Justin Leone

Negative reviews of the first few episodes all seem to revolve around it taking too long to establish the story. I guess I can understand how this might test someone's patience, particularly if they're used to movies with a great big flashy action sequence in the first 20 minutes. But I can't think of any time since Empire Strikes Back (a direct sequel) when this approach has really worked for Star Wars. It's better for a show to take its time establishing characters and their motivations, creating a world and its conflicts, and most importantly raising the stakes, before fully letting the story proper be set in motion. Perhaps many Star Wars fans have grown accustomed to being told what the story is and thrown right into the action. After all, this is a series that not only began by fast forwarding to Episode IV, but also by fast forwarding through what might have been the first hour of a movie, instead replaced by a few paragraphs of expository text. And maybe these first three episodes could be replaced in a similar fashion, and some fans would rejoice at the time saved. But for others, myself included, there's a lot to savor in these episodes. The acting is solid, and the character motivations are clear and well depicted. The world is beautifully realized, with compelling settings that feel vibrant and lived in, rather than merely inhabited. And the dialogue feels natural and engaging, like it was written by someone who enjoys writing dialogue, rather than someone trying to string requisite plot points together. So all in all, I'm fine with it starting off a little slow. What's the rush anyway?