Disney + is here and here in a big way. The happiest conglomerate on earth has unleashed a monster streaming service, which makes you stop and think just how enormous Disney actually is. While the service has hours upon hours of content I knew where my first stop would be. Like many people I dove right into the Mandalorian as soon as I could.

Disney + is using a bold strategy with the Mandalorian, by not releasing the entire season for binging. While this may upset people who are eager to find out what will happen next, I actually really like having an entire week to digest and even write about each episode. Releasing it one episode at a time will make it feel like an event, and give us Star Wars fans something to look forward to each week. Fan theories, message boards, and other Mandalorian content will be a fluid community giving the show more life…and also more time for knit picking and criticism. Releasing episode by episode also makes it more pragmatic to rewatch the show and pick up on different things each time. When I binge a show a show I often feel like I am not taking in the content so I am looking forward to having the time to fully emerge myself in the show.

Spoilers Ahead

First Impressions

So as we are dropped into the world of the Mandalorian my first impression is Disney cares a lot about this show. The production value right off the bat is phenomenal, and it was great seeing practical effects. You know this show has a high budget when they are paying Apollo Creed to make an appearance. As we are emerged into a space cantina on a snowy planet, we are shown dozens of space creatures made with real world practical effects. The effort put into each creature gives the show a life to it’s world that will help create a deeper sense of emerstion for the viewers.

Our lead character, the Mandalorian, gets to do what Mandalorian’s do best in the opening act and clear house in the space cantina. The battle set the stage on two fronts, it established our Mandalorian as a certified G and bonified stud that cannot be trifled with by hum drum space scum, and two, it established that this show will have a mature and somewhat brutal tone as we see a space thug get chopped in half by a blast door. It’s not a complicated formula, high production value, and a Mandalorian clearing out a space bar, it’s off to a great start.

What I liked

So many times when it comes to anything Star Wars we ( The “fans”) criticize everything about the series until we end up hating everything about it. I have been guilty of doing this and stand by my statement that if you pick a Star Wars movie at random you have a greater chance of picking a bad movie. This is why I want to start by focusing on what I really enjoyed about The Mandalorian.

1. A simple compelling plot

A bounty hunter hunting a bounty. Its simple and it is all we need to give us an excuse to explore the galaxy. It was a treat to consume Star Wars content without having to comb through fancy political jargon, and convoluted plots. A clear task sends our “hero” on an adventure that captured my attention for the entire 40 minutes.

2. Fun and interesting characters

The Mandolorian remains a mystery to us, Nick Nolte played a fun vagabond, there are rebel imperial officers and doctors hiding out, and even a BABY YODA. So much of Star Wars is about falling in love with characters and The Mandalorian established a solid base of characters with various traits to explore. Also the Bounty Hunter droid… just fantastic.

3. The Correct amount of comedy

Disney loves, and i mean loves, to add an excessive amount of comedy into their Marvel and Star Wars content. Sometimes it can be nice…but a lot of the time it can take you out of an important scene. For the most part there was not a lot of comedy in The Mandalorian and I think this worked. This show has a dark and gritty theme, which it should, because it is about a bounty hunter! It did give a bit of comedic relief as when the droid was trying to initiate its self destruction protocol, and this was an appropriate level without going over the top.

4. I’m Hooked!

Who is the baby Yoda? I want to know who he/she/it is and I need to know what the last reminace of the empire what with him/her/it.

The Score

So what is the fun of watching a Disney + show if you are not going to rate each episode. As you can tell I really enjoyed it for the myriad of reasons I just listed. It was not a perfect episode by any means as I thought some of the dialogue was campy, “I like those odds”, some the scenes were cliche, the mandalorian trying to tame a mount, but overall I really enjoyed it. And just to reiterate I am not a Star Wars stan and try to give my honest opinion on each piece of content.

For episode 1 I give it a very solid 9.1.

See you all next Tuesday for episode 2