The Mandalorian - Chapter Twenty Two - Guns for Hire
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ctg
weaver of the unseen
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First thing, I could have written this yesterday, but the little voice said, wait for an extra day to see the real score. I wasn't disappointed. I somehow knew it was going to be a low one. After skimming a couple of reviews, I think something isn't going right in Jon's play. In fact, this season has been all over the place and I really don't think it has been worth the extra wait we had to endure between the seasons, even if we got Mando 2.5 in the Book of Boba Fett.
Let's see how this unfolds...
I know I've written previously about the Mandalorian honour, and kept quiet about the lust for money, even though it's big part of their warrior culture; ie being guns-for-hire without the honorary bit.
Some of you might look at it that they've become mercs in the aftermath of the Purge, but honestly that's how the lore has depicted them over the years. Unlike ST Klingons Mando's got hired to do dirty work because they are so damn effective in what they do. You can see that they were able to take over the Imperial Star Destroyer and use it for effing chase-and-grab mission for the advantage.
Just like they did back in the day when they were in war with the Jedi. And that was another money job, not something idealistic that they needed or wanted to do.
If you look at them with cold eyes all that pragmatism, being honorary and noble just melts away because of their acceptance of jobs and using assets that are way bigger then the scope of the said. In this case, bringing back the prince to the Mon Kalamari dad after he did do a runner.
I have to say it's not an ideal opening for a glorious adventure of getting back Mando's under one banner and rule. Maybe the reason is that we don't want to really see their dark side, because we know the lust for bling can lead to very bad things...
Mum on chops and Dad running the COM job, what a nice family trip. Except for her, this was a duty, not something she'd been paid to do. The gathering of former Imperial assets speaks about the same thing, the idealism behind the throne of the Mandalore. Not something you get paid to do and I don't even think she's in the Armourer's payroll.
She's doing the gathering job because the Mandalore needs that as much as she needs to show that Bo is the Queen. Din might not think that he's a king material, but to be honest, there are a number of occasions where the upcoming king didn't think he or she was going to be the one.
I laughed when the planetary system took a control over Bo's vessels and she was not able to do anything. Although I suppose she could have tried fighting the control, but it wasn't a battle that they were willing to take because it was not the mission.
As a side note, taking over an independent vessel with another system and forcing the control is an information security issue that steps majorly over the individual privacy and one's free will. And it is something that the Imperium would have forced upon its citizens, except we have never seen it in the Coruscant. Not before the New Republic took over...
Jack Black as Captain Bombardier and Lizzo as the Dutchess. I hated their party scene, because it was voicing the corruption straight from the beginning, more so then them showing Din the problem in the regards of the scores of the former battle-droids is making a problem for the pacifistic culture.
The ideal pacifists would have found a way to solve the problem peacefully, while Mando's simply would have done the job the other way. After Din accepted the job, Bo was first to ask, "Why not turn them off?"
Christopher Loyd's answer was a delightful explanation of the 'true democracy' gone wrong. The citizens had voted for the high lifestyle on the account of the droids doing all the work, and they had nothing but an old, venerable man on trying to maintain the automaton fleet without fixing it ever.
It is another infosec issue that's wrong with this star system.
An interesting note here is that Bo request to speak with Ugnaughts went nowhere before Din used his kingly voice and requested to talk about the issue in hand according to their cultural ways. If you look closely, Bo had to put on her queenie face, even though she was surprised by his majestic presence.
She had to keep it that way, overly acting, until they were in the local pneumatic travelling system alone, before she could pop the question, "What was that?"
Din's answer was kingly explanation in the cultural ways.
I loved seeing droid foreman, even if it didn't said roger, roger at any point. But it also kind of confessed that none of the droid legion assests had been gone through a serious rewrite. It was that all the former battle-droids were under a new protocol, with their core programming still intact behind the covers.
Finish the joke, "Two Mando's walked into a droid bar..." Also, what is the classical BSG 'I am in your command' battle droid is doing there?
Well it looked like one in this angle, but as soon as it turned around it became a protocol droid. It was the bartender that explained the issue, and it even admitted that a lot of them had not gone through the reprogramming. Instead, they were an Ai collective under the utopistic democracy that without voicing their issue on being lifeforms instead of machines.
This is the same issue that the Bad Patch is going through in the Imperial Era where the Emperor's administration couldn't allow the Clone War veterans to have a voice ... or a life.
At the back room, the bartender explained the hack through a reprogramming fluid that the droid collective uses the liquid to 'refresh and lubricate' themselves. And on the side they get access to little extra.
The bread grumps lead back to Mr Loyd's administrator, where he confessed to being a loyalist to the Count Dooku and therefore to the former Separatist's faction. Even if he tried to deny it before Bo took Din's pragmatic line, and putting him done in the middle of the speech.
Interestingly, she also showed again being a princess in her expiation for shooting first as her disinterest in the 'politics.' As a princess she accepted the price, and even smiled at Grogu receiving an honorary knighthood, but back in the tube, she showed again her disinterest in the said politics.
Mando fleet. That is a serious collection of hardware. And something the First Order is going to have an issue with once the Mandos reappear in their system for the takeover business.
The problem Bo had was with Axe not recognizing her authority, the problem with her politics on her not wanting to be a leader. She had no voice to say, "I've come to reclaim my fleet," with the real authority behind it. So she was forced to challenge Axe as their leader.
It was only after the duel when she tried to use the Queen side of her, without using her balls, for allowing Axe to interrupt her speech and mocking the zealot. It winded her up so much that she had to put it that Din was true to his Creed and as much Mandalorian, if not more, than they once were.
Once is the keyword, because Axe's lot isn't really Mando's in my eyes, just guns for hire and therefore not far from the pirates in the last episode. Then the cultural issue came up and it was up for Din to explain Axe's lot the incident in the Mines of Mandalore, and therefore Bo being the owner of the Dark Sabre.
What he did was a majestic gesture, making him the King, even if Bo doesn't want to accept her role as the Queen of the Mandalore. I guess we all hate our jobs. No matter how cool they look in the eyes of the outsiders.
Let's see how this unfolds...
I know I've written previously about the Mandalorian honour, and kept quiet about the lust for money, even though it's big part of their warrior culture; ie being guns-for-hire without the honorary bit.
Some of you might look at it that they've become mercs in the aftermath of the Purge, but honestly that's how the lore has depicted them over the years. Unlike ST Klingons Mando's got hired to do dirty work because they are so damn effective in what they do. You can see that they were able to take over the Imperial Star Destroyer and use it for effing chase-and-grab mission for the advantage.
Just like they did back in the day when they were in war with the Jedi. And that was another money job, not something idealistic that they needed or wanted to do.
If you look at them with cold eyes all that pragmatism, being honorary and noble just melts away because of their acceptance of jobs and using assets that are way bigger then the scope of the said. In this case, bringing back the prince to the Mon Kalamari dad after he did do a runner.
I have to say it's not an ideal opening for a glorious adventure of getting back Mando's under one banner and rule. Maybe the reason is that we don't want to really see their dark side, because we know the lust for bling can lead to very bad things...
Mum on chops and Dad running the COM job, what a nice family trip. Except for her, this was a duty, not something she'd been paid to do. The gathering of former Imperial assets speaks about the same thing, the idealism behind the throne of the Mandalore. Not something you get paid to do and I don't even think she's in the Armourer's payroll.
She's doing the gathering job because the Mandalore needs that as much as she needs to show that Bo is the Queen. Din might not think that he's a king material, but to be honest, there are a number of occasions where the upcoming king didn't think he or she was going to be the one.
I laughed when the planetary system took a control over Bo's vessels and she was not able to do anything. Although I suppose she could have tried fighting the control, but it wasn't a battle that they were willing to take because it was not the mission.
As a side note, taking over an independent vessel with another system and forcing the control is an information security issue that steps majorly over the individual privacy and one's free will. And it is something that the Imperium would have forced upon its citizens, except we have never seen it in the Coruscant. Not before the New Republic took over...
Jack Black as Captain Bombardier and Lizzo as the Dutchess. I hated their party scene, because it was voicing the corruption straight from the beginning, more so then them showing Din the problem in the regards of the scores of the former battle-droids is making a problem for the pacifistic culture.
The ideal pacifists would have found a way to solve the problem peacefully, while Mando's simply would have done the job the other way. After Din accepted the job, Bo was first to ask, "Why not turn them off?"
Christopher Loyd's answer was a delightful explanation of the 'true democracy' gone wrong. The citizens had voted for the high lifestyle on the account of the droids doing all the work, and they had nothing but an old, venerable man on trying to maintain the automaton fleet without fixing it ever.
It is another infosec issue that's wrong with this star system.
An interesting note here is that Bo request to speak with Ugnaughts went nowhere before Din used his kingly voice and requested to talk about the issue in hand according to their cultural ways. If you look closely, Bo had to put on her queenie face, even though she was surprised by his majestic presence.
She had to keep it that way, overly acting, until they were in the local pneumatic travelling system alone, before she could pop the question, "What was that?"
Din's answer was kingly explanation in the cultural ways.
I loved seeing droid foreman, even if it didn't said roger, roger at any point. But it also kind of confessed that none of the droid legion assests had been gone through a serious rewrite. It was that all the former battle-droids were under a new protocol, with their core programming still intact behind the covers.
Finish the joke, "Two Mando's walked into a droid bar..." Also, what is the classical BSG 'I am in your command' battle droid is doing there?
Well it looked like one in this angle, but as soon as it turned around it became a protocol droid. It was the bartender that explained the issue, and it even admitted that a lot of them had not gone through the reprogramming. Instead, they were an Ai collective under the utopistic democracy that without voicing their issue on being lifeforms instead of machines.
This is the same issue that the Bad Patch is going through in the Imperial Era where the Emperor's administration couldn't allow the Clone War veterans to have a voice ... or a life.
At the back room, the bartender explained the hack through a reprogramming fluid that the droid collective uses the liquid to 'refresh and lubricate' themselves. And on the side they get access to little extra.
The bread grumps lead back to Mr Loyd's administrator, where he confessed to being a loyalist to the Count Dooku and therefore to the former Separatist's faction. Even if he tried to deny it before Bo took Din's pragmatic line, and putting him done in the middle of the speech.
Interestingly, she also showed again being a princess in her expiation for shooting first as her disinterest in the 'politics.' As a princess she accepted the price, and even smiled at Grogu receiving an honorary knighthood, but back in the tube, she showed again her disinterest in the said politics.
Mando fleet. That is a serious collection of hardware. And something the First Order is going to have an issue with once the Mandos reappear in their system for the takeover business.
The problem Bo had was with Axe not recognizing her authority, the problem with her politics on her not wanting to be a leader. She had no voice to say, "I've come to reclaim my fleet," with the real authority behind it. So she was forced to challenge Axe as their leader.
It was only after the duel when she tried to use the Queen side of her, without using her balls, for allowing Axe to interrupt her speech and mocking the zealot. It winded her up so much that she had to put it that Din was true to his Creed and as much Mandalorian, if not more, than they once were.
Once is the keyword, because Axe's lot isn't really Mando's in my eyes, just guns for hire and therefore not far from the pirates in the last episode. Then the cultural issue came up and it was up for Din to explain Axe's lot the incident in the Mines of Mandalore, and therefore Bo being the owner of the Dark Sabre.
What he did was a majestic gesture, making him the King, even if Bo doesn't want to accept her role as the Queen of the Mandalore. I guess we all hate our jobs. No matter how cool they look in the eyes of the outsiders.
I’ll be watching it again tonight but I thought last night’s episode was appalling. Lizzo, Jack Black and Christopher Lloyd have no place in the SW universe. They’re all too world-breaking. I say that as a fan of them but I’m SW? Nawp.
The B2 battle droid movement was far too slick and anthropomorphically correct (if they can run like that why do they always lumber through the prequel era?).
Hopefully I’ll enjoy it more on the second watch but it felt decidedly Farscape-y (which I love, but…)
I might have to watch the Andor mi-series to wash the goofiness of Mando in a bando from my mind.
The B2 battle droid movement was far too slick and anthropomorphically correct (if they can run like that why do they always lumber through the prequel era?).
Hopefully I’ll enjoy it more on the second watch but it felt decidedly Farscape-y (which I love, but…)
I might have to watch the Andor mi-series to wash the goofiness of Mando in a bando from my mind.
The Crawling Chaos
Well-Known Member
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- May 26, 2014
- Messages
- 434
Back in the 1990s and early 2000s it was customary for popular and well established TV shows to have the odd episode each season in which the writers, producers, directors and actors let their hair down and created a 'goofball' episode taking the mickey out of the very concept of their own show. It was a great way for everyone to just relax a bit, break the occasional fourth wall and tell the audience "It's okay, folks. Let's not take this too seriously." with a kind wink.
Here's the thing though. Back in 1990s and early 2000s most shows had 20-25 episodes per season with an average running time of 45 minutes to an hour per episode. And so there were always the 20 or so other episodes in that season to give the audience what they really wanted and carry the momentum of the show forward. So indeed, it was okay to show Mulder and Scully investigate the surreal murder of a fortune teller surrounded by supporting actors chewing the scenery as if it was Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory, because it was sandwiched between two layers of 10 episodes showing Mulder and Scully investigating dreadful worm-monsters and hidden UFOs.
The Mandalorian has 8 episodes per season. EIGHT. Average runtime 30 to 40 minutes.
We're six episodes in and there is still not an ounce of overarching plot in sight. The main characters, Din Djarin and Grogu, are asleep at the wheel. They just follow other characters around, aimlessly, wandering through every scene and probably asking themselves why they were invited to what is clearly not their party...
And now we're given this? A cheesy, trying-too-hard-to-be-funny parody of police procedurals centered around rogue Battle Droids on an inconsequential world, and complete with a droid beer joint and a droid morgue. With so many cameos you're spending more time identifying supporting roles than actually listening to what they're saying (badly).
What was Jon Favreau thinking? I get it, we were supposed to laugh at Jack Black and Lizzo's scenery-chomping royals. At Christopher Lloyd being scooby-dooed out of his evil scheme. At a coroner pulling a morgue drawer to reveal the corpse of... a Super Battle Droid. And we were supposed to go "oooh" and "aaaaw" when Grogu was knighted, knighted (get it? He won't become a Jedi Knight, but he can still be a non-Jedi knight.) by Lady whatever-her-name-was for his... cuteness? But I don't feel like laughing right now because this season has given us nothing. Nothing. If it's time for laughter, then it can only be to laugh at the show, not with it.
This detour via Plazir's nonetheless beautifully designed scenery is absolutely useless to the show, you could cut out the entire thing, just show Din and Bo arriving on Plazir, landing by the other Mandalorian ships... and everything would be the exact same. The 'Droid investigation' has taught us nothing about the characters, hasn't furthered the plot, hasn't triggered any change in our protagonists. This is Storytelling 101 stuff.
It's not that I disliked the episode, it's the context in which it's delivered that irks me. There is such a thing as silly fun and entertainment. Sam Raimi's movies are "silly fun". But they're silly fun written competently. With plot and characters moving in unison. Foreshadowing, leads and big pay-offs. Plus, Star Wars is not just silly escapism, it never was. Nor was it ever just a kiddy's film. Unless you want to tell me that Anakin's downfall leading to his being turned into the Venus de Milo by his teacher before burning to a crisp on Mustafar was just a silly little scene in a silly kid's movie that also features multiple child murders and dismemberments against the backdrop of an entire civilization selling itself out to the tyranny of a despot.
Anyway... It's not all bad. Bryce Dallas Howard is pretty good at directing Mandalorians walking around sets. The atmosphere and premice of the episode could have worked as a refreshing break from the main plot... if we weren't starved of one! This is the sixth episode out of eight and we still don't have an established villain, all the possible threads (remember that doctor who got his mind wiped on Coruscant?) that could lead to interesting new developments have so far led nowhere, when they weren't simply nipped in the bud by the writing team (Jon Favreau and Jon Favreau and Jon Favreau).
The Dark Saber returning to Bo-Katan this way is the greatest cop out in the history of Star Wars television. "Oh, yeah, remember that thing she did four episodes ago? Well actually that was enough for her to claim the saber again." No, it isn't. You've just destroyed, nullified the main source of tension between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan, arguably the only real source of conflict in the plot this season... The plot has made it clear several times: The Dark saber only changes hands after its owner is challenged by a competitor. Challenged. Like Bo-Katan challenged Axe Woves in this episode. This is how Mandalorians pick their leader. A one-on-one brutal fight. No backstabbing, no leaning down to pick up the Dark saber after it has fallen out of its owner's pocket.
Ever since the conclusion of Season 2 two years ago people have been wondering when Bo-Katan would make her move against Din to reclaim her saber. In every scene they shared in season 3, the shadow of the Dark saber loomed near and large: Was she biding her time? When would she challenge him? And as their relationship progressed and they were shown surviving trials together, becoming allies, then friends maybe, and maybe soon something more, you couldn't help but wonder if she could ever bring herself to try something against him now.
But instead of capitalizing on this free source of tension adding an ominous layer of menace and distrust to their every scene in spite of their budding camaraderie and mutual respect... No. She can just "have the saber back". Zero pay off. Because four episodes ago, she just happened to rescue Din from a droid who ambushed him in a cave.
To me it's now an either/or situation: Either Jon Favreau is the most incompetent writer on the face of the planet OR the producers somehow got his hands tied into doing things their way to the point where he went "f-this, I'm scuttling the ship." Remember when The Book of Boba Fett spent an entire episode showing us that Din couldn't control the Dark saber properly and hinted that he would learn to as he progressed in his personal journey? Well, nope. In season 2 he had offered to give it back, so in Season 3 he's just going to give it back.
I mean, are the writers watching their own show?
No matter how great the last two episodes are, and I hope they are at least extraordinary, I think it's already time to cross out The Mandalorian Season 3, let it sink into the deep grave it has dug for itself, and hope for a soft reboot in Season 4 that will make it all okay again.
This rant has gone on long enough.
In and of itself this Chapter 22 could have been a nice little Elseworld tale, a window into a different facet of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. And some of its humor worked (like the main characters' entrance into the droid bar). But coming hot on the heels of the abysmal lows of Episodes 1 through 5 of Season 3, it's probably the worst episode of the entire series so far, the final beskar nail in its coffin.
I have spoken.
Here's the thing though. Back in 1990s and early 2000s most shows had 20-25 episodes per season with an average running time of 45 minutes to an hour per episode. And so there were always the 20 or so other episodes in that season to give the audience what they really wanted and carry the momentum of the show forward. So indeed, it was okay to show Mulder and Scully investigate the surreal murder of a fortune teller surrounded by supporting actors chewing the scenery as if it was Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory, because it was sandwiched between two layers of 10 episodes showing Mulder and Scully investigating dreadful worm-monsters and hidden UFOs.
The Mandalorian has 8 episodes per season. EIGHT. Average runtime 30 to 40 minutes.
We're six episodes in and there is still not an ounce of overarching plot in sight. The main characters, Din Djarin and Grogu, are asleep at the wheel. They just follow other characters around, aimlessly, wandering through every scene and probably asking themselves why they were invited to what is clearly not their party...
And now we're given this? A cheesy, trying-too-hard-to-be-funny parody of police procedurals centered around rogue Battle Droids on an inconsequential world, and complete with a droid beer joint and a droid morgue. With so many cameos you're spending more time identifying supporting roles than actually listening to what they're saying (badly).
What was Jon Favreau thinking? I get it, we were supposed to laugh at Jack Black and Lizzo's scenery-chomping royals. At Christopher Lloyd being scooby-dooed out of his evil scheme. At a coroner pulling a morgue drawer to reveal the corpse of... a Super Battle Droid. And we were supposed to go "oooh" and "aaaaw" when Grogu was knighted, knighted (get it? He won't become a Jedi Knight, but he can still be a non-Jedi knight.) by Lady whatever-her-name-was for his... cuteness? But I don't feel like laughing right now because this season has given us nothing. Nothing. If it's time for laughter, then it can only be to laugh at the show, not with it.
This detour via Plazir's nonetheless beautifully designed scenery is absolutely useless to the show, you could cut out the entire thing, just show Din and Bo arriving on Plazir, landing by the other Mandalorian ships... and everything would be the exact same. The 'Droid investigation' has taught us nothing about the characters, hasn't furthered the plot, hasn't triggered any change in our protagonists. This is Storytelling 101 stuff.
It's not that I disliked the episode, it's the context in which it's delivered that irks me. There is such a thing as silly fun and entertainment. Sam Raimi's movies are "silly fun". But they're silly fun written competently. With plot and characters moving in unison. Foreshadowing, leads and big pay-offs. Plus, Star Wars is not just silly escapism, it never was. Nor was it ever just a kiddy's film. Unless you want to tell me that Anakin's downfall leading to his being turned into the Venus de Milo by his teacher before burning to a crisp on Mustafar was just a silly little scene in a silly kid's movie that also features multiple child murders and dismemberments against the backdrop of an entire civilization selling itself out to the tyranny of a despot.
Anyway... It's not all bad. Bryce Dallas Howard is pretty good at directing Mandalorians walking around sets. The atmosphere and premice of the episode could have worked as a refreshing break from the main plot... if we weren't starved of one! This is the sixth episode out of eight and we still don't have an established villain, all the possible threads (remember that doctor who got his mind wiped on Coruscant?) that could lead to interesting new developments have so far led nowhere, when they weren't simply nipped in the bud by the writing team (Jon Favreau and Jon Favreau and Jon Favreau).
The Dark Saber returning to Bo-Katan this way is the greatest cop out in the history of Star Wars television. "Oh, yeah, remember that thing she did four episodes ago? Well actually that was enough for her to claim the saber again." No, it isn't. You've just destroyed, nullified the main source of tension between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan, arguably the only real source of conflict in the plot this season... The plot has made it clear several times: The Dark saber only changes hands after its owner is challenged by a competitor. Challenged. Like Bo-Katan challenged Axe Woves in this episode. This is how Mandalorians pick their leader. A one-on-one brutal fight. No backstabbing, no leaning down to pick up the Dark saber after it has fallen out of its owner's pocket.
Ever since the conclusion of Season 2 two years ago people have been wondering when Bo-Katan would make her move against Din to reclaim her saber. In every scene they shared in season 3, the shadow of the Dark saber loomed near and large: Was she biding her time? When would she challenge him? And as their relationship progressed and they were shown surviving trials together, becoming allies, then friends maybe, and maybe soon something more, you couldn't help but wonder if she could ever bring herself to try something against him now.
But instead of capitalizing on this free source of tension adding an ominous layer of menace and distrust to their every scene in spite of their budding camaraderie and mutual respect... No. She can just "have the saber back". Zero pay off. Because four episodes ago, she just happened to rescue Din from a droid who ambushed him in a cave.
To me it's now an either/or situation: Either Jon Favreau is the most incompetent writer on the face of the planet OR the producers somehow got his hands tied into doing things their way to the point where he went "f-this, I'm scuttling the ship." Remember when The Book of Boba Fett spent an entire episode showing us that Din couldn't control the Dark saber properly and hinted that he would learn to as he progressed in his personal journey? Well, nope. In season 2 he had offered to give it back, so in Season 3 he's just going to give it back.
I mean, are the writers watching their own show?
No matter how great the last two episodes are, and I hope they are at least extraordinary, I think it's already time to cross out The Mandalorian Season 3, let it sink into the deep grave it has dug for itself, and hope for a soft reboot in Season 4 that will make it all okay again.
This rant has gone on long enough.
In and of itself this Chapter 22 could have been a nice little Elseworld tale, a window into a different facet of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. And some of its humor worked (like the main characters' entrance into the droid bar). But coming hot on the heels of the abysmal lows of Episodes 1 through 5 of Season 3, it's probably the worst episode of the entire series so far, the final beskar nail in its coffin.
I have spoken.
Last edited:
ctg
weaver of the unseen
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- Aug 21, 2007
- Messages
- 9,829
Well, you most certainly have spoken with many words more than Ugnaughts could ever produce in a single speech. One thing is noticeable, the animated series are much higher class than most live version stuff that they have put out. Even though you'd as an adult believe that the live-action would be reserved for the mature audience.
This episode suffers from the same stuff that BoBF suffered. It is just too silly to believe anything, but then you have to remember that this is fantasy according to the Mickey Mouse House. It is not even dark fantasy, although some of the stuff that they've presented is most certainly teetering on the edge.
What we probably don't get is the Hollywood influence with its many stars. A lot of them has appeared in the past in the Disney productions, but in the context of their episode they were the biggest flaw. Then there is the plot that even though in the serialized form haven't really formed since Mando 2.5 which was more solid than this season, even if they were guest stars in the other show.
If you compare this show plot to the House of Dragon, the Mandalorian one feels like a child's play, and therefore the episodes shouldn't deserve the high score but much lower one. One which this series deserves because it's failing its audience. There just have been too many red herrings in this season than solid threads that develops to a coherent plot with clear antagonists.
I think Jon needs an editor that gives him bollocking when the script lacks coherency and drive. The audience wants to see the return of Mandalore to its former glory, possibly with the First Order being shown a rising rival to their power.
The Crawling Chaos
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- May 26, 2014
- Messages
- 434
Not "reserved for a mature audience", but not reserved for children either. To me Star Wars is for the entire family, everyone from the 8-y-o to the 90-y-o grandmother should be able to get some decent entertainment out of it. So no nightmare-inducing stuff, sure. But if the adults have to completely shut down their brains and critical thinking, it doesn't work either.
Let's not forget that the animated SW shows like Clone Wars are rated 6+, while The Mandalorian is 14+. If I remember correctly at 14, I was gorging on movies like Alien and The Terminator rather than Saturday morning cartoons like Disney's Tailspin.
So giving us the Clone Wars in live-action is a fundamental misunderstanding of the material from the showrunners themselves.
You have spoken.
It does seem as though Disney has taken a Stormtrooper marksman approach to targeting the audience for this show.
Who are they trying to hit with these guest stars?
Last week, Tim Meadows. This week, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Black and Lizzo.
Who next week? Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Ed Sheeran?
Who are they trying to hit with these guest stars?
Last week, Tim Meadows. This week, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Black and Lizzo.
Who next week? Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Ed Sheeran?
I'm going to confound all opinion here by saying that I actually enjoyed the episode. It was my second favourite of the season so far, after chapter 22.
I actually quite like change-of-pace episodes. The Walking Dead was always quite good at them, going a little leftfield and following one particular character for a show. Okay, this was the main cast it was following, but I like the notion of taking Mando different places. Yes, Black and Lloyd were a little out of place, but I enjoyed the episode for its whackiness (although I'm not sure what the writers were smoking when they came up with it).
I also didn't have any issue with Mando surrendering the dark sabre. I thought it aptly reflected where the characters were, and the now-united front on reclaiming Mandalor, with a progressive bent to how they will do it. I think it made perfect sense for Mando to just give it away. It was a symbolic gesture in keeping with his character, as well as the arc he is on.
I'll admit that I would probably have seeking a stronger 8-epsiode arc overall, and a better use of the limited running time of the series, as @The Crawling Chaos noted, but in the context of the underwhelming-to-downright dreadful first 3/4 epsiodes of the season, and how much Mandalorian is, for me, no longer a must-watch show, I found it different, quirky, and amusing, and proof that there's still an interesting, broadly innovative show underneath all the rote prophecy / samurai lore that can still take us to new, interesting places.
I actually quite like change-of-pace episodes. The Walking Dead was always quite good at them, going a little leftfield and following one particular character for a show. Okay, this was the main cast it was following, but I like the notion of taking Mando different places. Yes, Black and Lloyd were a little out of place, but I enjoyed the episode for its whackiness (although I'm not sure what the writers were smoking when they came up with it).
I also didn't have any issue with Mando surrendering the dark sabre. I thought it aptly reflected where the characters were, and the now-united front on reclaiming Mandalor, with a progressive bent to how they will do it. I think it made perfect sense for Mando to just give it away. It was a symbolic gesture in keeping with his character, as well as the arc he is on.
I'll admit that I would probably have seeking a stronger 8-epsiode arc overall, and a better use of the limited running time of the series, as @The Crawling Chaos noted, but in the context of the underwhelming-to-downright dreadful first 3/4 epsiodes of the season, and how much Mandalorian is, for me, no longer a must-watch show, I found it different, quirky, and amusing, and proof that there's still an interesting, broadly innovative show underneath all the rote prophecy / samurai lore that can still take us to new, interesting places.
ctg
weaver of the unseen
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They were smoking the good stuff, and it was so good that the whackiness got out of control. When the issue came up in the production, the same good stuff was on offer, and later on it was already supplied to the editors. The whole crew enjoyed so much that nobody thought things could have been taken seriously, like 'shooting rocket ammo among your people.'
The interesting places have never been issue... well it is in the live-action, because Earth can only supply a limited scenery. None that's totally alien, like the Chopper Base in the Rebels. But because of Andor a lot of people wish that Disney would take seriously the direction of their products and not allow them to become parts of the silly fest.
The Crawling Chaos
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Actually I feel the same way, it's enjoyable as wacky episodes go. The whole thing had a fever dream quality or, yes, a mushroom-induced trip. The only reason I think this episode feels sort of like the last straw is simply because of how it connects with the rest of the season so far. But by itself, it has merits.
This is where I'd disagree. Mando has already tried to surrender the saber to Bo-Katan, it's the first thing he did when he got it. Then the series (actually The Book of Boba Fett, but the episode in question was definitely The Mandalorian Season 2.5) showed Din struggling to use the saber and trying to learn more about it, which seemed to be setting him up on the path to slowly growing into his responsibility and learning how to master the weapon. So going back to surrendering it after this is a little cheap.
Amen to that.
I actually enjoyed that. Not the "good stuff", the "shooting rockets among your people". This again depicts Mandos as a people who embrace mortal danger and have pushed the concept of "The strong survive, the weak die out." to the most absurd limits. "Want to rule Mandalorians? You have to fight whoever's ruling at this time. Want to become a Mandalorian? Be prepared to live in close proximity to mortal enemies - whether Stromtroopers or giant reptiles - that will come after you on sight. Want to be a part of Mandalorian society? Be ready to receive a rocket in the face when two of your fellow Mandos fight for dominance."ctg said:
What I found stupid in this scene was that Bo challenges the leader Axe Woves, wins, and what does Axe Woves say to her? Paraphrasing: "You'll never lead Mandalorians. You need the Dark saber for that." Okay, so... how come they were following you, Axe? What's the rule here? If you fight the ruler and win you become the ruler except if you're Bo-Katan. In that case you also need the dark saber.
Anyway, just a heads-up to you all. Star Wars Celebration is in full swing and Favreau and co. screened the penultimate episode for the audience there. So beware of spoilers, they're pretty much everywhere online. I read there's even a screener available somewhere. Time for me to go dark until Wednesday!
Harpo
Getting away with it
They’ve got to get back to the future!It does seem as though Disney has taken a Stormtrooper marksman approach to targeting the audience for this show.
Who are they trying to hit with these guest stars?
Last week, Tim Meadows. This week, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Black and Lizzo.
Who next week? Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Ed Sheeran?
ctg
weaver of the unseen
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This is the thing, I expected them to address Din with something as he's carrying the piece. They did so after the fight, which is his kingly moment, showing majesty and using his head to hand over the Black Sabre.
They totally did not need to fight each other. That was Armourer's wish, while in the past the faction has drawn blood majorily, like in this Mandalore title fight from the Rebels.
For those who don't know, the 'Jedi's' in question did train Wren in the lightsabre battle, and she asked them to not spare her for anything. Without Ezra lending her a sabre, she would have been an underdog in that fight. By using one, she was equal and were able to put the ruler to a position where he had no choice. It was her choice, just like it was Din's decision to give out the piece.
I was waiting for the barman to say, "We don't serve your type here!"
Wait until you see that. Fiona Shaw? Andy Serkis? and Jez Quigley?
And that's exactly what this was meant to be, a humourous, slightly camp, lighter episode. I never liked those episodes much. As I said a couple of weeks ago, I'm no longer expecting the main "arc" story to progress every week, but in which case I'd like stronger stories than this to fill in.
I thought the jokes worked, but it had no meat in the serious parts of the episode. It might have been better as a total comedy without any relevance to the "arc" story at all.
That's the difference - 1 goofball episode from 22 or 23 in the season, or 1 (or more) goofball epsiodes from only 8 - it's a big difference!
Then we get to the actual story itself. If they solve the Droid problem Bo can recruit the Mandalorians. So, who will defend them when the Mandalorians leave them? And what is better - a few Droids going goofball or losing your entire planetary defences? I'm sure that there better, quicker ways for Christopher Lloyd to bring down the planet and teach them a lesson. It seemed overly complicated and not hugely successful.
I feel your pain.
This is the Way!
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I was expecting this episode to be absolutely terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised. It certainly leaned heavily into the wacky and absurd side of Star Wars, but then the Cantina in A New Hope is pretty silly when you think of it. Both Jack Black and Lizzo were fine, given what they were there to do. It was entertaining and used one aspect of Mando's personality. It also gave him something to do, more than being just another follower of the Helmet Creed.
Early on, there was a lot of talking about guns, voting, leisure and democracy, which made me wonder if some satirical point was being made, but that soon disappeared to become a kind of noir thriller (with a big dollop of I, Robot and Blade Runner). I think Mando (and Bo'Katan) work well in an investigator/private eye role.
The scene with the robot bar reminded me strongly of a scene in Farewell My Lovely, where the private eye walks into a "colored joint". This and the much-hated robot from Solo raises the disturbing idea that droids are an oppressed underclass, rather than just machines that do a job. To be honest, I'm not sure how well the logic of the droid plot holds up, but it feels like what it's trying to be, and it was entertaining to watch (twice).
The trouble with watching programmes like this is that things happen which, while entertaining at the time, don't make a lot of sense in retrospect. Why does the lady knight Baby Yoda? Why is a squid attracted to a fish? It makes for amusing visuals, but it really means nothing. I tend not to watch this show (or many others) with an eye to picking apart the interior logic, but there does come a tipping point where "stuff just happens" too often. Anyhow, I was entertained.
Early on, there was a lot of talking about guns, voting, leisure and democracy, which made me wonder if some satirical point was being made, but that soon disappeared to become a kind of noir thriller (with a big dollop of I, Robot and Blade Runner). I think Mando (and Bo'Katan) work well in an investigator/private eye role.
The scene with the robot bar reminded me strongly of a scene in Farewell My Lovely, where the private eye walks into a "colored joint". This and the much-hated robot from Solo raises the disturbing idea that droids are an oppressed underclass, rather than just machines that do a job. To be honest, I'm not sure how well the logic of the droid plot holds up, but it feels like what it's trying to be, and it was entertaining to watch (twice).
The trouble with watching programmes like this is that things happen which, while entertaining at the time, don't make a lot of sense in retrospect. Why does the lady knight Baby Yoda? Why is a squid attracted to a fish? It makes for amusing visuals, but it really means nothing. I tend not to watch this show (or many others) with an eye to picking apart the interior logic, but there does come a tipping point where "stuff just happens" too often. Anyhow, I was entertained.
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