Fans of Star Wars had been long anticipating the Disney+ television series The Mandalorian, expecting only the best with the likes of creator Jon Favreau. However, now that the Skywalker saga has ended – with Episode IX premiering in December 2019 – shows like The Mandalorian that are set in the Star Wars universe have big shoes to fill, or at the very least, need to find interesting ways to keep viewers engaged.
With a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say that almost everyone who’s seen the show is a fan. While a large part of that can be owed to the worldwide obsession of the most adorable character we’ve seen onscreen perhaps ever – Baby Yoda, officially known as The Child – credit really does need to be given to the other aspects of the show that make it such a thriving success.
It’s The Perfect Mix of Old and New School
For fans who love sci-fi westerns (Firefly, Westworld, Alien, and Star Trek are prime examples), The Mandalorian is not shy about the fact that it takes on the lone-ranger concept and mixes it with the technologically modern elements that we know so well of Star Wars.
Taking place five years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, we are shown the aftermath of the fall of the Empire. While you might think that this would be a politically stable time what with the New Republic governing, The Mandalorian shows just how complicated it really is – remember, when we see the Star Wars characters decades later in Episode VII, the First Order (a spawn of the Empire) has risen to power. So, the political climate within the show is, well, not great, since followers of the Empire still exist within society.
The show combines all the nostalgic elements of the Star Wars films – complete with the cheesy wipe transitions that are now so heavily associated with them – while bringing a certain gritty sleekness to the table. The musical score maintains the same orchestral themes of the Star Wars music, and yet is entirely unique to the show, adding its own flair and adding an excellent layer to an already epic structure. There is also nothing outdated about the show’s visuals: the landscapes are simple yet vibrant, the costumes immaculate, and the CGI obviously much more updated, realistic and cleanly executed than its predecessors. In fact, if you want to better understand how much was invested into making The Mandalorian fall under the category of prestige television, bear in mind that each Baby Yoda puppet cost approximately $5 million (yeah, it’s insane, but can you really say it’s not worth it?).
Pedro Pascal, who is largely associated with other prestige TV shows such as Game of Thrones and Narcos, is also excellent as the show’s main character. He has said himself that he was channelling Clint Eastwood, an iconic pioneer of the antihero western character, while playing the titular Mandalorian.
The Acting Is On Point
Pascal’s character is not an easy role to play by any means. Mandalorians are a race of warriors who are are distinguished by their armour, and in the show it is stated that the race’s updated code is that they can never remove the armour so long as they consider themselves Mandalorian. And the armour is full body, meaning, a helmet is involved – so imagine having to act convincingly without being able to show any facial expressions. But Pedro Pascal has such an expressive voice and carries such a distinct level of gravitas that even though we don’t see his face, he’s capable of portraying a character with an immeasurable complexity and depth. In spite of the fact that the Mandalorian has lived most of his life as a bounty hunter, a job that requires a cold and calculating personality, viewers are able to see the character’s journey that is equally as action-packed as it is emotionally-driven, and much of that credit should be given to Pascal’s portrayal.
Pascal’s character is one that takes up the most screen time in this season by far, but even still, the show’s cast and crew is full of acting veterans. Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte, Werner Herzog and Giancarlo Esposito play notable characters, Taika Waititi lends his voice briefly and is also one of the show’s directors, and Gina Carano (who I admit is not the best actress, but is superior in her action scenes) co-stars as well. Needless to say, The Mandalorian is one that is chock-full of professionals that take their crafts seriously, and this is reflected in the quality of the show.
It Doesn’t Overcomplicate Itself
With only 8 episodes in total for the first season, The Mandalorian keeps a fairly steady pace, ensuring that it doesn’t overdo or complicate its foundation. In fact, not a whole lot is explained in this season, and that’s okay, because it allows for infinite exploration and time to unpack various storylines in future seasons.
Some episodes might be more slow-moving than others, but each one is still filled with important information and story arcs that are necessary to The Mandalorian. Much of it is shrouded in mystery, and is left that way even after the season’s finale, but if anything this keeps viewers intrigued rather than confused. Enough of the questions are answered throughout Season 1 to keep us satisfied, and yet more questions pop up by the end, thus keeping us engaged and eager to see what happens next.
At the end of the day, one can say that The Mandalorian is about an unexpected parent-child relationship that blossoms between a Baby Yoda and a bounty hunter, and that everything else is secondary. Whether you see it that way or not, this is to say that the show is not bogged down with too many overlapping arcs, characters, or plot points. It is simple in theory yet intriguingly complex in execution.
The Lore Can (And Will) Be Explored
This new era of Star Wars films and television shows (Rogue One, Solo, and now The Mandalorian) are great because they are able to explore a vast world that has very few limitations, largely because George Lucas didn’t spend much time building up the lore of the Star Wars-verse. Creators of these spinoffs are able to pretty well wing it, and having someone like Jon Favreau (who is a longtime Star Wars fan) ensures that these iterations are in the right hands. Now that the Skywalker saga has been concluded, the doors are even more wide open than ever before: other characters’ stories can be told without being overshadowed, and The Mandalorian is off to a great start as the first live-action television series in the Star Wars universe.
With notable nods to Star Wars TV series such as Clone Wars and Rebels, particularly with the presence of elements like the darksaber, Favreau has both clearly done his research and is also willing to take things in his own direction, because, well, he can. The Star Wars universe allows each creator to take things in their own hands, and that’s one of the great things about shows like The Mandalorian. It will piece together information that we already know, like the fact that Baby Yoda is clearly of the same unnamed species that Yoda was, and will explore things that have yet to exist, like where that species may come from or what they are called.
One last note: Baby Yoda is adorable beyond belief, yes, but part of his importance is contributed to the fact that he is a living representation of a character that is so beloved to the Star Wars franchise. Another reason he is so important is not owed to his overwhelming cuteness, but that this 50-year-old child/baby is able to use the Force expertly and, because of that factor, is basically one of the most powerful, badass figures on the show. Baby Yoda does all of this in conjunction with being super cute, charismatic, and sassy while cooing away incoherently. The bond that grows between the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda is one of the most organic, precious relationships I’ve seen onscreen, and these are the factors that make Baby Yoda so much more than just a cute alien creature.
I’m looking forward to the next season of The Mandalorian, and can say with ease that I can’t wait to see where this new era of Star Wars-related media takes us.
~ Z ~
Photo by Crawford Jolly on Unsplash
