While the first trio of episodes isn’t as strong as the second, they’re all elevated by contemplative visuals that deliver a fittingly solemn atmosphere. All in all, thanks to efficient storytelling and evocative aesthetics, the series demonstrates that there’s still plenty worth experiencing in this galaxy far, far away.
Tales of the Empire succeeds in many ways at telling more intimate stories than Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee would ever get on The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, or Ahsoka. But these six episodes get bogged down by exposition, losing some of what makes them so special. Morgan and Barriss deserve their time in the limelight, but their mostly surface-level journeys to and from the Dark Side might not be enough to serve a wider audience.