The Mandalorian is a significant improvement for the current Disney era of Star Wars. It feels markedly fresher, more modest, and less caught up in fan service and Hollywood gimmicks than their sequel trilogy. Moreover, there are signs within these first 8 episodes that the creatives behind them are more in tune with the overarching stories, concepts, and worlds that the franchise is set in. There is a great set up for season 2, which if anything highlights the large strides still needed for the show to develop a dynamic and interesting plot.
The most evident change from the sequels is the absence of their jarring, misplaced humour. This in itself is such a relief that it almost feels like the new heads at Lucasfilm have taken a groundbreaking creative turn away from the template of self-parodying and tension-diffusing humour, which has come to dominate action movies amid Disney's other major reboot of the Marvel universe. But really it is not so much of a radical idea as to have characters reacting believably during the serious points of a story, rather than taking each opportunity to remind us not to expect too much from them in terms of escapism. "Mando's" laughs come at the right moments, and allow the characters to have identities that don't feel derivative of a meme from Earth circa 2015.
The most important improvement - but also where Mando still has the most work to do - is in the creation of a logical and clear plot, which they manage to stick to for almost all of the episodes. No longer are we, for example, trying to find Luke Skywalker, before suddenly having to focus on a third Death Star, and then conveniently stumbling upon the actual plot climax when R2D2 'wakes up' with a map to Luke (The Force Awakens, 2015). Mando has a target, which turns out to be a baby he chooses to protect, then it ends when he finds some key answers to The Child's significance. What I missed out just there is several episodes of filler in which Mando and the kid go on the run around the galaxy, but at least those two main characters and their relationship were present throughout.
When Jango Fett said "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe", this is the kind of story potential I imagined.
Still, that lack of real progress in the story is season 1's key weakness. The trundling, ambling style of Mando's adventure may be drawn out across too many episodes to warrant multiple re-watches, but it also adds to the refreshing change of style and is even somewhat cathartic. Star Wars stories have always been preoccupied with legendary heroes and saving the fate of the galaxy - and the demands of a complex plot clearly got too heavy for JJ Abrams & co. - but what Mando shows us is that Star Wars can be slowed down, and be about smaller, less grand stories. When Jango Fett said "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe", this is the kind of story potential I imagined. That said, Mando's adventure seems so inconsequential that you won't learn anything new by watching the season again, but you can relive some memorable aesthetics and concepts, such as the Jawa's sandcrawler, the New Republic prison ship, or the tribal village. If you can't deliver stories on an epic scale, better to at least strip them down to the basics and ensure you get the plot and settings right.
It still feels as though this series was created from the starting point of: "Wouldn't it be cool if... we did a show about Boba Fett" and "Wouldn't it be cute if... there was a baby alien" - rather than taking a more intricate concept, character or story and developing that vision. What makes Mando an improvement, however, is that the production and execution of those concepts was much more subtle and in tune with the universe in which it is set. The sequels told us that Luke and the Rebel's victory in Return of the Jedi was for nothing, but in Mando we see for the first time that the New Republic is a dominant force, and the Imperials are weakened. This setting makes more sense, and allows the story to depart down a different dynamic from the original trilogy.
A noisy heap of criticism towards George Lucas' vision for the prequel trilogy perhaps incentivised that departure from galactic politics and a reversion to the classic mould of Rebel underdogs vs evil Empire. The Mandalorian makes the now remarkable achievement of actually building upon previously established stories across the saga, rather than childishly overlooking them and making empty references and nostalgic call backs. The Clone Wars, the droid army, and the Mandalorian race have actually impacted our main character, and we don't have to cling to questions about "who are his parents?" in order to forge an interest in them.
Where it could all go wrong, or become an amazing story
The ending of season 1 leaves a surprising set-up for season 2 that has huge potential. The major concepts introduced surrounding Mando and the baby could all interlink extremely well if it is pulled off. It is easier to visualise their relationship in this table:
Mando was told that he should bring the force-capable baby to the Jedi, which promises to touch on many past and unexplained mysteries in the Star Wars universe.
It should tell us about Yoda's elusive species, and hopefully explain why this baby is so innately powerful (rather than treating the Force as a superpower that anyone can easily master).
It should further test Mando's commitment to protecting the baby from new characters and groups who may want him, including the Jedi - indeed, the baby may belong to the Jedi or hold some special significance for them.
This will in turn touch upon the preexisting tensions between the Mandalorian people and the Jedi, and perhaps expand on Mando's backstory and how he came to be part of that warrior race.
We might finally learn about how the Jedi were reestablished after the defeat of the Empire, what their new order looks like, and perhaps how well Luke Skywalker fared in training new Jedi.
And finally, there is the question of the Darksaber that was introduced very late in the finale. This weapon holds past connections to both the Jedi and the Mandalorians, and yet it is in the hands of the main Imperial antagonist. How did this weapon fall into the wrong hands? Where will it end up during season 2? Will Mando add it to his inventory wish list alongside a jet-pack?
This four-pronged plot set-up holds huge promise for some original, yet quintessentially 'Star Wars' plot avenues - and they all converge around the centre-point of Baby Yoda.
With so much reason to get excited, there is also the risk of again experiencing huge disappointment in Disney's ability to fulfil an imaginative vision. Baby Yoda has already been overdone on the internet, and there is every risk that the plot will be sidelined by the desire to max-out this poor kid's cuteness and merch-meme potential. There is a further risk that introducing established concepts and characters into a currently fresh storyline might prove too ambitious a plot for the creators to live up to. This could also draw criticism from a fan base that at the moment finds little disagreement with the canon of The Mandalorian....:
Why does no one hate it?
For the first time in decades, the fanbase and critics seem to find no major faults with a Star Wars. Whilst this could be symptomatic of the uneventful plot, you also have to appreciate that The Mandalorian is the first on-screen Star Wars story to free itself of the main saga. Though it is still set in the same military context and time period, Mando is unique for having standalone characters.
Therefore, there is a danger that in season 2 we run into established concepts and characters, such as the Jedi and Ahsoka, and they mess up the story continuity. Either way, the fanbase tends to be divisive over issues of interpretation regardless of the production value. As it stands, Mando is not up for interpretation because it is not in depth enough, but also because it barely connects with established canon. Soon the remarks of "that is not how character x would act" and "this isn't 'real' Star Wars" might be directed at these innocent and primitive characters.
Ultimately, however, it is important that the show moves on from just a simple story of a guy wondering the universe without much happening. I would prefer the story to remain independent from all the established canon, but that clearly is not the direction we're heading. Season 2 of The Mandalorian will put its creators' storytelling to the test, and reveal if the show is derived from a desire to realise an in-depth vision or a sentimentality for more gimmicks.
Rating: 7/10 (Good)
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