The Winter King and 4 other disappointing sci-fi/fantasy shows from 2023

Star Wars on TV

There were a few Star Wars TV shows to come out in 2023, including a third season of The Mandalorian, a second season of The Bad Batch, and the debut of Ahsoka. And to be clear, I don’t think any of them were bad. They were all mildly fine, which isn’t going to cut it when you’re dealing with a legendary franchise like Star Wars.

Part of the problem is how all of these Star Wars shows are starting to feel like they’re part of the same whole, which keeps any of them from standing out on their own. The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars show in history, felt really exciting and fresh when it began. We were following a new set of characters — Mando and Baby Yoda — unencumbered by movies past. Here were some folks who could have new adventures.

But as that show went on, it was dragged down by the producers’ insistence on tying it into the existing mythology, until by season 3 it felt more like an extension of old shows like The Clone Wars than anything original. Ashoka also feels trapped in a web of storytelling that allows very little freedom of movement. It ends with the characters at a loose end and a fearsome villain from Star Wars Rebels loosed upon the galaxy. Stay tuned for a movie that will wrap all of this up.

Again, neither of these shows were terrible, but they felt constrained by having to service a larger narrative. They’re not allowed to stretch their legs and forge their own paths, and that’s disappointing.