By: Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor
Editor’s Recommendation:
A large amount of “Star Wars” content outside of the films relies heavily on the characters and events in them. True originality is difficult to find in the “Star Wars” universe; the recent “Rogu
e One” struggled with that.
Luckily, the animated television show “Star Wars: Rebels” has the perfect amount of originality. The show follows a crew of rebels, long before “A New Hope,” on their many adventures.
“Rebels” doesn’t rely on the movies at all. When an event or character is referenced, it’s done for pure enjoyment rather than plot reliance.
All characters have their own struggles and arcs that viewers easily get attached to. The character relationships are so rich that reliance on the movies is not necessary.
Editor’s Disparagement:
ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” has aired alongside Marvel films since “Thor: The Dark World.” The show takes places in the cinematic universe and follows Agent Coulson from “The Avengers” and his team of agents.
The show’s concept is exciting but the execution is not great. Existing alongside Marvel films doesn’t excuse the weak plots and thin characters.
When a new film releases, the show minorly ties in. Watching the show made the beginning of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” make more sense, but it took 13 episodes of boring filler to get there.
One or two moments of payoff per season is hardly a reason to watch a show, and that’s just what “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” requires viewers to do.
Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu
