Director: Dave Filoni
Writer: Jon Favreau
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Werner Herzog, Omid Abtahi, Nick Nolte, Taika Waititi, Horatio Sanz

‘Chapter One’ Air Date: 19/11/2019
Availability: The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+ (new episodes Fridays).

The flagship title for the launch of Disney+ is not only important for the service, it’s also a bit of TV history as the first-ever live-action Star Wars series.

The Mandalorian, much like The Rise of Skywalker, was shrouded in secrecy. I’m not going to spoil the premiere—or its final moments—but a heads-up: spoilers are everywhere online. With staggered regional rollouts, some fans had to dodge two episodes’ worth before getting access, which is rough.

I do think this secrecy was a marketing misstep. The big reveal at the end finally clarifies what the show is about; until then it plays like a bounty-hunter serial with stormtrooper and creature scraps. It’s an exciting twist, but keeping it under wraps makes the show hard to discuss or promote as Disney+ rolls out globally.

With that said, the first episode is everything I hoped for—and more.

The tone lands immediately. After a bar fight and a quick bounty pickup, we see how the titular Mando interacts with others—which is to say, barely. He’s a stoic, man-of-few-words western hero. The western DNA is everywhere, as are the old sci-fi serial vibes that influenced George Lucas—think Flash Gordon.

Chapter 1 moves fast and doesn’t pause to explain itself. As a big Star Wars fan, I knew the time period—several years after Return of the Jedi—and what a Mandalorian is (thanks to The Clone Wars and Rebels). But casual viewers might initially think this is a confusing Boba Fett prequel.

Beyond swapping an adventurous chatterbox crew for a taciturn lead, the show also feels different in the way it’s shot, scored and paced. The Mando trudges across desert landscapes as Ludwig Göransson’s flute-led theme builds into a thunder of drums. A planetary trek swells triumphantly and sounds unlike any previous Star Wars score—very Ennio Morricone, with the show in general channeling Sergio Leone. He’s the Man With No Name, beskar edition.

At only 38 minutes, the pace still feels rocket-propelled. Favreau has said he likes streaming’s freedom to end an episode when the story is done—not too early, not too late—and that seems to be the approach here.

Dave Filoni directs the premiere (and executive produces alongside Favreau), and as a fan of his animated work I’m happy to say his live-action debut is excellent.

The Mandalorian looks like Star Wars, but for the most part it doesn’t sound or flow like any Star Wars I’ve seen—and I love that. The Mando himself isn’t instantly gripping, but the world around him, the side characters he meets, and that final reveal will pull you back for episode two.