Mandalorian **** warning Spoilers ****

[Python]

[Shoo]

[jedi_don]

Finally watched both Seasons. Both get a B- rating for me. Weakness is in the writing. Acting, directing and VFX were all good. The directors I think did a pretty good job with sometimes thin plot lines. The show couldn't have been done if it wasn't for Rogue One and Solo. There's definitely been reuse of a lot of costumes and props from those movies. I really liked the use of the Twi'leks. That episode felt like a good heist mission from SW: KOTR.

Best moments: Murderbot IG-11, dad-bod Fett (really let himself go in 5 years), Ahosoka in action (still don't like the head design but I'll get over it), Giancarlo Esposito chewing the scenery (man has presence), Cara Dune (Gina Carano has gotten much better in acting since Deadpool), CGI Luke (great scene and the CGI is acceptable for TV budget, still looked better than Rogue One Leia). The set and character designs for the most part feel like Star Wars unlike the Disney Trilogy. J.J. Abrams gets of cut of the licensing for the Disney Trilogy, thus the reason why everything was different including all new creatures. The Mandalorian did a great job using alien species we have seen before along with a mix of new ones. Something the Disney Trilogy completely failed with.

Issues in writing:

1) This should have been a 45 minute per episode show instead of 30 minutes. The episodes are too short and the pacing is too fast to develop the characters or the story. Yes, it is more like the Saturday morning movie serials of the 30s through 50s that Lucas based Stars Wars and Indiana Jones on. But those serials were low budget attractions for kids. The Mandalorian is big budget for all audiences. How much more would it have cost to have more time with the characters. The VFX and action was fine, so need for more expense there. Would have liked to have seen more development of Cara Dune and Moff Gideon.

2) Show lacks verisimilitude. Too many things happen for the convenience of the plot and make the story lack believability. A simple example is the Krayt Dragon episode where they just happened to have a Bantha full of explosives after the first attempt failed. Why wouldn't they have used all the explosives if they had one shot at it? Could have easily fixed the story to have the Krayt Dragon awake early surprising them before the trap was complete. But as it was, it was just a plot convenience to have the second Bantha be there. Other dumb things like where Mando was ambushed by other hunters after the Krayt Dragon. He loses his speeder and kills the hunters. But how did the hunters get out there in the middle of the desert without a vehicle. All that was done just to have the shot of him walking into town carrying everything. Early example is what the Child went with Mando to attack the mudhorn. There was no reason why the Child needed to go with Mando other than they needed a scene with the use of the force. Give the audience any reason, like maybe the Child didn't like the Jawas. The dumbest one was in S2E7 where Boba makes Mando remove is jump pack. That was done so that the dark troopers can abduct Grogu. But we saw in the scene with the desert ambush that Mando can control is jump pack remotely. Well, the dumbest is actually how much damage the Razor Crest gets and gets repair in a few hours back to tip-top shape to fight TIEs in Navarro. Plenty more examples where the verisimilitude was lacking.

3) Show plays like an RPG. Fetch-it quests side missions and leveling up your character with armor and weapons upgrades. All part of The Mandalorian. That's fine and all but it just felt forced like a video game and not natural to the story. "Hey Mando! I know a bunch of Manadalorians where just slaughtered because of you, but here's a matching jump pack that I just happened to have sitting around here that may be useful later on."

4) "Didn't I see this before?" Deja Vu plotlines. Tired old tropes that we have seen before. Pioneers and natives who are enemies band together to fight a larger threat. Good guy teaches pioneers to fend for themselves against the marauders to obligatory parry and dodge scene with wooden sticks. Just like Avatar was a tired story with a sci-fi wrapper, some of the episodes felt like they were The Rifleman or Gunsmoke with a Star Wars wrapper. I hope there is less of this going forward.

5) Beskar, the laser magnet. Too much reliance of the impenetrability of the beskar. In the episode where the Manadalorians assault the Imperial transport, I thought it was so dumb the other Manadalorians took cover where Mando charges forward. They all supposedly have beskar, so what are they hiding. Let Mando get hit by a blast now and then. Leia got shot in the should and didn't die.

6) Jedi? WTF are Jedi. The show takes place some 30 years after the Clone Wars (5 years after ROTJ where Luke is 19 in ANH). So why has the galaxy forgotten the Jedi when there was a galaxy-wide war with the Jedi as generals. Sure, seeing a jedi was rare, but it is so dumb to hear characters say "May the Force be with You" and then don't understand the child is using the Force. Luke was sheltered by Owen and Beru and that's why Obi-wan had to explain Jedi to him. The rest of the galaxy just seems to have collective amnesia. The bit from the blacksmith was so stupid that there was ancient stories of Mandalorians fighting the wizards called Jedi. Geesh. BTW, Cara Dune should fully know who Luke Skywalker was. As a former rebel she should have heard the story of the guy that fought Vader twice, blew up the Death Star and survive the destruction of the second Death Star. It would have been nice for her to recognize Luke by calling him "General Skywalker" or something like that even though he is no longer active military.

[built2shred]

That's some extreme nitpicking lol

Although I do agree with some of what you said regarding the Jedi being forgotten... Although Luke never really considered himself a Jedi until he started training with Yoda, and I'm sure the Rebels had several factions spread throughout the galaxy... so it's possible she never did meet him or knew what he looked like.

[Augen]

I think it speaks to making an emotional connection how issues are either shrugged off or give it charm.

If I get more Mandalorian level I'll be happy for Star Wars. Understand it's not for everyone.

[Quicksilver]

the wtf are jedi thing has kind of been a plot hole since ANH

Han talks about the jedi like they're an ancient legend, when they were around like 20 years before that point and the entire galaxy knew about them. I remember things that happened 20 years ago...

[Mister H]

Originally Posted by jedi_don

5) Beskar, the laser magnet. Too much reliance of the impenetrability of the beskar. In the episode where the Manadalorians assault the Imperial transport, I thought it was so dumb the other Manadalorians took cover where Mando charges forward. They all supposedly have beskar, so what are they hiding. Let Mando get hit by a blast now and then. Leia got shot in the should and didn't die.

I don't think all Mandalorians have Beskar armor. Just some. Most of the armor is Dura-Steel. That's what I've been hearing anyway. Fett's is I know.

[Augen]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

the wtf are jedi thing has kind of been a plot hole since ANH

Han talks about the jedi like they're an ancient legend, when they were around like 20 years before that point and the entire galaxy knew about them. I remember things that happened 20 years ago...

I wonder if Star Wars with all these planets sort of shifts many worlds and people back to information level of feudal Earth. Like Outer Rim goes along and unless there is a massive war has no idea or run ins with Jedi. That and if the Empire scrubbed them from memory with a persistent propaganda campaign.

[built2shred]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

the wtf are jedi thing has kind of been a plot hole since ANH

Han talks about the jedi like they're an ancient legend, when they were around like 20 years before that point and the entire galaxy knew about them. I remember things that happened 20 years ago...

To be fair the majority of the Jedi were wiped out or went into hiding before most of these characters were even born. Based on the flash backs Din was only around 8 when Order 66 happen..

Even at their peak population were talking about what? 10k Jedi in a Galaxy full of planets with Quadrillions of people, they would have been a drop in the bucket... Odds are most people would never have seen a Jedi... It's probably why most people thought of them as myths, especially on the outer planets...

[jeremydmc]

The Jedi are like Rotary Phones.....sure they existed in my youth...but when was the last time I actually saw one? At least 40 years ago if not more. LOL