A First Time Look at “The Mandalorian Season 1”

On Memorial Day weekend, I will be checking out “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” the first theatrical release for the franchise since 2019. And, since I have never seen the three seasons of the Disney Plus series, I decided it was finally time to see what this was all about (plus it would be good to get familiar with the series for the upcoming movie). 

For this review, I will be talking about the first season of “The Mandalorian.”

“The Mandalorian Season 1” follows Din Djarin, a lone bounty hunter in the Outer Rim, who breaks his guild code to protect “The Child” (Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda) from Imperial remnants, turning him into a fugitive. Throughout the season, he evades other bounty hunters, forms alliances, and ultimately seeks to keep the Force-sensitive child safe from Moff Gideon.

I’ll admit I was really hesitant about checking out this Disney Plus series since the sequel trilogy really wasn’t the best (except for “The Force Awakens”) and haven’t seen the other “Star Wars” shows on Disney Plus as of yet. And, so far, I think “The Mandalorian” is off to a really good start.

Season 1 is a return to form for the franchise as it brought the series back to its gritty, Western-inspired roots. The first season had a great amount of visual effects that look truly amazing and had the ability to tell a simple, well-liked story away from the main Skywalker Saga.

Each episode of the first season feels like a classic Western serial where a lone gunslinger arrives in a remote area, solves a localized problem (like defending a village in Chapter 4: Sanctuary) and moves on. The Mandalorian/Din Djarin character sort of reminds me of the Clint Eastwood gunslinger “Man With No Name” protagonist from

the Sergio Leone westerns (yet we find out the Mandalorian’s name in the season finale).

“The Mandalorian Season 1” also embraces the dirty, practical and lived in environments. This aesthetic favored street-level brawls, quick-draw blaster shootouts and even bar fights over epic light-saber duels and massive space battles. And so far, this series is making that low level action really work!

The first season also has some great character-driven storytelling, particularly the emotional, “gruff dad” dynamic between Din Djarin and the vulnerable scene-stealer Grogu (The Child). The bond between them is actually the heart of the show, with many people enjoying the protective, “father” persona Din Djarin adopted throughout the season. There’s also quite a few supporting characters, like Cara Dune, Kuiil and Greef Karga (didn’t know he was played by Carl Weathers until I started watching), who have distinct personalities and contribute a lot to the story. And I also can’t wait to see what else goes on with the second season with the villain reveal of Moff Gideon (played by Gus Fring, a.k.a. Giancarlo Esposito).

Season 1 delivers some really gritty, grounded action that is probably some of the best in the Disney-era of the franchise. It is great to see that the Mandalorian isn’t like an invincible superhero as he takes on heavy damage throughout the first season, struggling against local beasts and heavily relying on his physical armor to survive. This also made every blaster shootout feel genuinely dangerous.

The first season also has quite a few memorable moments throughout its eight episode first season that really stood out. A lot of the action in this season is really intense and exciting and the fight against the Mudhorn in Chapter 2 truly stands out as Grogu uses the Force to lift it and help the Mandalorian, which also showcases the emotional bond between them. The immediate, viral sensation to the reveal of Grogu at the end of the first episode is probably the biggest moment of the season and it instantly secured the show’s popularity. There’s also a moment in Chapter 6 where the Mandalorian hunts down the mercenaries that betrayed him one by one that is truly awesome!

The overall response to “The Mandalorian Season 1” was overwhelmingly positive, with both critics and fans praising it as a triumphant return to form for the “Star Wars” franchise. Released in late 2019, the debut season successfully reunited a divided fanbase by offering a grounded, space-Western narrative that honored the original trilogy elements while introducing fresh lore.

I will be checking out the next two seasons coming up with my thoughts of the second season planned for the May 27 edition!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOC8E8z_ifw