So, the first episode of this dropped today on Disney+.
I just watched it, and I’m pretty impressed!
I really like the protagonist, who I guess is just Mando right now. They really try to hammer in that he’s a bit of a Gary Stu heartless bastard at first, but then they start to humanize him with humorous flaws. I guess in the post-empire republic, all bounty hunting is done through a board now?
The highlights of the episode were definitely the Werner Herzog scene and the shootout the the IG unit. That whole shoot out gave me some serious ‘Way of the Gun’ vibes. I was pretty sad to see Taika’s role just DISAPPEAR with a blaster shot to the head though. I hope this isn’t the end for his character.
The pacing did feel weird though. It felt like they wanted to keep your attention at all times, which made me think this thing is also targeted at kids, which is wild considering the tone they seemed to pitch it with. ‘Dark and gritty story about a bounty hunter, but look how bad he is riding this space thing!’ I’m sure it was that ‘pilot’ problem, where an episode has to encapsulate everything a audience member needs to know about a series before it has time to breathe a little.
Now for some plot stuff! Wtf, a baby Yoda. I wonder if the Empire is thinking that a force sensitive Yoda replacement can aid them in retaking the republic? A lot of questions!
I’m just hearing the Herzog inner monologue of being on set:
“Around me, I am surrounded by aliens and people in costumes, space cowboys and knights in shining armour. Across the set, there is a sense of jubilation at being part of such a production that appears to be eating and feasting on all genres. My alien accomplice is piloted by a team of six puppeteers, such extravagance to convey such believalbe life in the face of an alien life form. I sit here going over my lines, it appears that they want to use it in the trailer, which the director tells me will be very popular. I recline in my seat and reflect about the fantasy of war across the gulf of space. Space. Cold, dark and vast. Not unlike the darkness invested in man’s heart. Maybe one day, I’ll get to meet The Rock. But that day is not today”.
The Mandalorian had a tough act to follow after the buzz surrounding Watchmen. That show, also an extension of a decades old beloved geek franchise, is doing some truly captivating things with the universe, and I can’t stop watching week-to-week. The Mandalorian, on the other hand feels more by-the-numbers for the most part. It has some trappings of being gritty and different, but it still feels very much in the vein of Star Wars with the western influences more pronounced. That doesn’t make it bad by any means (gimme more Werner!), but it feels like the time I played Horizon Zero Dawn after Breath of the Wild. It’s still good, but I can’t help but feel a bit let down.
I really like that episode. It clearly wanted to be a space spaghetti western and it was basically that. IG-88 was pretty adorable too.
We’ll see if this format works. I kinda would prefer a show where the Not-Boba Fett never is a character. He’s more a Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars force of nature that just seems to appear in the middle of stories. But I think they want to go another way, which is fine.
I think you’re right. I’m assuming those brief flashbacks he has will play a bigger part later in the season. But if they just kept those largely as background, I’d much prefer it. Love a no name gun slinger
A good standout scene for me was when Mando was learning to ride the Blurrg. In a franchise as grand and “epic” as Star Wars, I love when they put in little moments like that. The whole sequence with Kuiil the farmer was such a nice break in between the Star Wars action.
So… assuming the age of the target (50) is an estimate rather than an exact figure
32 BBY - Yoda and Yaddle were both on the Jedi Council
22 BBY - Yaddle is no longer part of the Jedi Council
10 ABY - Discovery of Yoddle (I just made that up but I’m going to make it stick) by the Mandalorian.
Conclusion: Yoda and Yaddle were fuckin’.
There’s a comic "Boba Fett: Death, Lies, & Treachery " that’s three loosely connected one-shots with very much this vibe about them (also the art is just gorgeous) You can get it as a trade paperback, or in the Boba Fett Star Wars Omnibus, which has got some other pretty neat “Boba Fett as Man With No Name” type stuff.
