THE MANDALORIAN IS A GREAT SHOW, NOT ONLY FOR FANS

I know there are a lot of people that cringe or turn their nose up at the mention of any sort of science fiction shows. Star Trek and Star Wars are at the forefront of being the most pop culture referenced shows and movies by the general public. Everyone knows a saying from them in one way or another even if they’ve never seen any of them. For some, those programs are seen as shows for “nerds” or sci-fi geeks or even just for kids and aren’t cool enough to watch or be involved in. However, as movies like “The Avengers” have massive appeal along with other action shows bordering on or are fully into fantasy like “Game of Thrones” there has been a bit of a swing in that mentality. “The Mandalorian”, created by Jon Favreau (Iron Man) with inspiration from the mind and world of George Lucas on Disney+ is definitely going against that typecasting and pushing the boundaries of fandom mixed with the flair of classic westerns.

“The Mandalorian” follows the story of lone a Mandalorian, Din Djarin played by Pedro Pascal because he seems to be in EVERYTHING lately searching the galaxy for more of his people and his place in the universe. In Star Wars lore, Mandalore was a planet of highly skilled warriors that were wiped out by the Galactic Empire because they wouldn’t submit to their rule and were seen as a threat to their control. Their planet was so completely bombarded that it became completely uninhabitable with the air being toxic. Those that survived the purge roam the galaxy most often as bounty hunters and guns for hire as that was really all they knew. The time frame of this show takes place after the movie “Return of the Jedi” in the Star Wars universe and the evil Galactic Empire has been defeated. We see Din Djarin start as a bounty hunter that comes face to face with being a cold blooded hunter living by his people’s code as ridged and as unwavering as they come only to have his world altered by a bounty job that requires him to collect a child. He has a change of heart when he sees who he is taking the child to and rescues him. The first two seasons sees Din Djarin’s character development and growth and his relationship with the child that has become his ward. Along the way you see familiar places, people, droids, and other aliens if you’re a fan of the movies and other subsequent TV shows in that universe. If you’re not a big fan of the Star Wars universe there will be characters that you don’t recognize their place in the world, but it isn’t so deep that you get lost and don’t understand their addition to the show. They are all well explained and fleshed out so you won’t get lost. Season 3 has taken things another step with the Mandalorian doing what he can to make up for past transgressions and helping those that have helped him do the same. With that, he helps Bo Katan, played by Katie Sackhoff try to bring their people back together and reclaim their pride and perhaps their former home world.

OK, I get it if you’re not into it. Personally, I grew up a SW fan and enjoy the stories they put together decades ago. When I watch I get some of the more subtle references they make in the show towards all of the movies although there are cartoons that they reference that I have no idea what they are talking about. My kids fill me in on those that they used to watch. That’s part of what makes this show enjoyable. The other part is that you can sit down to stream it and not feel like you’re totally lost or not in on the references. Like the before mentioned “Game of Thrones” and other shows within the genre they are making great story lines and mixing them with great action sequences. The reference to it being like a western is pretty spot on as Din finds himself pitted against low life gangsters, outlaws, other bounty hunters, and even the New Republic that has taken over after defeating the Empire, but are a lot nicer then the old regime, and respect Din and have even helped him. There are ambushes mixed with shootouts reminiscent of Clint Eastwood movies and battles in space that are shot like World War II movies. The show also has an underlying tone that something bad is coming and it might be just as bad as the Empire was if not worse. One of the recent episodes had the Republic find a derelict ship and the tension and feeling of uneasiness around the scene was palpable. I suggest you add this to your watch list and see past the sci-fi part and look at the core of the show which is filled with action, adventure, and a coolness not usually seen in this genre. Even if you’ve never watched a single second of Star Wars you could easily be pulled into this show and coming out with the latest pop culture reference in your vocabulary …. this is the way.