“You’re Not so Bad … for a Droid.” “Agreed.”
I know, I know, I’m late to the party. But since I just got a Disney+ subscription, I am just now able to watch The Mandalorian. Based on everything I’d heard about it, I expected I would enjoy the first season. While I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I expected to, I did still enjoy it.
The show follows the adventures of The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal). He’s a bounty hunter working and living a long time ago in a galaxy far away. More specifically, he’s working in the time not too long after the events of The Return of the Jedi. Unlike many of his Mandalorian brethren, he is trying to make his living as a bounty hunter, traveling to distant worlds to collect those who have prices on their heads.
In the first episode, his latest commission is to collect someone dead or alive. However, when he arrives, he finds that his target this time is a child. That sets him on a path that will lead him to worlds and people he didn’t expect to be visiting. What will happen next?
Just in case you missed it, The Child is the biggest tie in to the Star Wars universe to be a consistent part of the show. (Well, and the storm troopers that pop up semi-regularly.) This is the breakout character of the show, and deservedly so.
With the way everyone raved about the show, I will admit my expectations were pretty high. So that might be why I found the show a bit disappointing. It is slower than I was expecting. And there is lots of silence. That one may just be something I’m not used to in TV shows these days where everything is packed with dialogue in an effort to get a story told in the allotted time.
Now don’t misunderstand what I am saying. There is plenty of action. It’s just often a slow burn until we get to those scenes.
Along the way, there are some fun moments that are clearly winks to things fans have been saying for years about the Star Wars universe. Heck, I was laughing very hard at one episode in the season finale.
And the cinematography is outstanding. Each episode features gorgeous shots of whatever planet we are on. The effects are just as wonderful. This looks like a big budget movie. It is easy to get lost in the visuals.
I also have to praise to Pedro Pascal. His character, The Mandalorian, wears a helmet in every scene. So via voice and body language, he has to convey everything is character is thinking and feeling, and he does a great job of it. This is especially impressive since he is playing opposite a puppet of The Child in some scenes. He carries the show. While some characters pop in and out, The Mandalorian and The Child are the only characters consistently in every episode, so they are the ones we know best. The rest of the cast is fantastic no matter how many episodes they get.
Speaking of The Child, I certainly see the reason the character has captured so much attention. He’s cute! And funny. Considering he never talks, that’s saying something. The writers do a great job of setting things up for us to get to know this character.
I certainly see the appeal, especially for Star Wars fans. While I have enjoyed the original trilogy, I’m not as invested in this universe as many others, which might be another reason I wasn’t as hooked as I thought I’d be.
Still, I did mostly enjoy season one of The Mandalorian. If you haven’t checked out this show yet, I certainly recommend you do so. I’ll be moving on to season two soonish. I’ve got a little time before season three comes out, and there are some other shows on Disney+ also calling my name.
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