#the mandalorian review

[agentnico]

The Mandalorian - Season 3 (2023) Review

“This is the Way” used to be such a cool line to say. However in this new season multiple characters say this quote a gazillion times per episode. Kind of loses its, dare I say, way... Though to be fair that can be said about the season as a whole.

Plot: Our titular bounty hunter travels to Mandalore to redeem his past transgressions with his adopted son Grogu and being aided on their journey by fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze. The two then set out to inspire the remaining members of the creed to come together and reclaim their homeland.

As someone who did not actually grow up with Star Wars (I was always more into Lord of the Rings as a kid), and only watched the original films for the first time back in 2014 in preparation for The Force Awakens, I don’t share that nostalgic love for the property. So for me personally The Mandalorian show up till now was my most favourite thing to come from this science fiction world. Say what you will, but Hollywood go-to dad Pedro Pascal wearing a kettle helmet and bonding with his adopted kid Grogu is such an ace idea for a show, and has worked wonders till now. I love the character so much that I even own the Din Djarin helmet from Hasbro, which rests nicely on the top shelf of my geeky display case alongside my other treasuries. So naturally I was really looking forward to the third season of my favourite bounty hunter’s adventures, following the exciting set-up at the end of The Book of Boba Fett, a show by the way that is only worth watching once our favourite Mando appears in. Now the season finale has aired on Disney+, so naturally I am here to compliment, critique, and knit-pick my humble opinions...

This isn’t really a great season. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some solid moments, but the entire plot of the season only really picks up in the final two episodes, when our characters finally decide to reclaim Mandalore. The rest of the season is for the most part a lot of unnecessary filler and endless set-up. As such, those final two episodes end up suffering too, as they are very rushed. We get our proper villain reveal in the penultimate episode, and then its very much a quick race to have the confrontation and resolution, and as such the season ends and you’re just there like “well okay, that’s that then”. 

Also, I like Bo-Katan as a character. Katee Sackhoff is a very strong female hero and plays the character with prowess and charisma. Also Bo-Katan’s helmet looks great, and yes, you know where this is going... I have acquired the Hasbro replica of said helmet and it now rests gracefully next to my Mando helmet on my display case because I am not at all sad. That being said, the show is called The Mandalorian, not Bo-Katan. Yet in this season Din Djarin is very much side-lined and instead is focused on Bo-Katan’s internal struggle in getting the courage to once again become a leader and unify her people, as well as the New Republic struggling to maintain control of the Galaxy. Again, Sackhoff is great in the role and I dig the character, but at the end of the day I watch The Mandalorian for the Mandalorian, as in Din Djarin. As in Pedro Pascal being the cool dude that he is. 

Look, season 3 of The Mandalorian isn’t necessarily bad or anything. It’s simply very average, with a lack of narrative direction as well as a deviation from the titular hero and his green companion. Nonetheless I am still looking forward to Season 4, now that the two last episodes have properly kicked things into gear and end with the assumption that the focus is now going to be back on Din Djarin and his kid. Meaning hopefully next season is going to be much more interesting and eventful. And look, I know a few fans out there got really annoyed with that one episode this season which had cameo appearances by Jack Black, Lizzo and Christopher Lloyd. And I get the Lizzo criticism - the woman cannot act whatsoever. But as an episode on its own I enjoyed it. It took it back to basics with Mando having these standalone little adventures. From the finale it seems that season 4 is heading more back in that direction with setting the stage for new adventures for Din Djarin and Grogu, and that gives me hope that we shall see the way again...

Overall score: 5/10

[tinyreviews]

As Grogu ages, the challenges of making his puppet-like physique will grow. I wonder how they will portray an older Mandalorian Grogu without making it laughable?

The third season of the American television series The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, set after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). The season is produced by Lucasfilm, Fairview Entertainment, and Golem Creations, with Jon Favreau as showrunner.

[skytalkerspodcast]

The Mandalorian: Chapter 22 “Guns for Hire” & Chapter 23 “The Spies” (Season 3, Episode 6 & 7) Discussion

Charlotte and Caitlin are back from Star Wars Celebration and ready to talk all about The Mandalorian Chapter 22, “Guns for Hire”(Season 3, Episode 6), and Chapter 23, “The Spies” (Season 3, Episode 7)!

Charlotte and Caitlin are back from Star Wars Celebration and ready to talk all about The Mandalorian Chapter 22, “Guns for Hire”(Season 3, Episode 6), and Chapter 23, “The Spies” (Season 3, Episode 7)! They discuss the wonderful weird of Plazir-15 and the hunt for the rogue droids before diving into the dramatic penultimate episode. In “The Spies”, they dissect Grogu’s character development, Bo…

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Mandalorian: The Return (3x08)

In all, this season of The Mandalorian was pretty baffling. I've chose to just sort of... go with it, accept what we've been given instead of trying to question the shape of things too much.

Cons:

I don't really care about powerful, special, one-of-a-kind weapons, but I did think it was very odd that the Dark Saber met such a strange, unceremonious end. Mostly because symbolically, it was this whole big deal that Bo-Katan had earned it, and her place as the head of Mandalore or whatever. I actually think a more powerful symbol would be her giving the weapon away at some point just like Din did with her, thus confirming that the Mandalorians don't need a specific gadget or tool in order to be honorable and fierce leaders. Instead, the bad guy just destroys it, and all that buildup around who gets the sword just felt like wasted time in retrospect? I don't know. Sort of odd.

So, I obviously love any scene where Grogu and Din Djarin are fighting side by side, desperately protecting one another at all costs... but in watching this finale, this long, drawn-out action sequence with Moff Gideon's Beskar-wearing storm troopers going toe-to-toe with the Mandalorians, I kept thinking about last season's finale. How the action was all tied up in Grogu specifically. How he had been taken, and Din was doing anything he possibly could to get him back. And how in the end, he had to let him go. This time, it's just... there are bad guys in the room, and they're trying to kill everybody in front of them because they want control of this planet. Grogu doesn't seem to have any special significance to them at all. It would have been easy enough to adjust this: play up the fact that Grogu is a Jedi, or at least a Jedi in training. Play up the fact that he represents the enemy of Moff Gideon on two different accounts, both as a Mandalorian and as a Jedi. There could have been something there, and instead the peril felt by our main characters felt rather incidental to the actual goal of the villains.

Ultimately, I liked this episode quite a bit, which I'll talk about in a second, but since it's the end of the season, it really brings to focus all the strangeness with the pacing, and the lack of focus on our lead characters. Grogu and Din just kind of... happened to be around for a lot of shit that went down. Mando's dedication to his people is touching, but then in the end, even though Mandalore is reformed and habitable, Mando is just going off to keep being a bounty hunter, working for the New Republic on a freelance basis. It feels very... full circle, would be the nice way of saying it, but honestly it feels kind of odd that after a whole season, our characters aren't really up to anything new that we haven't seen from them before.

Pros:

So, I really liked the action! That's a good place to start. Not much to say about it, but there was a good mix of aerial fighting between various flying armored men, there were ships, there were one-on-one intense battles between Gideon and Djarin, and then later Gideon and Bo-Katan... there was Grogu pulling out some seriously cool Jedi flips to keep himself safe from various attackers. All of it was dynamic and interesting and at times legitimately stressful!

As much as I've struggled to understand the way they've positioned Bo-Katan's character as sort of the unofficial lead of this season, I loved the moment when she took over the Gideon fight and told Djarin to go save his kid. That was a good representation of what their dynamic is: she is fighting her political rival for control of her planet and its sacred significance to her people. And Din just wants to make sure Grogu is safe! It's his ultimate purpose. I love that.

For now, it appears that Moff Gideon is dead, but before his death, we did see that he was endeavoring to create clones of himself. While the clones were seemingly destroyed, this does leave open the possibility of other Gideons hanging about somewhere waiting to pop up and be evil later down the line! I absolutely loathed the final Star Wars movie with Palpatine coming back and all that stupid nonsense, but I guess I do appreciate how we get these hints here in this show of the path that will lead to those later movies; I am a sucker for some cinematic universe continuity.

Obviously the best part of the episode is that Din Djarin formally adopts Grogu as his son, making him Din Grogu! It makes me emotional just thinking about it. I love that Djarin wants to take him on as an apprentice, wants to honor Grogu's place among their people, but because he's not old enough to officially take on the creed (he can't speak for himself), he needs parental permission. When Din makes the offer, and the Armorer says "this is the way", I got a little misty-eyed. Now, with the potential to take contracts all set up with Teva, and a nice little cottage on Nevarro, this father and son duo can relax and adventure as they so choose!

I think ultimately what this season has given us is the opportunity for Din and Grogu to hang out and go on little episodic jaunts for as long as people want to keep watching the show. And I kind of like that. I like the idea of having a fun sorta cowboy space show about a helmet-wearing father and his little puppet son that I can just chill out with. The issue is, this show also seems to care about expanding the world and explaining the political structures of things, of setting up this series as a bridge between other Star Wars properties with which we are already familiar. Both are worthy goals. I'm just not sure how well they're being meshed together at this point. We'll see what happens next, when this show returns probably in like two years or something. All in all, this wasn't a "good" season of TV, but I still had an okay time!

8/10

[retoreview]

The Mandalorian review: A Journey Through the Star Wars Galaxy 2023 - retoreview

Introduction: The Mandalorian, a sensational television series set in the beloved Star Wars universe, has taken the entertainment world by s...

[for-a-longlongtime]

A whole ass mood.

Nerdy Pedro with glasses, whispy curls under his headphones, focussing intently while editing a text, and wearing a Paris Review shirt (of all things. I wish this one would reappear)...

I love this so much.

It's is a whole ass mood for this week, I've decided.

[rebelsofshield]

Did you hear?!?

The next Star Wars movie is going to be a movie adaptation of a show that's been solidly mediocre for most of its existence but happens to star two incredibly bankable, toy ready protagonists! And it's being directed by the guy whose last feature film directing credit is that soulless Lion King remake! Aren't you hyped?!? Star Wars on the big screen!!!

Ugh, okay, I don't want it. This is maybe the least interesting Star Wars movie that could be announced right now. I don't know if I really want to spend money to go see an extra long episode of a show that has completely abandoned being about characters.

Also! Isn't it just a little gross that The Mandalorian and Grogu (God I hate that title so fucking much) is announced less than a week after the far-right nerds of the Internet decided that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, director of the upcoming New Jedi Order movie, was their villain of the week simply because she was a woman of color? How can you not read this as Lucasfilm being like "Oh shit, before we release the Star Wars movie directed by a woman, I guess we gotta distract the pissy racists with some boring sludge."

[merrymongoose]

Look I know we joked about Din wanting to be a side character during s1 and 2 but dont actually MAKE him a side character

[browneyess]

Let’s talk about Din’s side-story/show takeover in The Book of Boba Fett. Personally, I really liked the show! It definitely wasn’t great, but it had potential. However, what they did with Din and Grogu was horrid. Yes, it was cool, but they didn’t need to put that in an entirely different show. The only reason I can think of as to why the directors did that is to bring back Grogu faster, their biggest money grab. Disney is all about that marketability! I hated that so much. Another reason they might have brought Grogu back so quickly is that some people watch The Mandalorian for Grogu or just really love the character. Without Grogu, The Mandalorian was sure to have viewership rates drop. However, the show is called The Mandalorian, not The Mandalorian and Grogu (although the same title is being used for the movie to be released in 2026). It's bout the Mandalorian, not Grogu. While its plot is heavily supported by him, he’s not a keystone in it. The show can function just fine without Grogu. However, Din cannot!

Disney completely breezed over the two years Din and Grogu were apart. Two years. And you know what Disney does? They don’t acknowledge it! They don’t even hint towards the fact that Din was definitely mentally struggling without Grogu; he helped him in more ways than one. I’m going to be honest before I rewatched it, I didn’t remember how season 3 started. However, I do know how it should’ve started:

Season 2 ends with Grogu being taken away by Luke. The elevator door shuts and boom, that’s it. End of the season. The writers of the show could’ve taken advantage of that and started season 3 in the same place they left off. The poor writing left out so much important information, like what did Din do after he took off his helmet? Did he put it back on and act like nothing happened? How did the others react? How did they move on from that whole ordeal? Season 3 could’ve started with that. It could’ve explained everything that happened post-season 2: Din’s handling of being alone/an apostate, how he moved on/coped, what he did afterward (did he return to bounty hunting (TBOBF confirms that he did), or did he go on hiatus and/or hide somewhere?), etc. It’s so infuriating to me that Disney breezed over the fact that Din was definitely mentally struggling. The way they wrote Din’s part of The Book of Boba Fett and season 3 made it seem like those two years of grieving never happened. Don’t you think Din would be, oh I don’t know, maybe a little overprotective/clingy over Grogu? Perhaps even salty toward the Jedi! I know for a fact he’d hold a grudge against Luke/Ahsoka/other Jedi for taking his boy away from him. This isn’t DIN DJARIN, this is BIN JARRIN. UGH.

While season 3 could’ve delved into Din’s recovery from losing Grogu, it also could’ve taken advantage of the obvious doorway to introduce more flashbacks. In the entire show, we only get a single flashback, and it only explains what happened to Din’s family, how he became a Mandalorian, and why he dislikes droids so much. It is great that they did that! Although, they are severely lacking in a lot of other important backstory parts: how Din adapted to being a Mandalorian, his relationship with the other Mandalorians (Paz Vizsla and the Armorer especially—maybe some non-introduced characters?), what inspired him to be a bounty hunter, etc. etc. Oh my God, the possibilities for season 3 are genuinely endless, and it pisses me off to no end that they didn’t seize such a good opportunity.

Din’s part in The Book of Boba Fett and season 3 would be better off as season 4, of course, with better writing.

Genuinely there should be more focus on Din's obvious anxiety and trauma. They could have gone in so many directions with it and instead just brought Grogu back. I really wish they’d shown us Din fresh after losing Grogu because I feel like his separation anxiety would be insane (as loss can make that more prone to happen! And Din is no stranger to losing things at a young, impressionable age!). He literally watched his parents die. I feel so bad for him because he finally found an anchor in his life, and then this random blond-ass twink pulls up and is like, “Come with me.” Or something, I don’t know. And then Din takes off his helmet??? For Grogu??? And then that’s it—they literally don’t acknowledge it whatsoever. Like, what do you mean he’s a human with emotions and struggles! 😂 Never heard of her!

He didn’t trust droids for over half his life because of trauma, and I feel like there’d be other things he’d have bad anxiety over too (like Grogu and his attachments). Can we get more of that, please? Even still, he doesn’t trust droids. In season 3, he asked for IG-11 specifically, despite him being literally offline. He still tried to get him back, and it wasn’t until IG-11 REALLY went out of commission that he had to settle for R5-D4. Then in episode 6, Bo said, “Do any of them look suspicious?” and he replied, “All of them look suspicious” because the droids they were looking at specifically were battle droids—the kind that killed his parents. So obviously, he holds a grudge against that model. But I know for a fact he was uncomfortable on Plazir-15 because of the extensive droid staff.

The way they skipped over those two years gives Din Djarin’s character the impression that it meant nothing to him. Or—it went by so fast, he didn’t even realize. Whatever it was, it was a poor writing decision. Din’s character is beautifully complex, but the writers aren’t putting in the effort to even consider that.

Without Grogu, I feel like Din would be a lot different. More cold and quiet than he was before; how he was at the beginning of season 1 and The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian." He’s distinctly more dry in replies and more focused on his job than anything. The Book of Boba Fett at least gave us a little bit of Din without Grogu, but that didn’t even last long because the following episode Din goes to see Grogu. As much as I love Din and Grogu’s relationship, I feel like Din trying to move on—emphasis on trying—would make a good episode. Like trying to do a job, fresh from becoming an apostate and losing Grogu, and he just can’t focus with everything that had just happened.

A detail I love in The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian," are two things that remind Din of Grogu: the beskar chainmail wrapped in a way that it kind of looks like Grogu’s head, and the green Rodian child. As much as Din would like to move on, he simply can’t because everything reminds him of Grogu. Also, he literally had the Armorer break down the spear to make into a gift for a “special foundling,” and he wanted to see Grogu. They even talked about how Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments, but the Mandalorian Creed is built on attachments. While Din wants to keep Grogu, he knows he can’t because that’s not what Grogu can have. He’s destined to be a Jedi; there’s no dodging that.

Adding to that, without Grogu, I feel like Din would be a lot different. More cold and quiet than he was before; how he was at the beginning of season 1 and The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian." He’s distinctly more dry in replies and more focused on his job than anything. The Book of Boba Fett at least gave us a little bit of Din without Grogu, but that didn’t even last long because the following episode Din goes to see Grogu. As much as I love Din and Grogu’s relationship, I feel like Din trying to move on—emphasis on trying—would make a good episode. Like trying to do a job, fresh from becoming an apostate and losing Grogu, and he just can’t focus with everything that had just happened.

Considering how deeply Din's life has been affected by Grogu, his attempts to move on would undoubtedly be fraught with difficulty and reminders of their bond. 

Din’s journey without Grogu could have been an opportunity to delve deeper into his role as Mandalore and how he navigates that responsibility amidst his personal loss. This aspect of his character and the dynamics within the Mandalorian community could have added rich layers to the story. Instead, the show has overlooked these potential storylines, focusing more on quick resolutions rather than exploring the depth and complexity of Din’s situation.

In general, I want to see more of Din’s attachments—past and present. That’s what their culture is built on, right? It might be the lack of scenes he has with other Mandalorians, but he seems kind of distant from a lot of them (though the general plot of the show hasn’t really allowed us to see those connections in the past). The Mandalorian culture is built on attachment and trust, which contrasts with the Jedi. 

Seeing more of Din’s anxiety and how he handles his attachments would add so much depth to his character. His journey is filled with loss and trauma, and exploring these aspects would make for compelling storytelling. Season 3 could have delved into his struggles with trust and connection, especially in the wake of losing Grogu and becoming an apostate.

If you read this far, thanks! You're a real one.

[therealarrogantbastard]

So after bingeing all current episodes of The Acolyte, I really don't understand the hate it's getting. I mean, Season 3 of The Mandalorian is incredibly weak from a storytelling standpoint. Most of the episodes are filler with something important happening only at the beginning or end (until the final one or two episodes). However, those episodes still rank highly on imdb, with the lowest scoring episode having a 6.4/10 rating.*

And yet, The Acolyte, which has a coherent plot, compelling characters, and isn't just remakes of western films or other Star Wars material, is review bombed on imdb. Anyway, here are my top guesses as to why it's getting so much hate:

The main characters are POC

Queer representation (even though it's fairly minimal)

Wait, religious warrior cult may not be good guys after all? (Who could've guessed)

Anyway, I'm desperately hoping that Disney doesn't cancel The Acolyte because of the review bombing. I personally think it ranks with Andor as some of the best Star Wars shows within the past few years (hmm, I smell a ranking post incoming).

*Even The Book of Boba Fett, which comes across as underdeveloped B-Plot for The Mandalorian, and got rightfully trashed for the poor attempt to relate to Gen Z with its Space Power Rangers, is rated more highly than this

[djarins-cyare]

I just finished “Be-All And Endor” … Jem. holy shit. I have never read something - in 15 years of multiple fandoms - as well-researched and BEAUTIFUL as this. I also think it may be the longest fan work I have ever read. I want you to teach me Mando’a, I want to see a film adaptation, I want to shoot this story directly into my veins. your prose is stunning, your story is BEYOND engaging, and your talent is undeniable. THANK YOU for sharing such a phenomenal story!!!

Dev! Wow, what a review... thank you! 😊

I’m overjoyed to have written something that impressed you this much, and honoured that you took the time to read it.

I'm always happy to offer Mando’a tips! Sadly, I suspect Lucasfilm might not be on board with a direct film adaptation, given the smut (although I could always tone it down if they’re interested lol). And, of course, humanity is so far disappointingly lacking a prose-to-veins delivery system, which is frankly a shame because I’ve read so many fics that I just know would heal the sick and injured if they could be converted into injectable elixirs.

Thank you for considering Be-All And Endor to possess such magical medicinal properties 🙏🏻💖 I’m really glad you enjoyed it!!

[tinyreviews]

How did Gideon know Bo was in possession of the darksaber? Maybe that’s the reason why the episode was titled “The Spies”.

The third season of the American television series The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, set after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). The season is produced by Lucasfilm, Fairview Entertainment, and Golem Creations, with Jon Favreau as showrunner.

[skytalkerspodcast]

The Mandalorian: Chapter 21 “The Pirate” (Season 3, Episode 5) Discussion

Charlotte and Caitlin talk about the latest episode of The Mandalorian, Chapter 21 “The Pirate” (Season 3, Episode 5).

Charlotte and Caitlin talk about the latest episode of The Mandalorian, Chapter 21 “The Pirate” (Season 3, Episode 5). Pirates, Bo-Katan’s purpose and what the Armorer meant, the future of Nevarro, Zeb (!!!), and so much more.  Click here to download the episode directly. Join us at our live show at Star Wars Celebration Europe on 4/9 at 1 PM — Room 14 on the HoloNet News Stage! We can’t wait……

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Mandalorian: The Spies (3x07)

Okay, all of the twiddling of thumbs and weird pacing issues this season, and now suddenly the bad guy shows up and he's not messin' around. Let's talk about it.

Cons:

I still think it's odd how much this story has become Bo-Katan's, instead of Din's. There's this moment that I liked well enough, where Din is talking about why he's loyal to Bo-Katan, and it felt like a growth moment for her, but not really for him. He doesn't have an ego problem, he didn't want to rule. Even the fact that Bo-Katan and her people take their helmets off and don't follow "the Way" doesn't seem to bug him that much. He doesn't have to go on a journey of self-discovery and realize that his method of practicing his faith isn't the only valuable one. There's just no growth opportunity here. Nothing that's happening feels rooted in his character at the center of this show.

This episode features the heroic sacrifice of Paz Vizsla, as he fights off Moff Gideon's baddies in order to give the other Mandalorians a chance to escape. I just wanted to flag that I barely know who this dude is or why I should care about him? I mean, I know who he is, he's been around, but they really framed his death as something that should have some sort of bigger emotional impact on the viewer, and it really... did not.

Pros:

At this point, I'm literally watching the show in hopes of more moments and concepts like Grogu riding around in IG-12, saying "yes" and "no" and driving Din mad. This was such an adorable concept, I loved the dry delivery of "this isn't working for me", and the "yes, what?" said in exasperation as Grogu just kept hitting the button in joy. It's silly and cheesy and childish and that dang puppet baby is still so freakin' cute I can't even stand it.

Also, for all that I've said I don't mind a more episodic format to this show, seeing Gideon show up and have an epic showdown with all these different Mandalorians was really an adrenaline boost after a season where it feels like not very much has happened. The action was cool, I like seeing Bo-Katan as the bad-ass leader getting to use the Dark Saber... yeah. It was exciting.

While I might have characterization issues here, I do enjoy getting to see the different strands of the Mandalorian people, coming together and trying to do what's best for them as a collective. The scene where Bo-Katan asks for volunteers, and after Din breaks the silence, we see people from both factions stepping up, was quite moving in its own right!

I can't believe next week is the season finale. This has been an odd season of television, if I'm being honest. I still don't mind tuning in, but I'm a little concerned about the long-term future of the show at this point. I think they need to find something for Din and Grogu to do...

7.5/10

[i-didnt-hate-it]

Okay, starting with something just so I can get back into the swing of this.

I didn't hate the first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte.

Not really spoilers below, but if you want to go into it without knowing anything, maybe read this another time.

It takes a little bit to get invested, mostly because I don't know the characters yet, but it's actually refreshing to not know anything about any of them. To start off with characters you don't know or care about and set up a premise intriguing enough to make me care, that's promising.

After the first two episodes, I can say I'm into it, and I can't wait for the rest of the season. It's not perfect, and I can see some of the things that toxic "fans" are going to complain about. Some the acting and dialogue is a bit stilted, some of the sets clearly look like they were made on the volume, and sometimes the editing/pacing is a little weird. But the story is interesting enough for me to ignore most of that stuff.

It's not Andor, but it's not trying to be. It's not The Mandalorian, but it's not trying to be. It's not Ahsoka... you get the idea. The Acolyte is taking a big risk, setting itself in an era we haven't seen yet except for books, comics, and one animated show that is marketed for very young children (Young Jedi Adventures is pretty cute btw, I've watched a couple episodes). We don't know most of these characters, and if you're like me and you haven't gotten into the High Republic stuff yet, you don't know any of them.

I would dare to say that The Acolyte is even more original than Andor. Andor has amazing original plotlines and superb writing, but it still focuses on an era we know extremely well and stars a character whose fate we already know. Of course, this isn't anything against Andor, and it also isn't to say that originality is not the sole factor in making a good show. But it is easier to compare these shows that "no one asked for" rather than shows based on established popular characters like Ahsoka or Boba Fett.

I don't want to get into every detail, because this post is long enough already. I'll just say that The Acolyte feels like Star Wars. If you like watching Jedi be Jedi, if you enjoyed the episodes of The Clone Wars where the Jedi just did Jedi things and foiled plots and uncovered mysteries, The Acolyte is Star Wars for you. If you liked Tales of The Jedi, watching Dooku, Mace Windu, and Qui Gon Jinn in their prime before the Clone Wars, The Acolyte is for you. If you liked Star Wars Visions, seeing new, creative takes on Star Wars with unique fight scenes and interesting spins on classic Star Wars themes like balance and duality, The Acolyte is for you.

If none of that sounds interesting, maybe it's not for you, and that's okay. Nobody is making you watch it, but please don't be toxic about it.