[8.6/10] A wonderful little Star Wars fable. This one consciously gives us three major characters in three different stages of life. Dan, the padawan, young and hungry. The master, in his prime, possessing calm and perspective. And the titular elder, a former Sith, wild and looking for a challenge.
The episode’s constructed beautifully. We get plenty of time with Dan and his master before the excitement starts. While slower and talkier than some of Star Wars, that downtime lets us understand their different deanors and establishes their bond. Despite his experience and skill, the Jedi master is very sanguine, slow to act and one apt to consider well before he does. Dan, by contrast, is anxious for the thrill of adventure, and bristles a bit at his master’s calmer ways.
So by the time the master senses a disturbance in the Force amid the planets of the outer rim, the relationship between master and apprentice is a familiar one. And we see the differences and merits in their approaches.
The former Sith is a pip. He’s old, wily, threatening, and even playful. His wrinkled look, devilish smile, and twin short lightsaber blades gives him a distinctive look versus the padawan. Their fight is a thrill, if only for the sense that the Elder is toying with his young foe. He uses Dan as a means to an end, and Dan sees how far his spoiling for a fight nature gets him. Here too, the combat is measured, with downbeats before crescendos, but that just adds to the tension.
And it adds motivation for the master, who senses his learner’s near-death experience while he’s far away. We see what would spur the normally reserved Jedi to action. His fight with the ex-Sith is just as exciting, with a particularly cool method of execution, as the master places his unlit blade to his opponent’s abdomen and then penetrates his torso with it.
But what puts this one over the top is the closing moments of compassion and understanding between Dan and his master. The master lays bare the lesson here: Dan is ascending, the Elder was diminishing, and even the power of the master himself is fleeting. The nature of the things in this universe is impermanent, and but for a shift of the clock, the outcome in both fights might have been different. Power can be used to protect people, but it must be wielded hubly, with the knowledge that it too will fade, and must be used judiciously and with kindness.
The tone, archetypal relationships, and action here are all top notch. Another winner for Star Wars: Visions, with a vignette that feels like it could belong to any era of Star Wars, given how it embodies the solemn spirit that runs through all of this galaxy’s best stories.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-09-23T17:13:11Z
[8.6/10] A wonderful little Star Wars fable. This one consciously gives us three major characters in three different stages of life. Dan, the padawan, young and hungry. The master, in his prime, possessing calm and perspective. And the titular elder, a former Sith, wild and looking for a challenge.
The episode’s constructed beautifully. We get plenty of time with Dan and his master before the excitement starts. While slower and talkier than some of Star Wars, that downtime lets us understand their different deanors and establishes their bond. Despite his experience and skill, the Jedi master is very sanguine, slow to act and one apt to consider well before he does. Dan, by contrast, is anxious for the thrill of adventure, and bristles a bit at his master’s calmer ways.
So by the time the master senses a disturbance in the Force amid the planets of the outer rim, the relationship between master and apprentice is a familiar one. And we see the differences and merits in their approaches.
The former Sith is a pip. He’s old, wily, threatening, and even playful. His wrinkled look, devilish smile, and twin short lightsaber blades gives him a distinctive look versus the padawan. Their fight is a thrill, if only for the sense that the Elder is toying with his young foe. He uses Dan as a means to an end, and Dan sees how far his spoiling for a fight nature gets him. Here too, the combat is measured, with downbeats before crescendos, but that just adds to the tension.
And it adds motivation for the master, who senses his learner’s near-death experience while he’s far away. We see what would spur the normally reserved Jedi to action. His fight with the ex-Sith is just as exciting, with a particularly cool method of execution, as the master places his unlit blade to his opponent’s abdomen and then penetrates his torso with it.
But what puts this one over the top is the closing moments of compassion and understanding between Dan and his master. The master lays bare the lesson here: Dan is ascending, the Elder was diminishing, and even the power of the master himself is fleeting. The nature of the things in this universe is impermanent, and but for a shift of the clock, the outcome in both fights might have been different. Power can be used to protect people, but it must be wielded hubly, with the knowledge that it too will fade, and must be used judiciously and with kindness.
The tone, archetypal relationships, and action here are all top notch. Another winner for Star Wars: Visions, with a vignette that feels like it could belong to any era of Star Wars, given how it embodies the solemn spirit that runs through all of this galaxy’s best stories.