Known as as Star Wars Day thanks to a clever pun (“May the Fourth be with you”), May 4th often starts a three day celebration of the influential science-fiction series.
Quick Facts:
After inspiring and wowing generations, George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney, who immediately developed new content, especially for Disney+. Spearheaded by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian employed cutting edge digital sets alongside traditional, practical effects to evoke the Original Trilogy. Bolstered by a wave of fan support, the first season was universally lauded, revitalised the franchise, and led to subsequent seasons, spin-offs, and a feature film continuation.
The Review:
Five years after Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Marquand, 1983), the galaxy has changed for better and worse. Remnants of the Galactic Empire are scattered throughout the Outer Rim where the New Republic has little jurisdiction and even less influence. Their principal figurehead here is the enigmatic and loquacious “Client” (Werner Herzog), an Imperial loyalist taking refuge (alongside a personal guard of battered Stormtroopers) on the outpost world of Nevarro. Since former magistrate Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) operates the bounty hunter guild from Nevarro, the Client has ample resources to offer a shady commission for a mysterious acquisition for purposes not revealed in this season. Dismayed at the low rewards of Greef’s other bounties, lone Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder) accepts the bounty in hopes of earning enough beskar to complete and upgrade his sacred armour and earn his signet, a representation of a great victory for himself and his clan. I’m gonna be honest and say I’ve never been a huge fan of Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch/Temuera Morrison), the bungling bounty hunter who wowed a generation with his cool armour and gadgets. As far as I know, he’s somehow not even a “true” Mandalorian, which I find unnecessarily ridiculous. However, I did question the logic of creating a character who is simply a Boba Fett repaint rather than basing this series around such a fan favourite character, an opinion that only strengthened when Boba Fett was canonically brought back and received his own spin-off show anyway! However, I understand the logic of presented a “blank slate” character with no fan expectations and Din Djarin (largely referred to as “Mando”) is certainly an enigmatic character. A man of few words who says a lot through subtle gestures, he owes more than a debt to the stoic “Man with No Name” (Clint Eastwood) and Shane (Alan Ladd), turning heads simply by entering rooms and impressing with his quick trigger finger and persistent nature.
Orphaned as a boy (Aidan Bertola) when Separatist battle droids attacked his people, Din Djarin was adopted by the Mandalorians as a “foundling”, a youngster they indoctrinated into their highly disciplined order. Under the supervision of his clan’s armorer (Emily Swallow), Din Djarin forsook his name and his past and, upon coming of age and earning his traditional helmet, vowed to never reveal his face again. Since then, Mando has been collecting counties in his ship, the Razor Crest, with stoic efficiency, earning a reputation as a feared and capable bounty hunter despite attracting some controversy amongst his people for dealing with the Empire. Years prior, the Machiavellian Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) led an assault against Mandalore that brought them to the brink of extinction, forcing the once knight-like Mandalorians into the shadows, though Mando has more of a grudge against droids since they caused him such pain as a child. Mando’s world is turned upside down when he reaches Arvala-7 and finds his target is a small child (David Acord) with mysterious powers. Just as “Baby Yoda” captured the hearts of viewers everywhere so too does this child melt Mando’s heart as he feels an immediate kinship to the baby-like creature, blasting killer droid IG-11 (Taika Waititi/Rio Hackford) through the head to protect him and later rescuing the child from Doctor Penn Pershing’s (Omid Abtahi) invasive experiments, overwhelmed by guilt after trading the boy for his coveted beskar and making an enemy of the bounty hunter guild and the Empire. Driven into exile, much of the series focuses on Mando’s attempts to protect the child and find him a safe home. He’s briefly tempted to leave the boy with kindly Omera (Julia Jones) after seeing how happy the child is amongst her people in “Chapter 4: Sanctuary” (Howard, 2019). Mando’s even tempted to remain there himself after helping free Omera’s people from the aggressive Klatooninians, only to reluctantly return to his travels with the child to avoid endangering others.
Though he’s in the business of profit more than anything, Mando’s priorities noticeably shift once he cares for the child. He actively shields the boy from harm and others and quickly learns to have the boy be watched whenever he goes out on business. A curious, inquisitive sprite, the child test Mando’s patience by fiddling with his controls and disobeying him and yet impresses and confuses the Mandalorian with his strange powers, which see him levitating a rampaging mudhorn, healing with a touch, and choking those who threaten his surrogate father. Strangely, Mando has no knowledge of the Force or the Jedi and is thus puzzled when the Armorer charges him with watching over the child until he can be reunited with his people, whom Mandalorian legend refer to as “enemy sorcerers”. Rather than constantly trying to ditch the child or being resentful of the burden, Mando shows genuine affection for the child in his own way, letting him sit in the cockpit and keeping him close by in his little floating carriage. When convinced to use the child as bait to get close to the Client, Mando has his ally, Ugnaught mechanic Kuiil (Nick Nolte/Misty Rosas), upgrade the boy’s carriage to make him more comfortable and also demands that Kuiil spirit the child to safety when Moff Gideon attacks Nevarro. Despite his prejudice against droids and his distrust of IG-11, regardless of Kuiil’s reprogramming, Mando begrudgingly allows the former bounty hunter to protect the child and IG-11 impresses with his dedication to safeguarding the boy, gunning down any who threaten the child and even sacrificing his life to ensure his safety, earning him Mando’s respect. When the child is discovered by Mando’s roguish and unscrupulous teammates in “Chapter 6: The Prisoner” (Famuyiwa, 2019), Mando tries to convince them the child is simply a pet to disguise his true meaning, though even Mando has no idea of the child’s true significance.
Despite working alone and actively shunning social interaction, Mando amasses a handful of allies on his journey. When the Razor Crest is stripped by opportunistic Jawas in “Chapter 2: The Child” (Famuyiwa, 2019), Kuiil helps negotiate the return of his stolen parts and to repair the ship, happy to assist freely and impressing Mando so much that he asks Kuiil to join him. Though Kuiil politely declines, having earned his freedom, he readily agrees to aid Mando in “Chapter 7: The Reckoning” (Chow, 2019) and ultimately gives his life trying to protect the child. Mando teams with hard-ass former Rebel Alliance shock trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) in “Sanctuary”, hiring her to prepare the backwater town for a gruelling assault and to down a repurposed All-Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) to liberate the peaceful villagers. Although Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) helps repair the Razor Crest in “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger” (Filoni, 2019) and watch the child, she doesn’t do it for free, so Mando’s forced to help wannabe bounty hunter Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale) hunt the notorious Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), briefly giving Mando the chance to pass on some of his bounty hunter tips before being forced to gun the greedy Calican down. Mando turns to former accomplice Ran Malk (Mark Boone Junior) for work in “Chapter 6: The Prisoner” (Famuyiwa, 2019) and is reunited with Xi’an (Natalia Tena), a Twi’lek he used to run with who offers scant hints towards Mando’s chequered past. Mando immediately rubs Malk’s crew the wrong way and they quickly turn on him once they rescue Xi’an’s brother, Qin (Ismael Cruz Córdova), though Mando uses his wits to escape and get his revenge by receiving his pay and alerting the New Republic to Malk’s operation.
We learn very little of Mando’s past in this series. He speaks even less and stubbornly follows the strict Mandalorian code, always keeping his cards close to his chest and letting his actions speak for him. This makes him a very honourable character, one who pays his debts and fights to protect the defenceless as much as he tracks down wayward bounties. This code of honour is exactly why Greef sets aside his grudge and asks Mando for aid when the Client overruns Nevarro and threatens his operation, offering to wipe Mando’s record if he assassinates the Imperial. Despite the danger, Mando recruits Kuiil and Dune, begrudgingly allowing the reprogrammed IG-11 to join their makeshift team and devise a plan to get close to the Client. Out of gratitude for the child saving his life, Greef reveals he planned to double-cross them and they devise a ruse to have Dune bring the captive Mando to the Client alongside the child’s empty carrier, sure that they can dispatch the Client’s Stormtroopers. Things quickly go south when the Client has more bodyguards than they expected and when Moff Gideon suddenly attacks alongside his Deathtroopers, cornering Mando, Dune, and Greef until IG-11 evens the odds. Grievously wounded in the firefight, Mando demands that Dune get the child to safety and expects IG-11 to revert to his original programming. Instead, IG-11 gingerly removes Mando’s helmet to tend to his wound, allowing Mando to reunite with the Armorer and receive his signet and jetpack to essentially earn his full stripes. Thanks to IG-11’s sacrifice, the group escapes through an underground lava river and, thanks to his jetpack, Mando brings down Moff Gideon’s Twin-Ion Engine (TIE) Fighter. Although a grateful Greef offers to reinstate Mando into the bounty hunter guild, he decides to live up to the new mission bestowed upon him by the Armorer to find the child’s people, returning to the stars having accepted his role as the boy’s father-figure and unaware that Moff Gideon not only survived the crash but possesses an awful black-tinted lightsaber!
Final Thoughts:
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the Sequel Trilogy, which largely relied on nostalgia, retreading ground from the Original Trilogy, and was crippled by a series of narrative and character blunders that left a bad taste in my mouth. I much preferred the standalone spin-off films, though all of Disney’s Star Wars features impressed by incorporating more traditional special effects wherever possible. This is especially true of The Mandalorian, which utilises real sets, props, and costumes alongside a bunch of puppets and animatronics to capture the spirit of the Original Trilogy (especially prior to them being digitally enhanced). Even better, The Mandalorian wisely shifts its focus from a galaxy-wide conflict to tell a far more grounded story focused on the titular Mandalorian and his journey and showing a side of the Star Wars world we’ve never seen in live-action. I loved the idea that the galaxy was still dangerous even with the New Republic in charge, that the Outer Rim especially suffered from the fall of the Empire and that crime lords and Imperial remnants took advantage of the chaos to set up their own empires and schemes. There’s definitely a greater plot happening in the background concerning the Client, Moff Gideon, and Baby Yoda, but we have no idea what it is here and that adds to the intrigue surrounding the child. Personally, I like seeing the Empire reduced to a rag-tag group of trigger happy, shadowy extremists forced to scrabble together a comeback. I also really liked seeing the Empire depicted as a significant threat. Stormtroopers were seen as formidable in groups, a single AT-ST was an insurmountable obstacle, and Moff Gideon’s lone TIE Fighter had Mando and the others pinned down in “Chapter 8: Redemption” (Waititi, 2019). This showed a glimpse of the true horror and danger the Empire represented to average people, whose lives were left destroyed by the Empire’s destructive ways.
While I still think the show could’ve been reconfigured to focus on Boba Fett without much changing, Din Djarin is a worthy substitute for the fan favourite bounty hunter. A striking, charismatic figure resplendent in his silver armour and sporting loads of nifty gadgets, such as a flamethrower, grapple hook, and his heavy-duty Amban phase-pulse blaster, the Mandalorian is every bit the stoic gunslinger of classic Westerns. His boots and armour even sound like spurs and “Chapter 4: Sanctuary” (Howard, 2019) is an obvious homage to Shane (Stevens, 1953), with the nomadic bounty hunter aiding a small village against an oppressive enemy and leaving behind the chance of personal happiness for their own protection. Pedro Pascal and his body doubles do fantastic work with Mando, who conveys a great deal of emotion through subtle body and head movements and tonal inflections. Mando evolves considerably across this season, beginning as a tough but fair bounty hunter looking only to complete his armour and transforming into a protective father figure and defender of the innocent, even attempting to calm tensions in “Chapter 6: The Prisoner” to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and moving past his hatred of droids by bonding with IG-11. Mando commands much respect, fear, and hostility in others but never seems bothered by it. He’s as quick on the draw as he is to pay for people’s services and steadfastly adheres to the Mandalorian creed, never removing his helmet around others and following a strict code of honour since “this is the way”. As impressive and memorable as Mando is, though, it’s the child who steals the show here. A disgustingly cute, pixie-like baby, the child raises so many questions regarding his origins and destiny and directly changes Mando’s ways for the better. He’s also incredibly adorable, curious, and capable, utilising the Force to protect and defend others and capturing the hearts of all around him even when he’s swallowing live frogs!
The attention to detail in the sets, costumes, and visuals are beyond impressive here. While I was disappointed to return to Tatooine and that Arvala-7 was a similarly uninteresting desert world, such locations are used sparingly in favour of dingy, disreputable bars, flourishing jungle worlds, and other corners of the galaxy rarely seen in live-action Star Wars. I loved the personal stakes that drove the show, with Mando eager to earn his jetpack and a greater status within his clan, and the mystery surrounding everything. We get snippets of backstory into the Mandalorians, an almost religious order driven to near extinction not unlike the Jedi, breadcrumbs of Mando’s past exploits and dubious nature, and are left to speculate on what the remnants of the Empire want with Baby Yoda. This intrigue is only exacerbated by the mysterious figure who approaches the seemingly lifeless Fennec Shand and is beautifully married with some explosive and enjoyable action sequences. I especially liked the scuffle between Mando and Dune, seeing them hustle the Sorgan village into fledgling fighters, and watching Mando tangle with beasts and mercenaries alike, often coming out worse for wear despite his fancy armour. Fights, shootouts, and space battles have so much more weight thanks to the models and practical effects and the show allowing us to spend time getting to know Mando and his supporting cast and The Mandalorian went a long way to show just how rich and varied Star Wars is. Even now, this first season stands as some of the best Star Wars content, offering a bunch of new merchandise and endlessly quotable lines for the fandom. It advances the narrative in interesting ways, introducing an enigmatic gunslinger-esque main character who’s easy to root for, and plants the seeds for future seasons, conflicts, and storylines that potentially lead into the more maligned Sequel Trilogy.
My Rating:
Fantastic
Did you enjoy the first season of The Mandalorian? Were you disappointed that it didn’t focus on Boba Fett or do you prefer Din Djarin to that doofus? Did Baby Yoda capture your heart, too? Were you a fan of the references to classic Westerns? Did you enjoy exploring a darker corner of the Star Wars universe? Which of the Disney+ Star Wars shows is your favourite and how are you celebrating Star Wars today? Let me know your thoughts on The Mandalorian in the comments and donate to my Ko-Fi if you want to see more reviews of the Disney+ Star Wars shows.
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