by Jake Bourgeois
Disney+’s signature series is back for season 2 and I could not be more stoked or satisfied with the results.
We pick up the adventures of Mando and Baby Yo—er…Grogu—right where we left them: with Mando on a quest to find our little green friend a Jedi to help train him in the ways of the force. That’s the overarching plot that carries us through the new 8-epsisode season. We get to see the relationship between Mando and The Child really grow during these episodes. As set up by the Armorer in last season’s finale, they really are a clan of two and seeing that father-son-type relationship really blossom is immensely satisfying.
While keeping with the western/samurai aesthetic and the character interactions that made the first season so great, the second season also builds upon the foundation laid in the first season to expand its scope. The second season wastes no time as the pilot episode confirms the return of Boba Fett, though we don’t get his story until later in the season. The season does a great job of melding The Mandalorian into the larger Star Wars galaxy. Not only do we get to see the aforementioned Fett as the amazing fighter he’d been built up as by the fanbase, but the show incorporates characters from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, like Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano, seamlessly. More on that later.
The first season was not only a first for Star Wars, with it being the first live-action television series for the franchise, but also represented a step forward technologically with the use of the volume. While a Star Wars production technologically raising the bar is really nothing new, what the show is able to do visually continues to be breathtaking—even if you know how they’re doing it. If you haven’t watched the behind-the-scenes series on season 1, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, you should.
The only notable place where visuals noticeably fail the show briefly was during the season 2 finale. Despite the work Marvel has done in their de-aging department for their cinematic universe, they apparently haven’t shared their secret with their Disney cousins at Lucasfilm, because de-aged Mark Hamill returning as Luke Skywalker still fell with a Wilhelm scream into the uncanny valley. While it took away slightly from the moment, it didn’t bother me too much because watching him systematically take down those dark troopers was an incredible sequence. In a season full of great action moments, this one might take the cake. Hamill and Disney also deserve praise for somehow keeping that appearance a secret. I wish some of the other appearances this season could have come as a surprise as well.
The directors in season two take full advantage of the tools at their disposals, and it’s a who’s who of big Hollywood genre names—Jon Favreau, Peyton Reed, and Robert Rodriguez. Season one directors Bryce Dallas Howard and Rick Famuyiwa also return for episodes in the second season. Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) himself even gets behind the camera for an episode.
The director that really caught my attention, however, was Dave Filoni. The series was the first foray into live-action directing for the long-time animation guru with direction credits for Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. While you could see him getting used to the new medium a bit in season one, here he is in full control of his craft. Every shot is like a painting. It truly is a gorgeous episode. He truly put his best foot forward, which isn’t a surprise given The Jedi sees the return of Ahsoka. The way Ahsoka was introduced—similarly to a horror villain—was pitch-perfect and was one of many great action set pieces in the episode. While it admittedly took me a minute to adjust to seeing Katee Sackhoff in the flesh as Bo-Katan (despite the fact that she also voiced the character for The Clone Wars), I had no such issues with Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka. The character acted and talked like the Ahsoka I knew from previous canon.
This was probably my favorite episode of the season—and the Grand Admiral Thrawn name drop certainly plays a role in that as well.
Ludwig Göransson should be on his way to another Emmy with his score here. He showed in the first season he could create a largely new and interesting score. In season two he blends his creations subtly with existing music when necessary, like the character themes for Yoda and Ahsoka.
One of the main criticisms of the first season was at times it could feel a bit episodic. I didn’t really mind that last season and I enjoyed all the side quests our crew gets into this season as well.
Series creator Jon Favreau and the entire crew deserve a lot of credit. The TV side of Star Wars has been absolutely killing it with the finale of The Clone Wars earlier this year and the first two seasons of this show. Cynics may say that Disney is just using the series merely as a jumping off point for spinoffs, with 3 of them already in the works. However, the way the creative team has balanced telling the story at the center of The Mandalorian with fun cameos and Easter eggs for the fans in this season has earned them the benefit of the doubt with me.
Grade: A