The one bright spot in Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm has been the Mandalorian series, a Western/Samurai themed space serial adventure following a lone bounty hunter with echoes of Buck Rogers and other early adventure programs. It features plenty of tropes hearkening back to the original allure of the old Star Wars movies, complete with nods to Akira Kurosawa and John Ford. The show brings together the talents of producer Dave Filoni and writer/actor Jon Favreau who both had plans to creatively explore the “scum and villainy” of the galaxy through the lens of an episodic show located on the outer rim. These episodes are a collection of engaging adventures complete with remarkably well-constructed, lived-in worlds reminiscent of the efforts put forward in Blade Runner or Alien. In addition, Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson delivers an incredible score for this series, a moody arrangement with allusions to the strange mystique of yesteryear’s Samurai films. The production value for this series is extraordinary but some of my favorite parts include the closing art graphics following each episode.

Season 1 (2019)

1. “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”
2. “Chapter 2: The Child”
3. “Chapter 3: The Sin”
4. “Chapter 4: Sanctuary”
5. “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”
6. “Chapter 6: The Prisoner”
7. “Chapter 7: The Reckoning”
8. “Chapter 8: Redemption”

Season 2 (2020)

1. “Chapter 9: The Marshal”
2. “Chapter 10: The Passenger”
3. “Chapter 11: The Heiress”
4. “Chapter 12: The Siege”
5. “Chapter 13: The Jedi”
6. “Chapter 14: The Tragedy”
7. “Chapter 15: The Believer”
8. “Chapter 16: The Rescue”

Season 3 (2023)

• Click here for my review of Season 3. I decided not to review each episode for season 3 owing to a disappointing drop in quality this season.

My Favorite Episodes of The Mandalorian

• “Chapter 16: The Rescue”
• “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”
• “Chapter 13: The Jedi”
• “Chapter 3: The Sin”
• “Chapter 11: The Heiress”
• “Chapter 12: The Siege”
• “Chapter 15: The Believer”

Return to my survey of the Star Wars series