Mini Series Senator Rayencourt

This guy should've been in every episode. Discuss!



Source: https://www.starwars.com/databank/senator-rayencourt

 

Yes, he added a much needed non-Force using (?) adversarial presence to the series. A shame we didn’t see him earlier in the season.
Like much else with this show, and other Disney+ SW shows, the stage is set for a fantastic ‘next’ season.

 

Agreed. Such a great actor and character should have been deployed from the beginning.

 

His fear and strong dislike of the Jedi is interesting, where will it go from here, will Rayencourt put in place the pieces of the downfall of the Jedi that Palps can manipulate events?

 

He will be great addition to the show moving forward. Hoped he showed up before. He be great addition to the politics of the Jedi.

 

I'm glad we already have confirmation that he isn't Qimir's master. I mentioned it in the episode thread, but I suspect he'll be our political figure secretly in league with the Sith, similar to how Nute Gunray and the Trade Federation were already under Sidious' influence in The Phantom Menace.

Thinking way ahead, could Rayencourt be the guy to take a young Sheev Palpatine under his wing?

 

I think the show did it perfectly tbh.

 

Not unless he dosent age as we 50 years before Palpatine's birth

 

Yes, good character, well portrayed. Having someone like him being dogged in exposing the fault lines in the Jedi would've ramped up the stakes in this series.

Again, something that could've been shown more organically with more time and better writing, rather than explained.

 

Although I've speculated that the Senator might be allied with the Sith, I think he would be more interesting simply representing the view of those who disagree with the Jedi. SW needs that view. It adds a different kind of antagonist and represents a completely legit perspective.

 

Made me wish I was watching a much, much better show in Andor with some great dialogue.

 

One of the most intriguing characters of the show imho. More screentime for him would have been really really good!!

 

He is the View of the more Normal people.

 

More screentime for the political narrative in general would have dramatically elevated this show.

 

People seem to like him, and Leslye also obviously intended to portray him as a sympathetic guy representing the principles of democratic government and transparency, but I would never take the side of a politician against the Jedi Order.

The main reason, of course, is that I was indoctrinated from childhood to view the Jedi as a force of good. But even from an objective point of view, during the centuries, the Jedi have sacrificed much more than any political group in the Galactic Senate. I have yet to see a proper Jedi in any SW media who would hesitate to risk his life to protect the weak. And very few politicians in SW or real life are ready to make a similar sacrifice. And why do we assume that an organization listening to and serving the Light Side is less trustworthy than a bureaucratic republic, which constantly has to turn to the former to save it?

And, in the end, serving the will of the politicians is what brought about the downfall of the Jedi.

 

Always loved this actor and this character is amazing! If we got 10-20 minutes throughout the series so I could get my prequel style Political fix! Politics was always a top 5 part of my SW fandom! "I love democracy."

Generally totally agree. However I think the Jedi we see in this make it hard to believe in Paragon Jedi as I always have. Hopefully Yoda whips this dummies into shape!

 

I’d hope that any expansion of this character’s manifesto in subsequent seasons, should we get any, would include a broader critical take on the Jedi that goes beyond simply fearing their power.

There’s a sociological debate to be had concerning the opposing principles of an autonomous meritocracy, and a Republic that’s based on an elective democratic process.

Throw in some sound and fury, and plenty table fisting, and you’ve got liquid TV.

 

It would be a very interesting debate, but we know that in the show it will probably be skewed towards the senator's view. Although The Acolyte did not portray the Jedi as evil, they were definitely shown as misguided and flawed. I don't see a scenario where Headland gives them the platform to convincingly justify their position. Leslye will write this conflict from the point of view of the political model she is most happy with, which is a liberal democracy of the progressive variety. And this model definitely presupposes the separation of religion from state.
That said, the Jedi Order as an organization does need some form of deconstruction, if only to explain why it proved inadequate to deal with the Sith threat at the end. I just would prefer if it was a matter of self-reflection and not due to the interference of a smug and self-righteous politician.

 

Because the republic is democratically accountable. And religious institutions generally are not. Though I don't know how that all shakes out with the Jedi Order. If they have no accountability, that's not a good thing. As they would then be an extralegal paramilitary religious army.

And serving the will of the politicians, in a democratic republic, is serving the will of the republic's citizens. So it's much better for the Jedi to be accountable to the republic, than to be independent vigilantes that answer to nobody, including the public.

I wonder. Do a lot of fans not understand what the government of a representative republic is?

Lastly, the Jedi's downfall wasn't the result of "serving the politicians." It was the result of being duped by an aspiring dictator, who was helped by a fallen Jedi who was serving himself. So a failure to serve the republic is a major part of its downfall, not the opposite.

 

Bor, man, I am very sorry that I have left you with the impression that I am a hillbilly with ill-articulated dreams of vigilantism and theocracy. I thought it was clear that within the political model of liberal democracy, the senator's argument would prevail. However, we are not talking about real life politics but about a space opera where a religious group exists that has proven for millennia that it has a direct line to the actual God in this universe and serves his needs and the needs of the common people. So, within this specific context, I think the actual will of God somehow takes precedence over temporary considerations of politics. Again, within the history of the GFFA the Jedi Order has proven innumerable times that it is a much more stable and benevolent force than the Galactic Senate. And its downfall happens exactly when they are forced to follow the will of the government.

 

Wait...what if he was actually Martian Manhunter and we've entered the multiverse?

 

No worries! I get your point. And it’s a fine one. But I do enjoy my Star Wars with political and historical realism in it, so that’s a bias of mine.

 

Absolutely! I always liked the Senate scenes in the prequel trilogy (especially Episode I was great here). I know some people find the political stuff boring, but it massively adds narrative depth you can't capture otherwise.

 

Theocratic Space Hillbillies: A Star Wars Vigilante Story

 

Forceboys and Aliens.