Continuing on my string of reviewing some things other than just books for once. I’ve been enjoying branching out a bit; I hope you’ve enjoyed checking them out! First, I reviewed some movies, like Predator: Badlands and 2025’s Frankenstein, then some interesting games, like Still Wakes the Deep, then even some series I’ve finished recently, like Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and Netflix’s Kingdom.
With the horizon shrinking on The Mandalorian and Grogu (now gone entirely), I decided I wanted to give the “Mandoverse” a rewatch. Especially because I had the chance to introduce it all to someone new. They have always liked Star Wars, just hadn’t watched any of the shows. Now we’re changing that.
This is another show that hit like a phenomenon similar to Stranger Things and GoT. Everyone, everywhere was discussing the show. How good it was, the rise of Pedro Pascal, and of course, “Baby Yoda.” However for some reason, I feel like over time this one kind of soured for me as well. There wasn’t much of a drop in quality (in my opinion) although maybe perhaps trying to introduce too many things, but then there was just this immense wait. And that killed anticipation for me.
So, here we are trying to rewatch it all (even though it was already May when I started) to regain some hype. My mother is a huge movie fan and was young when the OG trilogy was released. I was raised on the VHS trilogy boxset, and then the prequels released in theaters when I was young too. Now we’ve received canon cartoons, a sequel trilogy, spinoff shows and films, and a slew of canon comics and novels. I actually have a pretty solid Disney canon hardcover collection, albeit a few years behind since my intense 2024 book-buying ban began.
All that to say, I am no expert on Star Wars, nor does my opinion trump anyone else’s, but I do have some skin in the game from many years of being a fan.
So, here are my thoughts on a rewatch … and as always, I try not to be overtly spoilery, but none of this is new, so you have been warned.
Synopsis
The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
OR
After the fall of the Galactic Empire, a lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches of the lawless galaxy.
Season 1:
8.5/10
I’m not sure that on my first time watching I really knew what I was getting into. No one really knew what the show would be. I am a fan of Jon Favreau, though, and with Dave Filoni’s involvement, the hype was definitely real. I’ve seen Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated movie, several times, as well as (I think) the first four or five seasons of the show, so I knew the way he handled Star Wars, and I was very into it.
I mean, I know from the movies there’s Jango and Boba Fett, but depending on who/what you ask, they either are or are not Mandalorians. I hadn’t (still haven’t) gotten to Rebels, so I had little knowledge of what to expect. For me, this worked, as without that deeper knowledge, I was ready to just go with the flow. “The Mandalorian,” or “Mando,” who we only learn is really named Din Djarin in the finale, is a masked figure, both imposing and charming. We learn in the first episode that he is both a skilled fighter and a well-established bounty hunter. I know I recall some people complaining about whether or not it was really Pedro in the suit or just the voice (which, frankly, why?) but I think it’s a credit to him either way that people find his character alluring enough to connect with either way. That’s a lot of work to cover with only a tinny voiceover. Of course, his charm is helped by the little green kid.
The major impetus for the show revolves around Mando getting involved with a bounty that’s “outside” the usual guild rules. And of course it’s imperial remnants. They want the capture of the child, and they’d prefer it alive. Of course, Mando is up to the task, but when it comes down to it, he just can’t leave such a helpless (and cute) creature to such an uncertain fate. And pretty much the remainder of the Mandoverse is centered around running from the Empire or facing off against them, keeping the kid safe, and doing odd jobs to stay afloat.
Somehow, Favreau has taken the episodic western formula and plugged it into something that feels wholly Star Wars. The Mandalorian Creed dictates that giving his word means he won’t give up on a job, won’t fail. And a lot of this seems to be honor-based, aka he doesn’t always get paid. Luckily, the opening of the show sets up that he had been quite busy; therefore, he always seems to have the credits he needs. We get thirty-minute episodes that span the galaxy, giving viewers new planets, races, and jobs that are never the same. The relationship between Mando and “Baby Yoda” continues to grow, especially as many sequences feature a save just in the nick of time. And although the parent/child dynamic has been done time and time again, with it being especially hard not to draw the comparison with Pascal also playing Joel Miller from The Last of Us, I think for this series it works really well.
Then we are introduced to who’s in charge, Moff Gideon…a character who, for the most part, seems like parts Tarkin and Vader, especially due to his job title/outfit, but regardless, this is a Giancarlo Esposito stan reviewer here. I think his portrayal is quite good, even if the character’s not exactly fleshed out. I think perhaps saving him for a later reveal ended up working against them in this case. Luckily, there are more seasons, of course.
The finale is tense, and I remember on a first watch not knowing what would happen, especially because SW live-action as a show was a new thing. Then, of course, there’s the end clip with the darksaber (and the crowd goes wild), and we knew there had to be plans for more. I knew what it was, although it’s also in Rebels, and seeing the lines they were crossing from old to new was crazy! The connections between The Clone Wars/Rebels were slight in the first season, true, but they were still present. And that’s cool as hell.
I think some particular standouts are the Mudhorn episode, which is kind of a giant Wooly rhino, and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) asking if the baby could do the “hand thing,” to which the baby just waves to him. There’s also room for some random but awesome cameos as the episodes are short. Like the particularly stacked Chapter 6: The Prisoner, that features Mark Boone Junior (Sons of Anarchy, Batman Begins), Bill Burr (comedian, Old Dads), Natalia Tena (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones), Clancy Brown (voice of Mr. Krabs, Dexter: New Blood), Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, The Watch), Ismael Cruz Cordova (The Rings of Power, The Bluff), and even Dave Filoni! It’s got the seriousness and humor melded together, which works well for TV.
Season 2:
9/10
Season 2 starts off in the same episodic style, but with more and more ties to other SW characters and lore. And I was SEATED for it. I mean, Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), a character first introduced in the Chuck Wendig novel Aftermath? Are we pulling from novels now? I don’t know if people realize just how hard they were prepared to go. I wasn’t. And I happened to quite like the Aftermath trilogy. Given the time periods matching up I think it makes sense, but it was still a nice surprise.
I really do feel like season 2 took everything good about season 1 and then just cranked things up to 11. After a rewatch, I think it’s actually nuts it’s not talked about more, even if it’s years old. Episode 1 with Cobb Vanth, episode 2 with the baby eating the eggs they were supposed to be transporting (hilarious) and the entire ice-spider part, episode 3 introducing freaking Bo-Katan (and she’s played by Katee Sackhoff who brought the character to life with her voice work), episode 4 reuniting the cast from the first season, episode 5 gave us fucking AHSOKA TANO (and it was Rosario Dawson who was a main fan cast) and Morgan Elsbeth who would go on to be a huge part of the Ahsoka show, and various other appearances/reappearances like Fennic (Ming-Na Wen who also voices the cartoon character), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison!!!!) and even a specific jedi! Okay, this one got spoilery…but it isn’t new.
Somehow this second season feels even more like they built something that we’d be watching for years to come. Its mission-led, episodic nature could be pumped out indefinitely, and as long as they stuck to the course—which, to my mind, was at least decent, if not all good episodes—I think we’d all have kept watching for years to come.
I believe it was after the first season that the complaints rolled in that people thought (or perhaps found out) that Pedro wasn’t actually in the suit most of the time. I don’t really see how it matters, but I do think it directly led to him showing his face—as he does at the Imperial Station and at Grogu’s farewell. If Disney had said, “hey, we created this awesome show and even got Pedro Pascal attached to voice the main character,” would that have changed the actual pull to watch from fans? His face not being shown is an integral part of his character design, not to mention it is an action-heavy show, so having a more stunt-safe professional on board makes perfect sense. Now I’ll never complain about a Pedro face reveal; I just thought the uproar was silly.
Ahsoka’s entrance is one of the coolest Jedi introductions of all time, only bringing to mind Kylo Ren going ham in The Rise of Skywalker as another contender for me. Her blending into the mist, disappearing, and then reappearing as her lightsabers ignite with a buzz. I think I could watch an entire movie of just that, Jedi assassin style. On top of that, she’s on a mission to stop wrongdoing in a way that felt perfectly ‘Ahsoka’ to me. Oh, and shouldn’t we all thank her character for telling us his name is Grogu? As much as I loved the Baby Yoda phase, a season and a half with no name is kind of crazy!
The season finale is damn near perfect in my opinion. Intense, riveting Star Wars bounty huntery goodness. Oh, and it’s just finished off with THE best Jedi intro of all time. I mean, two unbelievable entries in the same season of the same show? Put some respect on Favreau and Filoni. Luke Skywalker, the absolute GOAT, making an insane save at the very end to retrieve Grogu for training. Didn’t even break a sweat. I don’t even care that the CGI is choppy at best at the very end with his face reveal (although I am saddened that apparently most de-aging tech is mostly AI, I’m told?) because they at least worked with Mark Hamill.
Overall, a fantastic season that sets up beautiful things to come! Sadly, they pumped the brakes and seemed to have swerved right at the last second with the next installment.
Sorry if you disagree.
The Book Of Boba Fett:
6.5/10
For all intents and purposes, this should have been absolutely awesome. A fantastic actor and a beloved character finally coming back together. Although he ‘debuted’ in season 2, this spinoff show acts as both prequel and sequel. We officially get the details on how he survived the Sarlacc Pit, which hysterically is awfully close to how Patton Oswalt describes it happening while filibustering in Parks and Rec. We see how the Tusken Raiders go from kidnapping him to accepting him into their tribe, as well as the mayhem that follows. I do think that if Bib Fortuna had enough support to hold control after Jabba bit the dust, it wouldn’t go down like that with a single shot fired, but hey, it’s not the Bib Fortuna show. And just like that, Boba is the new daimyo, but things aren’t easy peasy still.
The fact that Favreau and Filoni gave us Temuera Morrison back, spanning the prequel trilogy, the follow-up cartoons, and the OG trilogy to connect one single guy all the way to post-Return of the Jedi, is pretty solidly insane. And I think people take that for granted, honestly. That’s why it saddens me that it seems like the writers took it for granted as well. People have been fascinated by what little we see of Boba in the OGs, and while this does offer some badass dialogue and fighting, they went and commandeered the show’s second half to create Mando 2.5. Personally, the Mandalorian appearing in this show is the worst thing about it. And then there’s the fact that you have to watch it to know what the hell is happening in season 3–perhaps smart in terms of forcing people to watch both, but it undermines the entire experience. They did Temuera dirty.
I find it hard to enjoy what we see of Mando, and that sucks because it’s a great opener, and of course we all want him to be together with Grogu. But if he had just shown up to help in the finale, this all could have worked. And don’t let me forget … but having screen time between Ahsoka and Luke? His father’s padawan and now they’re together after all Luke’s managed, that is HUGE. And yet that is also undermined by the fact that watchers have to scratch their heads and ask what the hell it has to do with Boba Fett…
I do feel as if Boba constantly taking his helmet off is, in part, a product of the backlash over Pedro not “being in the suit,” but at least Jango and Boba were never all that strict on it anyway, as they aren’t of Mandalore. Although there are some places/scenes where it’s off and I don’t feel like it should be, especially when danger is involved. Still, this being cut with scenes of young Boba and his father are exactly the kind of connectors I love about these shows. We’re just gonna span thirty years in a matter of seconds, and now it feels like it was always as connected as you wanted it to be. That’s so cool; I just wish the entire season remained that way. About Boba.
And of course, now that I have seen the new movie, the fact that the Hutt twins are involved is super intriguing, but that made me wonder why Boba wasn’t involved. I mean, I do understand that the movie was split to appeal to a wider audience, but everyone knows Boba Fett. If they did another season, which Temuera deserves, make him the actual focal point.
Season 3:
7/10
Season 3 finds us a bit off the rails, in my opinion at least. The show has become so involved with everyone else that it feels less and less like it’s about Mando. He is now staying with the covert, which is cool, but he also showed his face to Grogu in the season 2 finale. A scene that was seriously sweet and heartfelt and now ultimately means next to nothing. It also takes up a chunk of screen time, as he has to atone in order to stay with them. I enjoy seeing more of his people, and the fact that Bo-Katan is back, but the wheels are wobbling on the track.
Grogu is now officially not becoming a Jedi, and although he still uses the Force at will, he is choosing attachment over training. A decision that may have repercussions in some future series or movie, but of course we’d much rather the two of them be together. Mando must decide to take him on as an apprentice, which is debated as Grogu cannot speak yet, but he proves he’s worthy.
On a second watch, I found the whole Darksaber thing to be a bit annoying. Mando earned having and using it, but has no desire to rule. Bo-Katan wants to rule but needs the Darksaber to garner the respect needed to take control and reclaim Mandalore. It’s all just a bit whiny, honestly. And her second in command acting like an angry teen was super irritating.
Overall, though, the show gives fans some large set pieces, upping the ante when it comes to the show’s episodic nature, and I felt like it looked pretty damn well polished too. The creature in the lake that looks part snapping turtle and part Mosasaur? Sick. The kidnapped foundling taking a ride on a giant winged beast? Crazy. The subsequent jetpack race to follow them? Awesome. The show giving us freaking scenes of Grogu surviving Order 66 and he’s saved by a Jedi portrayed by Ahmed Best? It’s so cool to see the prequel stuff in 2026-level CGI, and it was a well-deserved cool moment for Best. And yeah, some of the randomness and cameos got a little distracting, but it does feel like they swung big.
The finale is one that they built toward for years. Moff Gideon was never going to just give up, and the showdown was pretty close to appropriately sized. I think after all the building, it’s a tad odd that Mando is always there to help, but here we don’t get more appearances. I don’t know, but Luke, Ahsoka, Boba Fett returning the favor? Just seems like that was what it was all layered in for, and they just didn’t do it. I would have liked to have seen a final “Avengers” level showdown, especially now that I know how far removed the new movie is from the add-on characters here.
Overall:
Overall, I think the Mandoverse is one that could still keep going for years to come. If the movie doesn’t do what they want it to, maybe we’ll just get a season 4? After Ahsoka season 2, maybe we’ll get a Defenders-style limited series or something? I just know that regardless of complaints or shortcomings, I really don’t want these characters to just sit on the shelf.
I haven’t gotten to rewatch Ahsoka yet, as I plan to, but I figured it means less in the grand scheme of things, as it’s the most removed from the others. While her intro is clearly Mandoverse-related, I feel okay completing my review here without it. Maybe I’ll come back and add it later on.
The overall rating for three seasons and The Book of Boba Fett is 7.75/10. Not bad at all, and I’d give it an 8 if pressed. If you make it this far, thanks a bunch, and although I don’t think anything I said was a hot take, remember these are just my thoughts and opinions.
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