Working my way through the Star Wars canon, I finally arrived at the Sequel Trilogy era. People may have their issues with it, but I enjoyed the sequels and have fond memories of seeing them in theaters (The Last Jedi was the setting of my bachelor party). So when people told me that Star Wars Resistance was a flop, I took it with a grain of salt. That being said, it still fell short for me.
My biggest problem with Resistance is that I don’t think I was its target audience. I know people call Clone Wars or Rebels a kid show, but it still has deep themes and stories relevant to Star Wars fans of all ages. However, Resistance felt like it was exclusively geared towards kids. The stories were very episodic, with very few threads to follow through from start to finish. In fact, I’d say about 90% of the series was filler. Not great for engaging long-time, adult Star Wars fans, but great for kids with short attention spans. In addition, other than a few isolated incidents, there weren’t even many life/death moments, despite it being Star Wars. Even the stormtroopers shot their blasters to stun most of the time, instead of to kill.
One of the great things about Clone Wars was the integration of characters we knew and how it was woven into the canon of the Prequel Trilogy. Even Rebels kind of had this, in a prequel sense, leading up to A New Hope. However, Resistance felt very separate from the Sequel Trilogy. Other than a few appearances from General Organa, Poe Dameron, and General Hux, we didn’t get a lot of overlap with the movies… even though they happen at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, there were some references to the movies (like the destroyed Dreadnought from The Last Jedi) and BB-8 leaving to go on a mission with Poe (leading into The Force Awakens). But despite those minor instances, everything in the movies felt distant.
To avoid going out on a negative note, I want to talk about a couple things I liked. First off, Tam and Sinara. They were two of the few characters who got some development and growth through the series. I kept wanting to know more about Tam’s inner conflict during the second season. And to see Sinara grow from a pirate to a rebel was inspiring too. All because of the power of friendship. Speaking of which, the other thing I liked: Neeku. He might be annoying at times, but who couldn’t love Neeku? He’s so wholesome, innocent, and unassuming. The perfect friend for anyone who needs to feel a little love.
So it’s not the perfect show. Still, it’s wholesome. And it was worth watching, even if it’s just the one time. If you want to check it out but you’re skeptical, maybe watch it with your kids, as it’s probably the most kid-friendly Star Wars. In the end, it was part of the journey through the Star Wars timeline. And I’ve enjoyed this journey through a galaxy far far away.
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