All are expressed in different styles (impressionistic to clay to 'traditional' anime) and develop different storytelling vibes (mystical, ghostly, comical, protest, wistful). Several have to do with young people leaving home, which circles back to the very first film. Most deal with family issues of one kind of another: siblings, mother/daughter, father/daughter. (Each episode runs 13-18 minutes.) They all have a beginning, middle, and end, and all feature elements from the Star Wars universe - lightsabers, droids, and so forth - as well as themes that will sound familiar, yet play out differently in each episode. The stories are, first of all, good short stories. What I enjoy as much as anything about this season is that every culture which has embraced Star Wars interprets it through its own unique perspective. For its second season, the invitation to create has been extended worldwide, and the results are, again, fabulous. Released in September 2021, the seven episodes produced by Japanese animation studios were all 'varying levels of fabulous,' as I wrote at the time. In view of all that, and putting aside valid arguments that Disney is milking the entire concept dry, the emergence of Star Wars: Visions remains. That's a lotta Star Wars, not even counting the bevy of animated and live-action shows produced by Disney and Marvel over the years.

Ten more years passed before this century's trilogy began, with just two years between films, and two stand-alone entries jammed in between them, making five films in four years. Sixteen years passed before the second trilogy commenced, with similar timing for its sequels. In the last century, three years passed between the original film and each of its sequels. George Lucas' Star Wars has always required patience. The second season debuts May 4, 2023, on the Disney Plus streaming service worldwide. 'Star wars, nothing but star wars.' - Bill Murray.

Down by Mark Adam Kaplan