Review: ‘The Mandalorian’ is a new beginning to Star Wars

Ever since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, Disney’s version of “Star Wars” has accumulated severe amounts of backlash. However, the tides have changed with the recent release of the first live-action Star Wars television show: “The Mandalorian.”

With season one just finished and season two set to release on Disney+ in fall of 2020, “The Mandalorian” brings out a new side of Star Wars that is saturated with new lore, new characters, and new storylines.

Cara Dune, Mando, and Greef Karga star in “The Mandalorian.” (Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Spoilers ahead!

The recent outbreak of baby Yoda on the internet has risen to new heights as of lately. But Baby Yoda isn’t just a cute face. This character is mysterious and intriguing, and arguably the best part about this show. Up until “The Mandalorian,” fans haven’t seen creatures of Yoda’s species except for a small appearance of Yaddle in ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’ and Yoda himself. But Baby Yoda (who isn’t actually Yoda, just a child of the same species) brings new questions to what exactly this species is.

He is unusually strong in the Force and has engaged in various powers from Force healing to Force choking. While season one didn’t reveal anything about the child’s past and the history behind his species, it was implied that more about Baby Yoda will be revealed in the next seasons. It’ll be exciting to discover the answers to our questions about Baby Yoda in future episodes.

The Child is a popular character in “The Mandalorian.” (Lucasfilm Ltd.)

The Mandalorian himself is also spectacular. Played by Pedro Pascal, he has been dubbed with the nickname “Mando” and lives as a bounty hunter. The audience never sees his face or learn his true name until the very last episode of season one, making his identity a mystery. His flashbacks, sprinkled sparsely throughout the first season, are also extremely interesting.

Viewers were able to use these snippets of Mando’s past to piece together what happened to him. We learn that Mando is not actually from the planet of Mandalore, but that he is a Foundling (taken in by the Mandalorians and raised as one).

Intense Star Wars fans may have also noticed that the people who rescued Mando as a child were actually Death Watch, a terrorist group of Mandalorians shown in the animated show “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

While Death Watch was portrayed to be villainous in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “The Mandalorian” paints a different story. The Mandalorians view the Jedi as enemies, and it’s an intriguing perspective on our heroes of the main movies.

“Mando” is played by Pedro Pascal In “The Mandalorian.” (Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Season one closes off with a shot of Moff Gideon wielding the infamous Darksaber, escaping from the ruins of his TIE fighter. The Darksaber has been previously shown on the shows “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels,” and fans are wondering how the Darksaber ended up in the hands of Moff Gideon.

Hopefully, we will get the answers to our questions in season two and possibly even see Mando himself wield the Darksaber. The possibilities for future storylines are endless, and the coming times for Star Wars fans like myself looks bright.

Pre Vizsla wielding the Darksaber in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” (Lucasfilm Ltd.)

“The Mandalorian” season two will be released on Disney+ in fall 2020.