‘The Last Jedi’: Would a Luke Skywalker TV Show Make the Movie Make More Sense?
When fans are disappointed by the way that a franchise handles a long-term project, some of them can turn their back on the fandom entirely. Others, however, think that the answer to their question is to do just the opposite — watch even more. As the Star Wars franchise has undoubtedly gone through many changes in recent years, fans are left trying to untangle their own feelings when things haven’t turned out the way they hoped.
In the case of The Last Jedi, there were many questions left floating in the air, and rather than give up on the plot as too convoluted, many would simply like to see the concepts explored in depth — in their very own TV show.
‘Star Wars’ fans have waited a long time for the full story
When the original Star Wars trilogy hit theaters back in the 1970s and 1980s, it changed cinema forever. The films made megastars out of many of the cast members, and they left a lasting impression on viewers who would become lifelong fans, eager for more. That “more” was promised in the numbering of the series. Billed as IV, V, and VI, fans always knew that creator George Lucas had a backstory in mind, and they waited a long time to get it.
In 1999, fans finally got Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It was quickly followed by Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. While there were certainly some missteps in this trilogy — we’re looking at you, Jar Jar Binks — some call it the best of all the trilogies because of its clearly planned out story and cohesive narrative.
‘Star Wars’ has seen an immense resurgence
After that part of the tale was told, fans were still aching for more. They wanted to know what happened after the original trilogy ended, and they were once again left waiting a long time to get answers. In 2015 — a decade after Revenge of the Sith — fans finally got Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Just like before, it was quickly followed by the rest of the trilogy with Episode VIII: The Last Jedi in 2017 and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
Fans didn’t just get another trilogy installment, however. In between the releases, they also got deeper dives into the tale with two films that stood outside of the trilogies and helped fill in some gaps. In 2016, fans got to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 2018 brought them Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Would a TV show improve ‘The Last Jedi’?
While some fans of the franchise have literally been watching it unfold for forty years, they aren’t done yet. Some took to Reddit to discuss the possibility of a new TV series giving a boost in reputation to The Last Jedi, which has certainly gotten some negative reviews.
The original poster noted that The Clone Wars, a television show that premiered in 2018 and helped fill in some gaps for attentive viewers, helped boost the reputation of Revenge of the Sith by providing much-needed context. Could a similar show focused on Luke Skywalker make the confusion of The Last Jedi come into focused clarity?
Some fans agreed with the need for information but did not expect a show to be the medium for its delivery: “I tend to think we’re going to get that story, but it’s not going to play out over a Luke Skywalker show, it’s going to play out in bits and pieces over other shows as the timeline gets filled in.”
Others thought that a TV series would be the perfect antidote: “Absolutely! I think if we get to see Luke as a Jedi Master in more than just a cameo, that would maybe not improve the reputation of TLJ, but people would be much more forgiving and accepting.”
Either way, it seems that fans are certainly expecting more to come.
