What makes a good TV series? No matter the amount of budget or special effects that is put behind the episodes, the foundation of a good TV drama is built by a story that is based on real characters that viewers care about. But there is one more thing that is needed to make a series that leaves a mark. It needs creators who are completely confident about what they are doing and knows how to present a story in the best possible manner. Creator Jon Favreau and the range of directors involved with The Mandalorian show supreme confidence in how they want to portray each frame with the maximum impact. Most of the episodes in season 1 are around 30 minutes in length and they can be a study about how to tell a story via TV without adding an ounce fat on the core subject.

With quite a few prime time big budget shows getting derailed by the burden of their own complexity, The Mandalorian offers something simple that appeals with its freshness. In truth it is just the proverbial old wine in a new bottle but what a bottle that is! It takes some of the favourite ingredients from the Star Wars world and spins a new web to create a sci-fi westerner that will easily be counted among the best shows of 2019.

There are smooth touches that leaves enough material for hard-core Star Wars fans to speculate about, while delivering enough fresh subject matter that will attract viewers who are beyond that camp. The entire storytelling has been kept cohesive without missing on the emotional beats to make each episode more compelling than the previous one.

The Mandalorian is an adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seats through the length of eight episodes and gets the viewers hooked enough to eagerly await the second season. The good news is that The Mandalorian season 2 has already started production since last November. The basic premise is on the age old theme of a lone warrior who finds one of his missions getting unexpectedly complicated. It is in the overall execution of this simple plot that The Mandalorian excels in.

The series keeps the action tight, the dialogues snappy and the visual effects top notch. Above all, it gives us some fascinating characters who can carry the load of the expanded Star War universe on their own. The casting is spot on with Pedro Pascal in the lead and Werner Herzog, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Nick Nolte, and Giancarlo Esposito provide able support.

Viewers who are sceptical about the hype around Baby Yoda, will definitely consider it a masterstroke from the creators after watching the series. Ludwig Göransson’s pulsating score adds to the overall impact and so does the impressive action choreography. Free from any attachments to the known Star Wars saga, The Mandalorian had the opportunity to tell its own story and it soars high by making excellent use of that opportunity.

Even with the short running time of the episodes, the series finds time to slow down, ponder and give the characters some breathing space; often, by the right use of silence. At the same time, it does not lose its sense of fun, delivering it at times through a pair of dim-witted stormtroopers or through a killer-turned-nurse droid played by Taika Waititi.

Tackling a Star Wars story is not easy, more so because of the huge weight of the fan expectations. The Mandalorian makes brilliant attempt create something new from a theme has left some of the big-screen audiences dissatisfied in recent times. This is definitely an achievement that does deserves appreciation. Disney+ is off to a good start and if it can stick to these standards, there is no doubt that we are set for some rollicking TV time.

By Suvajit Banerjee

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