aaronjbong

"The Mandalorian" is truly what "Star Wars" should feel like. From the 9-part so called "Skywalker" saga, the original trilogy stands tall amongst the rest and is known for its sense of fun, adventure, sophisticated story telling and iconic characters. The prequel trilogy got bogged down by intricate and convoluting politics (mostly) and some very corny dialogue while the recently completed sequel trilogy devolved into a mess of disconnected plot threads and idea strands that conflicted one another and were forced to be sewn together. "The Mandalorian"'s profile fits most well with the original trilogy, and although the plot is not very intricate, the spectacle and fun reminds us of what made "Star Wars" what it is.

Set a few years after "Return of the Jedi", the New Republic has been formed. However in the Outer Rims, things are still not quite in order yet and therefore, government is still a bit messy. There are still some remnants of the Galactic Empire roaming around. Meet the Mandalorian, our protagonist. He's a bounty hunter with a strict code as well as with a high reputation. One day, he's given a special task by one of these Imperial remnants to capture a high-level target who turns out to be the Child, or who we refer to as the Baby Yoda nowadays. While initially indifferent, he becomes attached to it and has a change of heart, resulting in the plot of the series, that is the Mandalorian protecting the Child from the threats across the galaxy.

I really like our protagonist. He's pretty much a man in armor but he's not bland. He's mysterious, he has personality and you totally support him because he's a badass. I also like that our protagonist is not Force-sensitive because it won't make the protagonist overpowered. It's the reason why I'm drawn to "Rogue One". I also like that they expand on the lore of the Mandalorians, who they are, and what principles they have because I don't think they really address them that much in the films. Sure Boba Fett is pretty well-known but as far as I remember, he didn't really play a large part aside from being that one guy with the cool helmet and has a jetpack. Supporting characters are also well-rounded, and some of Mando's closest allies are truly amongst the most memorable characters from the franchise.

The first season runs for 8 episodes. The plot is simple enough and therefore while the ship runs tight for the first 3 episodes, things sort of slow down in the middle. The main arc is sort of stretched thin during these episodes and the subplots that happen here are not that compelling. Hypothetically, if these episodes were removed, we wouldn't be losing much to the series and perhaps might make the story even tighter and more compact. Thankfully, this lull streak is broken with the last two episodes, which are incidentally the best episodes of the season. Stakes are high and by the end, things are up in the air as we wait eagerly for Season 2.

"The Mandalorian" is a welcome relief after having seen "The Rise of Skywalker". It brings back the aspects that made "Star Wars" such an iconic phenomenon and while the story is pretty safe, it's better than the movie sequels where plot points are just jammed in for the sake of shock or false significance. It has a great cast of characters acted by a group of established and experienced actors. I will be eagerly waiting for Season 2.

After taking a giant leap and leading us to the vast gigantic world outside, "The Winter Line" reins it in and takes us back to where it all started (sort of) and reunites us with Maeve Millay, another powerful host and perhaps the only one who can equal Dolores's prowess. This is a smaller-scale follow-up in scope, perhaps reminding us of the park where it began before we finally leave it and stay outside for quite some time. This is supported by the fact that the cast of characters here are mostly familiar faces, whereas the season premiere had introduced us to a vast array of new faces.

Story-wise, it isn't as fast-paced as the previous episode. It feels more like a single adventure with several checkpoints but nonetheless, it is still pretty intriguing because even though the setting and environment is familiar, you still see new stuff, accompanied with some pretty amazing shots. In addition, Maeve is probably the most charming host throughout the series and her charisma, attitude, and wits elevate this episode. There's also Bernard Lowe's storyline here, and it has quite ramped up from last time we saw him. His storyline hasn't become quite complex yet, but I'm sure it's all building up until all our hosts will inevitably cross paths once again.

The sets and visual effects were as expected beautiful to look at. There's one particular brief shot in the episode that serves as a pretty interesting cameo so definitely keep an eye out for that. The climax of the episode was pretty exhilarating and the ending is intriguing, mysterious, and successfully amps up the hype of what is to come.

"Watchmen" is a violent, gory and incredibly intriguing continuation of the graphic novel of the same name, set several decades after it, and assembles new characters with some of the original as well. It is gripping, full of twists and turns, and filled with moments that make you just go "WTF". Centered around a new protagonist Angela Abar, the plot starts out by presenting the murder of her chief police officer, but gradually extends beyond that to a story that is so much more expansive in spatial and temporal magnitude.

Set in an alternative history that aligns with the graphic novel, it puts us in a world that is familiar yet highly strange to us. Suburban living is as we recognize it today, only to be occasionally interrupted by cars and little squids falling out of the sky. There's the talk of Dr. Manhattan in the streets, essentially a god who has gone to Mars. There are police officers who wear masks. Each episode is layered and crafted so well, that it starts out with different threads, spits out to more storyline threads, and ultimately manages to collect them together cohesively into one incredible narrative.

My personal favorites were Episodes 3, 6, and 8. I particularly liked Episode 3 because we get introduced to one of my favorite characters in the series. Episodes 6 and 8, I believe, capture the essence of the story's weirdness and strangeness best. They are tricky, they are surreal, they move back and forth, and they are packed with unbelievable story points. That's not to say the other episodes were lackluster, each of them did a great job of building up the conflict, leading up to the resolution in Episode 9. However, I did feel that the resolution was a bit too convenient and wasn't as interesting as I hoped it would be, which steered the whole climax towards the anticlimactic side.

The visuals of the series was pretty much beautiful, with some of the scenes being just full of awe. I also like what they did with the title sequences, or the transitions. I felt that they were imbued with some creativity, and some of the transitions were unexpected (moving from a shot of one'e eyes to the stars), which I felt added to the mood of a graphic novel and the strange charm the series has.

The series also has astounding cast, imbuing not only our main character but some of the side characters, with complex motivations and layered backgrounds. Most of the characters that were central to the story felt real and fully-fledged. Some of them were not as fully-constructed, and instead were more identifiable by their eccentric personalities and mannerisms, but none were one-dimensional.

This is one of the best series I have ever seen. It is violent, it is fun, it is mysterious, it is twisting, and it is a ride. This is the unmasking of a cruel, wild, and exhilarating narrative.