Disney+’s first Star Wars original series, The Mandalorian, has just drawn to a close with its 8th and final chapter to the first season, and fans, including me, are raving. The cast includes Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Emily Swallow, Jon Favreau, and Taika Waititi to mention a few. As a huge Star Wars geek, I went into the series somewhat sceptical of Disney’s approach to a full length series about a bounty hunter. Although Boba Fett’s’ screen time may have not lasted that long, his role was a very important part of the original trilogy. However, I really didn’t understand how that was going to be interesting enough to have its own series. After watching the first chapter, I quickly realized that I was going to be proven wrong. Between the riveting plot lines, character arcs, and of course… the latest Star Wars craze across the world, the Child (or as some call him, baby Yoda), the series is one to remember.
I must say that I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I first started the series, but I had certain standards that I was holding Disney to. Most of my expectations were matched and exceeded. I must say however, that there are certain episodes, for example Chapter Six, that I felt that the people at Disney did not put their best foot forward in. Certain characters seemed useless and although I know they were supposed to be unlikeable, they were so poorly executed that it was distracting from the overall plot of the show. I found that most of the series fit right along with the feeling of the Star Wars franchise, but because parts are made more for a family audience, the dialogue (that was clearly supposed to be playful and funny) came off as cheesy, annoying, and sometimes forced. I was worried that this flaw was going to affect the whole series, but I quickly realized that even though this was upsetting as a fan, at the end of the day, the good definitely outweighed the bad this time.
Along with most fans of The Mandalorian, my favorite part of the show was the friendship between The Child and the Mandalorian (or Mando). I think that the show wouldn’t have as great of an impact if they did not have a character like The Child. A lot of fans think that this is Disney‘s way of making more money and profiting off of the success of the original franchise by creating a new character like The Child that connects to older fans but in a very easily merchandisable way. But I think that the show really needed something of that nature to get the audience’s attention and have someone different to root for. I don’t think The Mandalorian would have the same impact on the viewers if they wouldn’t have created such a strong bond between the Mando, The Child, and other supporting characters, or if their stories hadn’t been built up throughout the series. It is beautifully shot and truly captured the essence of the Star Wars franchise with a plot that is constantly evolving while peeling back layers on layers of the story.
I have watched the series several times back to back and love it more every time. I highly recommend for Star Wars fans old and new! And I would give it ⅘ stars. I can’t wait until next season and to see what else this steaming service is going to bring to the table! To find out how to stream the series you can download the app or go to Disneyplus.com and sign up!
