries of the facility run by Dr Brenner – ‘Papa’ (Matthew Modine). Answers to both fly thick and fast (no spoilers here), leaving plenty of room to expand in the upcoming final season. It’s smart storytelling that goes beyond the simple pleasures of Vecna’s obvious similarities to one 80’s horror icon Freddy Krueger (including a cameo from Freddy himself, Robert Englund). Stalking his victims in a dream-like fugue state, Vecna torments the children he kills, following them through eerie visions of past traumas and a mysterious dilapidated house. These sequences are unabashedly pulled straight out of a Nightmare on Elm Street film and are all the better for it, with some of the most intense violence the series has ventured into and an excellently eerie soundtrack to the horror.
Whilst Vecna acts as a bridge between the Hawkins and California storylines, the mystery of Hopper feels strangely detached. Revealed in the Season 3 post-credits scene to be a prisoner in a Russian prison, David Harbour is at his finest in the character this time around, with an introspective, soul-bearing performance that really digs into the heart of the character and the trauma that he has overcome. These quieter moments help flesh out the emotional stakes while all the other excitement is going on in the States, but you can’t help but feel removed from the action during these scenes. The adult characters are confined to Russia for nearly the entire season, and whilst its always entertaining, it never feels essential; pulling us away from the far more investing goings-on with everyone else.
Netflix, 2022
Make no mistake, Hawkins is where the real meat of this season is. The mystery of Vecna is inexplicably tied to the town and, as usual, it falls on the motley crew of Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), Dustin (Gaten Mattarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) to get to the bottom of it. This time they’re joined by newcomer Eddie Munsen (Joseph Quinn), a heavy metal, D&D playing nerd with a heart of gold who gets caught up in the murder of a fellow student.
Therein lies perhaps the Duffer Brothers greatest strength: in casting and presenting these new characters in such a way that they instantly become beloved fan favourites. Eddie quickly joins the ranks of Dacre Montgomery’s Billy and Sean Astin’s affable Bob through an endearing relationship with Dustin and Mike. He’s essentially a father figure to them, shepherding the gang through the ups and downs of high school with tough love and an unhinged glee. Quinn’s performance is a lot to begin with, but as the season progresses his rough exterior slowly softens to reveal a damaged teen desperate for some agency over his own life. His arc simmers in the background, rather than being a focal showpiece, until a rousing moment of pure badass heavy-metal awesomeness brings it home with emotional heft and a sense of pure, elating fun.
Netflix, 2022
Then there’s Eleven. Largely on her own for the series and forced to relive the traumas of her time spent in the care of Papa, Bobby Brown doesn’t necessarily bring much new to the character here (the script doesn’t exactly allow for it) but is so supremely confident in the role at this point that you know you are in good hands with her regardless of where the narrative goes. It’s nice to see the series round out the contributions of Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser, in a kind of “Magneto and Professor X working together again” situation that adds to the gigantic scope the series is going for; this could very well be the end of Hawkins, and everyone needs to unite to save it.
When these disparate strands come together and the full scope of Stranger Things 4 emerges is when the show truly reveals itself at the top of its game. The conflict has never felt more personal to the inhabitants of Hawkins; they’ve taken big, impactful losses that will surely linger on the show going forward, and it all unites to create a season that feels essential, as if everything that came before was building up to this moment. Sure there’s the usual overabundance of characters that the show can’t possibly give enough time to and the Duffers play with our emotions a little too much (kill Steve and we riot), but as a whole, Season 4 of Stranger Things is the most entertaining, emotional and most importantly rewarding so far. This is event television done right: big, bold and willing to swing for the fences.
Captain Marvel super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) finds her dreams becoming reality when she stumbles across an ancient bangle passed down through her family; a bangle that bestows the user with cosmic powers. After a series of mishaps occur as she struggles to control her powers, Kamala finds herself on the run from the Damage Control department and a gang of other super-powered beings, desperately trying to balance her search to find herself with the pull to be a dutiful daughter and friend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 8 out of 10.
Starring: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Rish Shah, Mohan Kapur & Nimra Bucha
Watch it now on Disney+
Marvel Studios, 2022
For a while now it has seemed as if the old-school days of the MCU are over. Gone are the small-scale origin stories about men learning to work with ants and soldiers struggling to defeat skull-faced Nazis, replaced with the sprawling, world-ending stakes of the Avengers films. Hell even the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man himself – ever the small scale hero – is tackling purple aliens now instead of bank robbers. Ms. Marvel is a glorious return to that bygone form, perhaps not in the scope of its action but certainly in its story, which spans generations and yearns to show a different side of the MCU than audiences are perhaps used to. In doing so it becomes one of the studio’s best shows and indeed projects they’ve put out in some time.
The heart of Ms. Marvel lies in the charming family dynamic at its centre. The Khans are a tight-knit, loving group of people – there’s the touch overbearing matriarch Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), the effortlessly cool dad Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) and joker brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh) with his soon to be wife Tyesha (Travina Springer) – and they are a joy to spend time with, their relationships to Kamala in particular feeling authentic and lived-in. Fresh out of high-school herself, Iman Vellani is easily able to handle the typical teenage frustration of having your family insert themselves in your life and gives a bright, bubbly performance that is instantly endearing.
Marvel Studios, 2022
In a rare move for a Marvel Disney+ show, Ms. Marvel uses those early episodes not to establish some convoluted mystery that it will later fumble (Moon Knight), but to make you care about Kamala’s everyday familial and school struggles. This foundation makes it all the more impactful once the powers and villains are introduced to the story: things are already so hectic for Kamala, how can she possibly take on the pressure of super-powers? It’s a wise approach that ensures that the considerably pared back approach to the action (no alien armies or Egyptian gods here) still feels monumental in Kamala’s world. It’s not every day that you’re chased across the rooftops of New Jersey by drones and showrunner Bisha K. Ali wrings every last drop of fun out of these set-pieces.
Also worth noting is the fact that this is one of very few of these Disney+ Marvel series not to succumb to an incredibly rushed finale. The series drags a touch here and there and overextends at times in just how many characters it wants to introduce and give justice to but all the key beats of Kamala’s story feel earned. The representation of Kamala’s Pakistani culture is also a highlight of the series (a vibrant wedding dance set-piece is joyous). Never does the show feel like it includes it simply to say this is Marvel’s first Pakistani hero; the Khan’s culture and heritage are woven into the very fabric of the story. In a lot of ways their family life is universally relatable – who amongst us hasn’t had fought with friends or struggled with an overbearing parent – but the differences here serve to differentiate this as a unique piece of Marvel entertainment, one that justifies its existence as a wholly seperate piece of storytelling, rather than just a Pakistani version of Spider-Man.
Marvel Studios, 2022
After the multiverse-ending stakes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the over-the-top ridiculousness of Thor: Love and Thunder, Ms. Marvel is a breath of fresh air, a reprieve that feels both familiar in its origin story setting and unique enough to expand the MCU into a whole new direction. Iman Vellani shows great promise as one of the new young heroes to usher in a new era of Marvel and the rich familial story told here shows nothing but promise going forward. If you’re one of the people longing for the MCU before it became gigantic, you might just be surprised by this little marvel.
Having gruesomely dispatched the evil Nazi Stormfront (Aya Cash) in the previous season, the Boys have seemingly gone legit, with Hughie (Jack Quaid) toiling away in a superhero task force and the rest of the gang working as a CIA hit squad. The ever-gruff Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) however, remains committed to his crusade to end the Superman-adjacent Homelander (Antony Starr), joining forces with a disgruntled Maeve (Dominique McElligott) to search for a weapon capable of killing him. But when the original supe himself, Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) returns to the scene, Butcher spies an opportunity, pitting the veteran against his traitorous former team on a collision course for a showdown of the ages with Homelander himself.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Starring: Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Jack Quaid, Jensen Ackles, Erin Moriarty, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara & Chace Crawford.
Watch it now on Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Studios, 2022
With its third season, The Boys cements itself as the quintessential superhero counter-programming to the likes of Marvel and DC. Where those franchises threaten to collapse in on themselves with the introduction of television series and more content than even a super-hero could consume, Eric Kripke and his team continue to hone their gleefully deranged, wickedly funny send-up of the genre (future spin-offs not withstanding), all the while telling an endlessly engaging and evolving story of corruption and the madness revenge can cause. The third season might just be the best yet, with the series’ most mature story to date punctuated with pops of absurdist colour and unexpected musical numbers on the way to a conclusion that leads with good storytelling rather than the over-the-top gore the series is known for or the action-heavy slugfests of other genre fare (there’s still plenty of those to be had).
That isn’t to say that the series has lost its bite. Far from it. The premiere alone contains the most hilariously depraved scenes the show has attempted so far (that’s including impaled whales and giant, extendable penises) which we will not spoil here other than to say you are simply not ready for the experience. As someone who has seen a lot of things on-screen, even I had to wince and turn away at times, it was simply too uncomfortable. Outside of that, the gore is as plentiful as ever, Karl Urban still says the C-word a minimum 50 times an episode and the gross-out moments fly fast and thick. There’s also ‘Herogasm’, an episode and in-universe superhero orgy that dominates an entire episode. But things aren’t all that they seem here, rather than steer into an hour of over-the-top sex, the setting serves to accentuate the heavy emotional storytelling going on here. The Boys is dialling everything up to eleven, and the storytelling is no exception.
Amazon Studios, 2022
Kripke is a master of reinvention with his characters, consistently spinning them onto new exciting trajectories (it’s easy to see from his extensive work on Supernatural). Jack Quaid’s Hughie gets far more to do this time around with the introduction of Temporary V – a short term, 24 hour drug concoction imbuing the user with super-powers – and how these sudden bursts of power and responsibility impact his relationship with Erin Moriarty’s Starlight – ever the saviour in their relationship – is a highlight of the season. Urban’s Butcher is nicely expanded upon – a flashback scene provides some devastating backstory – calling into question his total commitment to winning no matter the cost and teasing some unexpected ways his character could evolve in the future.
Fellow Supernatural alumni Jensen Ackles is another excellent addition to the growing cast, as the PTSD-ridden, perpetually high Soldier Boy. Where Marvel and DC’s approach seems to be to consistently throw new characters into the mix, regardless of whether they sink or swim, The Boys excels at introducing one or two newbies and really rounding their characters out. Soldier Boy is no exception and Ackles brings the gravitas you would expect from a Captain America-like figure (“Hands off the fucking shield”) and plays it hilariously straight as he smokes, drinks and indulges himself in between dispatching his victims without a care in the world for modern-day niceties or social advancements.
Amazon Studios, 2022
But the true stand-out here and the show’s secret weapon continues to be Antony Starr as Homelander. It’s always a treat to dig deeper and deeper into the homicidal tendencies of his deeply troubled psyche and it’s amazing how much Starr can tell you about the character’s headspace through a simple flash of anger in the eyes. As far as TV villains go, Starr has cemented Homelander as an all-timer and should seriously be considered for an Emmy; taking something as pure and noble as Superman and warping it into this embodiment of all that is wrong with the world should be celebrated after all. The new wrinkles thrown into his character this season – further parallels of Trump and some spicy secrets – only serve to add even more layers to the already nuanced performance and although it may seem like we’ve had thousands of Trump-ish parodies in the media in recent years, Starr’s is truly definitive, refreshing in just how not subtle he and Kripke choose to handle the wild violence he inflicts and the nonsensical justifications for it.
The Boys continues its grim, gritty ride through an evil superhero-ridden landscape with its most ambitious and entertaining season yet. Delivering on fan expectations with wildly off-kilter set-pieces and the deliciously dark humour we’ve come to expect, the show really shines in how it continues to evolve and challenge its core cast of characters. Action is plentiful but not always the forefront – oftentimes a conversation is far more impactful than any punch – and Eric Kripke consistently surprises in where the story goes next. Jensen Ackles is an excellent addition to a phenomenal cast and Antony Starr continues to make Homelander the most disgusting, but infinitely watchable villain on television. No witty one-liners to end on here, I’ll leave that to the Boys, watch it now.
You’d be forgiven for letting The Last Kingdom slip you by over the years. The BBC-turned-Netflix production has been streaming for the better part of a decade now, and its final season rolled onto screens just last week. Similar to Peaky Blinders – another gritty, British drama set not quite as far in the past – this is a series that doesn’t arrive to the fanfare of a Stranger Things despite being fantastic television all the same. Instead, it has spent years quietly garnering an audience who come for the promise of big budget action sequences and a well-paced plot, but ultimately stay for the meticulous character arcs and rewarding story threads. Season five is nothing if not the absolute peak of what came before, successfully closing the book on its characters and storylines like few other shows have managed before. If you have even the slightest interest in character-driven drama with a large slice of action, The Last Kingdom is undoubtedly one of the best in the business.
As in previous seasons, the plot follows Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a Saxon warrior raised by Dane Vikings in the years where the two sides fought across a divided England. Quite some time has passed since the climactic events that ended the last season, and Uhtred now holds the peace in the north on behalf of Queen Aelthelflead (Millie Brady) and King Edward (Timothy Innes). Naturally, the peace quickly turns to chaos early on with the return of Uhtred’s former ally Brida (Emily Cox), who is now hell-bent on extracting revenge against him and those he is closest to. This spurs Uhtred and his band – Finan (Mark Rowley), Sihtric (Arnas Fedaravicius) and Osferth (Ewan Mitchell) – to run to the aid of his daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) and Dane King Sigtrygger (Eysteinn Sigurdarson), with fears this could break the already uneasy alliance between the Saxons and Danes. What follows is a series of events spun together with moment-to-moment action, resulting in the return (and loss) of a number of the series’ most interesting personalities as the grand finale approaches.
Netflix, 2022
The key to the show and this season in particular’s success is The Last Kingdom constant sense of pace and purpose. Much like the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, this series has been built, beginning to end, from a successful collection of novels which the show veers very close to. This allows for character arcs to be completely planned with an ending in sight; each event or conversation feeding into the larger narrative and culminating in fantastic payoffs. The narrative is ultimately fixed, and not liable to sway with audience popularity like shows such as The Walking Dead. The writing may lack at times compared to the aforementioned Thrones, with several plot threads devolving into nothing of much consequence (particularly rife in season four). But these nitpicks rarely affect the overall package, never diluting the show’s incredibly fine eye for detail.
While Uhtred and his kin are fictional, the plot throughout The Last Kingdom is tied to actual historical events, figures and locations of the time. The significant battles between infamous rulers all play out as they do in the history books, and the show is able to deftly weave detailed stories around each of them whilst maintaining that larger accuracy. This approach grounds The Last Kingdom in realism, whilst presenting the human story at its core in a far more accessible way than some similar fantasy epics, despite its distant time period.
The whole effect is bolstered by the incredible locations and set pieces used throughout this season in particular. The dedication to capturing the period is clear in the intricate buildings, forests and towns that fill each frame and backdrop, and which work immediately to transport you to the time and place that each scene demands. Combine this with the frenetic action sequences often taking place in the foregroun and you’ve got something special on your hands – the excellently choreographed battles between large armies looking like something from a blockbuster film.
Netflix, 2022
Yet despite all these strengths, the show’s greatest success lies with its characters. It’s rare to have a whole cast embody a group of personalities as well as they do here – to the point where it would seem bizarre to watch them play anyone else. Dreymond’s Uhtred continues to carry the show with his wide emotional range, and it is his character arc that is the most satisfying to bring to a close here in season five. With such a lengthy history and list of of allies and enemies at this stage, it is hugely entertaining to see how these past events dictate the final scenes he shares with characters such as Brida, Edward and Aelthelflead. New personalities do a great job in making their mark on the already expansive roster, with other long-term characters – Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth) and Haesten (Jeppe Beck Laursen) amongst them – also finding their long-awaited retribution this season. Each of the cast seem to take pride in the characters that they’ve brought to life, and most are able to capitalise on their own final chapters before things come to a close.
Concluding on a high note for a series so thoroughly consistent across its run is no easy feat, and by following a well-designed plot from start to finish, season five of The Last Kingdom manages what most other shows fail to do in their final outings – maintaining its strong momentum right up until the bloody end. The brutal action and general setting of the series may act as a barrier for some and it isn’t always as smart as the early seasons of Game of Thrones, but the fantastic character work and considered, exciting story threads place it among the top shows you need to be watching at the moment. If only all history lessons were as engaging and thrilling as this, some of us probably would have paid a little more attention in high school.
Netflix, 2022
The Last Kingdom: Season 5 stars Alexander Dreymon, Emily Cox, Millie Brady, Timothy Innes, Eliza Butterworth, Ruby Hartley and Mark Rowley – Streaming on Netflix now.
You might not be too familiar with the story of Pam and Tommy. Sure, you’ve probably heard at some point about the Baywatch star or her Motley Cruë drummer husband, but – for those not ingratiated in 90’s pop-culture – the tale of their infamous sex-tape and its effect on modern culture might not be as well known. And as a fun retelling of that inherently weird and whacky story, show-runner Robert Siegel and his gang of top-tier directors (Craig Gillespie, Lake Bell, Gwyneth Horder-Payton & Hannah Fidell) deliver in almost every way, capitalising on phenomenal performances from series leads Sebastian Stan and a transformed Lily James. It is only when Pam and Tommy tries to move beyond the fun that it falters; its attempts to go deeper into the psyches of its leads never feeling like they coalesce into anything other than a messy jumble of admittedly well-intentioned ideas.
After a whirlwind romance and impromptu proposal abroad, Tommy Lee (Stan) and Pamela Anderson (James) suddenly find themselves back in the States, newly married and committed to starting a new life together in Tommy’s Californian mansion. When contractor Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) is wrongly fired by Tommy – who refuses to pay the man for renovation work he has already completed – he becomes enraged, breaking into the mansion late one night and making off with a safe full of valuables. Perhaps the most valuable of these items is a sex-tape made by the newlyweds on their honeymoon; the possession of which triggers an idea in Rand to release the tape to the world and make back the money owed to him tenfold. As the production of the tape begins to snowball beyond Rand’s control, it drives a wedge into Pamela and Tommy’s burgeoning marriage; with each at a different point in their career and affected by the tape in vastly different ways.
Annapurna Television, 2022
On the surface level, Pam and Tommy operates as a fairly straightforward recounting of the story of the sex tape’s theft and subsequent explosion in popularity, leading to what many believe is the rise of internet pornography. It’s a wise decision considering how unbelievable the story already is, made even more so by the larger than life way these characters operate in the real world. Tommy is the perfect example of this and Sebastian Stan delivers a surprisingly endearing portrayal of someone so deeply flawed as to fire workers after weeks of work and then refuse to pay them a dime. The show posits that there is a decent person buried deep beneath all the crazy antics and Stan is able to draw this out in the quieter moments with Pamela in the tender way he approaches and looks at her. Tommy is also where the show is able to have the most fun, shifting into the utterly fantastical in a hilarious scene where Tommy is given a pep talk by… his penis. It’s a brilliant deconstruction of the way Tommy views himself as the biggest man in every room despite his many flaws and is the rare below-the-surface moment that actually works in adding more to a character.
For the most part, these attempt to go deeper into Pam and Tommy’s psyches fall short. Pamela’s arc in particular is primed to get under the skin of an actress that could have been so much bigger if the circumstances were different, but every time the show delivers a powerful scene for Pam, it is almost always undercut by a decision to pivot away from her entirely. One particularly powerful scene taking place at a traffic intersection is the exception here – James is continuously excellent as the Baywatch star, mimicking everything from her physicality right down to vocal cues flawlessly – but this is a stark contrast against all the meaningless backstory of Anderson’s famous flop Barbarella. You get the sense that despite the excellent performances from James and Stan and all the absolutely amazing prosthetics and make-up work that has gone into transforming them, Siegel doesn’t have total faith in this story being enough to carry the series.
Annapurna Television, 2022
In fact the opening episode barely features the duo at all, honing in on Rogen’s disgruntled worker for almost the entire run-time and cutting back to his moral dilemma far too often throughout the series. For his part Rogen is excellent in conveying Rand’s torn conscience and his interactions with Nick Offerman’s hilariously grimy porn producer are consistently hilarious, but for a show named after its titular pairing, Pam and Tommy seems hard-pressed to create much more out of this narrative at times. The inference that this whole endeavour was the start of the internet pornography boom is an interesting side-story sure, but feels like such a distraction that you begin to think the show has run out of steam long before its end, and like Pam and Tommy’s marriage, is just treading water until it is all over.
Pam and Tommy is a breezy trip through 90’s nostalgia anchored by two incredible performances from Sebastian Stan and Lily James that bring these larger-than-life personalities to the screen in a way we have never seen before. It gets bogged down in the specifics of its story and side-characters a little too often – distracting from the central duo in the process – but its light tone and kinetic pacing make for an always enjoyable, if inconsistent watch. Let this be a lesson to anyone out there thinking of short-changing Seth Rogen.
Annapurna Television, 2022
Pam and Tommy stars Sebastian Stan, Lily James, Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling, Fred Hechinger, Paul Ben-Victor, Andrew Dice Clay & Nick Offerman – Streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in Australia now.
If The Mandalorian was proof that Star Wars could make the jump to live-action television, then consider The Book of Boba Fett the prequel era of the small screen adventures – a step down in quality hidden behind glossy visuals and more fan service than a rancor could devour. Temuera Morrison excels in fleshing out a character that was never meant for anything more than selling toys, but story built around him is painfully straightforward; a far cry from the mafioso crime story the series was billed as. Nevertheless the moment-to-moment action will keep you entertained and two brilliant episodes make this an absolute must-watch for any self-respecting Star Wars fan.
Following his grand return in The Mandalorian, we follow Boba Fett (Morrison) as he stakes his own claim to the throne formerly occupied by Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine; coming up against all manner of resistance from the local scum and villainy, and a few familiar, if not very friendly, faces. As his grip over the planet becomes increasingly tenuous, Boba and mercenary-turned-right-hand-woman Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) must seek out allies willing to put a stop to the dangerous smuggling activities of the Pike Syndicate who hold Tatooine hostage. Simultaneously we get an inside look into Boba’s grand escape from his once-presumed death in the fearsome Sarlacc pit, and an unlikely alliance the legendary bounty hunter forms with a band of Tusken Raiders.
Lucasfilm, 2021
For someone with such an instantly recognisable and menacing presence as Boba Fett he sure is one underdeveloped character, uttering a mere handful of lines in his appearances throughout the original trilogy before swiftly falling to what we thought was his untimely demise. That gives the writers (Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni) free reign to flesh out Fett’s character in any way they see fit and for the most part they make him a compelling if slightly banal, predictable antihero. We’ve seen this shift in villains to fan-favourite anti-heroes more and more in characters like Venom and Loki, but going from who we knew as a man famously scolded for disintegrating too many people to someone who can barely strike fear in a bar owner is jarring to say the least.
Boba’s journey to shake that image and lead through respect, rather than fear, forms the backbone of the show; the flashbacks serving to showcase his re-emergence into the world and shift towards do-goodery, even if they are a painfully overused story device at this point. The three directors that helm these episodes do a great job of fleshing out Boba’s journey with the Tuskens, but in doing so create on of_The Book of Boba Fett_’s biggest earlier issues. In spending time with Boba and the Tuskens almost all development of the present-day storyline is sacrificed, but if you don’t take this time to establish Boba’s character, the rest of the show would be a painfully un-compelling slog. It’s a fine balance that mostly works, erring on the side of development that can pay off more in further seasons rather than focusing on a hollow, action packed story about characters we don’t care for.
Lucasfilm, 2021
That’s not to say the show isn’t action packed in usual Star Wars fashion, but what is here feels largely throwaway, with a final episode functioning essentially as an hour-long skirmish, overstaying its welcome very quickly. The strangest decision in the show by far however (some spoilers ahead), comes in the form of episodes 5 & 6, which completely cut away from Boba Fett to focus on Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian since the events of episode 2. The first of these, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, is easily the best episode of the season; a welcomed detour that derails the show and highlighting a huge issue in one fell swoop: we as an audience simply care so much more about Mando than Fett. That might be slightly unfair given his two seasons of development to Fett’s one but the fact remains that Boba’s story is vastly less interesting than the simple pleasure of seeing the Mandalorian run around learning to wield his new weapons. Whilst Mando’s episodes are great, it does seem like a move borne out of lack of faith in The Book; forcing the audience to sit through this to be up-to-date for the new season of Mandalorian. It’s not a big issue considering Marvel has been doing it for years across movies, but it is a clumsy, ham-fisted approach that doesn’t do the titular character much justice.
Lucasfilm, 2021
For his part Morrison does his best to bring nuance and emotion to Boba Fett, even if it doesn’t always come through, but is admittedly hamstrung by the show’s drastic shift in focus. The Mandalorian specific episodes also highlight just how effective Boba Fett is when used sparingly as a side character. While that may sound like a negative, it is a big step-up from his previous absence of character, with the show’s ending providing a lot of room to further explore Boba’s future on Tatooine and his relationships with his recently gathered inner circle. Alongside him Ming-Na Wen is solid as Fennec Shand but doesn’t get a whole lot to do. When her character is given a chance to shine she is frequently hampered by some truly horrible dialogue of the “I hate sand” variety.
When it comes to the villains of The Book of Boba Fett, the series is even less sure of itself, relying on the looming threat of the Syndicate to create tension that instantly dissolves once they arrive; a bunch of incompetent, paper people who exist only to justify the scale of the battles. Later in the piece a fan-favourite character is brought into the fold but only long enough to create a minor inconvenience for Boba, relying on die-hard fans instant recognition and knowledge of previous backstory to give their encounters weight rather than establishing anything within this show itself. Nevertheless it’s a fun surprise to see this character make the jump to live-action, even if it is just one more person to take the spotlight of Fett, who at this point feels like a guest star in his own show. It does speak to a larger trend that was refreshing in its infancy in The Mandalorian but which now seems to be the “get out of jail free” card for these shows to coast: simply introduce a character fans love and adore to distract them from the series’ shortcomings. More recognisable characters pop up here than in the last decade of Star Wars content and rarely for anything other than a knowing wink to the camera. Sure it’s fun, but a little more care going into making this show great independent of these characters would be far more impactful in the long run.
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Book of Boba Fett is a strange beast. A spin-off of a show largely based on Boba himself, it exists in a strange place where Favreau and Co know they want to do something with the character, but can’t figure out the best approach to making it as effectively as The Mandalorian. It’s a messy, glossy ride through a story that largely sticks to convention but is never in short supply of an action showcase or beloved character popping in to tide you over to the next scene. Temuera Morrison’s efforts to bring some depth to the character are impressive, ultimately falling short due to the creatives behind the show’s non-willingness to embrace him as a lead, but there is certainly enough here to set a solid foundation for a show that improves with time. This might not be the way but it’s a step in the right direction.
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Book of Boba Fett stars Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen, Matt Berry, David Pasquesi, Carey Jones, Jennifer Beals, Jordan Bolger, Sophie Thatcher & Pedro Pascal – Streaming on Disney+ now.
Much like the myriad of monsters that rear their ugly heads throughout the series, Netflix’s The Witcher is a strange beast. With an enormous amount of existing lore available, an incredibly passionate lead actor and early expectations that the series could be the next Game of Thrones, more than a few were disappointed to receive a relatively average first season – one that was built on a needlessly complicated timeline and characters in desperate need of chemistry. Despite an initial run that would have spelt an end to many other Netflix originals, The Witcher managed to build enough goodwill to warrant a second shot at getting the formula right. It’s a good thing too, as the series finds redemption here in season two; a focused and intimate cut of Witcher world-building that sets the series up for years to come.
Following the explosive finale of season one, monster-hunting and magically-enhanced Witcher Geralt (Henry Cavill) departs for his home of Kaer Morhen after uniting with his ward Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan). Upon arrival, they are welcomed by Geralt’s mentor Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) and the other remaining Witchers while Ciri begins to find a place for herself amongst her new surroundings. Elsewhere, the now powerless mage Yennifer (Anya Chalotra) is captured by an opposing army and forced to forge an uneasy alliance with the enemy’s chief mage Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni) and elven sorceress Francesca (Mecia Simson).
As far as a synopsis goes, there is admittedly much to take in there – and it says nothing about the vicious monster hunts, political subterfuge and numerous references to existing lore that underlie just about every episode along the way. Yet where the first season of The Witcher tried to overwhelm viewers with (often needless) information, throwaway characters and an erratic timeline that shifted with every episode, season two succeeds in concisely and logically delivering most of these complex pieces naturally.
Netflix, 2021
Central to all of this success is the partnership between Geralt & Ciri, who spent the entirety of the first season chasing each other from one disaster to the next, building relationships with minor characters who were mostly forgotten by the time the credits began to roll. By pairing the show’s two leads from the start, this season successfully makes the most of the tried-and-true father-daughter narrative from the novels. Cavill’s well-documented dedication to not only his character but to the wider world of The Witcher is evident in all of his scenes; Geralt is increasingly torn between his role as a stoic protector to Ciri and the empathetic guiding hand she desperately needs. Ciri herself is brought to life excellently by Allan, as her character transitions from a damsel-in-distress to a young woman more than capable of handling herself. Chalotra’s wayward sorceress Yennifer also fares better than last season, given a storyline that humanises and defines her character in a way she never was before.
These three key characters do a great job at carrying the audience through each episode, however you’re still bound to miss a casual reference to some of the show’s deep source material or find yourself lost when characters start rattling off terms like the ‘White Flame’ or the ‘Brotherhood of Sorcerers’ in quick succession. Where the show struggles is balancing the fine line between accessibility for newcomers and the expectations of decades-long, dedicated fans who are completely immersed in the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski. Often these deep cuts fly too fast and furious, forcing the less well-versed viewer to wrack their brains for a previous casually mentioned line or simply hope it is integral going forward. While you won’t need to understand all of these references to appreciate the wider events that unfold (and some may even be inspired to explore some of the other media featuring The Witcher because of them), they are frequent enough that casual viewers may feel like they’ve dropped into season four or five of a complex fantasy show without much to immediately fall back on.
Netflix, 2021
Despite whatever amount of pre-existing knowledge audiences come to season two with, most will definitely be able to appreciate the show’s blockbuster effects, intricate settings and frankly amazing monster designs. The Witcher is certainly not short on budget, and season two presents some of the sharpest CGI and set designs that Netflix has dedicated to a series. The numerous monsters are almost always as menacing and imposing as they sound, and the choreography during each battle is generally well done. Many of the show’s characters are adorned in meticulously detailed outfits that are usually about as high-fantasy as the genre can get – from Geralt’s intricate armour sets to Fringilla’s imposing gowns later in the season. A huge amount of work has also gone into bringing the world’s dense forests, dilapidated castles and crowded towns to life alongside a sweeping musical score that sets the tone in each scene. In saying all of this, it is unfortunate that the first episode – ‘A Grain of Truth’ – easily features season two’s weakest offerings in terms of character design, effects and general plot development; a shame given that some audiences may lose interest before the show truly finds its feet in the following episodes.
All in all, Netflix’s The Witcher is a show dedicated to its fans. Whether these are newcomers who were introduced to the franchise via Netflix or those who have been following since the books or games, season two does an excellent job of developing its characters and world in places where the first season struggled. While you will get the most enjoyment out of it with some pre-existing knowledge and events can also become needlessly complex at times, you are rewarded for following along as the plot and relationships unfold. Not quite the next Game of Thrones just yet, but season two of The Witcher proves to be a cut above many other Netflix releases in 2021 – and the future looks bright.
Netflix, 2021
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni, Mecia Simson, Kim Bodnia, Eamon Farren & Joey Batey – Streaming on Netflix now.
If you were to ask most people who their favourite Avenger was, chances are not many would choose the bow and arrow wielding Hawkeye. His new Disney+ show aims to change all that; a Christmas-set thrill ride that focuses on the archer outside of his Avenging duties, beaten up and bruised as he takes on the training of a new recruit. Like a lot of these Disney+ shows it doesn’t quite stick the landing, but with everything else it gets right – charming chemistry between the leads, Christmas atmosphere and incredibly fun action scenes – Hawkeye doesn’t miss, one of the finest things Marvel has produced in recent memory.
In New York for a pre-Christmas bonding trip with his recently returned from the Blip kids, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) relearns that he is never truly off the clock when his Ronin suit – a costume from his earlier days as a cold-blooded mercenary – is unveiled at a local black market auction. Fearful that his identity will be uncovered by associates of the criminals he put a stop to and his family put in danger, Clint sets out to locate the suit, which just so happens to have been taken by Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) – a young archer who idolises Hawkeye and has unknowingly made herself a target for all those who hold a grudge against the Ronin. The pair must team up in order to clear both their names, in the process tangling with tracksuit garbed mafia goons, Kate’s sword-wielding soon-to-be stepfather Jack (Tony Dalton) and Maya (Alaqua Cox), a young deaf woman with a particularly personal score to settle with the Ronin.
Marvel Studios, 2021
Setting Hawkeye as Marvel’s big Christmas show proves to be a stroke of genius; the Christmas carol filled soundtrack and snow-covered New York City creating such an overwhelming energy of fun that is impossible not to be swept up in. Christmas also acts as a powerful motivator for Clint, giving the show a constant undercurrent of tension as we fret over whether he will make it back in time for his first family Christmas in 5 years. The stakes are admittedly low in terms of the MCU of it all; the world won’t end if he doesn’t make it home for Christmas but to Clint, not disappointing his family is everything, and after all he has been through you can’t help but root for him, creating some genuine audience investment in a character who had largely been written of as the joke Avenger.
Those personal stakes also make the action feel that much more intense and meaningful, the desperate struggles of a hurt man just looking to survive each bout if it means he is one step closer to his family. The hand-to-hand combat is choreographed impressively well, impactful and brutal in ways that make you fear for Clint, whilst also managing to be surprisingly funny, with the series taking full advantage of Clint’s tired and frustrated “seen it all before” attitude. Where the audience starts to adopt that same attitude is in the finale; a typically massive, explosion filled affair that, while gripping thanks to our investment in the characters, can’t help but feel a little over-the-top and nonsensical. The entire show has been this somewhat grounded look at these two characters who have been put through the ringer, reeling from every scrape and bruise and suddenly they are taking hundreds of hits and shrugging them off. A visually epic series of scenes sure, but one that doesn’t quite gel with the tone previously established.
Marvel Studios, 2021
Where the show truly shines is in the chemistry between Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, an endlessly endearing relationship that plays off the grizzled mentor/overly-excited student trope to terrific effect. If Hawkeye is a superhero coming to the end of a long, hard career of crime-fighting then Kate Bishop is one at the very cusp of her own, all wide-eyed, chattering excitement at learning the tricks of the trade. Kate feels like such a desperately needed shot of energy that it is hard to imagine how the MCU ever survived without her, Steinfeld constantly firing on all cylinders with an endless supply of smart-ass jokes and an obsession with trick arrows that makes for some truly wonderful pay-offs. Steinfeld’s character isn’t only one of unbridled optimism and she is deeply affecting in those quieter moments when Kate’s entire world is turned upside down, her perception of what her life has been and what it will be going forward completely shifting and forcing her to adapt.
Alaqua Cox’s Maya is a step in the right direction towards on-screen representation but there’s a sense that there is more to her and the show is holding back, saving vital character development for her future spin-off show. While that show might be great, Maya’s appearance here can’t help but feel slightly undercooked, an unnecessary detour from Kate and Clint’s main investigation that adds some depth to his exploits as the Ronin and makes for some great action moments but ultimately peters off with a whimper, her finale appearance feeling obligated to push the character’s profile rather than necessary to the plot. Other character appearances, which we’ll leave unspoiled, add a lot to the show by way of emotional depth and sheer fun factor, and one in particular will have long-time fans cheering from their living rooms; a Christmas present that hopefully will only continue to grow from here.
Marvel Studios, 2021
It’s safe to say that not many people were clamouring for a deep-dive into what Clint Barton does on his off-days from Avenging, but Hawkeye earns its Christmas status as one of the biggest treats of the year; a heartwarming and electric adventure through New York City that gives Jeremy Renner the material he truly deserves and introduces audiences to what will no doubt be a fan-favourite character going forward in Kate Bishop. The small scale and focus on the burgeoning mentor/student relationship make for a refreshingly personal take on the MCU, one that moves beyond its formulaic ending to become one of, if not the best Marvel show so far. He might just be a guy with a bow and arrow, but Hawkeye certainly doesn’t miss here.
Marvel Studios, 2021
Hawkeye stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee & Linda Cardellini – Streaming on Disney+ now.
No one was begging for anime classic Cowboy Bebop to be remade as a live action series, but it’s 2021 and nothing can stop the juggernaut that is Netflix from its mission of creating every possible piece of potentially profitable content. Cynicism aside, the stakes were high; Bebop is a beloved pillar of the anime world and fans weren’t exactly chomping at the bit for Netflix to get ahold of the property after the disaster that was Death Note. Nevertheless the streaming giant has tried their hand at bringing the show’s unique blend of sci-fi, western and film noir to live-action and the result is largely positive: a fairly safe recreation that manages to carry that same rebellious spirit to a new, intriguing world. The few changes it does make to the source material never improve the story in any significant manner and the look and tone of the show won’t be for everyone but Cowboy Bebop is still a worthwhile investment for existing fans and newcomers to the franchise.
For the uninitiated, Cowboy Bebop follows the adventures of bounty hunters Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) as they struggle to make ends meet attempting to collect on all manner of problematic bounties. Later joined on their ship, the Bebop, by amnesiac Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) and corgi Ein, the crew inevitably cross paths with The Syndicate, an underground crime organisation controlled by Vicious (Alex Hassell); a ruthless psychopath with a complicated history and score to settle with Spike. As their work begins to attract more and more attention from The Syndicate, including his old flame Julia (Elena Satine), the group is forced to come together to help Spike confront Vicious and the life he left behind.
Netflix, 2021
Thankfully, a lot of Cowboy Bebop feels similar to the original series; chiefly due to the presence of series creator Shinichirō Watanabe (as a creative consultant), composer Yoko Kanno’s iconic jazz score and the fact that the episodes themselves are more often than not an exact recreation of an episode of the anime. Whilst this may be a divisive decision for some fans, Cowboy Bebop remains a somewhat niche series for mainstream audiences, and the decision to transfer some of the anime’s best episodes across to live action works both as a primer for new audiences and as a perfect showcase for the actors taking on these roles. A sci-fi western with elements of film noir isn’t exactly an easy sell and the show does an excellent job of introducing the audience to the world and slowly drip-feeding them the more unconventional elements, to the point where a dog-fearing clown assassin becomes par for the course.
Where the show does walk that tightrope between reverence and accessibility the most shakily is undoubtedly in its presentation. This is a cheesy show, almost to the point of looking downright cheap at times – in everything from character’s costumes to certain production design – giving the whole affair a B-movie feel. While this does tend to help sell the more whacky elements the show introduces with something of a wink and a nod – the aforementioned clown assassin, environmental terrorists that employ grenades that turn people into trees – it often prevents the show’s heavier elements from landing with any kind of emotional weight.
Netflix, 2021
Take Vicious’ storyline for example. A deranged, psychotic mafia don who wields a katana makes for one hell of a wild card of a villain and works within the confines of the show’s corny tone. But Vicious’ story largely takes place separately from the adventures of the Bebop, dealing with heavy elements of family legacy and betrayal through a complex, politically charged succession narrative towards the head of The Syndicate. It’s one thing to laugh at Spike pining over a bowl of noodles to celebrate a job well done, but when you shift focus to a white-haired assassin constantly moaning about about how hard done by he is as the son of the most powerful man in the galaxy, and the show expects you to take this seriously, things have slipped too far into absurdity. Add to that some truly awful, cringe-inducing dialogue and Cowboy Bebop takes on a wildly disjointed feel between these two warring tones. Alex Hassell fully commits to the role, but it’s all in vain when the show is constantly working against him.
Thankfully that can mostly be forgiven due to some absolutely pitch perfect casting in John Cho and Mustafa Shakir. It’s rare that an actor so totally embodies a character – Robert Downey Jr. being the obvious example as Tony Stark – but thanks to Cho the cocky, lazy bounty hunter with a heart of gold, Spike Spiegel, seamlessly makes the leap from animation to live-action. Everything from the costuming and hair-styling to the the way Spike puffs away on a cigarette feels faithful to the source material, with new depth found in the subtle glances and body language that Cho employs to make these rehashed storylines feel fresh and exciting for fans to see again. Shakir similarly expands upon the character of Jet, particularly the relationship he currently has and wishes he had with his estranged young daughter. The mixture of Spike and Jet’s banter and a complicated partnership of trust underpinned by secrets makes for an endlessly entertaining duo, with the eventual introduction of Daniella Pineda’s Faye only strengthening the fun of these interactions, even if Faye herself doesn’t make for the most intriguing character.
Netflix, 2021
That’s all to say that Netflix’s adaptation of Cowboy Bebop isn’t the completely dumpster fire that it could have been, far from it in fact. A career-defining performance from John Cho and strong turns from Mustafa Shakir and Daniella Pineda ensure that the crew of the Bebop loses none of their charm in the transition from anime to live action; that strange world of space cowboys and underground jazz bars still as enrapturing and endearing as it was over 20 years ago when the original show aired. Like that show it won’t be to everyone’s tastes and some jarring tonal shifts and poor writing hold it back from being must-watch television but for fans or newcomers ready to dip their toes in the water, Cowboy Bebop is a fine time. See you, space cowboy.
Netflix, 2021
Cowboy Bebop stars John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine, Tamara Tunie, Mason Alexander Park, John Noble & Alex Hassell – Streaming on Netflix now.
Star Wars is in a strange place at the moment. One of the biggest film franchises of all time, the series has seen its movie endeavours come to a temporary halt after the disappointment of 2019’s sequel trilogy-capper The Rise of Skywalker, whilst its efforts in other mediums like The Mandalorian and video game Jedi: Fallen Order show that fans are desperate for more galactic adventures that feel different and take advantage of everything the wider world of Star Wars has to offer.
Disney+’s latest offering, Visions might just be the property’s most out-there Star Wars content to date, handing the treasured reigns over to seven Japanese animation studios and tasking them with crafting unique stories in the galaxy far, far away. The results are largely successful, with striking animation across the board drawing from all corners of classic to modern stylings, emotional, impactful stories and some of the best interpretations of those classic Star Wars elements since the original trilogy.
Rather than review the series as a whole, we’ve decided to tackle each episode individually, ultimately ranking them. Whilst you should definitely watch the entire show if you have the chance, if you are short on time or just looking to dip your toe into these anime interpretations of Star Wars then this is the way.
9. The Village Bride
Lucasfilm, 2021
While none of the Visions episodes are bad, The Village Bride is the least successful in coalescing its myriad of big ideas into something that works both as a story and an expansion of the Star Wars universe. Following rogue Jedi, F (Karen Fukuhara) who finds herself in the middle of a small village where tradition dictates a young girl must be handed over to separatist warlords as a protection payment, the episode simply tries to juggle too much; throwing cross-cultural commentary and an examination of nature on top of an otherwise unsurprising story.
Fukuhara tries her best to instill some life into proceedings through her voice work and there are attempts to flesh out F’s backstory but the character is too bland to win us over; the supporting characters too familiar and the story too safe to elicit much of a response from the audience.
8. T0-B1
Lucasfilm, 2021
On its face T0-B1 may appear eerily similar to Japanese cartoon icon Astro Boy, sporting a similarly stunning style of animation and a very child-friendly tone – almost like a Chibi version of Luke Skywalker. Couple this with a Pinnochio-esque story of a robotic boy who must fend for himself after his master his eliminated by a Sith lord and the short can feel a little throwaway. But as the story encroaches into darker territory on its way to delivering a fist-pumpingly heroic finale, its purpose becomes clearer. This is one of the most simple, purest forms of Star Wars storytelling and, for someone, it will potentially be their introduction to this world.
On that level, T0-B1 is successful in delivering that visceral Star Wars thrill of watching a character go from humble nobody to hero, all wrapped up in an incredibly stylish package. It might not be very dissimilar from Luke Skywalker’s story, but it is inspiring and enraptures you in the world of T0-B1, and to some young person out there, that might be enough to create a lifelong Star Wars fan.
7. Tatooine Rhapsody
Lucasfilm, 2021
Easily the most unique of all the stories told within Visions, Tatooine Rhapsody follows the exploits of Jay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an outcast Jedi following the fall of the Jedi Order who finds belonging within a band of miscreants, together forming a literal rock band. When their leader Geezer (Bobby Moynihan) is taken prisoner by Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and brought to Tatooine to fulfil a debt to iconic crime lord Jabba the Hutt, the band springs into action to rescue their bassist, endearing themselves to a whole new fanbase in the process.
The episode wins points on the strength of its premise alone, leaning into the weirdness that the galaxy has to offer and away from the conventional Jedi vs Sith storytelling that the rest of the series favours. It wears its anime influences on its sleeve; full of zany, over-the-top characters and larger-than-life musical moments, a lot of which will have you wincing from the cringe-inducing lyrics. If you can get past this however, you will be rewarded with a simple but touching story of friendship that offers a glimpse into the ground level stories of regular people within the galaxy.
6. Akakiri
Lucasfilm, 2021
An ode to a more old-school form of Japanese animation, Akakiri presents the stylish hand-drawn adventure of Jedi Tsubaki (Henry Golding), who returns to his childhood planet to aid long-lost love Misa (Jamie Chung) in recapturing the planet from Sith ruling. Traditional in its form as well as art-style, Akakiri is largely a road movie, following the pair and two goofy, overly superstitious guides (George Takei & Keone Young) as they travel across the planet and sneak into the Sith’s castle, narrowly avoiding capture at every turn.
The simple premise works thanks to terrific voice-acting, especially Takei and Young, who bring the most humour to the entire series with their oafish guides’ constant babbling about the events transpiring. Golding and Chung have excellent chemistry, their dialogue hinting at a complicated past, without the need to dig too deeply into it before a shocking ending twists the narrative on its head, unafraid to leave you without a happy resolution in favour of forcing you to think about the complex moral choices that are so often glossed over in Star Wars.
5. The Twins
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Twins could easily function as one of Marvel’s recent What If episodes, telling the story of a set of twins (not dissimilar from Luke and Leia) born through the Dark Side of the Force and tasked with subjecting the galaxy to their rule. One of these twins Karre (Neil Patrick Harris) defects from the pair’s evil plan, stealing a necessary component to a Death Star style weapon and sending sister Am (Alison Brie) into a blind rage, culminating with the siblings thrown into all-out war with each other.
On its face this is essentially “what if Leia went to the Dark Side” but what makes The Twins so fascinating to watch is the way it embraces the craziness of anime such as Dragon Ball Z and Gundam with a battle for the ages; full of explosions and over-the-top twists. A normal lightsaber fight? Try a robotic suit of six lightsaber whips against an entire X-Wing out in the vacuum of space. It is this total commitment to full-tilt insanity that makes the episode so enthralling, with each new development in the battle a showcase of the creativity and inventiveness that the franchise helped inspire in the first place.
4. Lop & Ochō
Lucasfilm, 2021
Another hand-drawn tale – this time from Japanese studio Geno – Lop & Ochō blends not only its in-episode worlds, with a small, heavily Japanese-influenced city overrun by an Imperial regime, but its story influences, drawing on the original trilogy’s fondness for found family storylines and the political overtures of the prequel trilogy to particularly potent effect. Alien slave Lop (Anna Cathcar voices the anthropomorphised rabbit) is rescued by Ochō (Hiromi Dames) and her village-leader father Yasaburo (Paul Nakauchi), and adopted into the family as a sister to Ochō, who is next in line to lead the clan. When an Imperial occupation divides the clan from within – with Ochō choosing to join the Empire in order to stave off her village’s destruction and Yasaburo opting to fight for their freedom – Lop is forced to step in to stop the Empire and reconcile her broken family.
The stakes are certainly epic in scope, but Lop & Ochō favours a more focused approach to the storytelling, detailing the ground level struggle of the village and the particularly tough situation it finds itself in: desperate to be free of Empire rule but unable to function without it thanks to years of resource mining. It’s a high concept wrapped up in the distinctly human struggle of Yasaburo’s clan and the emotional beats between the central trio hit home, despite the relatively short runtime. Lop, Ochō and Yasaburo are all given enough time to let their ideas breathe and you can understand each party’s viewpoints, making Lop’s ultimate decision that much more emotionally impactful, as only the the best Star Wars stories can be.
3. The Ninth Jedi
Lucasfilm, 2021
When young Jedi Ethan (Masi Oka) answers a mysterious beacon from the shadowy Juro (Andrew Kishino) offering him one of the ancient weapons of the Jedi – a lightsaber – he finds he is part of a large group of outcast Jedi who have answered the call. As the group debate over the true identity of their host, young Kara (Kimiko Glenn) is forced to go on the run after bounty hunters storm the house she shares with her father, murdering him in an attempt to steal the lightsabers he has created for Juro. Seeking shelter at the only other place she knows, Kara finds herself on a course to interrupting the Jedi’s gathering, with her arrival setting off an unpredictable chain of events.
The Ninth Jedi is one giant exercise in challenging iconic Star Wars preconceptions, steadily building tension towards a reveal that throws the audience for a loop but never feels like a cheap trick. Instead it invites us to look at how we view the franchise as a whole, at how we have been conditioned to think a certain way about how certain characters look or behave and how that behaviour pigeonholes them as a certain type of character. That might sound overly political or preachy but The Ninth Jedi never feels that way, with its slow burn of intrigue and action-packed side story intersecting in an explosive finale.
2. The Elder
Lucasfilm, 2021
A simple but extremely effective episode, The Elder focuses on a master Jedi and his Padawan as they investigate a disturbance on a nearby planet, plunging them into a deadly battle with an ancient Sith enemy. Immediately the animation grabs you; an intricately detailed and polished style that sets the scene for a more mature episode than what has come before. Once the duel swings into full effect it is stunning to behold: a dimly lit, rain-soaked affair brightened only by the vivid greens, reds and blues of the participants lightsabers, with fight choreography as impressive as many of the franchise’s best.
The relationship between Jedi’s Tajin (David Harbour) and his apprentice Dan (Jordan Fisher) will be instantly familiar to fans of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn’s bond in The Phantom Menace, creating an immediate connection to the characters that adds to the tension of the final showdown. It might not pack the heavy thematic notes of other episodes but The Elder is a fine example of how the fundamentals of Star Wars can create something engaging and investing without the need for complex worlds or backstory; how the choreography and movement of a fight alone can tell a compelling and gripping story.
1. The Duel
Lucasfilm, 2021
George Lucas has long spoken about the influences he drew on when creating Star Wars and like Lucas’ original films The Duel wears those influences of Japanese samurai culture and Westerns on its sleeves, combining them with a visually striking, black and white art style to create something wholly unique to the Star Wars canon. We follow our largely silent Ronin hero (Masaki Terasoma) as he wanders into a small village seeking shelter and sustenance. When a group of Stormtroopers, led by a mysterious Sith warrior, arrives to subjugate the village, a group of bounty hunters employed by the villagers bravely fight back unaware of the power of their Sith opponent. Overpowered and on the brink of the defeat, the village must place their faith in the shadowy Ronin to defend them.
As with the best Western stories, The Duel challenges the morality of its hero, not staying beholden to the dichotomy of Jedi and Sith as the episode presents the possibility of the Ronin being tuned to both the Dark and Light side of the Force. Visually he appears to be a Jedi, but as events unfold you understand that, unlike the art style, this world isn’t that black and white. Exploring the murkier underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy is something fans have long been clamouring for, and The Duel shows that Jedi and Sith exist without being wholly good or evil like heroes and villains of the past.
The visuals are, simply put, stunning; resembling a living painting with the way the line work of the hand-drawn style shifts as characters move. Vibrant blue laser bolts and vivid red beams of lightsabers pop against the muted background, creating scenes so visually stunning they could be hung as artwork. As the first episode in the anthology, The Duel is tasked with setting the tone for things to come and it succeeds the most in balancing all the elements at play, from the Anime craziness of the Sith’s umbrella lightsaber, the classically Japanese Ronin hero to an R2-D2-like droid that provides some much-needed humour. A perfect introduction to an exciting new chapter in Star Wars.
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Star Wars: Visionsstars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alison Brie, Neil Patrick Harris, Henry Golding, Jamie Chung, David Harbour, Jordan Fisher, Masi Oka, Kimiki Glenn, Anna Cathcar, Hiromi Dames, Paul Nakauchi, George Takei, Bobby Moynihan, Temuera Morrison & Karen Fukuhara – Streaming on Disney+ Now.
