My take is:
It would require an Andor-level series, a Gilroy-level series, to rescue the mess that has been both writing and the portrayal of New Republic.
In the Mandoverse series and films to come; the New Republic will continue to be shown as dumb or 2D as they have been portrayed so far, and also for the next 20-25 years, right until the events of TFA. A “convenience thing” for the writers. An easy “get-out”, perhaps; the ST portrayed the NR Govt as inept, then they too can also lazily write the NR as being unapt in the here and now, and not have to concern themselves too much about canon, or building up to events in the ST.
Unfortunately, it appears so. What a waste for 30 years of storytelling opportunities in the Star Wars Universe. As well as being a completely underwhelming and baffling journey’s end for the OT-era heroes.
The Sequels:
The ST films chose to basically ignore the setting of the galaxy in the New Republic; instead opting for proxies, such as First Order and Resistance, without much explanation. We are introduced to the NR Govt in the same scene in which it is destroyed. A few planets in the Hosnian system are destroyed with a handful of ships in orbit. It is inferred the entire New Republic government and entire navy were destroyed in this one attack.
From a world-building, setting, stakes, and logical point of view, I found it underwhelming, devoid of logic, and problematic. Even more that we never learn any more about the effects and fallout from this in the other two films of the Sequel Trilogy.
The Mandoverse (so far; so spoilers for season 3 of The Mandalorian and season 1 of Ashoka):
First season Mandalorian gets a pass. Mentions of the NR were limited, yet logical. There were some mentions of a cautious distrust for the New Republic, a feeling they were inept or not interested by events in the Outer Rim, which is fine given the smaller-scope stories told in season one.
Then The Mandalorian attempted to start telling bigger stories in seasons two and three, with more scope and connectivity to the galaxy overall. Also as setup for other new series such as BOBF and Ahsoka, as well as the never-made Rangers Of The New Republic series. And a newly announced Dave Filoni film, likely now the “culmination of the climactic story event” that was announced by Lucasfilm back in 2020. Edit: And now with Jon Favreau’s Mandalorian & Grogu film being announced, in 2024.
Yet for me, the writing, portrayal, and execution of this onscreen leaves so much to be desired, it is almost insulting, to the point of being close to laughable. There are just some examples:
• The NR ship captain doesn’t radio HQ when people claiming to be “Jedi” want to board his prison transport ship. He does not hail the Jedi, nor talk to the Jedi on a screen, just letting them aboard with no other checks or basic precautions. So he lets them on, despite not believing them to be Jedi, and even goes to personally meet them in the hangar bay. That another prisoner recently was freed from a NR transport ship (who also has links with the prisoner his ship is carrying) does not deter him. Also, no one seems to tell Luke about these lightsaber wielding force-wielding dark jedi?
• The NR Govt using “mind-flayers”; despite not modifying them so they cannot be used for more nefarious means, as they have been previously under Imperial rule. Instead you can simply turn the dial up to maximum and leave them to be operated by Elia Kane, a member of Gideon’s former command staff, who just happens to be still around, until she is finally left alone with Pershing. There is no follow up to what happens despite the NR Govt officials knowing she was the last person to see Pershing before his mind was fried. There are seemingly no machine logs, records, or CCTV, or any follow up to this incident.
• Elia Kane, again. This time she happens to be working in an office for NR Govt bureaucrat Colonel Tuttle, presumably so she can intercept anyone like X-Wing pilot Carson Teva, or anyone else requesting NR help, against Gideon or other Imperial forces. In among the exposition dump, Tuttle sides with Kane over Teva, though not for reasons of logic, but simply that the plot demands it, and it is easier to simply write the NR as being inept. Despite the increased and open Imperial, Gideon and pirate presence around Navarro, it is stated the NR Govt don’t have the resources to help.
• After Ahsoka and Hera’s fight vs some Imperial loyalists at the NR Shipyards in Episode 2; Hera questions: “How can they still be loyal to the Empire?” Ahsoka bafflingly replies: “It’s not loyalty. It’s greed.” What?! The Imperial loyalists literally (and stupidly) shouted “For the Empire!” before attacking Ahsoka and Hera in a shootout. Not only as a “warning” of “hey, I’m going to shoot you on behalf of the Empire”, instead of having a far better chance of, y’know, just shooting them. There is no other indicator onscreen of “greed” being a factor to these Imperial loyalists.
• Hera takes her 10 year old kid away from the New Republic fleet and into a battle zone on The Ghost. Isn’t that a war crime? Something Senator Xiono should probably mention at her court-martial, but for some inexplicable reason he doesn’t address this.
• The conversation between Mon Mothma and Hera, with Mon letting Ahsoka know she is going to be court-martialled (or how it should have occurred; it is a little lengthy, so click on the “Expand” button to see more):
Mon Mothma: “Do you have Morgan Elsbeth?”
Hera (instead): Nearly, we just missed them. If your Senators hadn’t delayed us last time, we’d have like caught them in time, and both Morgan Elsbeth and the Dark Jedi would likely be in our custody.
Mon Mothma: “Do you have evidence of Imperial Remnant?”
Hera: Yes. The two Dark Jedi that boarded a New Republic ship, killed many of the crew and freed the prisoner Morgan Elsbeth (who previously gave up information about Thrawn to Ahsoka) have just been missed; but we know they are using a high powered Hyperspace Ring to apparently go find Thrawn. The same Hyperspace Ring whose engine parts were supplied by Imperial Remnant or those loyal to the Empire (and announce themselves as such: “For the Empire!”), and the place where an Inquisitor and Imperial HK droid fought Ahsoka just afterwards. And whose location we found out about from the memory cell of a HK droid sent by those Dark Jedi. Our ships’ sensors have readouts of that Hyperspace Ring and we also have testimony of the New Republic pilots. Probably other logs and records as well. In 5 minutes: Ahsoka is going to follow the two Dark Jedi and Morgan to the next galaxy over, using these Hyperspace traveling “Star Whales”. The same “Star Whales” we know that took Thrawn and Ezra disappeared years ago during The Battle of Lothal; a well known Rebel engagement vs the Empire, and mention of these “Star Whales” can also found in the Jedi Archives. Luke may be interested in this y’know; Thrawn, Imperial Remnant, Dark Jedi, missing Jedi, Force-attuned “Star Whales” with long history of hyperspace abilities. Why am I answering these insipid questions to you? Have you been hit on the head or taking some stupid pills since Andor? Why are you acting like this? Oh, you’re now an ancillary character in a Filoni series. Filoni, of course. Got it.
Mon Mothma: “You and Ahsoka Tano are to return to Coruscant with the Fleet. The Senate oversight Committee is going to determine whether your command should be germanely suspended. You are going to need her testimony to help you. And yes, I too wish the scenes with the New Republic were written not as an afterthought with little substance, weight, or realism, and lacking in awareness of the past events. (Has anyone seen Tony Gilroy? Or even competent writers? Just asking for a friend)."
• At the actual court-martial of Hera (it is a little lengthy, so click on the “Expand” button to see more):
Senator Xiono: “An incident [on Seatos]? Yes. But this report reads like a child’s fairy tale. Jedi, False Jedi, star maps, star whales, distant galaxies. Honestly, are we to believe any of it?”
(Yet we have seen holo-recordings of Rebel ship boarded by the Dark Jedi showing the fight. What about autopsies of New Republic officers killed by the Dark Jedis’ lightsabers? Ahsoka is a Jedi - does he not believe in Ahsoka or Luke? Perhaps he should go ask Luke for his opinion? Star maps and star whales: they were present when Thrawn disappeared at the Battle of Lothal, and have been seen again taking Ahsoka to the place where Thrawn and Ezra ended up (and see other reason above ‘given’ by Hera). What is like “a child’s fairy tale” about this again? Other than the writing for New Republic Government scenes? Holograms, logs and records of these events occurring from New Republic itself is not good enough to count as evidence of existence? And more to the point, not brought up by any other member of the Senate Council at this court-martial, or at previous hearings and meetings.)
Hera: “Morgan Elsbeth was leading a coordinated effort by the Imperial Remnant.”
Senator Xiono: “Objection. “Imperial Remnant” Such a sensational term. There is no proof of any coordination between the scattered and dwindling numbers of Imperial forces.”
Captain Teva: “What about the droid attack on the wookiees? What about the conflict on Mandalore?”
Senator Xiono: “Exactly my point. Gideon was a warlord acting on his own. There is no proof of a greater conspiracy and thus no immediate threat to this Republic.”
(2 important prisoners freed from Republic custody with proven links to Imperial Remnant. Gideon has links with Elsbeth. Secret bases built on Mandalore, high tech Mandalorian suits of armour, cloning, force ability experiments etc. NR Shipyards building powerful hyperdrive rings by Empire loyalists being used by Elsbeth to bring Thrawn back. All the work of one wanted and escaped Imperial Warlord operating outside his prior ‘allocated space’. Really?)
Hera: “If Thrawn returns, that will change quickly.”
Senator Xiono: [Scoffs] “If.”
Hera: “I don’t know what frightens me more, the possibility of what might happen, or your unwillingness to see it.”
Senator Xiono: “I’ll tell you what I see. I see a General who abuses her authority for personal gain, and I will not stand for it. I motion that General Syndulla be court-martialled for disobeying a direct order.”
Enter Deus Ex 3PO with Leia cover reasons.
Ahsoka keeps getting away with filler - an 18 minute YouuTbe video from Actuall Andrew (ignore the title, the first 5 minutes focuses on some of the New Republic issues mentioned above, and a few logic issues throughout this episode of Ahsoka)
• At the end of Ahsoka, Ezra makes it back to Republic space in a TIE Fighter and onto Hera’s ship. He then disembarks from the TIE and walks into the docking bay in full stormtrooper uniform, including still wearing the helmet. Ezra doesn’t know about what happened days ago on board the ship with Baylon and Shin pretending to be Jedi to board a NR ship. Yet everyone on Hera’s NR ship should be aware of it. And ready to blast that stormtrooper repeatedly as soon as his hand made any sudden movements. But no, the scene is written purely for dramatic effect and nothing else.
In conclusion: It feels like they are going out of their way to make the New Republic, and certain legacy characters seem incompetent, and doing so with very little nuance. That the writers don’t know how to write politics, and so the characters then come across as flat moustache-twirling villains or inept bureaucrats, with the plot operating on a level of briskly getting from point A to B without wanting too many questions asked. Such little effort or quality is put in, that the New Republic repeatedly comes off as feeling two-dimensional and inept, something that the viewer then doesn’t really care about, or is invested in.
Showrunners and writers should know better ignore their own history and continuity to keep the current story moving. Or for convenience. In addition, the New Republic are written as continuing to scrap their fleet and also the Imperial fleet, despite stating they are already stretched thin and have little resources to spare, on several occasions. Logic is not a forte, here.
Andor proved that the more political or bureaucratic scenes and plotlines can be done well, be illustrative and engaging, even to the point of wanting to see more. An entire cast of intriguing characters (even the “background” or “ancilliary” folks) have or are a part of integrated and compelling story arcs, all executed in a logical, believable, and absorbing manner. So why not approach the New Republic in a similar rich, deep, and layered fashion too?
^ not forgetting those characters that made up Table 5 at Narkina 5: Jemboc, Xaul, Taga, Ham, and Ulaf. One Way Out!
It feels good to write out all of that. Cathartic, even. Sorry if it is too long, drones on, or is repetitive in places.
