We are almost done with the show, right? Ugh, so LITTLE has actually happened. This shows main failing is just that it is so plodding, they hold it up like a masterpiece of somber, grave, EPIC, storytelling but it's really just a fetch quest wrapped into a race surrounded by a rescue (of a guy who seems pretty chill hanging with not-ewoks instead of trying to undermine the residual Empire elements, rally any defectors disillusioned after what, 10+ YEARS of living on a marooned ship?, or trying to get home on his own).
There are wonderful visual elements and the SFX team has perfected their "look" after all those seasons of Mando and Andor, but there is little excitement, wonder, adventure, ENERGY, or humor. This was my fear of Filoni's directing, he just can't elicit a real strong performance and is more interested in the visuals and dialogue serving the story in his head. Maybe the use of the Volume, while better here than in previous shows, still makes every scene feel like it takes place in a small room, compare it to Andor where you FEEL the open air or tight spaces.
Hard to say where the actors fall in this. The two most experienced are buried under heavy headpieces, does this make them act stiff (literally?). Other than Stevenson, most of the rest of the cast seem fairly new, the Sabine actress is trying but she can't inject enough energy into the scenes by herself. It's really up to the two DROIDS to carry the good guy side of things and thats a big problem. The show lacks a singular charismatic dynamic leader, they just sorta split that role between Ahsoka and Hera and a bit for Sabine and the end result is none of them really get to shine because the focus is all over the place. It's like Firefly without Mal, sure the rest of the cast can do the job but Mal made you CARE.
