Star Wars: The Mandalorian

[Shogunn2517]

Because... more Star Wars is never a bad thing:



ICYMI

Jon Favreau(Iron Man) has been developing the first live action Star Wars television series. Initial speculation started with the series setting, which was post Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It was then revealed the series will center around Mandalorians and/or their culture.  The latest news has now said that while Favreau is writing and producing the series, episodes will be directed by Alan Taylor(Game of Thrones) and Dave Filoni(The Clone Wars/Rebels). Also, set to star in the series as possibly the lead and "lone gunman" as described is Game of Thrones' and Narcos' Pedro Pascal.

No trailer as of yet.  They haven't started filming, but it is said to be released on Disney Play, Disney's streaming service in late 2019.

[Silver Shocker]

Sounds pretty cool. I would watch that.

[Shogunn2517]

Actually scratch that.  Lucasfilm and Favreau have released this pic:

Spoiler

[Silver Shocker]

I did see that, and that looks pretty sweet. 

[Silver Shocker]

So update on The Mandalorian: supposedly Taika Waititi is doing the voice of IG88. Can't say I'm thrilled about that. If Korg from Thor Ragnarok (or Ragnarok in general, really) is any indication, he's about to butcher IG88 like he butchered Korg.

Now in fairness, pretty much everything fleshing out IG88 is no longer canon, but that was also true for Thrawn, and Filoni and crew still made a concentrated effort to get Thrawn as accurate as possible (the Ysalimiri didn't make it in, but they got a visual cameo in the very first scene Thrawn's show in). IG88 was pretty much the Star Wars equivalent of Brainiac - indeed, Corey Burton did the voice of an IG88-style droid in the pilot of Clone Wars with largely the same voice - is he now going to be a laid back, jokey character? To be honest I thought Simon Pegg as Dengar in Clone Wars was a departure too - but this would be more of a departure.

But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. I've been before.

[Shogunn2517]

Yes, that would be unfortunate.

I gotta say I wasn't the biggest fan of T:R. It seemed so much of a departure from Thor story, IMO. So I don't know what supposed to be so special with Taika Waititi a single bit. And you're right. A Brainiac/Hal sort of characterization would be how I'd like to see IG-88. Waititi's kind of a weird choice. But I'm sure Celebration in a few weeks is going to bring us more information and gotta imagine a trailer as well.

I stay hopeful.

[Shogunn2517]

So Disney+ actually went live, not at 6:00am, but I actually booted it up, prepped my subscription package and see the UI. To my surprise, the first episode was loaded up and I clicked it to see if it was a preview or something, but it was the whole thing and I watched it.

It was amazing!

For the non-Star Wars fans, first of all, NO, that was NOT who you think it is!"  As I said, the show takes place in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi and it had a real old west, Sergio Leone vibe to it from the start. Entering a bar, turning heads, wind whipping and the bartender wiping down a counter. Overall, the show had it's comical parts, fitting with some of the cameos from famous comedians. Some obvious standouts were Werner Herzog, his voice and presence was nigh unsettling but just pulled you in more. Beyond that was Taika Waititi! Star Wars seriously has a strong debate in fan circles of who's your favorite droid and his was a strong entry to that match up! And of course what many cannot stop talking about is the ending! It was quite the surprise and just makes you want to see more. Not just see where the story goes, but to see more about this character!

Spoiler

Like I said, No, that was NOT who you think it is! I'm reading people thinking that the Mando is Boba Fett(or it was Boba Fett shown when he walked into their "lair". It wasn't. Also of course at the end, the baby was NOT Yoda. The show doesn't take place in the Republic, but the Empire. The baby is one of Yoda and Yaddle's species(same are calling her "Yoddle") and given that the only two members of the species we've seen in the entire saga are Force Sensitive, it is being rumored that the baby is Force Sensitive and the Empire is trying to capture Force Sensitive children. Also, of course the droid was IG-11, not the more famous from Empire Strikes Back IG-88. But not only was he just a flat out badboy, but his insistence in trying to self-destruct to destroy capture was hilarious! The scene that probably was the most intriguing was the Mandalorian Lair, with various Mandalorians in various armor and colors and one, the "Armoror" referring to "Foundlings", which the Mando said he was once one as well. Makes me wonder if this was something Mandalorians do, adopt outsiders like the Mando and Jango Fett and make them Mandalorians not by blood but by culture.

The Easter Eggs and hallmarks were plentiful! From the speeder flying akin to ANH.  Carbon Freezing bounties. The long-arm he has was the same one Boba Fett had in the Holiday Special. Several aliens not seen in a while, a Kubaz, Rodian, Quarren, Ugnaught, and THREE different races of Niktos. There was soooo much detail! Another detail many might have missed was when he was fying into the Guild's headquaters, in view you can see a Lancer-class ship, which is also the same one used by a character from Star Wars Rebels: Ketsu Onyo, who was a Mandalorian associated with Sabine Wren. Which is to say it's hard for me to imagine it is NOT her here.

Overall though, it's a great beginning to the series. A lot of action and intrigue and surprises. Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte's characters were good and quite memorable. Of course with new episodes scheduled to release on Friday, the next episode will come out in just a few days. Likely midnight EST instead of Netflix that waits for Midnight Pacific. Really eager to see where it takes us next!

[Silver Shocker]

Quite enjoyed it. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by Taika Watitti's IG-11. He was a lot better than I thought he'd be. I found him more HK-47 than Korg, the voice totally worked, and yes, the running gag with him was pretty funny.

Not surprised that there's some deep lore references here, considering Filoni's involvement.

Spoiler

We also had the Blurgg (aka the "big frog creature" as I like to call it), which I recognized from the Clone Wars, Rebels and Star Wars the Old Republic. Then there's the door man droid from Jabba's Palace, I got a kick out of that.

Not surprised to see there was a Clone Wars/Rebels reference in there, again, considering Filoni. Not only that, the bad uys hunting Force-sensitive children? That was a plot in the Clone Wars.

Looking forward to more.

[Shogunn2517]

Just finished the second episode and I'm still digging this show.  I mean, I knew I would, but to see the level of detail in the show STILL amazes me. I suppose that's part of my biggest disappointment so far is that we pretty much have two episodes, one of 40 minutes and this one with 30 minutes. The episodes are not just short, but far shorter than I expected. But what counteracts it all is, even though it's 30 minutes, there's no fluff. There's no commercials. No long and unnecessary opening sequence. It's just all show and it makes that 30 minutes seem so much more! And what they do with those 30 minutes makes not just fans happy but casual folks that don't watch the movies and pay attention to the books and games like I do.

Spoiler

This show use has used so many hallmarks from the Original Trilogy and Star Wars. The reusing of the Yoda-Species. Other familiar aliens. The cantina like scene.  Now Jawas. This episode almost felt like a spin-off of those first 20 minutes of Star Wars before we meet Luke.

But like I said, beyond just the familiar, what I'm MORE impressed with is the connection to the overall universe.  Like I actually cheered when I saw Ketsu's Onyo's Shadow Caster. Seeing an IG droid in action was a treat. The watching aliens play Sabacc in the background.  Mandalorians and besker. And in this episode, we see not just the background of stuff we knew or heard about in the OT, like Darth Vader warning about "No disintegrations" and Jawas being disgusting little creatures. They were rodent like and sloppy. But beyond that I recognized the vibro-weapons they used. Ugnaughts technology aptitude. The Mandalorian's armor and connection to weaponry. So much to make me want to look forward to what else they do and include! This show has been so much fun so far!

[Silver Shocker]

Yeah, still pretty good. Didn't even notice the second episode was shorter. That's probably a point in the show's favor.

Spoiler

Yes, seeing a disintegration was neat, as well as the vibroblade. But what amused me the most was that the Sandcrawler sequence reminded me of climbing one in Super Star Wars. Not sure if that's what they were going for, but it amused me regardless.

[Silver Shocker]

Wanted to say my thoughts on the last two episodes of the Mandalorian:

Chapter 4 reminded me a lot of The Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven, and I have to assume that was intentional. Feloni did a Seven Samurai homage in an episode of Clone Wars, so while it was a story I've seen before in Star Wars, it was pretty cool on its own merits.

Spoiler

It's also the episode that brings in Gina Carano, who I thought was quite good. She had a lot more dialogue in this than she did in Deadpool.

The Scoutwalker in this was effectively menacing, the only time I've seen a single Scout Walker be scary by itself outside of the video games where you had to fight one on foot. The red lights almost seemed like a homage to the Reliant from Wrath of Khan. It was a little big Rogue One, in that regard.

Props to Bryce Dallis Howard - I guess she can direct well.

Chapter 5...was different than Chapter 4...

Spoiler

Can't help but feel letdown by Ming-Na Wen's appearance in this. Way to waste your Agent May, Mandorian! She's only in 1 episode, only a handful of scenes, and doesn't kick nearly as much butt as Gina Carano did, and then she's gunned down by whover that other guy was supposed to be. I know this show's called "The Mandolorian" and it's got less than 10 episodes in its first season, but considering how much of fan favorite bada$$ Agent May is on Agents of Shield I was kinda expecting something more impressive.

On the other hand, this episode has some of the best fanservice in the entire show. We see the actual Mos Eisley Cantina, albeit with completely different people there - the EV droid there was a nice touch. Even had a female voice, in what I have to assume is a reference to EV-9D9's official status as a female.

We also did Pit Droids and Swoop Bikes, neat stuff.

[Shogunn2517]

Okay, I'm thinking a consensus is saying that Episode 5 was one of the weaker entries, but Episode 6.... phew! I really think I enjoyed every minute of it! Every second. I mean I typically have liked most of what I've seen and have been sold on it from the beginning, but in my opinion 6 was the best of the season!

Thoughts on Ep5

Spoiler

I liked it well enough. A lot of people say it was slower and a big name was "wasted", but as a fan, to see a return not just to tatooine, not just to Mos Eisley but to "Mos Eisley Cantina" was a VERY welcome sight. It was also fun to see and give characterization to Tusken Raiders as well. Pit Droids are always fun. So there were some definite takeaways. Outside of the boots at the end...

And on to Ep6

Spoiler

First of all, for the most part most of the series have been compared to the Western motif, not just because of the actions and theme, but IMO, the setting as well. Most episodes have been in small towns, farms or in desert enviornments. But this one... It was ALL in space. On board a space station and then a prison barge, so it was a departure from that sense. It started off as a take off of a heist-like story, but it gave me the real feel of a Roleplaying game. Different characters getting together for a mission/quest. A Twi'lek, a Devaronian(Clancy Brown is pretty dope in everything), a droid and Bill Burr  ). But getting on the barge and taking on the droids was a neat touch, but the part that really got me was Fukuyama's direction from there on was EPIC! The stand off with the pilot, Wingfield and Mando was intense and gripping. But from there, the betrayal and them getting the drop on Mando causing him to escape and then play hunter that was soooo fun! But when Mando takes Qin back to Ran and Ran's attempt to betray Mando but he has the drop on them and we see the X-Wings show up, piloted by the shows directors(nice touch) and to see some more familiar Star Wars tropes, was good to see. And of course, "the Child" was always adorable. I think Favereau is contractually obligated to do something disgustingly adorable every episode. But The Prisoner was just soo much fun!

And as a side note...

Spoiler

We have Greef Karga getting shot in a plate of Beskar. A well resourced Imperial who just happens to disappear during a city-wide shootout. A Rebel commando being befriended and a mysterious farm-woman that's a better shot than both her and Mando. A mysterious pair of boots showing up at a underworld assiassin's unmoving body. And now a team of mercenaries that betrayed Mando and were all kept alive?

There's NO. WAY. this characters are not going to be seen again. Too many loose ends. I'm expecting a big finish!

[daglob]

I'm kind of thinking Lone Wolf and Cub here...

[Silver Shocker]

^ Very easy comparison to think of. I thought of it myself. It's a formula that's worked many times before and it works here.

Spoiler

I think a big part of conceptualizing this series was someone involved said they needed something or someone cute that the younger audiences would latch onto (I suspect little kids would likely find the Mandalorian boring otherwise, but perhaps I'm not giving today's youth enough credit there). But I also think they knew the Mandalorian needed SOME kinda of heroic character trait if he was going to be our protagonist. I guess you can't make a Star Wars (in the realm of the shows and movies anyway) without a protagonist at least as heroic as a pre-New Hope Han Solo. All of the stuff outside the films and this show (the novels, comics, games) are full of stuff starring outright villains, but I guess here it might be too niche? I mean, I'd watch the heck out of a Darth Maul live action series, but I don't know if Disney would have any interest in making one.

Okay, I'm thinking a consensus is saying that Episode 5 was one of the weaker entries, but Episode 6.... phew! I really think I enjoyed every minute of it! Every second. I mean I typically have liked most of what I've seen and have been sold on it from the beginning, but in my opinion 6 was the best of the season!

Yeah, 5 was a bit of a let down for me, minus the fanservice. I got a kick of out of that, but I did hear someone somewhere there was too much of it. It reminds me of Rogue One, some people thought that film had too many cameos and winks and nods, and I've found the Mandalorian has tread similar territory the whole run. As I've said before, I'm a fan, so if they want to throw in some fanservice, I'm almost certain to enjoy it.

Thoroughly enjoyed 6. It reminded me a bit of the early spaceship raid levels of KOTOR mixed with Firefly mixed with some Clone Wars (then again, with Filoni involved, no big surprise there.)

Spoiler

One of my two favorites parts of that episode was listening to the Devaronian snarl and realizing it was Clancy Brown, aka the voice of Savage Oppress from the Clone Wars. I'd recognize that snarl anywhere (literally what I said). Appropriately, he also voiced a rival bounty hunter, Montross, in the video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (starring Jango Fett). Come to think of it, I don't know if I can think of a Clancy Brown role that sucked. Even when the material is below par (Hulk and the Agents of Smash), he's consistently reliable. Perfect example, Cowboys vs Aliens wasn't a great movie, but he was far and away my favorite part of it.

My other favorite part, was indeed, Filoni's cameo. That amused me. I've heard Matt Lanter (the voice of Anakin from Clone Wars) also has a cameo in the episode, but I didn't catch that one.

But when Mando takes Qin back to Ran and Ran's attempt to betray Mando but he has the drop on them and we see the X-Wings show up, piloted by the shows directors(nice touch) and to see some more familiar Star Wars tropes, was good to see. And of course, "the Child" was always adorable. I think Favereau is contractually obligated to do something disgustingly adorable every episode. But The Prisoner was just soo much fun!

Fun fact, I was 100% expecting Ran to just kill Qin right there, just to show him as a scumbag who wanted the pleasure of killing him himself. I guess the actual writers of the show are a lot more clever than I am, because the ending we got was a lot impressively "Star Wars."

I did find it bit strange that they were still piloting X-Wings and wearing flight suits that looked like they came right out of Episode IV. Maybe it's because I read some of the pre-Disney Expanded Universe novels, and those had new ships, but I kinda figured the New Republic (which got namedropped here) would have new ships and new uniforms. Then again, fans (myself included) have been confused about this "New Republic"/"Resistance" business since episode 7 came out, and that hasn't changed much since (haven't read the new books, so I'm purely going off the movies and tv shows)

And as a side note...

We have Greef Karga getting shot in a plate of Beskar. A well resourced Imperial who just happens to disappear during a city-wide shootout. A Rebel commando being befriended and a mysterious farm-woman that's a better shot than both her and Mando. A mysterious pair of boots showing up at a underworld assiassin's unmoving body. And now a team of mercenaries that betrayed Mando and were all kept alive?

There's NO. WAY. this characters are not going to be seen again. Too many loose ends. I'm expecting a big finish!

I'm sure you're right. A lot of people have made a big deal out of who it was with the boots (some say it was just Giancarlo Esposito's character, which I assumed it was) but the running crazy theory is The Fett is about to show up. Not sure I believe it but it would be interesting.

In any case, there's promotional material out there that hasn't happened in the show, depicting Gina Carano's character alongside IG-11, so I just assumed they'd both be back. Case in point, when Carano's character was show in the recap at the beginning of episode 6, I just assumed she was going to appear in the episode, since it's pretty much a safe bit in ANY show, that anything shown in the recap is going to be relevant to the plot of the episode you're about to watch.

Time will tell. In any case, I have spoken.

[Silver Shocker]

Heads up!

A report says Season 2 of The Mandalorian to feature Rosario Dawson as.......

ASHOKA TANO!!!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA........

[BentonGrey]

I suppose I'll finally get around to watching this over the lockdown, ha.

Personally, I'd prefer they avoid any connection to the Prequel stuff, but I don't have any particular feelings about that character.

[Shogunn2517]

I suppose I'll finally get around to watching this over the lockdown, ha.

Personally, I'd prefer they avoid any connection to the Prequel stuff, but I don't have any particular feelings about that character.

Well, that's the thing, Not that Disney have seem to pretend the prequels didn't exist. It took up until last year for them to even acknowledge The Clone Wars  and how good it is. As I am currently rewatching(to catch up with Season 7) Ahsoka was largely annoying at the beginning, but in the latter seasons to Rebels and book, she's gotten MUCH more interesting. I, for one am TOO excited! Word around the campfire is...

Spoiler

This would be a bit more than a cameo, but she'll likely be a plot device Din Djarinn to find out about The Child's "people", Forcer users like her, which will also lead to her own series.

But I'll believe it when I see it. Happy that she's on board though. Heard other rumors of other characters showing up as well. We'll see.

[Silver Shocker]

Indeed. Part of the legacy of the Clone Wars and Ahsoka herself is seeing steady improvement over time until you just remember the thing as being very good.

I've often tried to remember that when TCW came out it got scrutinized by many (myself included) for a few different reasons.

I've been getting into the SW rumor mill in the last few months due to how curious a product EpIX turned out to be, and one thing I've heard come up repeatedly is a new animated series (that may or may not be to Rebels what Rebels was to TCW). It's pretty much confirmed since there was a job listing a few months ago for a Lucasfilm/Star Wars 3D animated project and Dee Bradely Baker (voice of the clones) recently tweeted about a super secret project he's working on (for the record, as the official sub for Temura Morrison, he also got to voice Boba Fett in a video game or two)

^^ Benton: If Ahsoka's character in Mandalorian S2 is anything like the series as a whole, whether you're a fan of the character or not (or even familiar with her stories firsthand) properly won't be an issue since the other characters in the Mandolorian will likely be meeting her for the first time as well. That kind thing happened quite a bit in Rebels (or to give another example, the MCU films) so I imagine it will be fine.

Well, that's the thing, Not that Disney have seem to pretend the prequels didn't exist. It took up until last year for them to even acknowledge The Clone Wars  and how good it is. As I am currently rewatching(to catch up with Season 7) Ahsoka was largely annoying at the beginning, but in the latter seasons to Rebels and book, she's gotten MUCH more interesting. I, for one am TOO excited! Word around the campfire is...

Honestly, I think Disney just valued TCW as a "killer app" for their Disney+ streaming service, and one that could be produced and release very quickly at that (the first few episodes are almost entirely composed of the "story reels" from about 4-6 years ago with finished animation and about 1 new scene each).

Anyway, lest I forget, one other thing, Micheal Biehn (Kyle Reese from Terminator, Corporal Dwayne Hicks from Aliens) will appear in S2 as well. I can get behind that. Him being in this feels appropriate for a series that features Carl Weathers and Nick Nolte. I don't know why The Mandalorian of all things is turning into a Star Wars version of The Expendibles, but I can't deny it's cool.

[Silver Shocker]

So I had some friends over last tonight to celebrate my birthday (one friend got me the recent Jedi Fallen Order video game, which I'm quite pleased to have now - I've heard it's really good) And among other things, we talked some Star Wars (as often happens) and now I've got SW on the brain again big time. So time for a Star Wars roundup. And since most of it's related to the Mandalorian, it'll be here.

So between official announcements and rumors, the Mandalorian S2 is shaping up to triple down on the Clone Wars/Rebels content, to the degree that it may just become the "now Filoni's just showing off" show. It's like Crisis on Infinite Star Wars.

So double checking, Wikipedia lists all the characters as "official" with the sources being news outlets with Phantom Sources. So I'm treating the ones I've heard as rumors.

Oh, double checking, looks like I've missed a LOT: (this is now the "general Star Wars thread" now apparently)

-A new Starfighter game called Star Wars Squadrons just got announced. I grew up on the Rogue Squadron games (loved em) and I'm thrilled at the prospect of jumping in a SW cockpit in a good game again (The modern BF 2 campaign was forgettable, but the starfighter segments were a definite highlight.) I've not watched the trailer yet, but I've been informed that 1) it's been in development for two years now 2) It will feature a full campaign alternating between Rebel and Imperial (Yay) and 3) will feature (including in the trailer) Hera from Rebels, Wedge Antilles and stuff from The New Jedi Order storyline from the pre-Disney EU Whaaa?

-Director Sam Hargrave is directing an episode of the Mandalorian S2. He directed the Netflix exclusive action movie Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth as an armed forces guy who fights like John Wick. Pretty plotless movie with really good action, and because it came out in 2020 it supposedly got insanely good ratings and they're already talking sequels and spinoffs. I guess Hargrave is now a huge get now and I imagine he'll do a great Manalorian.

-Rogue One writer Garry Whitta wants Danny Trejo to be on the Mandalorian. I think he'd fit right in among the inspired cast of guest stars the show has.

I'm putting the unconfirmed ones under the cut. Proceed at your own discretion.

Spoiler

-Temura Morrison is returning to play Boba Fett, who apparently was the guy we saw at the end of that one episode. Apparently we'll see a bit of him in S2 and a LOT of him in S3. Supposedly we will in fact see more of Ming-Na Wen as Fennic Shand.
-Timophy Olyphant will be playing a character from the Aftermath series of novels who has gotten possession of Boba Fett's Mandalorian armor. Very, very interesting. The story back when the Fett movie was supposedly being made was that some dude was gonna kill Morrison's Fett and steal the armor, making Fett once again a mystery man. A lot of oldschool SW fans were apparently in favor of that idea, I personally despised it, being a fan of TCW and Boba's development in that. Almost wondering if that's finally going to happen (this show supposedly exists as a direct result of that movie never being made)
-Captain Rex from Clone Wars and Rebels will appear.
-Katee Sackhoff is playing former Mandalorian Death Watch member Bo-Katan in live action. How appropriate.

-Supposedly The Mandalorian will be spinning off a live action Star Wars "mini-universe" with Filoni at the helm. See, I can 100% believe that. The last three times I can recall seeing a big genre runaway hit like this they were called Iron Man, Arrow and John Wick.

Rebels sequel is apparently still happening, but also a TCW spinoff featuring Echo and the Bad Batch from the Final Season, along with Ahsoka and Rex. I should have known. I was thinking that last night, and for a while, that Disney would commission more Clone Wars based on how much S7 kicked a$$. I've long said for years (along with many online) that Filoni has proven himself time and time again to be The Chosen One.

Bad Batch was decent but was functionally made 6 years ago, just with minor scene changes and updated graphics, and has functionally nothing to do with the rest of the season, and series, storyline. The middle arc, well, I didn't hate and I liked enough of it, but literally everyone else I've heard comment on it hated it, and the final arc is a goshdarn masterpiece and the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. Yeah, if this is a real thing. I'm on board. Now give me the Boba Fett/Cad Bane team up arc, gosh darn it! Ooh, plot twist, Cad Bane's still alive and he's in The Mandalorian....or maybe Hondo shows up... Oh, and give me a sequel to "The Bombad Jedi" called "The Bombad Sith" where Jar Jar has to pretend to be a Sith Lord.

And lastly, brace yourselves....Supposedly the Kenobi series will feature a now more somber and depressed Jar Jar Binks.
I'm actually pretty much totally on board with this. Pretty much everyone seemed to agree that an Obi-Wan spinoff with Ewan was a good idea but the one question on everyone's mind would be why he would come out of his exile on Tatooine. I personally figured (and they may very well still do this) it would be very much like Star Trek: Picard, where he would help out several new characters the creators can build up. As for Mr. Binks, the new lore (the Aftermath novels) say he lived a poverty stricken life as a social pariah who made his living as a children's entertainer. Darth Jar Jar meme notwithstanding, noone's ever redeemed Binks in any meaningful way (he's one of the few things the two Clone Wars animated shows didn't improve on from the prequel films, at least IMO) and Ahmed Best seems like a really cool guy in real life (he was a very good sport about the Darth Jar Jar meme) and I actually kinda want him to play the character again in an official capacity now as a result (what I actually want is for EA to add Darth Jar Jar as a free update in the multiplayer of Battlefront II and get him to record new dialogue, but doesn't seem like it's happening anytime soon, even though they recently added the ability to play as BB-8 of all characters). The one thing that's been brought up, of course, is that, as well publicized online in the past year or so, Best suffered really serious depression in the wake of Jar Jar's critical thrashing so it's uncertain if he'd be comfortable playing a depressed Jar Jar. Time will tell I suppose.

[Shogunn2517]

 

I heard most of these and when I saw the headline of that last one I assumed it would be someone else so I never looked, but that gave me a good giggle.

BTW, hope you've gotten through Fallen Order it's pretty awesome.

Fun Fact, all the lightsabers you can build in the game are available for you to build at Galaxy's Edge. I made my lightsaber match the one I made in the game! It's an exact replica!(okay, not exact, exact still pretty cool though!)

[BentonGrey]

Hmm, if they made a straight update of X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, I'd buy the HECK out of that thing.

[Silver Shocker]

So Bad Batch got confirmed since my last post.

BTW, hope you've gotten through Fallen Order it's pretty awesome.

Haven't started it yet, I'm afraid. My backlog is truly outrageous. I'm probably going to read the prequel comic first.

How Long to Beat says 16-30 hours depending on whether you try to do all the extras. I could probably power through that. If I could beat KOTOR 2 I should be able to beat that.

Hmm, if they made a straight update of X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, I'd buy the HECK out of that thing.

Disney/EA/whoever have rereleased SOME classic Star Wars video games from the Lucasarts vault (most recently, Episode 1 Racer) so it's not outside the realm of possibility. They've been dragging their heels on a lot of them.

In any case, I can say the new game is actually more of space sim in the style of those games (I was never really ever able to get into those, sad to say. A little too complex for my style) and not the more arcadey, Star-Fox-esque style of Rogue Squadron. So you might actually like it.
In any case, you may be interested to know that after doing some quick research, I see that it is on Steam and Good Old Games and mods to upgrade the graphics exist if that's something you'd be interested in.

[BentonGrey]

So, Lady Grey and I finally watched the first episode.  It was good, though not great.  I'm definitely interested in the series.  It had good action, and I like the 'man-with-no-name' vibe of the titular character.  I'm looking forward to watching the rest, especially because I saw that:

Spoiler

Luke Skywalker himself cameos in a later episode!  I can't express how happy that makes me!  I would totally watch the HECK out of Mark Hamill just playing Luke, young or old, without the terrible setting of the new movies.

[Silver Shocker]

Oh Benton, sweet, innocent Benton....

I've been aching to gush about S2 of Mando, but sadly Shogun does not seem to be around, so I didn't bother. But this is certainly nice.
Congrats for taking the plunge! I hope you enjoy the journey. Mando is a truly great show, the most pirated show of 2020 and is the thing that made me learn to love Star Wars again, and S2....oh boy, you just wait....

S2 is by far the single best piece of new media I absorbed in 2020 (Crisis started in 2019, and even if it didn't, Mando was probably better?), a bright shining star in 2020, and one of the single most amazing pieces of fiction I've EVER had the pleasure of absorbing. It starts with "episodic", moves into "more fanservice" and eventually gets to "Did I just see what I think I saw?" By the end of it, it is just pure magic, a real crowd-pleaser and something that feels like it was dreamed up in the most delirious fever dream of SW fans the world over. One episode in particular is said to have brought grown men to tears.

And course, Baby Yoda, whose existence is no secret by now, is just pure love.

Spoiler

Hardly surprising that you've heard of Luke's truly surreal appearance (which I've been told has brought many late-comers into the fold), but hopefully when you eventually arrive at it, the journey will be worth it. Even without the metric galaxy full of fanservice in S2, the show would have still been solid if it was just about a bounty hunter and his precious little baby.

On the topic of characters from the CGI cartoons showing up later, rest assured that just as Mando meets up with all these various characters for the first time, you can too, and still feel like you experienced something meaningful.

I know you've said your peace about a continued lack of interest in all things prequel-related, but there's a great quote that I've wanted to share that always makes me think of you. It's from one of my favorite Youtube reviewers, Jeremy Jahns, and it's in no way meant as a insult, but an encouragement to, as Obi-Wan once said "Take a step into a larger world" or perhaps broaden your "certain point of view".:

"[...] and this next part's the most small-minded thing? I was like 'I don't want to. I don't want to watch anything that might validate or legitimize the prequels'. Like I said, I already said, small minded *&^%. That's a child's mindset, that's....why would you not watch something that might be good, in fear that it might be good, and so good, it might make something else feel better? Growth? I mean, age, am I right? That's the good thing about age."
~Jeremy Jahns, on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars, SWTCW - Final Season (My Thoughts)"

Oh and by the way, when you finish Mando S2....stay through the credits. Yes, we have the very first STAR WARS POST CREDIT SCENE! 

In any case, I genuinely hope you enjoy the show and all it's crazy twists and turns. It's a true gem and an inspired labor of love, and I genuinely can't wait to see the now confirmed "Mando-verse" that we all knew full well was going to launch out of this, because even though Disney has gone completely insane with the number of SW shows and movies they're putting out, this corner of it is looking AMAZING! 

Not to spoil too much in advance, but if everything transpires as us true Rebels have forseen, future developments should be watched with great interest, for they shall be a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one! DO IT!

You know a show's gotta be damn good if it's timeslot is going to be filled by WANDAVISION! 

[EDIT]: Oh, I totally forgot. One of the biggest things I enjoyed about Mando S2 was the reaction to it online. Watching reaction videos to two of the last few episodes of S2 online was absolutely magical. And the memes, oh my goodness the memes. I haven't had this much fun dropping into a subreddit every week since S6 of Legends of Tomorrow (which, if you don't get the reference; S6 of Legends was the "zero eff's given season" where they just did any old insane, comedic, high concept thing they felt like, to the point that Caty Lotz was hamming it up so much someone I watched it with asked me if she was drunk while they were filming) The memes for the show (particularly on the subreddit) were some of the funniest and most entertaining memes I've ever read and were arguably as enjoyable or more enjoyable than the show itself. I have any entire subfolder on my computer chock full of meme images for that one 8-episode season and most of them are only from two or three specific episodes.

They're all my perfect babies and I love them all and it's almost hard to pick a favorite. George saying "It's like poetry, so it rhymes". The show being a trojan horse to smuggle in other stuff. Baby Yoda's love of cookies. Cap understanding the references. People who don't get the references awkwardly sitting there on the couch with the people who do. Steve Carrell from the Office freaking out about what's about to happen. Anything involving that scene with Old Man Luke at the beginning of the Last Jedi where he throws the lightsaber away. But my favorite one in particular had to be "Hey Dave [Filoni], how much fanservice?" [Kylo Ren]: MOOOORE!!!

[BentonGrey]

Haha, that's a lot of enthusiasm, SS. 

So, we finished season 1 and are two episodes into season 2.  So far, I think my initial assessment is right on.  It's good but not great.  Of course, that means that, compared to everything after Return of the Jedi, it's freaking amazing.  I'm quite enjoying it, though the show needs an editor.  There's hardly an episode that goes by without a little moment or element that either doesn't make sense or just doesn't quite fit.  In general, though, it's quite good, and I am really liking the 'tour of the SW universe' vibe it's got.

On a minor note that I've really loved, apparently the show is drawing heavily from the Ralph McQuarrie concept art in general and the old Star Wars book, The Illustrated Star Wars Universe in particular.  The latter was one of my prized possessions when I was young.  I even got Mark Hamil to sign it when I saw him at Dragon Con years and years ago, despite the fact that it didn't really have anything to do with him.  The cool thing about it was that the book was an exploration, a deep dive, into the different locations, worlds, creatures, and customs of the Star Wars universe.  It was more Star Wars in a time when such a thing didn't really exist (would that that had stayed the case in terms of movies...).  Seeing those concepts brought to life in this loving and (mostly) expert fashion is really delightful.

As for the "larger world," I've been in it, and there's nothing there for me, thanks.  Pretty much everything about the universe of the prequels and the new films repulses me or simply leaves me cold.  The Prequels' take on the Jedi just felt so much less compelling and in line with the original films than did the stories that showed up in Tales of the Jedi and such.  The saga of the Clone Wars (though I'm sure the cartoon has its strengths) and the rise of the Empire were deeply disappointing after the tantalizing hints from the Thrawn Trilogy and the like of splintering Old Republic power and Clone-lords driven mad.  And of course, the new films giving me twisted, hollow shells of the stories and characters I loved while devaluing everything accomplished in the original movies left me with no desire to visit the setting they created.

The Star Wars universe that existed before the Prequels, with its limitless potential and its promise of fascinating stories and alluring histories just over the horizon was for me, warts and all, vastly superior to what we actually got.  I'll stick with the old stories and enjoy things like this that can fit in with them. 

[Silver Shocker]

Glad to hear you've found something in here to enjoy. I take no pleasure in telling you.....you should probably stop watching the show right here, at this specific episode.

On a minor note that I've really loved, apparently the show is drawing heavily from the Ralph McQuarrie concept art in general and the old Star Wars book, The Illustrated Star Wars Universe in particular.  The latter was one of my prized possessions when I was young.  I even got Mark Hamil to sign it when I saw him at Dragon Con years and years ago, despite the fact that it didn't really have anything to do with him.  The cool thing about it was that the book was an exploration, a deep dive, into the different locations, worlds, creatures, and customs of the Star Wars universe.  It was more Star Wars in a time when such a thing didn't really exist (would that that had stayed the case in terms of movies...).  Seeing those concepts brought to life in this loving and (mostly) expert fashion is really delightful.

This was a major element of The Clone Wars, and something I enjoyed a lot about it. They released extensive concept art online alongside the show and I collected it voraciously.

Pretty much everything about the universe of the prequels and the new films repulses me or simply leaves me cold.

If the prospect of Temura Morrison as Boba Fett or Hayden coming back to play Darth Vader is repulsive to you, you're done. There's little to nothing left for you unless you want to see that treat at the end of S2 or you're really into that adorable little baby. This journey we're all on is apparently not one you're able to join us on.

There's even a pretty notable something from Ep VII-IX in here. If that's a turn off, you're not going to like where this story is going.

Spoiler

Snoke is in this.

[BentonGrey]

repulses me or leaves me cold

I have varying levels of patience for new stuff.  Some I hate, some just doesn't interest me, ha.  

Well, that's all disappointing, but not terribly surprising.  It may get to a point where I can't stomach it, but so far I've been able to ignore that stuff, though every mention or reference seems discordant to me.  Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the show thus far.

[Silver Shocker]

repulses me or leaves me cold

I have varying levels of patience for new stuff.  Some I hate, some just doesn't interest me, ha.  

Well, that's all disappointing, but not terribly surprising.  It may get to a point where I can't stomach it, but so far I've been able to ignore that stuff, though every mention or reference seems discordant to me.  Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the show thus far.

"Apathy is death." Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

If prospects like Darth Maul as a crime boss, Anakin's apprentice meeting Anakin's son (or daughter), or the years long mysteries of the fates of Ezra Bridger or Jedi Padawan Bariss Offee, or, perhaps most aptly, whether the rightful ruler of Mandalore should be Bo-Katan or Sabine hold no appeal to you, your ability to enjoy the "Filoni-verse" will thin out considerably forward.

[BentonGrey]

That's a shame, but at least I got to see moisture farmers and Sandpeople hunt a Krayt Dragon together.

[Silver Shocker]

That was some epic business. That poor bantha. 

Though I'd like to take a moment to point out that for as great as the Krayt Dragon looked, the Pit Droids look NO BETTER than they did in the Phantom Menace in 1999! Those who say Mando possesses movie-level CGI are simply wrong.

I should also point out, in fairness, that the title character HIMSELF may be written out in a later season (rumor is Pedro Pascal is being extremely hard to work with, disliking the fact that you rarely see his face AND being upstaged by a puppet character who doesn't even talk) while the adorable little baby may be getting a reduced role going forward. This is (mostly) speculation on my part, but we may be one or two episodes away from the titular Mandalorian themselves being a character from The Clone Wars or Rebels.

Continuing to follow this "saga", with the views you've expressed, is like going into Infinity War and Endgame, but you only like, say, Black Panther and dislike literally everything else in the MCU, especially Ant-Man. The barrier/deterrent, if not inpenetratable, will nonetheless be significant.

On the other hand, if you are indeed a fan of the Timothy Zahn/Thrawn/Jorus C'Boath material.....outcome looks bright