The Mandalorian

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I really like the show. In a lot of ways it's kind of sloppy, cheesy, and a bit thin on story and characterization even with its shortened runtime. But it's still a lot of fun, it fits pretty decently within the Star Wars universe while experimenting with some other motifs, and you actually get the sense that they have an idea where they're going. It's a refreshing show, and the near universal praise should go to show that Star Wars fans aren't all that hard to please.

I think it's writing is tight as a Western/Samurai concept. Each episode plays like a mini fable. All and all each episode is sufficiently contained which is an essential aspect of having a good season arc. That being said, I agree about story and characterization, though mainly in terms of supporting cast and not Mando.

I have conflicted feelings about that.

The western vibe is one of my favorite things about it, and it really does feel like it gets back to one of the roots of Star Wars, expounding on it in a slightly different direction than the one taken by the Skywalker saga. Which is almost exactly what I would like Disney to be doing- different branches on the same tree.

Self-contained and episodic, playing out like simple morality tales like classic westerns, in theory I like all that. My issue is that the way it's played out has been kind of clunky in even the best episodes. I don't mind the idea of of a Star Wars take on the Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven story, but it plays out like a truncated, derivative version of that's been stripped of the elements that make that idea work well.

Or to take an example from the last episode, the last survivor of Mando's clan gives him a jetpack and tells Mando something to the effect of his not being able to use it until he's ready/proved himself/whatever. Fine idea in theory, but then he goes ahead and uses it perfectly the first time he needs it about two scenes later. Thematically, it just doesn't carry that much weight yet.

Not to get too negative though, it's still a fine start. Refreshing to have some Star Wars content that most people can agree on.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I really like the show. In a lot of ways it's kind of sloppy, cheesy, and a bit thin on story and characterization even with its shortened runtime. But it's still a lot of fun, it fits pretty decently within the Star Wars universe while experimenting with some other motifs, and you actually get the sense that they have an idea where they're going. It's a refreshing show, and the near universal praise should go to show that Star Wars fans aren't all that hard to please.

I think it's writing is tight as a Western/Samurai concept. Each episode plays like a mini fable. All and all each episode is sufficiently contained which is an essential aspect of having a good season arc. That being said, I agree about story and characterization, though mainly in terms of supporting cast and not Mando.

Or to take an example from the last episode, the last survivor of Mando's clan gives him a jetpack and tells Mando something to the effect of his not being able to use it until he's ready/proved himself/whatever. Fine idea in theory, but then he goes ahead and uses it perfectly the first time he needs it about two scenes later. Thematically, it just doesn't carry that much weight yet.

Not to get too negative though, it's still a fine start. Refreshing to have some Star Wars content that most people can agree on.

Wow I noticed that too and just didn't stress enough to remember. I just rested on him initiating the training protocol lol but I didn't think about it again when it wasn't explained or anything.

Anyways, again, I agree about it feeling truncated.

[Deledrius]

I do hope they explained how Gideon got the Dark Saber

That didn't look like a saber to me. I'm completely out of touch with the EU stuff but my brain immediately said "Vibrosword"? I dunno, looked like a blade with a plasma edge to me. I don't even know where I picked that term up from.

Or to take an example from the last episode, the last survivor of Mando's clan gives him a jetpack and tells Mando something to the effect of his not being able to use it until he's ready/proved himself/whatever. Fine idea in theory, but then he goes ahead and uses it perfectly the first time he needs it about two scenes later. Thematically, it just doesn't carry that much weight yet.

Not to get too negative though, it's still a fine start. Refreshing to have some Star Wars content that most people can agree on.

I expected that jetpack to come into use much later than "ten minutes from receiving it", but I didn't get the impression that he was using it well. It looked really sloppy. He basically launched himself into the air with it, then used his grapple/spear thing to pull himself in, and then used it again to make a very unsteady landing a little distance away from his allies. Very basic usage, and not with anything resembling a flourish. It was a barely-controlled accelerator/decelerator only.

[MithrandirOlorin]

That's clearly the same Blakc Lightsaer we saw the Deathwatch had on Clone Wars. So Gidoen probably got it when he looted Mandalore.

[hammerofglass]

I do hope they explained how Gideon got the Dark Saber

That didn't look like a saber to me. I'm completely out of touch with the EU stuff but my brain immediately said "Vibrosword"? I dunno, looked like a blade with a plasma edge to me. I don't even know where I picked that term up from.

The first Mandalorian Jedi went on to become his era's Mandalore, and his unique black lightsaber is basically the Mandalorian Excalibur.

[Deledrius]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for the info.

[PerrySimm]

Good show. Maybe not amazing or perfect but solid. Very much in the vein of swashbuckling, grey characters, classic Episode IV and V type stuff.

I'm concerned about The Mandalorians themselves, though. They seem to recognize that they're endangered, but they continue to adhere to this creed that seems to get them into an awful lot of trouble.

[Deledrius]

I'm concerned about The Mandalorians themselves, though. They seem to recognize that they're endangered, but they continue to adhere to this creed that seems to get them into an awful lot of trouble.

A deeply-held ideology isn't really that deeply-held if you only follow it when it's convenient, I guess. OTOH, that's a good path to extinction. Sadly, there are no shortage of examples of that sort of deadly rigidity IRL.

[hammerofglass]

There's a strong implication that this tribe are outright fundamentalists. In Clone Wars and Rebels there were quite a few other interpretations of what it means to be Mandolorian, including outright pacifists.

The helmet thing in particular suggests that they would consider even hardliners like Death Watch to be the equivalent of "cafeteria Catholics".

[Deledrius]

There's a strong implication that this tribe are outright fundamentalists. In Clone Wars and Rebels there were quite a few other interpretations of what it means to be Mandolorian, including outright pacifists.

The helmet thing in particular suggests that they would consider even hardliners like Death Watch to be the equivalent of "cafeteria Catholics".

I haven't seen any of those for context, but that seems reasonable. It's also possible those others are basically apostate, too. I suppose we'll see if the Mandalorian brings those stories in or not to the live action stuff, and if so, what angle they come to it from.