I’m still not impressed with much this season. The end of this one was good to have gotten done I suppose, that detail needed taking care of.
Also I might be the only one, I don’t need all these cameos. It takes me out of the story in all the wrong ways.
I'm with you on both counts Rob.
The Mandalorian show has never been a masterful set of storytelling like Andor, so my expectations are a little different, but I'm still hopeful that they can have a larger story arc with the plot progressing reasonably from show to show in a sensible manner.
I feel like they've got a bunch of different writers coming up with pulpy ideas that consume 85% of the episode and then they just tack on a bit of random plot here and there. This week's episode felt like that where most of it didn't make any sense in the larger picture, and then the last five minutes was the bit where they moved the plot along.
And I agree that having well known actors/celebrities in cameos can be fun, but it can also be really distracting at times.
One thing that I'm still confused about is why does Bo Katan need an army and super powerful starships? Who is controlling Mandalore that she needs to take it back from? Isn't it just a post-apocalyptic world where some of those native critters live? There doesn't appear to be an Imperial Remnant or pirates controlling it.
I think we can all enjoy (or not enjoy) parts of this show for different reasons. Nick and Nick can love the pulpy fun, and Rob and myself can be frustrated by clumsy storytelling while still mostly liking the show. Its more about missed opportunities to have something really good like Andor. I do wish they could find a stronger narrative and writing that would hold the story together better even when they've got a side adventure.
I am honestly worried about the just announced Dave Filoni movie that pulls together Mando, BoBF, and Ahsoka. BoBF was a hot mess with no larger story. Mando currently has a small story arc around reclaiming Mandalore. Not sure what Ahsoka is going to be about but it appears its the usual Favreau/Filoni writing/directing/producing crew that did Mando and BoBF, so while my hopes are high based on the trailer and Rebels vibe I'm also tempering my expectations based on their recent track record.
Tony Gilroy absolutely crushed it with Andor. Maybe that is considered "too serious" for the kids. I just wish we could get a little more of that cohesive storytelling from Andor and mix in some pulpy fun for the kids to create a better Mandalorian series.