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‘The Mandalorian’ Already Feels More Like ‘Star Wars’ Than Any Of Disney’s Sequels

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Only two episodes in, and The Mandalorian already feels more authentic, more Star Wars, than any of Disney’s film sequels. 

Disney made a mistake from the very beginning by placing the Dark Side back into a position of overwhelming authority (casually erasing Luke’s massive victory), reverting the Rebellion back to plucky underdogs, then echoing the structure of the original trilogy, with a cold, corporate glaze of fan-service slicked over the surface.

Rogue One had its moments, even Solo was fun at times, but generally, the new films have felt like an attempt to recreate fond memories, rather than using the vast Star Wars universe to create new ones.

The origin story of the Death Star, then Han Solo, the introduction of an even bigger Death Star, another Dark vs. Light conflict orchestrated by Emperor Palpatine; obsessing over nostalgia isn’t how you move a franchise forward. 

Thankfully, a planned Boba Fett spin-off was killed, and replaced by The Mandalorian, a Spaghetti Western set in a galaxy far, far away. Without a whiff of exposition, barely any dialogue or detail, the show has somehow recreated the tone of classic Star Wars, without a single lightsaber. 

The show isn’t perfect; a masked protagonist (whose clunky headgear seems unsuitable to navigate a tight corridor, let alone a gunfight) isn’t easy to empathize with. But even that ridiculous detail is authentic to a universe where armor-designers prioritize form over function.  

The Mandalorian is slightly darker than what we’re used to, yet undeniably goofy, packed with peculiar creatures, gunfights that end in disintegrations, and environments that feel like Ralph McQuarrie concept art brought to life.  

Pedro Pascal’s “Mando” isn’t saving the galaxy, but merely trying to survive in the aftermath of the Empire’s collapse, thriving in the unsavory criminal underworld, essentially living out the fantasies conjured by the iconic Mos Eisley cantina scene. 

Han Solo has been permanently neutered at this point, shooting Greedo second, Solo revealing his younger self to be, somehow, less exciting than his original, edgy incarnation. But now, we have a new gunslinger with a hidden heart of gold, and he’s shining a light on the gritty, sleazy side of the galaxy.

Darkness, I think, has always been integral to Star Wars. To me, the original trilogy depicts the Jedi as the sole honorable knights in a cruel, corrupt universe, rife with slavery and exploitation. The Disney films have steadily moved away from that lawless galaxy of dilapidated ships, smuggling and skirmishes, ignoring the most unsavory implications of George Lucas’ creation. Well, they did that weird casino/war profiteering thing, but we don’t need to discuss that.  

Star Wars needed to evolve, without losing sight of its identity, and The Mandalorian gives us a world packed full of surprises, yet feels deeply familiar. 

Saving the galaxy should be a less common occurrence in this franchise, and television offers an opportunity to tell small-scale stories that explore the nooks and crannies of this sprawling, imaginative universe. 

Hopefully, The Mandalorian is the beginning of a new creative direction for Star Wars, rather than a one-off.

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