I love Star Wars, and I have my entire life. I remember seeing “The Phantom Menace” in theaters when they rereleased it in 3D. Every time I went to my grandma’s house while my parents were at work I would beg her to put on “Revenge of the Sith,” even though it was rated PG-13. One of the few pictures I have of myself as a child is me posed by a replica R2-D2 on Halloween.

Growing up, Star Wars was everything. Then, they announced Disney had bought Lucasfilm and they were going to start a new trilogy. Everyone I knew was excited, counting down the days until we got to see Episode 7 in the theaters. Then “The Force Awakens“ came out, and everyone loved it. I couldn’t wait to see what they did next. 

I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This

As time went on and more and more films were released, it seemed like fans were missing the old days. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” bombed, causing its storyline to be cut off after just one film. “The Last Jedi“ came out and people were not happy. Finally, as the sequel trilogy and the “Skywalker Saga” itself came to an end, people began to wish these new sequels never existed.

About a month before “The Rise of Skywalker,” Disney launched a new streaming service titled Disney+. The service launched alongside “The Mandalorian,” a new TV show set shortly after the events of “Return of the Jedi.”

This is the Way

“The Mandalorian” was an instant smash hit, with Baby Yoda becoming an instant icon. After the blast of approval from fans and critics alike, Disney renewed “The Mandalorian” and announced several new shows, all to be streaming on Disney+. Star Wars fans finally felt like they were being heard and given more of what they want.

Then the shows started coming out, and one by one the responses stayed relatively tepid, with the exception of “The Mandalorian” and “Andor,“ both of which are supposedly some of the greatest things to ever grace the Star Wars universe. Even with these two powerhouses, Star Wars fans still felt underwhelmed. “The Book of Boba Fett“ promised a return of one of the classic characters, but the show just feels like a glorified ad for “The Mandalorian,” especially considering Boba Fett isn’t even in one of the episodes.

Recently, it was announced that some upcoming Star Wars films were canceled, echoing the fatigue the fans are feeling of the mediocre direction the franchise is heading. In a time where every new thing that comes out is attached to some larger IP, sometimes we need a break. Marvel fans are beginning to feel the same way, as there are so many shows and movies to catch up on. Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises to ever exist, but too much of a good thing isn’t always good. 

Season three of “The Mandalorian” is streaming on Disney+ with new episodes releasing every Wednesday.

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@ethanblume07