Season two of the Mandalorian raises the bar
One of the few promises not broken in 2020 is the release of the highly anticipated second season of the Star Wars TV series, “The Mandalorian.” Though only four episodes have been released, a clear trajectory has been set for this season, including a surprise Star Wars fans can greatly appreciate, and casual viewers can effortlessly enjoy.
Every episode of the show consists of the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) doing a favor of some sort, in seemingly separate and unconnected adventures. This creates an engaging variety in settings and characters along with the promise that you will be rewarded for paying attention to the details. The show introduces new places and characters and includes satisfying tie-ins and callbacks that even non-fans can enjoy.
There are a few slow moments in the show and a couple of stale performances, including a lot of moments where the viewer just waits with the Mandalorian while he is traveling, eating or hiding. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you enjoy a pause from sci-fi action, in which case these are moments to reconnect with the character. The Tatooine mechanic character (Amy Sedaris) is a bit painful to watch due to an inferior performance. This makes it a bit more difficult to stay in the story as this character is clearly just reciting lines without being absorbed into their role. However, these are incredibly minor critiques that are more than made up for in the explosive action and creative plot of the show.
“The Mandalorian” effectively uses many concepts and storytelling principles recent Star Wars content has failed to. The world-building is phenomenal, it truly makes every location feel like a real place. The costumes and sets are absolutely stunning and convincing. The visual effects are, of course, exceptional. The plot is intriguing and builds off curiosities it effectively places in the audience’s minds. The action scenes always make use of special weapons or locations that you wouldn’t find in any other show. It has an extremely identifiable Star Wars feeling while being fresh and utilizing creative concepts untouched by the films.
