This episode gave me real Obi-wan and Qui-Gon vibes. Also Alex understanding his voice does matter to some people is really good self-reflecting on your part.
You act in a way that makes us proud. You deliver your content with humility and responsibility and a confidence. This video was really poignant, thank you.
Hot take: If any character from this show is worthy of a spin-off the Elder is my pick. So much mystery and intrigue, I want to learn more about him. Is he a Sith construct? Did he reject Darth Bane’s rule of Two?
I would put The Elder in the same timeline/universe as The Duel/Ronin. I think Ninth Jedi could work there to, but my understanding is that the creators intended it to be post-TROS.
I love your take on this and also how it relates to you and your career. That is why I am ok with Rogue Squadron being delayed untill you are available to be the leading actor. You audition tape convinced me of that!
I love this short, it feels like it was specifically made to fit within the canon. There are a few stylistic changes that keep it outside, but not really. Dan and Tajin could return to the Jedi Temple, present the one lightsaber and Dan's scar, and the Council could just wave it off. They don't have a body (Perhaps nanotechnology turned him to dust), they don't have a ship (It's just a ship, anyone could have taken it), they don't really have much evidence to show that the Sith are still roaming about in secret, and I love that. For me, this absolutely happened. And I agree with all your points, too. It's slow, it's got great characters, it made me think of what Qui-Gon and Obi-wan's relationship could have been like early on before we meet them in The Phantom Menace. Maybe it's because it felt more prequely that a lot of people turned against it, but I loved this short for precisely all the reasons so many don't.
I also really liked this short. It managed to be relatively slow-paced and engaging at the same time. It felt refreshing to have an episode in the anthology that slowed down and had interesting dialogue between characters as well as build up and an atmosphere of growing silence and tension. Definitely one of my favorites!
This was one of my favorite shorts. I like the slow and haunting buildup of the villain and the relation between master and padawan. This short has the best battle choreography in my opinion.
In the end, Dan sees, in the Elder, who he has the possibility of becoming if he continues to seek conflicts just to prove how powerful with the Force he is becoming. Conflict and battle to show his power is all the elder has left in life. It has been his downfall and why he is now alone. Tajin can where Dan's desires to prove himself is leading him. All he can do is advise and hope to guide Dan on a different path. However encountering this Sith elder has done what he could never do.....show Dan where constant conflict ultimately leads to.
This was one of my favourites too, I really really enjoyed it. It's probably the short I have rewatched the most. I really liked the art style, the action and the build up was really good and the message was very solid. It's also the kind of story that I've been wanting Star Wars to do for a long time: dark side users who aren't necessarily Sith but still practice the ways of the dark side who are causing trouble in the galaxy and the Jedi have to stand against them. I know it's hinted that the Elder might have been a former Sith, that's left up to interpetation but my point still stands. It's such a simple concept but it's still one with a lot of potential. The characters were also really fun. I liked Dan and Tajin, their dynamic felt a lot like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and their interactions were fun. I got a very High Republic vibe from their Jedi robes too for some reason. The Elder was great, he was sufficently creepy and dangerous, I liked his little speech about the Sith and their failings and the buildup to both his fights with Dan and then Tajin was really well done. Also, James Hong as the Elder, enough said. He nailed it as the voice and I loved his little section in the BTS special for the short. I always love seeing the actors have so much fun doing Star Wars and what they had to say about him and the energy he brought to the role.
I definitely liked the Elder as well when I first watched it, even seeing little things like the design of the Sith Shuttle the elder uses or the village itself. It gives a good bit of character to the area the short takes place in. My biggest complaint for The Elder is that the voice acting feels very flat, especially of Tajin, where he sometimes sounds like he's mumbling. The Elder himself, while quiet and subdued, still really emoted and in a way that adds to his creepiness. But for the most part I agree with the video, good atomosphere, great message, and I wouldn't mind seeing it as a series. Maybe with Dan and Tajin exploring unknown areas of the galaxy, almost like a psuedo-prequel to the High Republic Era.
The elder voice actor was damn good. I’m on the fence about Tajins voice. On one hand I think he’s doing an admirable job in replicating the subdued/contemplative tone of Jedi masters in the prequels. On the other hand he doesn’t succeed all that well
I'm going to be honest but I wasn't to crazy with this short. Yeah, it had interesting ideas due to the setting of the short set before _The Phantom Menace,_ and being invested with The Elder voiced by James Hong, but I wasn't invested with the story or even the Jedi Master and Padawan in the short (despite having a Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan dynamic). I also think that other than a prequel story/series that is centered on The Elder and whether he was a Sith Lord or a Sith Apprentice before his appearance in this short, I think compared to the other Visions shorts it doesn't need a sequel/continuation.
My third-favorite short. I love the setting and the style of the duels. I think Dan's yearning for more excitement in the beginning doubles as a nod to a potential criticism.
When it comes to similarities between plot beats, character archetypes, and themes, I like to believe a reason for 9 episodes of Visions is that they can correlate with the Skywalker Saga (even though it’s just coincidence and the same Visions short can share solidarity with more than one movie - but hear me out!) I believe I cracked the code on which Visions episode is a soul partner with their Star Wars Episode: The Duel => The Empire Strikes Back Tatooine Rhapsody => Return of the Jedi The Twins => The Last Jedi The Village Bride => Attack of the Clones The Ninth Jedi => The Force Awakens T0-B1 => A New Hope The Elder => The Phantom Menace Lop and Ochō => The Rise of Skywalker Akakiri => Revenge of the Sith
This was my joint favourite episode along with tatooine rhapsody, and I think it's because it had so much in common with Obi Wan and Qui Gon's story in the Phantom Menace, my favourite of the movies
Not sure Dan would trust the Elder to begin with to make him hs guide. Leaving out the super evil looking aesthetic, the Elder is just too different from the rest of the villagers so Dan would be instantly cautious of him the moment they met.
Loved your review Alex. This is probably my favorite one out of all of the shorts, I need a Star Wars Black Series figure of The Elder asap!! All of the Visions characters would make awesome Black Series.
I would love a meditative buddy cop anime set before phantom menace. This is what I thought the Jedi were during the prequels and haven’t got enough fun like this
One of the reasons I'm a (low level) patron of yours is because of what you had to say here. Without your insight, I wouldn't have appreciated this episode. That being said, I got Kevin Spacey vibes from the Jedi master. Ugh.
I like that you know that you could certainly influence on some Star Wars fans, and that's why probably you are always so careful when giving out your opinions in saying that it's just YOUR opinion, and that if any fan out there enjoy a material that you didn't well then good for them, when you could maybe start easily a hate wagon against any particular Star Wats story
The only real problem I have with this visions short is that it just blurted out its themes via exposition. I really hate when things do that its so uncreative and unnatural. Other than that. I really enjoyed it.
