From IMDb: “The Mandalorian comes face-to-face with an unexpected enemy. ”
What I liked:
- Gratuitous Gina Carano entry. I really wish she’d get her own spin-off show, because I think she is the character with the most depth. She’s my favorite character on the show, celebrity-crush aside. Ialsoloveher.
- The full Biker Scouts scene at the beginning was THE BEST THING THE SHOW HAS DONE. Seriously, it’s the best Star Wars sequence created since Yub Nub.
- IG-11 gets some good growth this episode.
- Oh hey, a River Styx analogy.
- Oh hey, it’s Giancarlo Esposito.
- Carl Weathers’ character says “Mando” just as much as he would say “Stallion” in the Rocky series. He must like repeating people’s names.
- [SPOILER (highlight text to read)] Ok, the last scene between Mandy and Baby Yoda was really sweet.
What I didn’t like:
- Each episode generally clocks in at about 40 minutes, but they could be shorter, ESPECIALLY this episode. Specific bits of dialog get repeated more than a few times. The Irishman had the same issue and that could’ve been shorter too.
- OMG I HATE THE GENERIC BABY NOISES THEY GIVE BABY YODA. Seriously, they give him the freeware/instant message “baby” noises that came with Windows 95 or AOL.
What I’m in the middle about:
- [SPOILER (highlight text to read)] The show wears its Samurai/Western influences HARD, and the show goes full Lone Wolf & Cub at the end.
Overall: FINALLY, it’s over. A highly imbalanced show featuring more filler and fan service than story progression. LOOK, some (probably most) people will read all my criticisms and say “Come on Jose, it’s Star Wars! You’re being too hard on it.” Like I mentioned in my review of The Rise of Skywalker, nothing gets a free pass. Good things should be reward, and bad things should be criticized. If we don’t criticize these things, then bad becomes the standard. We cannot have that, and we can’t let nostalgia take away our analytical minds. That’s like saying those two Ninja Turtle movies that Michael Bay produced were awesome “Just Because”, when in actuality they’re terrible. I’ve said it before…Demand more from what you consume. I will not be watching season 2 of the Mandalorian.
Jose Zuazua is editor-in-chief of Quick Lunch Break Reviews. He has an associates degree in film production and has been published both online and in print for Los Angeles City College’s award-winning Collegian newspaper. He’s on Twitter and Instagram, and is also currently writing his first short novel.
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