Rogue One After Rogue One, what's the best viewing order?

I mostly agree with the above. For me the Saga is 1-9, and can either be watched in release order or episodic order depending on whether you want to see the story unfold as it was told, or as it linearly occurs. Both work and are satisfying in different ways, in my experience.

I find Rogue One is too tonally and stylistically distinct to really fit in with the others as a satisfying interlude, to say nothing of the difference in narrative focus. Ultimately, I prefer to let the standalone films, well, stand alone. Rogue One is its own thing, with Andor as a TV spin-off. In the same vein, Solo is its own thing, with Lando as (presumably) a TV spin-off.

 

I really enjoy watching RO and ANH back to back together

but, if want to watch the entire OT then I just watch the OT, no RO

 

I would watch whatever I feel like watching.

 

You're not doing it right. It's supposed to keep you up at night. You should be diagramming all of the possible options on a big whiteboard.

 

We don't watch these movies because we "feel like watching," we watch them with the same sense of strict, regimented obligation and devotion that compels people to attend midnight mass. To paraphrase the Mandalorian, "I'm a Star Wars fam. Viewing orders are a part of my religion."

 

"Neither shalt thou watch R1 save that thou proceedest immediately unto watching Ep 4 to followed sequentially by Eps 5 and 6, save that thou wield the Holy Machete and watchest 2 and 3 in the midst of 5 and 6. Ep 1 is right out."

 

This is a joke . . . I hope?

 

Yes, of course it is.

 

Joking about the holy viewing order?? Heresy! Grab the torches and pitchforks!

 

Viewing order is sacred. Viewing order is great. If a viewing order is wasted, George gets quite irate.

 

I agree - Ive tried numerous "machete edits" and ways to watch the movies. Of course, if you watch them with a newbie then always watch them in release order so the secrets and reveals are maintained. Once you've seen them like thousands of times as I have then I like straight chronological with R1 sandwiched between EP3 and EP4 where it fits perfectly.

Solo is honestly the only SW film I have only seen once and never owned on disc & never will. I really disliked it a lot. Doesnt fit & doesnt work for me at all.

 

Rogue 1 has to be seen exactly as what it is: an extended prologue to Ep IV that came out of nowhere in 2016, and which connects ANH a lot better with Ep III ROTS.

SW '77 is now 4 hours long.

 

In general, I tend to feel that release order is the best for first-time Star Wars watchers, while chronological order works better once you've seen all of the films at least once. Even for how nicely Rogue One ties into A New Hope, as has been pointed out, the former film doesn't stand as well by itself, whereas ANH does. Since it was the only film to be made before Star Wars was ever popular, so it truly is the perfect introduction to the franchise.

So with that said, I feel the best order here is to go from the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and then Rogue One, essentially treating it as another prequel film.

 

Rogue One stands completely fine by itself. It’s entirely self-contained, apart from the brief oblique reference to Obi-wan by Bail Organa. It is obviously a direct prologue/ companion to ANH, but based on how it was written, it does not need ANH. It’s a full, coherent story.

 

I like to view Rogue One and A New Hope as one. And it's incredible how well they fit together! After finishing Rogue One, I always take out the disc and immediately put in ANH if I have the time.

 

Everytime I watch ANH after RO, I can’t help but yell at R2 and C3PO to hurry the hell up and deliver those plans to Obi-wan.

 

"Lots of people died to get those plans to the Rebel Alliance, and you guys are just screwing around in the desert."

 

That lengthy shot of R2 slowly turning his head back and forth in consternation as 3PO slowly shambles away into the dunes…

“Get on with it!”

 

Obviously, reverse chronological order is the only correct way to go.