Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Mandalorian Episode 1

I've been eagerly waiting for this show since uncle Bob revealed it back in 2017! And today was the day I would find out if my hopes would be dashed or realized. I am here to say The Mandalorian has in 1 episode eclipsed anything the ST has shown thus far. The Mandalorian harkens back to a simpler time when a young farm boy met a crazy old hermit and dreamt of joining the academy to fight the Empire....a small story brimming with potential to expand. A story that sparked the imagination of a generation....my generation! The Mandalorian is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe during a lawless, post Empire time in the Star Wars Universe. The look and feel of the very first locale hit the mark for me, it's a planet we've never seen before but it feels very familiar. It's clearly evident that The Mandalorian is using Spaghetti Westerns as the the genre to mold the story around, which is perfect considering the state the galaxy is in after the fall of the Empire. The scene where the Mando learns how to ride a Blurgg and the scene where the Mando scouts out the encampment where the mark is being held screams Spaghetti Western!  
Faverau and Filoni show they're respect for the source material by sprinkling in bits of fan service such as the Mando's rifle, Mythrol's mention of Life Day and Kuiil's mention of the Mythasaur. 
We also get hints of the state of the people of Mandalore thru a few lines by the Client and the scene where the MAndo brings the Beskar Steel to the Mandalorian Armory. This reiterates to me that Both Favreau and Filoni understand Star Wars but have a clear idea of how their story will fit into the Makers Universe and expand upon it, much like how Rogue One did.
The scene in the second half of the episode introduces IG-11 and serves to not only drive home the lawless state the galaxy is in but to also show these hacks Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams what Star Wars humor is and ISN'T. 
The shoot out at the encampment gives fans of IG droids and Mando's a glimpse of they're bad-ass-ness which is a treat but the episode also shows the Mando is not unstoppable...he has weaknesses and flaws. He is relate-able....a simple man trying to make his way in the universe.
In the interest of not spoiling the surprise at the end of the episode, the mark the Mando was hired to find is the cutest damn thing I've seen since baby Groot!
I cannot wait for the next episode on Friday! 




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