The Mandalorian

[Derek Metaltron]

Loved the episode since I am a big droids supporter but I agree that the disjointed nature of Season Three where it’s having to work with plot elements that are meant to be in other shows happens. Episode Three, parts of Five and this one could have easily been part of Rangers or that proposed Bo-Katan show.

[Deathstroke]

Just can't understand why Star Wars continues to cast KNOWN actors in roles. I didn't see a pathetic sap next to Lizzo (who I wouldn't have recognized either if I hadn't seen comments before watching), I saw Jack Black being a pathetic sap.

It just pulls you right out of the storytelling.

If they'd just cast some relatively unknown British actors, things would've been fine. Generally, the episode was fine when you didn't have to pretend you weren't watching Jack Black be able to say he was now part of the Star Wars universe.

[j9ac9k]

@ godisawesome I agree that the execution was lacking. I was more pointing out what the show was attempting to do, but the storytelling on this show has been ... "slight" for lack of a better term, so I understand bot totally buying what they're selling. The show worked better with a simple premise: Din protecting Grogu, or going on a specific mission each ep. They should stay away from larger issues or just have a different show with longer seasons so they can actually get into these issues in a meaningful way.

[Frobisher]

Just can't understand why Star Wars continues to cast KNOWN actors in roles. I didn't see a pathetic sap next to Lizzo (who I wouldn't have recognized either if I hadn't seen comments before watching), I saw Jack Black being a pathetic sap.

It just pulls you right out of the storytelling.

If they'd just cast some relatively unknown British actors, things would've been fine. Generally, the episode was fine when you didn't have to pretend you weren't watching Jack Black be able to say he was now part of the Star Wars universe.

It was kind of weird how that entire species of droid engineers looked like Geoffrey Palmer though.

[Ascended]

Since the Mandalorian mercs made no mention of Gideon and since it seems they will be back on good terms with the protagonists after this, that probably rules them out as having been the ones to spring Gideon.

They were always the least likely option, but I'm glad they've been ruled out so quickly.

I thought the episode was fun. One of the better ones this season, honestly. Interesting procedural element, and I was captivated by the peek into droid life. Droid bars? Who knew? Always been interested in the "droid rights" aspects of the fiction. And it was nice to get back to the "side quest" structure, I've actually missed that.

The guest stars are a double edged sword. I loved seeing Jack Black and Chris Lloyd and it was entertaining, but it's hard to see them without getting pulled, at least a little, out of the story. But for this episode, which didn't really move the larger narrative forward until the very end, I thought it was fine. I wouldn't want to be distracted by famous guest stars during a big, major story but on a side quest? It was good fun. And the whole premise of the episode is kind of silly, so it worked. For me, anyway.

Bo and Din work well together here, and I feel like both got some quality screen time. Din and the Ugnaughts was especially solid and well done, but the entire investigation, I thought, did a great job showing how these two compliment each other. That's a vibe I've rarely gotten and it was appreciated.

As for the darksaber and all the rest of it.....I still dislike Bo and trust her even less, I still find her a poor choice for the throne. But I can't deny the show has tried really hard to get her into a place where it's deserved, or at least believable/acceptable. And I doubt Din was ever going to rule; not only does he have no interest in it but it'd be hard to have weekly adventures across space with his little buddy if he's trapped in committee meetings all the time, trying to rebuild Mandalore. Din sitting on the throne is the end of the show.

I still suspect that Bo didn't "earn" the darksaber when she saved Din. Seems to me winning the darksaber requires a duel, and something like getting caught in an ambush or booby trap doesn't count. Notice how Din doesn't bring up the details of that encounter and makes it sound like he lost a battle?

Obviously this is building on the whole "we gotta stop killing each other" theme they've been playing with. And in one move Din is able to get rid of a weapon and responsibility he didn't want and brings another sect of Mandos into the fold along with enough ships to make a beginning on Mandalore. Seems like a win for him, if you ask me.

Still the weakest season thus far, easily, with a loose narrative that doesn't seem to know where it's going. But I had a good time with the episode.

Word is the plots and storylines from that Rangers show got folded into Mando, and I wonder if that's why this season has felt so disjointed?

[j9ac9k]

Random thoughts:
-- That chime when they reached Plazir made me think someone's cell phone was going off - a genuine wtf moment.
-- I enjoyed the montage of droids malfunctioning - the security footage being in b/w made it even more like silent movie pratfalls.
-- Mando kicking former battle droids - it just seemed so petty and vindictive!
-- What does "taking back Mandalore" even mean? Nobody's there. All they have to do is land there and say, "It's mine!" I imagine there will be some battle with Gideon, but it's not a certainty. It never ceases to humor me how much Star Wars sticks to the "each planet is basically one city" formula. The way this goes, it should only take a dozen people and one battle to "take" an entire planet.
-- I've seen some people say all the Luke/Grogu stuff could've happened this season, and I agree. There was no reason for him to be here this season except for getting Bo to rescue Din, but that could've happened some other way.

[ChrisIII]

The backlash about the cameos kind of reminds me a bit of the N'sync as Jedi extras in AOTC controversy twenty years ago.

[Frontier]

Well, too bad for those starcrossed Mon Calamari and Quarren lovers. Mandalorians are here to get paid and don't care a lick for your romance.

I feel like this episode really toed the line between being egregious with the celebrity cameos. I mean, Lizzo? Jack Black? Christopher Lloyd is a genre guy and can fit into anything, but as much as I like the former two they really almost treaded the episode into full goofiness and satire (which might've been intentional, but still). I guess their whole culture was basically like Naboo but exaggerated and full of excess but it was just a little bit too much for me.

It feels like every piece of modern Star Wars media is contractually obligated to bring in Battle Droids so Matt Wood can do their voice again.

Nice to see Din's experience Kuiil benefiting him with other Ugnaught's.

Droid abuse! Droid abuse! I get that this was an opportune moment to bring back Din's Droid bias (although remember when he was so insistent on bringing IG back? Ha!) and make him the hardnosed and prejudiced cop to Bo's professional inspector, but that kicking scene just bothered me.

Is it just me or do the Super Battle Droids look more top heavy than they used to? Did they redesign them to look more in-line with the cartoon version?

I guess that's one way to reconcile Droid servitude. Droids owe their lives to the people who make them and keep them functioning, so that in turn makes them dedicated to said people.

The culprit in a Battle Droids focused episode being a Separatist worked surprisingly well. And, I mean, if you're going to have Christopher Lloyd involved, you can't resist having him play the bad guy. Though hard to feel sorry for the guy when he was talking about Dooku like a fanatic.

Grogu learned the Force so he could jump high and do party favors. And now he's been knighted. I mean, who needs Jedi Knights, amirite? It's not like Grogu could be doing more important stuff.

I was wondering from the beginning if they were going to use that logic to give Bo the Darksaber but it just feels like we're repeating the Mandalore arc from Star Wars: Rebels again. Once again Bo-Katan has gone through character development and is given the chance to unite and save Mandalore...and hopefully this time it works? It feels like the same song and dance with this character even if they've changed a few of the beats.

And Din is starting to feel more and more like a supporting character in his own show. Like he still gets cool and heroic moments but he also feels like he's taken a backseat a bit. I liked him with the Darksaber but they've really emphasized how he's not a natural fit for it and obviously never cared to show him improve with it, and the show doesn't seem to have any lofty or major endgame in mind for his character. Is that to leave him open for more serial adventures with side-quests and seasonal plots so they can keep the show going? Maybe. Just felt like we were going on a more significant journey for him than that. Or maybe this really was just the story of a simple Mandalorian who just so happens to do major stuff sometimes.

[Tofali]

Mandalorian stories now has a commonality of a Mandalorian going through character development with a darksaber, example Sabine and Din, then their next stage of development is handing over the darksaber to Bo-Katan.

[thwhtGuardian]

I actually thought Jack Black and Lizzo were pretty enjoyable.

[ChrisIII]

Looks like the Pirate stuff a few episodes was kind of a backdoor pilot for SKELETON CREW. Vane is seen with his fighter in the celebration reveal.

[Tofali]

Here is a screenshot of a new poster for The Mandalorian

Star Wars Celebration released this new poster.

[godisawesome]

As for the darksaber and all the rest of it.....I still dislike Bo and trust her even less, I still find her a poor choice for the throne. But I can't deny the show has tried really hard to get her into a place where it's deserved, or at least believable/acceptable. And I doubt Din was ever going to rule; not only does he have no interest in it but it'd be hard to have weekly adventures across space with his little buddy if he's trapped in committee meetings all the time, trying to rebuild Mandalore. Din sitting on the throne is the end of the show.

I still suspect that Bo didn't "earn" the darksaber when she saved Din. Seems to me winning the darksaber requires a duel, and something like getting caught in an ambush or booby trap doesn't count. Notice how Din doesn't bring up the details of that encounter and makes it sound like he lost a battle?

Obviously this is building on the whole "we gotta stop killing each other" theme they've been playing with. And in one move Din is able to get rid of a weapon and responsibility he didn't want and brings another sect of Mandos into the fold along with enough ships to make a beginning on Mandalore. Seems like a win for him, if you ask me.

I was wondering from the beginning if they were going to use that logic to give Bo the Darksaber but it just feels like we're repeating the Mandalore arc from Star Wars: Rebels again. Once again Bo-Katan has gone through character development and is given the chance to unite and save Mandalore...and hopefully this time it works? It feels like the same song and dance with this character even if they've changed a few of the beats.

And Din is starting to feel more and more like a supporting character in his own show. Like he still gets cool and heroic moments but he also feels like he's taken a backseat a bit. I liked him with the Darksaber but they've really emphasized how he's not a natural fit for it and obviously never cared to show him improve with it, and the show doesn't seem to have any lofty or major endgame in mind for his character. Is that to leave him open for more serial adventures with side-quests and seasonal plots so they can keep the show going? Maybe. Just felt like we were going on a more significant journey for him than that. Or maybe this really was just the story of a simple Mandalorian who just so happens to do major stuff sometimes.

My issue with the possibility that Favreau and LFL are afraid of removing the “adventure of the week” premise from Din is that it boggles my mind that they couldn’t still find a way to do that with Din uniting Mandalorians… and that the show has seemed to me to always be stronger when ever either a) we were handling a story that had actual serialized plot elements from a larger narrative, or b) Favreau’s brought in someone else to write and adventure of the week, like Filoni, Yost, or Famuyiwa.

Like… Mandalroians aren’t doing “committee meetings” and each faction of Mandos Din could encounter could result in a “do x, and I’ll join yourfaction” premeses, all while they could have lengthened the quest to find the waters for Mandalore, thrown in some dishonorable Mandos or materialistic ones along the way, or introduced totally different factions who have to be won in some other way.

There’s actually nothing about a “Din becomes Mandalore” premise that would require ditching episodic adventuring, or even Grogu, of he’s a key part of the formula… and again, Season 2 was stronger than Season One because a stronger serialized narrative behind the episodic adventures kept the intrigue up…

…And because honestly, I don’t think Favreau is actually good at writing episodic adventures of the week.

[Ascended]

There’s actually nothing about a “Din becomes Mandalore” premise that would require ditching episodic adventuring, or even Grogu, of he’s a key part of the formula… and again, Season 2 was stronger than Season One because a stronger serialized narrative behind the episodic adventures kept the intrigue up…

…And because honestly, I don’t think Favreau is actually good at writing episodic adventures of the week.

No, you're right Din could rule and still go do stuff with Grogu. What it is, really, is a matter of what the show is? Is the show about a simple man making his way through the galaxy? Or is it about a simple man who rose up to reunite his people? It can be either thing but if it's the story of how Din saved Mandalore that's a pretty major shift even if you maintain the weekly adventures and side quests. Do we want Din to be this big important, Skywalker sized character or is he better off just being a regular, everyday guy? Grogu makes Din's journey important to the larger galaxy already; whatever the Child grows up to be he's expected to be a major player. So is it more interesting for Din to be the important guy, or the important guy's dad?

[Immortal Weapon]

Random thoughts:
-- That chime when they reached Plazir made me think someone's cell phone was going off - a genuine wtf moment.
-- I enjoyed the montage of droids malfunctioning - the security footage being in b/w made it even more like silent movie pratfalls.
-- Mando kicking former battle droids - it just seemed so petty and vindictive!
-- What does "taking back Mandalore" even mean? Nobody's there. All they have to do is land there and say, "It's mine!" I imagine there will be some battle with Gideon, but it's not a certainty. It never ceases to humor me how much Star Wars sticks to the "each planet is basically one city" formula. The way this goes, it should only take a dozen people and one battle to "take" an entire planet.
-- I've seen some people say all the Luke/Grogu stuff could've happened this season, and I agree. There was no reason for him to be here this season except for getting Bo to rescue Din, but that could've happened some other way.

It's not petty of him to kick battle droids. Those things attacked his planet and killed his family. There still has to be some bottled up resentment