The Mandalorian

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Woodclaw
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Woodclaw »

NoOneofConsequence wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 am I have yet to see the show, save for a few clips. However, one of those clips was a bunch of fan reactions to the season two climax. I'm sure everyone knows what I am talking about here. Seeing it makes me want to go watch the entire show. In addition, it reminded me of why I loved Star Wars in the first place. I have honestly not felt this way about anything Star Wars related since just before Phantom Menace came out, save partially the original KotOR game. So I just want to take the time to bask in the moment, until Disney craps all over the property the next chance they get.
Yeah, that's one of those "forced" moments. Don't get me wrong it really works in-universe, but it also felt like very deliberate fanservice in the same way as Vader's appearance at the end of Rogue One.
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Jabroniville
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Jabroniville »

I was sharing my thoughts in the Discord, and I'm up to the penultimate episode of Season One so far. It's definitely a great series, taking some very big throwbacks from the main movie series, making a "Western/Bounty Hunter" series out of it, and giving us the best of everything.

It's also MUCH funnier than I was expecting- watching Mando take pratfall after praftfall against Jawas, also vaporizing a ton of them, was pure slapstick hilarity and that was only episode TWO! He gets a ton of badass lines, and various characters speak the way old Star Wars characters did- in kind of a mythical bent. "I have spoken" is such a great line, even more than the oft-quoted "This is the way" stuff.

I do like how the main hero isn't invincible. Okay, so he's invincible to LASERS (why is the only way bad guys learn how to aim in Star Wars when the guy is wearing laser-proof gear?), but he had to be saved in every single episode just about.

Gina Carano's debut as Cara Dune was EPIC and made scores of people fall in love. She looked fantastic and was the kind of character people had been hoping for- effectively a better version of the women introduced in the Sequel Trilogy- not sexualized, but badass and capable without being a flawless cipher. And they even threw in that "beautiful widow" (much as I adored Gina, this girl was almost as good-looking) to give some romantic chemistry... and helpfully draw it AWAY from Mando/Cara. Now that's how you prevent shipping- you give us another match in the same episode and make a tragedy out of it (since he has to leave).

The scene in the desert with the Giant Dragon-Bats was the purest example that these people understand Star Wars- things must CONSTANTLY be moving. When the characters sit down to have some exposition or make a plan, you ALWAYS throw a monster at them. In the originals, the Millennium Falcon escapes and touches down on a meteor... and is immediately beset by bats and the Space Penis Monster tries to swallow them whole. So the guy sitting there to make a plan and then getting carried away by giant monsters? THAT's Star Wars.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ares
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Re: The Mandalorian

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Star Wars does frequently allow for quiet moments. The original film had the scene of Obi-Wan explaining the Force and the Jedi to Luke, Empire Strikes Back had several quiet moments between Han and Leia, or Luke and Yoda, and Return had quiet moments such as Luke speaking with Obi-Wan, later Leia, and later still Vader. Star Wars just knows to not let the quiet moments drag, and to surround the quiet moments with enough action that when it quiets down, they have more impact.

Otherwise, Star Wars very much follows the old Pulp Writer Adage of "If things start to drag on, someone with a gun kicks open the door to the room and starts opening fire". Which later got remade into the old Dungeon Master's adage of "If things start to drag, ninjas attack".

As for the series as a whole, I love it. Much like Rogue One, it's a good example how Star Wars can work without the Jedi or Sith being the main centerpieces of the work. No Star Wars property should be completely divorced from notions of the Force (given it's one of the central things that makes Star Wars unique), but the setting is diverse enough that you can have a series about a Mandalorian bounty hunter doing his best impression of The Man With No Name and Lone Wolf and Cub and have it work. Like Jab said, the "tone" of how people speak also feels very Star Wars, with people having a more "fairy tale/mythical" way of speaking. And I'll respectfully disagree with Woodclaw: I liked the inclusion of Vader in Rogue One, and the fanservice we got in the last episode of Season 2 had me smiling the entire time.

So yeah, This is the Way.
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Woodclaw
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Woodclaw »

Ares wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:44 pm Star Wars does frequently allow for quiet moments. The original film had the scene of Obi-Wan explaining the Force and the Jedi to Luke, Empire Strikes Back had several quiet moments between Han and Leia, or Luke and Yoda, and Return had quiet moments such as Luke speaking with Obi-Wan, later Leia, and later still Vader. Star Wars just knows to not let the quiet moments drag, and to surround the quiet moments with enough action that when it quiets down, they have more impact.

Otherwise, Star Wars very much follows the old Pulp Writer Adage of "If things start to drag on, someone with a gun kicks open the door to the room and starts opening fire". Which later got remade into the old Dungeon Master's adage of "If things start to drag, ninjas attack".
I wish my current GM would take that advice into consideration more often.
Ares wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:44 pm As for the series as a whole, I love it. Much like Rogue One, it's a good example how Star Wars can work without the Jedi or Sith being the main centerpieces of the work. No Star Wars property should be completely divorced from notions of the Force (given it's one of the central things that makes Star Wars unique), but the setting is diverse enough that you can have a series about a Mandalorian bounty hunter doing his best impression of The Man With No Name and Lone Wolf and Cub and have it work. Like Jab said, the "tone" of how people speak also feels very Star Wars, with people having a more "fairy tale/mythical" way of speaking. And I'll respectfully disagree with Woodclaw: I liked the inclusion of Vader in Rogue One, and the fanservice we got in the last episode of Season 2 had me smiling the entire time.

So yeah, This is the Way.
Well, don't get me wrong, I think that final sequence was absolutely spot-on and it makes me hope for some additional tie-in later on, but from a storytelling perspective it was kind of bad. If the team was a RPG party (which I can totally see), the final guest star of the episode was the GM tossing in a giant NPC to cut short the final confrontation of the campaign because they were running late.
Do I enjoyed it?
Yes.
Do I think it was a deus ex machina?
Yes.
What can I say? I was really hoping to see a big face-off with the Dark Troopers.
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Harnos
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Harnos »

It is always nice to watch a heart-warming Star Wars story. It has honor, friendship, responsibility and compassion in it.

Also it disproved the claim that you have to change everything to the core to appeal to the possible new generation fans. You don't need to try to prioritize shaming meat-eaters for franchise to be successful. :D

Spoiler
I agree that using Luke as a Deus Ex Machina was not the best writing ever. However, it was lovely, pleasing and maybe it was even necessary because of the thing we have previously watched.
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Woodclaw
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Woodclaw »

Harnos wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:43 pm It is always nice to watch a heart-warming Star Wars story. It has honor, friendship, responsibility and compassion in it.

Also it disproved the claim that you have to change everything to the core to appeal to the possible new generation fans. You don't need to try to prioritize shaming meat-eaters for franchise to be successful. :D

Spoiler
I agree that using Luke as a Deus Ex Machina was not the best writing ever. However, it was lovely, pleasing and maybe it was even necessary because of the thing we have previously watched.
That's all folks!

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Ares
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Re: The Mandalorian

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Woodclaw wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:03 pm Image
Image
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Harnos
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Harnos »

Woodclaw wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:03 pm
Harnos wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:43 pm It is always nice to watch a heart-warming Star Wars story. It has honor, friendship, responsibility and compassion in it.

Also it disproved the claim that you have to change everything to the core to appeal to the possible new generation fans. You don't need to try to prioritize shaming meat-eaters for franchise to be successful. :D

Spoiler
I agree that using Luke as a Deus Ex Machina was not the best writing ever. However, it was lovely, pleasing and maybe it was even necessary because of the thing we have previously watched.
That's all folks!

Image

Words of wisdom indeed.



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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Jack of Spades »

Ares wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:44 pm Otherwise, Star Wars very much follows the old Pulp Writer Adage of "If things start to drag on, someone with a gun kicks open the door to the room and starts opening fire". Which later got remade into the old Dungeon Master's adage of "If things start to drag, ninjas attack".
The only time I ever had to use this advice as a GM was in a Star Wars campaign. After four waves of TIE fighters, they finally decided to stop yacking and do something...

This may not be a popular opinion, but I don't think there should be a season 3. The story of the Mandalorian and the Child has been told. I don't think we need another story about him, and IMO Star Wars has an unfortunate habit of milking protagonists until we're sick of them. I was as happy as anyone to see the Season 2 surprise guest star, but let's relegate Mando to that same role now, and go tell some other story in a galaxy far, far away.
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by Batgirl III »

If they use the seasonto resolve the “who is the new
Mandalore” plot thread and stay focus on that, I think it could work... if they end it there. Leave the audience wanting more, but leave them satisfied with what they got.

Go out on a Godfather, Part II, not a Fast and Furious XIV.
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

I think we are all crying out for a series focusing on Geode the rock.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
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Ares
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Re: The Mandalorian

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NoOneofConsequence wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:30 pm I think we are all crying out for a series focusing on Geode the rock.
Geode the Rock is certainly making a lot of people cry.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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NoOneofConsequence
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Re: The Mandalorian

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Ares wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:09 pm
Geode the Rock is certainly making a lot of people cry.
Mainly tears of laughter, it seems.


I'm imagining the original film with a slight alteration.

Han: Geode says you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system?

Ben: [Glances at the rock for a beat.] Yes indeed, if it's a fast ship.

Han: Fast ship? You've never heard of the Vessel?

Ben: I may have. What's it called?

Han: The Vessel!

Ben: [Blinks slowly] Should I have?

Han: It's the ship that made the Kessal Run in less than twelve parsecs!

Ben: I don't think that's physically possible, given what a parsec is.

Han: Sure it is! Tell 'em, Geode, about how you plotted that super dangerous route through hyperspace!

Geode: ...

Ben: [under his breath to Luke] Just stand up and slowly move away. Don't make eye contact.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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