The Mandalorian

[Barrington Boots]

I really enjoyed the second series, but I found it a step down from the first. I was hoping it'd basically be about the titular character and his mini-Yoda mate wandering about having adventures whilst the quest resolution stayed mainly on the horizon, in the vein of something like Quantum Leap or Monkey, but solving the quest was the main narrartive thrust throughout and almost every episode seemed to include Jedi, Mandalorians or both with a bit too much expanded universe influence for my liking. Plus the way it wrapped up leaves me fairly ambivalent about a third series if it's all to do with [spoiler]darksabres[/spoiler] and [spoiler]the throne of Mandalore[/spoiler] but I can't see them moving too far away from the core concept?

That's a minor gripe though as it was still mainly very cool, and last episode did see a few tears of excitement shed at the end when [spoiler]Luke arrived[/spoiler] It's still the best thing Disney have done in the Star Wars universe.

[TordelBack]

I really enjoyed the second series, but I found it a step down from the first. I was hoping it'd basically be about the titular character and his mini-Yoda mate wandering about having adventures whilst the quest resolution stayed mainly on the horizon, in the vein of something like Quantum Leap or Monkey...

This is the way.

I read a lot of review and comment during the run about "filler" episodes, reflecting an idea that the only purpose of the show was to quickly get to some destination - whereas it was the journey itself I was enjoying. It is (was) a great setup, why the urgency to destroy it?

[DrRocka]

I find that the trick is to watch what's being presented in front of you, not what's already in your mind.

[Barrington Boots]

I find that the trick is to watch what's being presented in front of you, not what's already in your mind.

That's what watching is, yes, well done.
And I think if Tordel and I had done otherwise we wouldn't have had that minor complaint.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I think Star Wars works best when it's based on old western, samurai and WWII movies and riffing on fantasy tropes. Star Wars is kinda shite when it's based on Star Wars and riffing on EU geegaws.

I think this is why I didn't enjoy the second season as much.

[Mardroid]

The [spoiler]Ahsoka[/spoiler] episode, while possibly 'riffing on EU geegaws', featuring, you know, [spoiler]Ahsoka[/spoiler], was very heavily influenced by Samurai movies. In fact it pretty much was a short samurai film, except with a [spoiler]glowy sword[/spoiler].

So, not mutually exclusive things. But I think I get what you mean.

I largely enjoyed series 2 and was happy enough with including things from the EU, (if you include the Clone Wars animation as EU, since it is canon. EU in the sense of 'not of the movies' I guess.)  because it made sense and didn't feel too crowbarred in. I.e. most of the cross-over stuff involved [spoiler]Mandalorian type characters.... [/spoiler]which a Mandalorian is most likely to encounter at some point. As for [spoiler]Ahsoka and Luke,[/spoiler] well that made total sense from the child thread standpoint. [spoiler]There aren't exactly many Jedi about any more, so who else would they meet?[/spoiler]

But I wouldn't want everything to be based on that stuff, and I appreciate this series was EU heavy

My personal small issue with this series was the sheer amount of time they spent on action scenes based completely on other characters. The characters and the scenes themselves were good, but the main character got sidelined for long periods of time, spending part of that literally flying off elsewhere or unconscious. The last two episodes rectified that somewhat.

I suspect those long Mando-light action scenes were intended to showcase characters involved in the spin-off stories, (Rangers and Boba Fett) however.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

The [spoiler]Ahsoka[/spoiler] episode, while possibly 'riffing on EU geegaws', featuring, you know, [spoiler]Ahsoka[/spoiler], was very heavily influenced by Samurai movies. In fact it pretty much was a short samurai film, except with a [spoiler]glowy sword[/spoiler].

So, not mutually exclusive things. But I think I get what you mean.

No not mutually exclusive things, and I suppose it was inevitable that [spoiler]Luke[/spoiler] would eventually show up, but as Tips mentioned earlier, he shows up and steals the glory. We've seen [spoiler]Jedi milling through bots with their lightsabres[/spoiler]* multiple times since the prequels. Also Mando should have had enough sense [spoiler] tell the ladies on the bridge to make a quick jump to lightspeed when he spaced the Dark Troopers. He knew they had jet packs, and has always shown good situational awareness.[/spoiler] I felt it was a bit out of character for him to pull that boner.

Compare that with the climatic action scene at the end of the first series when [spoiler]Mando takes out a TIE fighter with a jet pack, a harpoon and a small explosive[/spoiler], that was way more exciting and something original** compared to what we've seen in Star Wars before. I wanted more of that sort of thing, less light-thayburrrth. The Jedi have been a huge drag since their return in 1983.

Check me out, I'm nitpicking and whining about Star Wars, like a real cool internet guy.

This is the way.

*[spoiler]Also, for reasons unclear to me, I had assumed the Dark Troopers were made of Beskar, since the imps seemed to have a decent stash of it. Obviously not, if Lukes lightsabre could slice through it easily. It would have been more interesting to see Luke deal with them when his lightsabre was useless. Would have been a good demonstration of what the force could really do for Mando and the kid (and the audience).[/spoiler]

**unless you've played Just Cause III, which you should.

[Magnetica]

I'd like to apologise for the spoiler upthread.

No complaints from this quarter. If I'm checking in on a thread about a programme that's aired, I expect to run the risk of being spoiled: that's my decision.

I took the alternative path and avoided this thread until I'd watched every episode - so a year and two months on from your comment, what it means for me is I now have 26 pages of this thread to catch up on 🤣

[TordelBack]

This is an appalling situation. I greatly enjoy Disney's overall output, and between myself and the family have happily shovelled cash at them, despite moral qualms about the impact if their increasingly huge influence. Even aside from the general immorality of their royslties position, I have personally loved ADF's two SW novels (the novelisation was the only way I had to watch SW, pre-video) and two of his Alien ones, as well as his Trek and Spellsinger work, and feel deep anger about his treatment. 

In news I somehow missed, Cory Doctorow reports that Disney reached agreement with Alan Dean Foster, and he has now been paid. Their exploitative shenanigans with regard to other creatives continue, but we should note what victories (and precedents) there are.

[Jim_Campbell]

In news I somehow missed, Cory Doctorow reports that Disney reached agreement with Alan Dean Foster, and he has now been paid. Their exploitative shenanigans with regard to other creatives continue, but we should note what victories (and precedents) there are.

This is good news, albeit in a limited and specific way, that I'd also missed. Thanks for the update, TB. Here's hoping Disney can be persuaded to drop their shitweasel tactics across the board... although I'm not holding my breath.

[von Boom]

Disney accountants have probably worked out a formula for x cases lost over y case won or deferred times the cost of lawyers per unit paid that makes them unlikely to stop trying to keep money from creators. Good news for ADF, but how many others aren't getting paid I wonder.

[radiator]

I think Star Wars works best when it's based on old western, samurai and WWII movies and riffing on fantasy tropes. Star Wars is kinda shite when it's based on Star Wars and riffing on EU geegaws.

This sums up how I feel perfectly, and it's a large part of why I don't rate Dave Filoni's work, despite most Star Wars fans thinking he's the second coming. Constantly coming back to the exact same set of characters and visual motifs and having storylines revolving around 'explaining' bits of lore or backstory that don't need explaining is exactly the opposite of what I want from Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Everything memorable from the original movies was memorable because it was fresh and creative. The AT-ATs from Empire Strikes Back were cool because they were a striking piece of visual design and unlike anything we'd seen on screen before, not because they were a nostalgic throwback to something we liked from a previous movie.

I can't think of a single memorable or iconic visual from the sequel trilogy that isn't a callback to the original trilogy.

[Funt Solo]

I (more often than not) make a similar type of argument myself: R2-D2 shouldn't have been in the prequels, the Kessel Run and the Clone Wars were better as elements of my vague imagination, and so on.

BUT - I really liked the episode of the Mandalorian featuring the Jawa's Land Crawler, despite the fact that it doesn't make any narrative sense that all Jawas drive the same kind of vehicle, regardless of their location (or even that Jawas are anywhere but Tatooine). It was just too much fun to dislike.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

...despite the fact that it doesn't make any narrative sense that all Jawas drive the same kind of vehicle, regardless of their location (or even that Jawas are anywhere but Tatooine)...

Things like this is why I think the Star Wars is a bit shallow. Whenever an alien appears on screen, whatever they're doing defines that entire species.

See that green, bug eyed bounty hunter that Han shot (first)? His entire species is just green, bug-eyed bounty hunters.

See that chubby blue anteater playing the space piano? All those chubby blue anteaters are musicians.

Hark at the obese slug crimelord! Somehow, despite the fact that they're all obese slugs, they're all dangerous crimelords.

Behold the six-eyed dish washer! All his kind wash dishes all the time! Who makes the crockery? How is there so much dirty delph to sustain the activities of an entire planet load of six-eyed dish-washing weirdos? Shut up and buy toys you nerds!

I sure someone has written an entire thesis about this on wookiepedia.

[Mardroid]

I think I've only seen one (maybe two) bounty Hunter rodians including Greedo*, but you make good points. (Although I'm pretty much enjoying all the Filoni and co stuff. I like some of the nostalgic stuff but I do hope they don't get stuck there also.)

Amusingly, it didn't click straight away that the episode with jawas and sandcrawler were actually on a desert planet that wasn't tatooine. In their case it doesn't really bother me that they all appear to be scavengers as it makes senses in their desert clan based society. Same with a lot of  hutts being crime lords, in a mafioso crime family sense, although it would be nice to see at least one individual in a different role.

While not a fully intelligent being, seeing a [spoiler]rancor in an endearing light was welcome[/spoiler] in the recent Bad Batch series. [spoiler]If it turns out to be that rancor from RotJ, though, I'd feel rather sorry for it. Never thought I'd say that about the rancor! Other canon material suggests it's another individual, but as that material is in books, it wouldn't be the first time that stuff is overwritten.[/spoiler]

I would like to see more different types of alien in future series. You do tend to see the same species reoccur - not a bad thing in itself, as it's not just the humans who are interstellar travellers - but new creatures to continue that sense of Star Wars alien wonder would be great. Frog lady from The Mandalorian and that huge weird creature who runs much of the crime on Correllia in Solo are steps in the right direction, but a lot more different things as background characters would be great.

* Is it bad that the possible pun in his name only just occurred to me?