Hello Enthusiasts,
Disney+ launched late in 2019 with an impressive library of older Disney - and some Fox - properties, but a definite lack of new content. One of the only pieces of new content on the streaming service was also the reason most people ended up signing up for it right away: a new Star Wars series called The Mandalorian (though I originally jumped in for The Simpsons). Today, I will be looking at this series that cemented this new streaming service as a contender. I will avoid any big plot points, but be warned that there will be some Spoilers Below (Including a casting Spoiler).
This series takes place after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter called Mando. Mando's clever, methodical, and armed to the teeth to deal with whatever comes his way. While he isn't completely ruthless at the start of the show, he isn't too far off. That is, however, until he comes across a job that challenges his moral compass, despite how much he fights himself to just get the job done. This particular job has Mando turning over a character that he feels deserves to be free from the hands of his client, whose intentions are unclear.
You know what? You've seen the memes. It's Baby Yoda.
Spoilers I guess.
Mando elects to not hand over baby Yoda and is, therefore, on the run, as basically every other bounty hunter is hired to hunt the two of them down. This is, by the way, a very short series. There are only eight episodes, with each one coming in at under an hour. Also, despite this being a Star Wars property, it feels very much like a modern space-western.
Also, it's a great series.
The characters all feel fleshed out, even Mando, who doesn't say too much throughout the show. The show isn't afraid to pull punches despite it being on a streaming service that houses a lot of content that is meant for children. Characters die, there are mentions of slavery, and a few creepy characters show up throughout the series (mostly in just one episode). This series also has some legitimately funny moments in it as well though, especially the first five minutes of the last episode. All of these things together made me really care about what happened with the characters; I was truly invested in the outcome of the series. The effects were outstanding as well, especially for a streaming TV show, though there are moments that look worse than others. It was also great to have each episode be so short and digestible, though I was left wanting a bit more.
My only complaint with the show is an underutilization of some elements and characters. We get to see a whole squadron of Mandalorian warriors fight early on in the show, only to never see them again. The actual big antagonist for the series only shows up for one full episode (and the last 30 seconds of the episode prior), and they got Giancarlo Esposito (Gus from Breaking Bad) for that character!
Overall though, this series was enjoyable from start to finish. Yes, I was left feeling like there could have been more content, but I guess it's not a bad thing to leave your audience wanting more. Star Wars fans will likely love this series, and fans of westerns that can keep an open mind about the space aspect may enjoy it too.
I give the Disney+ series The Mandalorian a 9.5 out of 10.
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
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