The Mandalorian is a Disney+ Original set in the Star Wars universe, and the first season is comprised of eight episodes, each one ranging from 30 minutes to 50 minutes long. The show takes place after A New Hope where the Empire has fallen but many years before A Force Awakens. It follows an unnamed Mandalorian bounty hunter, and a rather skilled one at that. The Mandalorian race is shrouded in so much mystery and this intrigue keeps your interest throughout the season in how their culture affects their actions. We are told that Mandalorians are dying out and that it is rare to find one these days. Yet Mandalorians never takes off their helmets, and when your protagonist is one such character, there are a lot of efforts made to express emotions in other ways. The protagonist is somewhat quiet which has the effect of making each dialogue opportunity quite strong.
The bounty hunter is highly skilled, even though he works solo, which presents its own set of challenges. He takes on a secretive, high priced bounty hunt. Naturally with these types of arrangements, he gets more than he bargained for. Everything in the show then spawns from this bounty hunt, which allows it to take place over many different planets and expose us to various different species.
There are a lot of unanswered questions in regards to the bounty itself. After the surprising turn of events at the end of the first episode, you’ll start to have questions such as why was it being protected, why it was there, why it is important and what is its nature. These questions drive a lot of the season. One of the biggest things to come out of this series it he appearance of a baby of Yoda’s species. It is definitely one of the most unexpected highlights of the show. It is impossibly cute in not only its appearance but its behavior. It seems to be a combination of a physical prop as well as CGI, and it works really well. The bond between it and the Mandalorian is one of the best relationships within the show. It portrays the Mandalorian as someone who is not as cold as he would have led you to believe.
One of the flaws of TV shows inspired by films is that they are usually much slower paced. That flaw does not seem to be present here as it is engaging and has solid pacing. The production value is noticeably high; it feels just like a Star Wars movie. There are big set pieces, intense gun fights and plenty of different aliens making an appearance. That being said, most of the show either takes place in desert towns or inside buildings / spaceships, which means several different settings look similar.
The show can feel kind of episodic from around the midway point. The protagonist is trying to survive in what is a lawless galaxy and his hatred and distrust of droids doesn’t help. He ends up getting a taste of what it is like to be the one being hunted. That being said, he can take care of himself in a battle and we constantly see how he has earned his reputation. The show has nailed the atmosphere and tension in several scenes and you do get the sense that nowhere is safe, no matter how “backwater” the planet is.
So after the first few episodes there isn’t a defined objective that the Mandalorian is aiming towards, thus the plot can see like it doesn’t really go anywhere. However, it comes full circle in the final episodes and escalates the conflict. The season finale will throw various twists that will surprise you and make you care about the characters. While the ultimate fate of several characters was predictable, it doesn’t diminish the fact that it managed to build a strong bond between the viewers and the characters.
The show has enough Star Wars references to satisfy its link as a spin-off within the universe, but not so much that it locks out viewers who aren’t too familiar with the lore. You don’t have to be a massive fan to enjoy this show other than having watched most of the films and having an average understanding of some of the jargon.
Overall, the first season of The Mandalorian lives up to the hype. Its story and character separates itself from the films and that is a good thing as it allows it to forge a path on its own. It managed to make the protagonist, someone who always hides behind his helmet, full of personality and cold emotion. Of course, the star is the little baby of Yoda’s species but there are several other characters that you will care for. The high production values manes the special effects are awesome and the pacing is solid, making this show a must watch.
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