For me George Lucas was always style over substance. Not great storys, not great pieces of acting. Which worked fine when he got the style-side of things right (THX, American Graffiti, Star Wars).

That’s my main grief with the prequels. He couldn’t replicate the Star Wars “style“ and it didn’t feel like the same universe anymore. Many things looked generic and sometimes more like Babylon 5 or Star Trek than Flash Gordon and Ralph McQuarrie.

And being directed by veteran director Kershner Empire is my favorite episode. Because Kirshner squeezed out some great and believable performances out of the actors. In addition to featuring Lucas’ great Star Wars style.