Review of the Jedi: Voices

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Ah, so that's how they're going to keep this going.

After the mystery of Sifo-Dyas was mostly wrapped up last episode, I was curious on what the next three episodes would focus on. The answer is unexpected but clever in its own way. The focus has shrunk from the galaxy-wide conspiracy to a more personal story with a single main character. That's odd for this show which has always relied on the strength of its ensemble cast but the choice of that single character is strange as well. Yoda.

Not to say that Yoda is a bad character, far from it, but his function in the Star Wars story is why he's a weird choice for a lead. Ever since his first appearance in Empire Strikes Back, Yoda has been the wise mentor. He's the old smart guy who's there to give the younger, dumber protagonist advice and then dies to inspire said protagonist. And the reason characters like that usually don't get the spotlight is because, by virtue of their being old and wise, their character arc is assumed to be complete. The only thing they have left to do is pass on their wisdom and die. You can see this with other characters that fit this archetype; Dumbledore, Gandalf, Mr. Miyagi though he didn't die. But the way the writers get around this, and what gives these next few episodes their hook, is by giving Yoda a problem his wisdom can't solve. They present him with something he doesn't understand.

"I need help doing something reckless and stupid.
You were the first person I thought of Skywalker"

The episode opens basically where the previous one ended. The Jedi are still reeling from the revelation about Sifo-Dyas and they've all been recalled to Coruscant to decide what they should do. Yoda has been deep in meditation when he hears something. Qui-Gon Jinn's voice. This really shakes him because as far as the Jedi know the dead get absorbed into the Force. Talking to the living should be impossible. After Yoda tells the other Jedi about this, it distracts from the Sifo-Dyas issue. Now they're all worried about Yoda. Especially after he attempts a dangerous ritual to contact Qui-Gon's spirit. And really is there a better hook for a Star Wars story than "Something might be up with Yoda".

The other Jedi's disbelief that Qui-Gon is actually contacting Yoda is yet another sign of Old Republic Jedi dogmatism. This is part of the greater whole of the Prequel Era that lead to the rise of the Empire, but basically it's the key reason the Jedi collapsed. By the time of the Prequels, the current Jedi power structure had been in place for a thousand years and the Sith had been exterminated. With no opposing viewpoints on the Force, the Jedi's beliefs became rigid and accepted without question. The Jedi no longer interact with the Force their way because it makes sense, but because they've been doing it that way so long they don't even think to question it. And with the necessary militarization of the war it probably got worse. This is when that "presented with something they don't understand" comes in. The other Jedi can't accept that Yoda is speaking with Qui-Gon beyond the grave because it doesn't fit with the long-held Jedi beliefs. It's never happened before, therefore it can't happen. So they have to rationalize it as either Yoda going senile or being manipulated by a Sith Lord. It doesn't make sense to them otherwise.

Spiritual Enlightenment. Drugs Optional.

But those of us who've seen the other movies know that Qui-Gon is actually contacting Yoda and tells him to go to Dagobah. And it's here where the narrative structure of these few episodes comes into focus. It's a spiritual journey, one toward enlightenment, not unlike the Buddha or any esoteric believer. That's why Yoda had the near-death experience to contact the realm of the dead. Anyone who's studied shamanic experiences will tell you that a near-death experience, or any ego-dissolving experience, is necessary on the path to enlightenment. It's through these that the seeker lets go of their material identity and approaches the divine. You may recall Yoda helping Luke Skywalker through a similar situation. Speaking of, Qui-Gon leads Yoda to that same tree on Dagobah where he receives visions of Revenge of the Sith.

The entire sequence on Dagobah is beautiful. The animation on the will-o-the-wisps that lead Yoda to the tree and the evil Dark Side cloud that he encounters there are gracefully fluid, Liam Neeson's voice work on Qui-Gon very much captures the mystical ghostliness it needs, and the music reprises John Williams' leitmotifs from Empire to give it both a nostalgic and religious feel. Beyond that, I now get why the Sifo-Dyas mystery was mostly wrapped up last time. That was just a prelude to this journey, of which this episode is the first act of. We'll see if it keeps going this way, but the episode really plays like a first act with Yoda as the main character. Something upsets the status quo (Qui-Gon ghost-talking), the character is unsure what to do (is Yoda crazy or not?), but ultimately the protagonist commits to a path of action (going to Dagobah and learning the secret of immortality). Of course in act two the protagonist will fail in their quest and reach a dark moment, so Yoda's journey won't be the easiest.

Overall, Voices built on the solid base of The Lost One to set us off on a journey. It was risky to tell a smaller, more character-focused story but it worked after last episode's galaxy-wide mystery. The mood is lighter for the moment and basing the journey around Yoda was a smart, subversive choice. The spiritual journey aspect is different from what the show's done before and makes me excited for what's to come.

See you tomorrow.