First, we all need to acknowledge that we are living in a time where there is a live-action Star Wars TV show and that it’s only the first one to come. That’s amazing. So many of us had never thought this would happen, but it is. It’s now, and we are grateful. 

Second, going into this show, I was not a fan of the Fetts or Mandalorians. Yes, I’ve seen most of The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels to have a working knowledge of their culture, but it doesn’t really matter to me.

Third, these will be slightly unconventional “reviews.” There are so many out there, and because these are short episodes, I’m sure you can find a play-by-play of the entire thing somewhere else. These reviews are my humble opinions and thoughts about this groundbreaking show.

Things I Loved

• Mando being so bad at riding a blurrg and only doing it to spite his new ugnaught friend once he made fun of him.
• Everything about Carl Weathers. He was in it for less than 5 minutes, but he made an impact.

Things I Could Do Without

Roasted Kowakian Monkey Lizard. Jury’s still out on whether or not they’re sentient, which means they might be, which means maybe we shouldn’t eat them.

Things I’m Waiting For

Mando to take his helmet off the next time he has to use his telescope. He obviously has no idea where his eyeballs are inside of that helmet.

Things People Should Really Calm Down About

The space toilet room not having a door. When you live alone, you don’t have to use inside doors!

Best Tie-in to Other Star Wars Properties

Freezing bounties in carbonite! Lando started a trend, as he is wont to do.

Unexpected MVP

The armorer! She’s the only woman with a speaking line during this episode, and she’s a blacksmith. She has to be held in the highest regard because of how much the armor is a part of the Mandalorian culture. I hope we see more of her.

The Biggest Mood

IG-11 ready to self-destruct at the first sign of a roadblock. Who among us hasn’t wished they could explode when they hit an obstacle that looks unbeatable?

Questions Unanswered

Did someone else send IG-11 on the bounty? Mando was asked to bring the asset back alive if at all possible, but IG-11 was told to kill it.

Some Serious Talk

It was good to see a white-skinned human whose primary language is Huttese. In Star Wars, we mostly see aliens or people of color using non-Basic, and white humans only speak “foreign” languages to appease them. (And sometimes we get the one-side Basic/one-side not-Basic conversations.) Because The Mandalorian show exists in a galaxy where English/Basic is used as standard and white-skinned humans are still a majority and in power, having a white-skinned human only speak Huttese is the first step to lessening the idea that non-Basic languages are for “others.”

Overall, The Mandalorian has surprised me. During the promotion for the show, including the panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, I was really only interested in Cara Dune (because I loved her in Fast & Furious 6). I thought it would be a bit of a bro fest and didn’t trust anyone who said, “It feels like Star Wars” (implying that other new materials don’t). Even in the first episode, The Mandalorian has a lot of heart without a lot of dialogue.