After the release of the commercially disastrous “Han Solo” and the ninth episode of “Star Wars”, which grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office, but received a tub of deserved criticism, the distant galaxy on the big screen took a break. However, the first Star Wars fictional series showed that the franchise has great promise on TV. It was immediately renewed, and despite the pandemic, the second season came out on time. But before we move on to talking about the new season of The Mandalorian, we warn you – the text contains spoilers.
When Lucas filmed the original Star Wars, westerns were one of his main sources of inspiration. They were also inspired by “The Mandalorian”, which tells about the adventures of a bounty hunter in the backyard of the galaxy, which, like the Wild West, is full of dangers and criminals. The lion’s share of the episodes of the first season were frank homage to the classic plots of Westerns. There were both protecting a peaceful settlement from bandits, and tracking down a famous shooter with the support of an unreliable partner, and an attack on a transport transporting a valuable prisoner.
The main character is in no hurry to look for the Jedi, whom he swore to return the ward, and is constantly distracted by “side quests”
The concept is by no means revolutionary. But the obvious love for a distant galaxy felt in its implementation provided the Mandalorian with the recognition of fans and the status of the new project-locomotive of the saga. And that status, in turn, brought about a significant change in storytelling for Season 2.
Earlier, we followed the adventures of a warrior who simply earns his living with the difficult craft of a mercenary and, by chance, takes care of a cute creature from a rare race. Now the Mandalorian, Dean Jarin, has a mission – he undertakes to deliver an adorable baby, whom, as we learn, his name is Grogu, to his people. Namely – to the Jedi.
With a clear core conflict, The Mandalorian Season 2 simultaneously began to feel like … a mid-range role-playing game. There is a global quest in front of the hero, but it turns out to be divided into a chain of additional tasks, which are sometimes tied to the main one with white threads. Nevertheless, they still must be completed in order to go further through the plot. Dean, on the other hand, does not behave like a life-worn bounty hunter, but like a player who seeks to earn more experience and get acquainted with all the content created by the authors. The Mandalorian readily grasps at every side task, even if it does not bring him closer to the goal, but, on the contrary, leads him away. If in games such conventions are quite forgivable, then in the series they already look like hack-work of scriptwriters, whose main plot is recruited for only a couple of episodes,
In the second season of “The Mandalorian”, both characters known to all fans of the saga and those who are familiar only to fans of animated series and films appear.
However, the fact that a good half of the episodes are outright fillers is very cleverly disguised in the second season of The Mandalorian. First of all, the series has clearly added to the scale and staging of battle scenes. Particularly impressive is the opening episode, in which Dean with a small army comes into conflict with the greatest monster of Tatooine – the krait dragon. There will be many spectacular battles, chases and fights in subsequent episodes, and in them not only the main character, but also several famous characters of the saga will shine brightly. And they are the second element, cleverly disguising the unpretentiousness of the plots.
In the first season, the authors of The Mandalorian played neatly on nostalgic strings, using mostly familiar imagery and atmosphere. Now the writers have taken the fan service path much further. In almost every episode, fans are expected to meet old acquaintances, and we are not talking about fleeting cameos that would please only the most attentive. Guest Stars play a key role in the events of the second season, sometimes even overshadowing Dean Jarin himself.
The appearance of famous guests is clearly intended not only to please their fans and better fit “The Mandalorian” into the context of what is happening in a distant galaxy. In the second season of the series, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are paving the way for future television projects based on the saga. The authors are clearly guided by the successful experience of the MCU, where many films not only told independent stories, but at the same time teased the following projects and served as a springboard for them.
Here Dean meets the favorite of the “Clone Wars” fans, a student of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano. Helping her, the hero receives the information he needs, but we find out what famous character she, in turn, is looking for, and this clearly brings us to the plot of the series, which will be dedicated to Ahsoka herself. But Boba Fett, presumed dead in Return of the Jedi, comes to Dean with a business proposal. Soon we see that Fett, although he was pretty immersed, but still remains a formidable fighter. The ending of the season makes it clear that he plans to make a rustle in the criminal world of a distant galaxy. And immediately follows the announcement of the series, already personally dedicated to Bob.
After digital rejuvenation, Luke looks somewhat artificial, but still he is much better recognized by the hero we know from the original trilogy than in the character we saw in the sequels.
Separately, one cannot fail to say about the loudest and most unexpected star guest of The Mandalorian. If there were rumors about the appearance of Ahsoka, Boba and several other lesser-known characters for many months, hardly anyone expected to see Luke Skywalker in the series. And the impressions of the stage with his participation remain contradictory. On the one hand, this is one of the most striking episodes in the history of the films and TV series of the saga, demonstrating the fighting power of the Jedi Master. In addition, this Luke is in stark contrast to that lowered and escaped from responsibility old man, which we saw in “The Last Jedi” – Favreau and Filoni seem to show Ryan Johnson what the real Luke should be. He comes to the rescue of those who need his help, acts decisively, is ready to take responsibility – this is the real return of that Jedi,
At the same time, from a technical point of view, Luke’s rejuvenation leaves much to be desired – the artificiality of his face is striking even more than that of Tarkin and Leia in Rogue One. But another thing is worse – Luke appears in “The Mandalorian” in the role of a frank “piano in the bushes”, suddenly rescuing the heroes in a deadly situation. His intervention, completely unmotivated by previous events, serves as an excellent illustration of the entire second season of The Mandalorian – both its strengths and weaknesses. Behind the magnificent video sequence and masterful playing on fan emotions, a very unprepossessing scriptwork is hidden.
The first season of “The Mandalorian” was emphatically distanced from the global conflicts of a distant galaxy and focused on the adventures of a hero who simply makes his living with the difficult craft of a mercenary. The second season turned out to be different – it is focused not so much on the title character, as on the concentrated fan service and laying the foundation for the upcoming Lucasfilm television projects.
