'Higher Name Saul' and 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' make a case for the artwork of the prequel

Muricas News  — 

Saul Goodman and Obi-Wan Kenobi would possibly sound like odd bedfellows, until the Jedi Knight wanted fast-talking authorized assist after that bar battle in Mos Eisley. However as “Higher Name Saul” builds towards its finish after “Obi-Wan Kenobi’s” stint on Disney+, of their very totally different types every demonstrates key abilities within the delicate artwork of the prequel.

Prequel sequence, after all, are all the fashion nowadays, together with “The Lord of the Rings” and the “Sport of Thrones”-inspired “Home of the Dragon” coming quickly, choosing up the mantle from main franchises. But these tales are set removed from the occasions depicted within the earlier tasks, making them an nearly utterly totally different animal.

Each “Obi-Wan” and “Saul,” against this, unfold with sufficient narrative proximity to the tasks that launched them (“Star Wars: A New Hope” and “Breaking Unhealthy,” respectively) to characteristic characters from their predecessors and instantly faucet into these conditions, recognizing how these offshoots feed off of the sooner tales.

Paramount+ has been particularly aggressive on this regard with its “Star Trek” universe, together with the most recent addition, “Unusual New Worlds,” which additionally incorporates youthful variations of many acquainted gamers. Certainly, the studio has been so keen so as to add to its overflowing fleet of “Trek” sequence that the spinoffs now have spinoffs, to go along with sequels like “Picard.”

Not like sequels, which in principle can boldly go in uncharted instructions, the prequel represents a specific set of challenges. As a result of the viewers is conscious of limits on what can occur – and maybe extra considerably, what can’t – that creates a tough curb on the storytelling. The development is thus one thing like a jigsaw puzzle, the place everybody is aware of what the image finally seems like and success hinges on determining methods to assemble the items.

Logistically talking, prequels can focus extra narrowly on particular characters and don’t must assemble quite a lot of the unique solid. Current examples like “The Sopranos” film “The Many Saints of Newark” replicate the alternatives that creates, and the potential pitfalls as nicely.

“Saul” and “Obi-Wan” clearly aren’t completely analogous, starting with the expectations (and baggage) that something within the decades-long “Star Wars”-related timeline brings with it, and the truth that the previous basically promoted a comparatively minor character entrance and middle. But they do share a couple of key attributes that underscore why they labored, in a manner that different motion pictures and sequence endeavor this process typically haven’t.

These are, in no explicit order:

Whereas it helps to be shut sufficient to the sooner productions to make narrative contact (hundreds of years, not a lot), there must be sufficient room to breathe to craft a plot that stands by itself – and maybe even depart the door open for an encore, ought to that be desired and possible.

To be honest, that wasn’t instantly apparent with “Higher Name Saul,” which felt prefer it would possibly run out of pre-“Breaking Unhealthy” territory earlier than it might get to a 3rd season, a lot much less its present six. And it highlights some extent of departure for TV prequels from one thing like “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which was helpfully designed as a stand-alone film (though ever resourceful, Disney+ has discovered a approach to milk that with – what else? – a prequel, “Andor”).

The underside line is that prequels have to rigorously calculate the place to begin to be able to convincingly construct towards the place they finish, with out trampling on or in any manner detracting from the supply materials that impressed them.

One of many thrills that prequels can present is enhanced perception into the occasions with which viewers are already acquainted, and better understanding of them. “Obi-Wan” intriguingly toed that line in constructing off nuances within the Kenobi-Anakin/Darth Vader dynamic, whereas Saul has added richness to not simply the title character however Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and later Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), revealing what introduced them to the locations they occupied after we first met them in “Breaking Unhealthy.”

There may be, invariably, a level of fan service that may smack of pandering in these moments, however carried out proper, it merely appears like a value-added reward for previous patronage, which, simply virtually talking, is why these tasks exist within the first place.

Regardless of the linkage to earlier materials, any prequel value its salt has to determine its personal characters and story traces, particularly if it desires to own any type of longevity.

“Higher Name Saul” has been a grasp class in that, particularly within the central query surrounding Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), a pivotal determine in Saul’s life whose absence afterward has supplied the present’s central thriller all through its run.

As intently tethered as “Obi-Wan” was to bridging the hole between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope,” it too discovered a approach to discover characters past these rooted within the unique story, whereas including layers and depth to what was taking place within the galaxy throughout the intervening years.

The previous isn’t all the time prologue, however given the inevitability of future prequels because of the urge for food for such content material, will these classes be taken to coronary heart? To paraphrase a sure princess, we are able to solely hope.