Star Wars Should Get Off Television And Stay Off
Like no doubt many of you, I was excited to learn original Star Wars shows were coming to Disney+, and the excellent first season of The Mandalorian just made it seem like there was so much potential. But I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s about time there was a lot less Star Wars on television. My chief reason (though not the only reason) is not surprising–it’s the fandom toxicity.
The Toxic Fans
Right now it’s so clear it’s practically not even a case of opinion, but fact–right now the Star Wars fandom is the worst thing about the franchise.
There are valid criticisms against the Star Wars television shows, of course, but there’s no valid way to send death threats and no valid way to send racist messages to acting talent.
It is the height of absurdity that there are social media giants like Star Wars Theory whose entire online presence is built on one thing–hating any new Star Wars.
This kind of toxicity exists in other fandoms, of course, but in Star Wars it’s out of control and the release of the television original The Acolyte has made things uglier than ever.
More Fuel To The Fire
What does Star Wars being on television have to do with the toxicity? After all, it isn’t like The Last Jedi inspired nothing but sweet applauds and rainbows from the fandom.
Between 2015 and 2019, Disney released one Star Wars movie every year, and at the time that was considered a lot.
Meanwhile for every year between 2021 and 2024, Disney+ has released new seasons of Star Wars television shows at least three times per year. A total of four are expected for 2024. This year has already seen the premieres of Tales of the Empire and The Acolyte, with Skeleton Crew on the way and Season 2 of Young Jedi Adventures.
Every episode released, every new season, offers more chances for the toxic fans to turn molehills into mountains in the vilest and most hateful ways possible.
A Star Wars television release schedule adds too much fuel to the fire, and far too frequently.
The Grifters Will Starve
A big part of why the Star Wars toxicity is so bad right now has nothing to do with television and everything to do with the internet.
Think about what it’s like to be the kind of toxic Star Wars social media influencer whose entire presence is based on trashing the franchise’s new releases–imagine the price you would pay if you change your opinion and admit it publicly?
Your entire community–and likely your financial well-being when it comes to the bigger Star Wars influencers–could be taken away from you if you say something as reasonable as, “yeah I don’t think Ki-Adi-Mundi in The Acolyte is a big deal.”
Want to keep your friends? Want to pay rent? You have to keep crying about fire in space and woke agendas.
But if there are no longer anywhere between three and five new Star Wars seasons of television content being released every year, then the big social media grifters who literally live on stirring the pot won’t have anything in the proverbial pot to stir–or at least not as much.
Make Star Wars Feel Cinematic Again
The now infamous Star Wars fandom toxicity isn’t the only recent to keep the franchise off the television. It would also be nice to see the franchise recapture more of its cinematic feel.
The release of a new Star Wars movie used to be an event unmatched by anything else going on in pop culture at the time. I doubt Star Wars could ever get that feeling back completely–if for no other reason than the much more crowded landscape of big budget sci-fi and fantasy movies–but I think if it ditched the television shows, it could get some of that prestige back.
I don’t know about you, but now every time a new Star Wars movie is announced, it’s genuinely difficult to feel any anticipation. To be fair, on one hand, the lack of excitement is because so many franchise flicks have been canceled.
But on the other hand, I find it tough to care about a Star Wars movie when there’s so much on television. I don’t think I’ve ever had more of an absolutely neutral response to anything as when I heard about The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Like… yeah. We have three seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+–three and a quarter if you include the last couple episodes of The Book of Boba Fett.
So now you’re going to give me that, but shorter and I have to pay more for it?
Did you expect enthusiasm? Because this is not how you get enthusiasm.
Disney Can Put The Money Toward Other Projects
If Disney+’s Star Wars television output either stops entirely or is at least greatly decreased, the money that would otherwise be spent on shows like Skeleton Crew or The Acolyte could instead be put toward other projects from smaller–or even nonexistent–franchises.
Yes, I fully admit if Disney had never produced Star Wars television series like The Mandalorian in the first place, it would rob us of a lot of great moments. But at this point, is it worth it?
