The Mandalorian was the first Star Wars series to debut in the Disney+ streaming era. In many ways it was fitting that it became the first series to cross-over into the realm of the feature film. In this episode we take a look at The Mandalorian and Grogu. We talk about the main characters as well as guest star Rotta the Hutt. We delve into the performances and the use of the characters in the story. We also discuss the plot and pacing of the story. Along the way we discuss the trajectory of the Star Wars franchise, whether a film or series works better for The Mandalorian as a character and concept, and what we’d like to see from Mando and Grogu in the future.
Our five-minute controversy this week asks if anyone wants to see performances of dead celebrities generated by A.I.
In this episode Ryan, Anji, and Stephen join the cast.
Show Notes:
Stan Lee’s voice and likeness to be utilized by A.I. for commercial use.
Mandalorian and Grogu’s production budget
Mandalorian and Grogu’s box office take
America: Birth of a Nation (Stephen’s satirical documentary)
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The Mandalorian has been one of the most successful Star Wars series under the Disney era of Star Wars. Telling smaller stories than the Skywalker saga, The Mandalorian is a more character focused story that plays into fan-loyalty to the Mandalorian mythos as well as a devotion to the baby Yoda character, Grogu, created for this series. In this episode we examine The Mandalorian season 3. We discuss the characters and plot for the season and how the overall storyline compares with the prior seasons. We’ll examine how the changes made in The Book of Boba Fett alters this series and whether we think that was was warranted. We’ll also get into the broader Star Wars universe and how this season tries to tie up some loose ends from other media.
The announcement of The Book of Boba Fett excited a lot of people. Continuing the story of the character from the Mandalorian, the set up implied that the titular character would assume the role of a crime boss, running his operations from the outpost of Tatooine. In actuality the show turned a sharp corner, depicting the former bounty hunter as a virtuous but naïve warrior trying to change Tatooine into an egalitarian society. In this episode we discuss Boba’s role as Prince of the Deep Dune Sea. We talk about whether we felt that the plot worked as well as discussing Boba and his supporting cast’s character. Along the way we’ll talk about references to other series and whether or not they were dealt with well. We also get into the Mandalorian Trojan Horse episodes and whether they distracted from Boba’s story. We end things by debating what we would do with a second season of this series. 
Before Disney announced approximately 312 new Star Wars series that would debut at some point on Disney+, they gave us The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian ticked all of our boxes in season 1, providing compelling drama in fun innovative ways that only Star Wars can. In this season they built on the formula bringing back fan-favorites from the first season, characters from across the Star Wars universe, and providing new locations and situations. In this episode we examine season 2 and assess if the series heading in the right direction. We also talk about the potential with the Book of Bobba Fett spinoff as well as what we think will happen in The Mandalorian season 3.