Star Wars is frustratingly fascinating. At least, it had been for the 2010s. Or, at least, it had been for me. I was one of those fans who was sorely disappointed with Disney’s choice to axe the extended universe (even if certain canon absurdities were rightfully removed because of this decision). I was engaged yet unenthused with The Force Awakens. I was confused by The Last Jedi. I nearly fell asleep (my wife outright did) with The Rise of Skywalker.
And don’t worry, I won’t even mention the Star Wars anthology films by name.
There are plenty of other things that Disney has done – Star Wars not withstanding – that leave me unhappy, but I’m always pleased to say that The Mandalorian’s first season is not one of them. It revived that child-like excitement, wonder, fear, and enjoyment that seemed absent for nearly a decade (or two, if you account for the prequels) back into Star Wars‘ dehydrated veins, and I felt hopeful for how the franchise would develop.
But The Mandalorian season one is so last year. What about this year? What about season two?
For obvious reasons, as I’m not a time lord, season two is not out yet, but the trailer for The Mandalorian season two has graced us with its presence, and it sure promises a lot of adventure!
Following in the same footsteps as season one, we’re likely to witness a new adventure each week with our cowboy in space! Varying biomes from ice to sand to water to cityscapes: we’re likely to see a lot of variation in the upcoming 8 episodes. Of course, if you’re like Anakin, you hate sand, but it’s possible the few shots of a sand planet we witness in the trailer may be limited to the first episode, considering the ending of season one. Fingers crossed.
I was talking with a friend of mine about what made The Mandalorian so fun. I said, “It’s because it takes itself seriously while also realizing it can’t take itself seriously.” Star Wars isn’t Star Trek. It’s not a geo-political socio-economic philosophical diatribe on culture and existence. It needs to be fun, but it needs to be respected, and I think we’re about to see both of those take place what-with the introduction of the Jedi as a mysterious third-party alongside scenes of a futuristic pirate ship, or by-gosh-golly an underground alien wrestling ring! That gave me serious Escape from New York vibes and I am all for it!
Star Wars needs to be taken seriously because we love Star Wars, and not being taken seriously feels demeaning and sad. But, we need it to be fun and absurd because that’s what Star Wars is. Don’t forget: A giant space worm lived in a meteor in The Empire Strikes Back. Even the greatest film in the franchise has it’s weirdo-wonky stuff! We love to see it! And I think The Mandalorian season one did this incredibly well, so I have high hopes for season two.
It would make sense, however, for season two to grow in maturity when compared to the first. Although Sam Hargrave speaks directly about this growth in maturity in an interview with Collider, stating that he was invited to help coordinate and improve the stunts and action for The Mandalorian season two from season one, I also think about Dave Filoni’s involvement and his previous tenure with The Clone Wars animated series.
As most fans of The Clone Wars know – when considering episode release order and not chronological order – the show matured beyond its first season in a drastic way, introducing complex story arcs and nuanced dialogue that was more than simply a nod to fans, but carried heavy implications on certain dynamics within the show. Recognizing that Dave Filoni is involved as an executive producer for The Mandalorian (keep in mind, executive producer can mean either ‘has access to set and mostly eats donuts’ or ‘has a respected influence over the project’, to which I’d assume the latter) I suspect we’ll see this same transformation, as The Mandalorian season one did have room to grow in maturity.
All of which to say, I’m very excited! I really enjoyed watching The Mandalorian, and this is coming from a guy who was tired of Star Wars repeatedly letting me down. Also, logistically, I mostly watch movies, not television shows, so there was something cathartic about having that itch to watch one more episode even though it was already 11:30PM and I had to be up in five or six hours.
I look forward to doing that again.
Want more Christian-influenced media coverage? Subscribe to the Cinematic Doctrine podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app!
Description: The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumutuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
Creator: Jon Favreau
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, and Giancarlo Esposito
Rating: TV-PG
Release Date: October 30th, 2020
Consider supporting Cinematic Doctrine on Patreon! As a bonus, you’ll gain access to a once-a-month movie poll where you decide a movie we discuss on the podcast, as well as early unedited episodes of the podcast!!
Melvin Benson is the Founder, Editor-In-Chief, and Lead Host of Cinematic Doctrine. He’s written fiction and nonfiction for over a decade with short stories featured on the Creepypasta Wiki and Wattpad. His novelette Ethereal Temptation, a teen drama with a tinge of magical-realism, can be read for free here. His hope is to see King Jesus glorified as far as the east is from the west!
Cinematic Doctrine is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other major podcast apps.
Cinematic Doctrine 