The Mandalorian (so far)

Hey everybody!
So Star Wars has finally got a live action TV show, and I have to say, it’s really something. For years now, we’ve been hearing about the possibility of there being a live action series set in a galaxy far, far away, but nothing has ever come of it. There were strong rumours from 2005-ish, talking about the possibility of young Boba Fett helping the Empire to hunt down Jedi between III and IV, but I don’t think that idea ever made it out of development hell. Following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, the scripts were reviewed, and in 2018 Bob Iger announced that a few shows were being developed.

First out of the gate, we have The Mandalorian, currently streaming via Disney+. To date, three episodes have aired – contrary to Netflix, the show sees new episodes released every Friday, which is quite refreshing for a streaming service these days.

The show is set five years after Return of the Jedi, around the same period as the Aftermath books. It takes place in the Outer Rim, and sets out to have a Wild West feel while staying true to the Star Wars name. We are introduced to the titular Mandalorian bounty hunter as he goes about his business, collecting a bounty and using his earnings to support his clan brothers. The sense of clan loyalty is obviously quite strong here, although the clan is not above some fractious behaviour, as we see in the third episode.

The story, so far, has followed the bounty hunter, called Mando by those who hire him, as he collects on a bounty for The Client. This mysterious figure appears to be an ex-Imperial, or possibly still is with the Empire, or trying to get back in with the Empire by bringing them The Asset. Memes abound across the internet, with a lot of not-so-subtle spoilers doing the rounds now showing us the delight that is Baby Yoda. Apparently it’s not actually Yoda, of course, but rather one of the same species – rumours are flying around that it could be a clone, but who knows.

Baby Yoda is a delight, and helps Mando during a tough spot when his ship is ransacked by Jawas, and the only way he can get his stuff back is to bring them the egg of a horned beast. Despite this, Mando still trades him in for the bounty, but then has second thoughts and infiltrates the (former) Imperial’s base, rescuing Baby Yoda from what appears to be genetic experimentation.

Along the way, we get to meet quite a few Underworld / Fringe types, and get to learn a little of the state of the galaxy right now. Seems the New Republic is struggling to establish its rule across the whole galaxy, leading to the feeling of general lawlessness across the Outer Rim – perfect for that Wild West vibe, as we’re very much on the frontier here.

Star Wars has always been famous for the lived-in universe feel, at a time where sci-fi was showing us a pristine future, we saw grubby-looking outlaws and collections of junk piled in the garage to be forgotten about. That sense of place carries over here in the TV show, and we definitely get that sense of realism, not just because the sets feel grubby, but there is also that sense of time passing. The impaled stormtrooper helmets, above, convey so much information about where and when we are, and the show is replete with these sorts of visual references.

I hope we get more of this – not just of The Mandalorian, but more live-action shows. Hopefully they stick to the shorter eight-episode format, as we’ve seen so often with those running to 22 episodes the quality suffers as the need for filler increases. Sticking to the Outer Rim would allow stories to be told without having to re-cast pivotal roles like Luke and Leia, and doing so could link in with stuff like the Aftermath books, and show us the beginnings of the First Order in live-action.

There is a similar feeling to Rogue One here, as well – in keeping with the fact that the movie was originally pitched as an arc for a TV series back in the day. It has the sense of nostalgia for the original trilogy, updated without losing the charm. As I’m watching the show, I find that I’m not particularly thinking about “what will happen next?” and endlessly theorising about Baby Yoda’s possible origins as a clone of the OG Jedi Master, but rather I’m just sitting back, soaking it all in, and enjoying the ride.

But I can’t wait to see where this story takes us!