Star Wars Has One Big Challenge In Replacing Its Canceled Mandalorian-Era TV Show

One of The Mandalorian‘s spinoff shows was canceled during development, and while it’s been replaced in canon, Star Wars has struggled with successfully implementing the concept. This storyline could have contributed to The Mandalorian and the other Star Wars TV shows, but so far, its execution has been disappointing, more often detracting from the main plot. If Star Wars doesn’t fix this problem in future movies and TV shows, then it will get worse and hold the franchise back from its full potential.

However, not every aspect of this arc has been bad, with many episodes showing promise if the writing had been better. Dave Filoni’s The Mandalorian Star Wars movie will build off the TV shows and provide another opportunity to incorporate these ideas properly. The Mandalorian‘s canceled spinoff would finally have a proper replacement and help bring the overarching narrative of this era full circle.

Star Wars Is Still Using Plot Elements From Rangers Of The New Republic

Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic may have been canceled, but the Star Wars TV shows have continued incorporating its planned story. After being set up in The Mandalorian season 2, Rangers of the New Republic would likely have followed Captain Carson Teva and other X-Wing pilots as they fought lawlessness in the outer rim while investigating the growing Imperial threat. This arc continued in The Mandalorian season 3, with multiple episodes dedicated to corruption in the New Republic and Teva’s efforts to combat the Imperial Remnant. These elements are acceptable when contributing to the main story, but that wasn’t the case with Ahsoka.

Related: When Ahsoka Takes Place In The Star Wars Timeline

Ahsoka’s New Republic Scenes Were The Show’s Greatest Weakness

Unfortunately, the New Republic subplot is central to Ahsoka, and these scenes were the weakest aspect of the show. It gets tiresome seeing Hera Syndulla and Senator Hamato Xiono repeatedly have the same argument while the other senators agree with him. Genevieve O’Reilly has little to do as Mon Mothma other than look upset and barely stand up for her allies, making her look like a weak and incompetent leader. This is unforgivable after Andor season 1, where O’Reilly gave a stellar performance that made Mon Mothma made Mon Mothma into one of the best Star Wars characters.

The New Republic scenes ultimately have no impact on the plot and shift the focus from Ahsoka Tano, the show’s title character. Mon Mothma and the New Republic senators don’t help Ahsoka, and while Hera convinces Teva and a few others to track down Thrawn, their mission results in several X-Wing pilots being killed. They did save Ahsoka’s life, but they returned with no evidence to support any of their claims, and there are no consequences for Hera’s actions. The characters are in the same position at the end of Ahsoka season 1 as they were at the beginning: knowing Thrawn is coming and not being prepared.

How Can Star Wars Fix Its New Republic Arc?

Thankfully, there is a way for Star Wars to fix its New Republic arc in Ahsoka season 2 or the Heir to the Empire movie. The New Republic scenes in Ahsoka weren’t lacking in concept, only in execution, contributing little to the main story other than a setup for Dave Filoni’s Star Wars movie. With better writing and planning, the New Republic arc could be incredible in future stories, especially now that the setup is out of the way. The characters will take the fight to Thrawn as he launches his attack on the galaxy, creating tension and more engaging conflict among the New Republic senators and military leaders.

This will allow the New Republic arc to serve its purpose and tie into the First Order in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The Star Wars books revealed that the New Republic’s unwillingness to take action pushed Leia to create the Resistance, especially when she realized that First Order agents had infiltrated the New Republic. It’s very similar to how The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have portrayed the Imperial Remnant, and after Thrawn’s defeat, the story can put the final pieces in place for the sequels. Rangers of the New Republic‘s influence on Star Wars has had mixed results, but it can be fixed and enhance the Mandalorian era.