The Mandalorian has become less interesting as it becomes more and more reliant on animated lore

The Mary Sue

Season 2 hasn't been as good Season 1, "and I think the unfortunate reason is that this season is not as geared towards the 'casual viewer' and more towards diehard fans of the animated Star Wars universe," says Jessica Mason. "The show is now relying so much on established lore and characters from other shows that it’s not as compelling to me, a person who has never seen those shows. And that’s fine, and I know those fans are enjoying this season! But for me, specifically, the introduction of so many characters and plot points from the animated series made many of the recent episodes fall flat. With characters like Bo-Katan and Ahsoka joining The Mandalorian, as well as big myth elements from The Clone Wars and Rebels seeming to drive the plot of the season, I feel like the show is relying on shorthand, only known by some of the audience, to do character and emotional work. With Bo-Katan, for instance, I wasn’t terribly impressed by her as a character because the show just didn’t give me very much there, but I think if I had already known her, it would have resonated more. There was so much exposition from Bo-Katan, but it somehow wasn’t enough and also served to confuse me and dilute what I thought we knew about Mandalorians in general. And Katee Sackoff is a really compelling presence when used right, but I don’t think the writers gave her enough here beyond looking cool and kicking ass. Who was she? I can’t really say. Relying on other shows and sources to get people to care about characters is not a great habit for a show to get into."

ALSO:

• The Mandalorian is an indictment of holy wars, and a celebration of pluralism: "Disney’s hit Star Wars show The Mandalorian is about a lot of things we’ve come to expect from the lucrative, spacefaring franchise. Cool-looking helmets. Super-fast spaceships. Baby Yoda," says Jack Jenkins. "But as the show rockets toward the end of its second season, there are hints it might be about something more than edge-of-your-seat action and Disney+ subscription sales: It’s also an indictment of faith-fueled conflict, and a celebration of religious pluralism. An encounter between two fan-favorite characters in a recent episode is made all the more profound when one understands that religion — a constant but also often ignored catalyst in the Star Wars universe — is likely the driving force (pun intended) behind many of the actions onscreen."
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