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Welcome
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Nathaniel Reed's
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:: An ongoing episodic story of fan-fic set after Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and inspired by George Lucas' historical draft concepts ::
FAQs
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| September 2022 |
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ANDOR begins !
30th September 2022 |
At the end of September, three episodes of the new TV show 'Andor' were released as a single premiere, followed a week later by episode four.
I found the first 3 episodes of 'Andor' a strange mix. I did genuinely enjoy the show and I was intrigued as to where and how it would develop, but, it was indeed a 'slow-burner', a little too slow for my liking notwithstanding its premise as a spy and saboteur and rebellion-genesis story. I felt it could have been a single episode of an hour or so if all three episodes had been trimmed down - I could see why LFL released all three, instead of one (or two), as, in my opinion, if it had only been the first, I might have given up in frustration (!).
But at least the third episode gave excitement and action, as well as resolution, the momentum of which propelled episode four, which, so far, in my opinion, turned out to be the most exciting and riveting ! In the latter, we finally meet Mon Mothma (again), as a 'rebel' senator fearfully aware she is being watched, as she subtley communicates with her rebel co-conspirator Luthen Rael, who had just recruited Cassian to the cause with a mission to attack an Imperial military garrison. Having seen Luthen as the hard-nosed rebel cell leader, it was a surprise to then regard him as a Coruscanti artefacts gallery owner and trader ; likewise, a glimpse into Mon Mothma's private residential life was also novel and refreshing.
In this latest episode we also visited the headquarters of the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), a hard-lined, stark, brutalist environment, and espied the political power-plays going on between the officers in total disregard for the greater 'good' of the galaxy. Events begin to unfold to show, at a micro-level, how the new Empire slowly incorporates the local law-enforcement and industrial factories.
The show has superb production design, favouring sets and locations over the digital Volume, and I loved the B2EMO droid, with such personality drawn into its movement, mannerisms, and voice ; and the 'planet reveal' in the main title design was very clever indeed !
However, I found the 'ironic facetious subplotting' (of the first three episodes) a little out of context with 'Star Wars' - a little too adult and 'knowing' - and probably contribued to my sense of poor editing and pacing ; though, in an experimental fashion permissible by the TV format, it sort of works here. I did not care for the "bastards" and the "shit", though, far too vulgar and lazy in my opinion, and 'anchors' it to Earth. I admit I found some of the british accents (northern and scottish) a little difficult to follow, and was relieved to find that the Imperial officers (in episode four) mostly had clipped english accents, as precedented by the original Star Wars film.
I guess it's 'refreshing' to be 'forced' to look at Star Wars and ask oneself (the makers) "what makes Star Wars 'Star Wars' when there are no Jedi and Sith, etc, providing the instant visual signifiers" ??
On the back of the exciting fourth episode, I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment !
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The illustrated virtual edition of Episode VII : Plague of Doom continues, and the Imperial scientist, Doctor Bloodory, scrambles to re-activate the mind control chip inside King Oxus' head !
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Meanwhile, inside a medi-centre on Aquilae base, Alliance medical droids successfully remove the implant from King Oxus' head !
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Realising he's lost all connection to the Ondos King, Bloodory turns his attention to re-connecting to the gas probes on the Star Destroyers !
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| You can see the VE artwork in the 'Kessel' art gallery as well as in the online illustrated story, and you can discuss this in the forum here ! |
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| Nathaniel Reed, 30th September 2022 |
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