I had never considered myself a big Star Wars fan. Of course, I knew about the series and knew how much people loved it. I knew about Jedi and Stormtroopers and the infamous Darth Vader line, “I am your father”, but I never felt like I needed to watch the entire series. That is, until I watched The Mandalorian. Now, I have seen almost every Star Wars movie there is, and I’ve dug deep into googling the lore, all because of this Disney+ show. Here are all the reasons why you should watch it:
You don’t need to be a hardcore Star Wars fan to watch it. I would know, I’m not one, and I definitely wasn’t when I started the show. Sure, it might be nice to watch the original trilogy to understand what happened before the show’s time period, but it’s not essential. The characters in The Mandalorian are essentially new to the universe, there’s no Skywalkers or Jedi, instead it’s solely focused on a bounty hunter as its main character, someone who hasn’t appeared in any other part of the franchise.
The characters are amazing. Mando, the bounty hunter, is an interesting, morally grey character. They follow their instincts and recognize when a job they are doing ultimately hurts people, which is partly how he ends up with the adorable baby Yoda (AKA, The Child). Not to spoil, but through Mando and The Child’s relationship, we see Mando take on a more caring, paternal side, which is an interesting clash against the bounty hunter lifestyle.
The music is phenomenal! The score for this show is amazing, it perfectly connects with the show and the drama happening. It’s one of the few shows where I find myself not skipping the intro or ending credits because I end up jamming out to the song. It sounds like a weird thing to add as an incentive to watch the show, but trust me, music can make or break a show.
The plot is super easy to follow! I feel like this is a very good thing to be attached to a show, especially one that is following a franchise that has been continuously successful for decades. Because you don’t need to have much prior knowledge of the Star Wars universe, the basis of the show is easy to follow. Each episode, which lasts from 30 to 45 minutes, can feel like its own little story, but it all pairs nicely with the overall plot: Protect the Child. The action is exciting, with more blasters than lightsabers, so it has a more western feel to it rather than completely sci-fi.
Last, but certainly not least: Baby Yoda. Okay, so you’ve more than likely heard about Baby Yoda before. It is no wonder he’s turned into such a Star Wars phenomenon, he’s just so darn cute! You’d think seeing a little green alien baby would be off putting, but there’s just something so interesting to The Child that you find yourself interested in watching it. Not to mention, he’s powerful in a way that Mando has never seen before. What is his species? Why is he so important to the evil guys? Is there really a connection to the famous Yoda? Plus, there’s so many baby cooing sounds that I find myself awing all the time.
I hope you decide to watch The Mandalorian on Disney+. The second season is in the middle of airing and new episodes come out every Friday!