The Mandalorian SHOW discussion - Spoilers Allowed for all aired episodes

[Jay 37,322]

I agree with Wojo

[mstrox 6,647]

I think it’s fine, but it would necessitate making this a “spoilers” thread by changing the title!

 

In the absence of that, people are masking spoilers as a courtesy, pretty cool.

[Jay 37,322]

I think when a show a lot of JWFanners watch is running new episodes, it should be obvious to everyone that if you go into a thread that discusses that show, if you're behind you could get spoiled.

 

When Westworld is running new eps I stay out of the thread until I've seen the latest one.  When Twin Peaks came back with that new season I stayed out until I was caught up.  Etc.

 

Participating in a thread like that when you are behind (and care about being spoiled), is asking for trouble IMHO

 

It's just easier for people who want to talk about a popular show to just talk about it, rather than having to stop and ponder on which parts of their post to block out, etc.  That's more of a practice reserved for more general threads about different subjects, or when discussing things in between new episode runs

 

Oh, and I'm talking about discussion of the aired content only; I think that discussion of any "next time on" previews, or rumors/leaks from the internet, should still be spoiler-tagged.

[Datameister 2,037]

Agreed all around. I don't mind spoiler tagging stuff to be safe, but I certainly wouldn't visit a thread like this if I weren't caught up.

[Arpy 4,145]

Didn't realise John Leguizamo was the cyclops till the end credits, I kinda wish he would return as something else. 

 

[Wojo 2,453]

1 hour ago, Arpy said:

Didn't realise John Leguizamo was the cyclops till the end credits, I kinda wish he would return as something else. 

 

Me neither. 

 

Then again, I didn't recognize the silver fox until they showed his name, either, and that's just a few weeks after watching Olyphant's episode in The Good Place. 

 

We have to remember one thing. It's been over thirty years since we last saw Boba Fett disappear into the Sarlaac. But for him, it's been only about five years in the story. 

 

Remember last season, when the female bounty hunter died on Tatooine, and we heard spurs jingling when boots walked over her? We thought it was either Greef Karga or an alive Boba Fett. The latter seems much more likely now. 

 

I wonder if we'll get to learn if he killed the Sarlaac alone to escape, or if the krayt dragon helped. After all, that would result in an empty Sarlaac lair. 

[Faleel 5,340]

1 hour ago, who cares said:

 

Me neither. 

 

Then again, I didn't recognize the silver fox until they showed his name, either, and that's just a few weeks after watching Olyphant's episode in The Good Place. 

 

We have to remember one thing. It's been over thirty years since we last saw Boba Fett disappear into the Sarlaac. But for him, it's been only about five years in the story. 

 

Remember last season, when the female bounty hunter died on Tatooine, and we heard spurs jingling when boots walked over her? We thought it was either Greef Karga or an alive Boba Fett. The latter seems much more likely now. 

 

I wonder if we'll get to learn if he killed the Sarlaac alone to escape, or if the krayt dragon helped. After all, that would result in an empty Sarlaac lair. 

I don't think that was the same pit.

[Wojo 2,453]

44 minutes ago, Spider-Fal said:

I don't think that was the same pit.

Probably not. It's certainly not the same main entrance. 

[Arpy 4,145]

It's like the pipes in Chamber of Secrets, it could be connected.

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

Didn't they say the Krayt dragon ate part of the Sarlacc or something like that? My interpretation was that he ate into what is now the "cave". Or it's the Sarlacc's anus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Jay 37,322]

Spoiler

 

On 3/17/2020 at 2:58 PM, Jay said:

The Mandalorian 1x01 The Mandalorian

 

That's right, the Jaymeister finally started watching this show.  This first episode was good!  I enjoyed the look, the action, the mood, the style, and especially the music.  Damn, the music is awesome!

 

Not too much happens in this episode; Somewhat limp introductory action scene to set up the general feel of the show, Mando meets with Carl Weathers to get his next job, Werner Herzog gives him the details with promise of a big bounty, he goes to the planet, gets help from Nick Nolte, and finds Baby Yoda The Child.  Really, just as soon as you're really getting into things and curious what this adolescent Yoda-species (do they have a name?) is all about, it's over.  But it leaves you wanting more, which is a good thing.

Again I have to say how awesome the music was; I'm listening to each OST album after each episode and they really are all great.  This is the second best score of 2019, after only John Williams' own foray in to the universe.  Good stuff!

 

On 3/17/2020 at 4:06 PM, Jay said:

The Mandalorian 1x02 The Child

 

To me, this felt like a "filler" episode.  I mean, what happens?  Mando tries to return to his ship with the child but Jawas have stolen a bunch of stuff, so he barters to get an egg for them so he can get his stuff back.  He does so and takes off.  By the end of the episode, I was really feeling that the episodes lengths they've chosen for this show are a bit odd.  Really episodes 1 and 2 could have been combined into one extra-long pilot and then if they did hour-long episodes from here on out that would make sense.  But I'll stick with their choice and see how it goes.

 

It was cool to have Nick Nolte again, his voice really works for the character.  And the Jawas and their sandcrawler was really nicely realized, plus we got to see the child use force powers which was cool. 

 

The music was again excellent.  The fanfare when he finally takes off at the end was so cool.  And I love the end credits this show gets, with lengthy score accompaniment and all the concept art, etc.  While I may not be seeing any writing to write home about after 2 episodes, the production values are certainly very very top notch, which is cool to see on a weekly basis.

 

On 3/18/2020 at 12:06 PM, Jay said:

The Mandalorian 1x03 The Sin

 

Pretty good ep.  This is exactly what the show needed: Some insight into Mando's actual character.  For 2 eps he was just a dude taking jobs for money and doing them effectively.  Finally in this ep we see he has a heart.  Granted, it was completely predictable as soon as he dropped off the child that he would come back for it before the end of the episode, but that doesn't matter; It was still enjoyable to watch it all play out.  I thought there was some tension even as he was dropping him off where you thought he might have the change of heart right away, but when he did drop him off it was kinda need to see him go talk to the armorer and trade in his reward for his shiny new suit and then accept his next job, etc.

 

Unfortunately I didn't find the lengthy end battle where he steals the child and escapes to be QUITE as good as the really cool battle from the end of episode 1 with IG-11, but that's a minor quibble.  I also didn't fully understand why the other Mandalorians were willing to risk their lives to help him - or, if they would have done so all along, why Mando didn't ask them for him, or they didn't turn up sooner - but maybe they've delve into Mandalorian culture in future episodes.  The bookending scenes with the child playing with the ball in the cockpit was pretty dang cute (everything the child does is pretty dang cute).

 

Mando taking off at the end, child in tow, defying what he was hired to do, making new enemies, knowing he'll be tracked and at risk, was a pretty exciting end.  These 3 episodes combine to set up the story of the show pretty well, almost like I just watched a pretty good movie.  Looking forward to see what Mando and the child get up to next!

 

On 3/23/2020 at 4:59 PM, Jay said:

The Mandalorian 1x04 Sanctuary

 

 That was awesome!  Easily the best episode of the entire series (so far).  I pretty much loved it from start to finish.  It kind of reminded me of a random episode of some 90s TV shows, like, I dunno, a Hercules or Xena or Stargate or Star Trek or whatever; Introducing you to a new place, our hero comes in, makes friends, saves the day, takes off.  It was a nice little self-contained story I really enjoyed.

 

I liked the cold open setting up the plight of the villagers, Mando arriving and getting bone broth for the child (how does he know what it likes to eat anyway?), fighting with Gina Carano and then Eugene Cordero (Pillboi!) asking him for help, the whole training montage, the big battle, the child making friends and playing with the village children, and the fact that they couldn't even stay after everything that happened.  Gina Carano's character seemed interesting enough and I assume she's coming back or they wouldn't have cast someone like her in the role.  The one villager lady Mando gets close with was pretty good too, and it was interesting to learn more about his helmet (in a prior episode when he said he's never taken it off I thought we were meant to take him literally so it was nice to see him take it off here).

 

The AT-ST was awesome!  One thing I like about this show is that it takes ideas and concepts from the SW movies I grew up with as a kid and does them better with modern technology.  We had the Jawas done better in episode 2 and now AT-STs done better here.  I loved how they tricked it to going in the water.  The child gets cuter every episode.  The music was again great, I loved the training montage and all of it really.

I was shocked to see at the end that this ep was directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, mostly just that a first-time director could pull off this pretty elaborate episode!  I guess she learned a lot from her dad.

 

On 3/26/2020 at 12:19 PM, Jay said:

The Mandalorian 1x05 The Gunslinger

 

Wow, another good one!  I loved that it opened with a nice space battle, since that was one thing the show hadn't done much of yet, and its a staple of Star Wars.  It was cool!

 

Was kinda bummed that he ended up going down to Tatooine - why must the franchise continually return to this planet, instead of just using a new one?  But I quickly was over this as everything that happened there was so cool.  I enjoyed the lady that Mando has fix his ship, and her scenes bonding with the child.  And Mando's adventure with the bounty hunter guy was super fun!  Speeder Bikes, The Dune Sea, Tusken Raiders, Dewbacks, a night attack, betrayals, super fun stuff!  Kinda strange that a random new character is shown approaching the body of the dead bounty they were going after.

 

The music was fantastic, I loved the new colors introduced this week - the fun, playful music for the scenes of the hangar lady bonding with the child, and the super fun music for Mando and the other bounty hunter crossing the dune sea.  Cool stuff!

 

 

 

 

The Mandalorian 1x06 The Prisoner

 

Another good one!  I like the different dynamics we're getting - episode 4 with Mando teaming up with an entire village, episode 5 with him teaming up with 1 person, and in this ep joining a mini squad of 5 people for a mission.  I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised that they all turned on him before the episode was over, of course!  But I don't watch this show to be blown away by plot developments.

 

All the new characters this episode were great! Mark Boone Jr. made a good "obviously can't be trusted" hiring guy, Bill Burr made a great sarcastic squad leader, Richard Ayoade was the latest in a string of great Disney-era droid voices, and the always great Clancy Brown made a good brute.  The Twi'leks were OK, I liked that there was hints of a history with the female one with Mando, the male one was the only really blasé new character I thought.

 

I really liked the action scenes this week, especially the one where Mando takes down a hallway full of bad guys while the rest of the squad basically just watched.  Him breaking out of the prison cell was fun too.  And boy, you gotta love that X-Wing ending!

I liked that all the characters were left alive to potentially come back in the future.  Well, Burr, Clancy, and the female Twi'lek were shown, and we don't really know if the X-Wings destroyed the station with the male Twi'lek and Boone Jr or not.

 

The music was again awesome!  I loved the darker feel it had for the generally darker setting.  Everything worked really well.

[Holko 9,499]

Another good episode! Interesting that it seems to be a 2-parter.

 

And what lovely music!

[Faleel 5,340]

Well that was something, I guess.

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

The 2x02 episode was a little filler. The first season was like this also...but i think the story should move forward a little more faster.

[Jay 37,322]

The Mandalorian 1x07 The Reckoning

 

 That was one awesome episode of television!

 

I love how it so casually and naturally ramps from seemingly another one-off to a massive storyline as the episode goes on.  He see the message from Karga and goes to get Cara from episode 4 to help, then they realize they need Kuiil from episode 1 to help, he's reprogrammed IG11 which was awesome.  I love the sequence in the middle of the episode where the whole group goes trekking across lava fields and has to spend the night and get attacked, it was a cool and different action scene than we've seen.  I still don't know how I feel about introducing force healing into Star Wars canon 40 years into things but I'll go with it because the whole sequence where the child does it was very well done.

 

I loved how things kept ramping up once they get to town, with having to send Kuiil back, there being more stormtroopers than they thought, the client wanting to see the baby before Mando is in position to shoot things.... and then hot damn, when the client calls HIS boss and it's freaking Gus Fring and he just opens fire on them all (for... reasons?) and sends a squad of troopers to blockade them in, then lands in a gloriously done shot of his TIE Fighter landings while transforming into landing mode, and he comes out and gives a little speech, and meanwhile troopers intercept Mando's message to Kuiil and he freaking dies (RIP!).....

 

Now THAT'S how you do a freaking cliffhanger ending, hot damn!

 

Awesome score as always too, expertly ratcheting up the tension cue by cue just as the episode does scene by scene.  Great stuff here!

[Jay 37,322]

The Mandalorian 1x08 Redemption

 

 Now THAT'S a season finale!  Told about an extremely satisfying wrap-up to a wonderful season of television.

 

I loved the banter with Adam Pally and Jason Sudeikis at the beginning, and IG-11 emerging (why didn't he stop them from getting the child last episode?) to take the child from them.  I didn't fully understand why Gideon gave the trio until nightfall to surrender instead of just killing them; Mando's explanation that he needs them to locate the child seemed flimsy to me!

But the rest of the episode was just fantastic, from IG-11 flying in to just destroy everything, the flametrooper and the child defeating him, seeing Pedro Pascal's face as IG-11 heals him, The Armorer giving Mando his Signet and jetpack and destroying a squad of troopers, the R2 unit that piloted the boat, IG-11's sacrifice (who knew I would grow to care about the death of a freaking droid?), the TIE Fighter / Jetpack battle, and the cool darksaber ending!  Wow, everything was so well done and satisfying!

 

The score might have been the best one yet, with all kinds of themes and ideas returning and being used perfectly throughout.  This whole episode is just immensely satisfying on every level!

[Jay 37,322]

Oh yea I almost forgot - anybody else notice Cara Dune has a rebel logo tattooed on her cheek?

 

(click to embiggen)

 

I noticed it watching episode 8, which was kinda funny because in episode 7 they make a big deal out of covering up her arm tattoo  

[Wojo 2,453]

What a perfectly cromulent thing to observe. 

[Jay 37,322]

Question!

 

Is Moff Gideon a brand new character invented for the show, or someone I would have known more about if I watched any of these Clone War Rebel Resistance whatever cartoons that are out there?

 

Also, that darksaber he has at the end of the season, does that imply Gideon is himself force sensitive, or does all the  canon SW stuff left have lots of instances of non-Force users using Jedi/Sith tech?

[blondheim 1,157]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Question!

 

Is Moff Gideon a brand new character invented for the show, or someone I would have known more about if I watched any of these Clone War Rebel Resistance whatever cartoons that are out there?

 

Also, that darksaber he has at the end of the season, does that imply Gideon is himself force sensitive, or does all the  canon SW stuff left have lots of instances of non-Force users using Jedi/Sith tech?

 

Gideon is new. The Darksaber is in the animated shows. It is a Mandalorian weapon that used to determine their ruler. Maul carried it for a time. It's been held by a few major characters over the course of the animated shows. Who has it typically matters.

[Jay 37,322]

Gotcha, so he's probably not a force-user

[Faleel 5,340]

The Darksaber was a Jedi Mandalorian's weapon, that became part of Mandalorian culture (when they took it from the temple)

[Wojo 2,453]

Good lord. That episode went full Harry Potter 2. Hee bee gee bees. 

[Holko 9,499]

The spiders come from McQuarrie.

 

Whatever the episode could be called, along with the first one and chapter 4, I'd happily take 50 more like these with sometimes some semblance of a main plot weaving through, please! Just Mando and Baby going on lots of weird adventures, sometimes with pals, searching for Jedi or Mandalorians.

[mstrox 6,647]

I wonder if the whole season will be ones straight continuity (each episode picking up immediately where the previous one left off).  I certainly didn’t expect to see them still on Tatooine for ten minutes (although I appreciate the extra Sedaris).  And presumably we’ll see the safe delivery of frog and eggs.

 

  I figured we wouldn’t see Tatooine again until the Boba Fett thing played out.

[rough cut 1,714]

What do you think about my theory that the chapter title card is enormously inspired by the original Lucasfilm logo?

 

When I first thought of it, I thought it was the exact same font but it seems that they tweaked it a little.

 

Still.

 

Close enough, or whaddayathink?

 

[Faleel 5,340]

I mean, the first two episodes of SE1 were that way too IIRC.

[Wojo 2,453]

I was hoping that somehow, the eggs would be safe inside the little Jedi's belly, like a repository protected by the Force. Nope, the lil bastard is always just hungry. 

 

We should have been prepared when we saw him eat the frog in S1. I knew this was coming when Mando left him alone with the egg jar. 

[Holko 9,499]

8 minutes ago, who cares said:

I was hoping that somehow, the eggs would be safe inside the little Jedi's belly, like a repository protected by the Force. Nope, the lil bastard is always just hungry. 

My brain went to the same place: that all the eggs were going to freeze and then unexpectedly he would vomit a couple up and they'd be fine, he'd have just protected them instinctively.

[Wojo 2,453]

Especially since the eggs were being drawn to him in the tank. Presumably using the Force. 

 

Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere. 

 

How the hell do you teach that it's not just a food detector? 

[Bilbo 3,709]

If baby wants to eat eggs baby can eat the eggs 

[scallenger 483]

Episode 2 was terrifying! LOL. Definitely the scariest episode of both seasons (so far). Granted I didn't expect this show to ever get scary and this intense with something like SPIDERS but Jesus... I loved it hahaha. But poor Frog Lady! She is going to have no offspring left by the time she gets to where she wants to go! LOL.

 

So the spider concept was from Empire? That's really interesting. How was it originally going to be used? I see Luke in the image, so it was on Dangobah? Was it ever part of any of the scripts? Such a cool design, I am surprised it hadn't been used in the prequel or sequel trilogy at all.

[Bespin 8,480]

4 minutes ago, scallenger said:

Episode 2 was terrifying! LOL. Definitely the scariest episode of both seasons (so far).

 

Did that scare you?

 

[scallenger 483]

I happen to be terrified of spiders, okay, penis breath?!

 

 

[Faleel 5,340]

10 minutes ago, scallenger said:

 

 

So the spider concept was from Empire?...How was it originally going to be used?.... it was on Dangobah?

Basically the trees on Dagobah can become Spiders at a certain point.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Knobby_white_spider

[scallenger 483]

UHM.... UHM... no... no no no... no no no no no no NO! *is never going to Dagobah!*

[Bespin 8,480]

Disney and merchandising, I hate that!

 

 

[Wojo 2,453]

1 minute ago, Bespin said:

Merchandising!

 

 

 

If you don't bottom out, it laughs at you because it does judge by your size. 

[Laserschwert 475]

Actually the international LF logos for "Return of the Jedi" are even closer (as they are yellow and use a different font):

[Romão 2,274]

Caught up with all the latest episodes.

 

The show is fun enough, the concept is cool, the designs are great, the visual effects are fantastic and the musical aproach is interesting and full of character. But this show seems not be going anywhere.  It's episodic to a fault. The Mandalorian has to to travel to some other planet to meet someone who has information, to end up to having to destroy some sort of monster or threat, after which he departs to yet another planet to meet yet someone ele who suposedely has even more information. In the meantime, Baby Yoda does cute things. I just think so much more could be done with the concept. 

 

Whenever the end credits roll with Goranson's really cool theme and the wonderful concept art, I feel like those final 3 minutes gave me pretty much the same experience  as the preceeding 40 minutes or so. A bunch of cool concepts strung together by a thin plot and hardly any story at all.

 

2 Episodes into the second season, and the story is exactly where it was at the end of Season One. I will keep watching the show, because it is still quite watchable and the production values are fantastic, but I do hope they do something more interesting with this

[Jay 37,322]

I mean, that's the show. You're describing what it is. It isn't trying to be anything else, or being marketing as anything else. Just embrace it for what it is, instead of wishing it was something else! 

[Bilbo 3,709]

I love when characters from the animated series end up in Live Action. 
 

I’d say Clone Wars will get a few new viewers after this week’s episode. Bo Katan shows up and name drops Ahsoka. 
 

So much for the “the animated series don’t count” crowd 😬

 

3344B460-282D-4CF8-AA70-872363EC57C8.webp

[mstrox 6,647]

I love Clone Wars and Rebels.  I was very much of the “let Mandalorian be its own thing” camp, but I’ve accepted this and am now excited to see Bo Katan and Ahsoka this season.

[Holko 9,499]

I'm no fan of CW and rebels but it's a lot more interesting if Ahsoka will teach Baby Yoda than if they just plomped him off at Luke's to be murdered before he learns to speak.

[Obi 404]

I'm a fan of CW and Rebels. This episode 3 is a dream come true, my new best episode of the show.

[Alan 689]

Watched episode 3 this morning. Between this and the season premier we've been given around 90 minutes of the best Star Wars since the OT, imho.

[Arpy 4,145]

I loved the ties this episode has to Clone Wars and Rebels - seeing Bo Katan and hearing Ahsoka Tano's name was everything I hoped for.

 

Also interesting to note the series is before the Battle of Jakku, when the last remnants of the Empire were finally destroyed.

 

The episode was a shorter than usual, it was over before it began! The score was kind of sparse, more synth blibbity-blobbity, with a few nice variations of the main theme, but nothing that stood out. I think there's a homage to the Rescue music from ESB when the Imperial Officer takes the ship down, with those whirling strings...

 

[Pawel P. 738]

1 hour ago, Arpy said:

Also interesting to note the series is before the Battle of Jakku, when the last remnants of the Empire were finally destroyed.

 

 

The Battle of Jakku took place in 5 ABY, a year after the Battle of Endor.

The Mandalorian begins in 9 ABY, five years after the events of Return of the Jedi 

 

Almost perfect episode! I give it 9.5/10.

[Andy 4,090]

I am cautiously excited to have Bo Katan and Ahsoka being introduced.  It's a solid storyline, but first season really established the show as "its own thing", with a heavy emphasis on Space Spaghetti Western.

 

I do NOT want to see it just morph into an extension of the animated storylines.

[blondheim 1,157]

The animated shows were so heavily tied into Mandalore that I expected it. Plus, cameos sell. I can't say that I myself don't want to find out what happened to Ezra Bridger and Thrawn. If Thrawn is behind Gideon, that would be a nice return to Heir to the Empire vibes for Thrawn that I could get behind.

 

I'm antsy because I know Ahsoka is still two episodes away. (Dave Filoni is directing Episode 5/Chapter 13.)