Star Wars Fans are Nothing if Not Consistent

The Mandalorian season three is completed. Just like the first two seasons, it was only eight episodes. However, it succeeded in wrapping up multiple plot threads, tying back to storylines from the Star Wars Animated Cannon, and gave shining moments to minor characters from this series and other parts of the franchise. (Rebels, YAY!)

And Star Wars fans are complaining.

Just like people my age, as they hit their teens complained that Ewoks were too silly... when the kids in the theaters loved them. 

Then they complained about the Prequels... when the kids in the theaters loved them. 

Then those kids grew up and complained about the sequels...when the kids in the theaters loved them.

Sense a pattern?

Yet some so called fans are going so far as to call Season Three of The Mandalorian, and I quote-

"the baddest Star wars" ever done. 

That really is a quote.

Yes, "baddest." 

And meaning it literally, not in the "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" way.

Listen kid, were you there when the only Star Wars we had available was a novel of what a low budget sequel would have been if the original failed (about Luke and Leia's romance on a swampy planet),

and a TV variety show featuring a geriatric Wookie getting his rocks off in front of his family to a VR of suggestively signing Diahann Carol?

No you weren't, so keep your grammatically incorrect superlatives to yourself.

Additionally, quit complaining that "Din Grogu" doesn't follow western naming conventions. Thanks to George Lucas's dialogue for Obi-wan in the original, we all spent a few years thinking Mr. Vader's first name was "Darth." Star Wars names have always been fluid. 

Just go with it...

And get off my lawn!

Spoilers on-

I continue to be really happy with the "original trilogy feel" of this show, in the way they don't feel the need to give deep explanations and back stories to everything. The Pretorian guards wear groovy red armor, have cool weapons, fight well...and that's all we need to know.

Now a little (surprisingly appropriate) comic book history lesson for those complaining about "filler" episodes.

Back in the old days of comics, creative teams would have really long runs on books, and the start and ending of those runs would be unheralded by a new number one. The result of those changes, sometimes, would be that one of the supporting characters would have something going on in the background, which would be touched on once or twice and issue that was clearly building to important consequences for the main character of the book. Then, the writer would leave and it would never get resolved.

What happens much more often in the self contained, trade paperback aimed, "every run starts with a number one" world we live in now is different. Every so often, a side character gets an entire issue to have a story for themselves, which will be important to the main character at an eventual point before the writer's planned run ends. This way, all the information that is needed gets presented, and all the threads get resolved.

Those issues are what the so called "filler" episodes are. Sure we could have had a couple minutes focusing on Doctor Pershing on Coruscant each episode spread over several seasons. However, in the unstable world of television we live in, there was no guarantee the show would continue long enough to do that. Also, more importantly for shows than comics, there is the issue of filming time for the actors. 

Therefore the Doctor Pershing episode was the equivalent of a Jimmy Olsen issue of Superman. It tells a full story in one episode, adds to the world building, and provides exposition needed for the overall villain's plan that we learn about later. 

I think of it more as a bonus than a filler. We could have gotten only seven episodes of plot, or  an eighth episode thrown in that dragged things out for no reason. Instead we got a free chunk of world building for the New Republic, with an awesome starship combat bit tacked on before hand and some cool Mandalorian stuff after.

And the guest star filled visit to the Tomorrowland/ Wonderland mix fell right in with how the series goes. It's a full, one off, self contained story, with little bits that connect to the overall arc. Grogu laughing cutely at the ridiculousness of Jack Black and Lizzo was the note indicating we should all have fun with this one. Plus it was nice to see the "Droid Rights" issue finally get a little more screen time, particularly considering Mando's character development and the eventual happy return of IG-11. (Bonus old reference points for having a replacement IG head be found in a bar, since the original assassin droid, IG-88 had a head that was a reused prop from the 1977 film's cantina bar.)

Also, compared to the Skywalker Saga films, Din Djarin has always been a side character. Bo-Katan's story is the big one about redemption and retaking Mandalore. The Empire remnant factions working toward what will eventually be the First Order is a galaxy shaping tale. Those huge events are the background in a series that spent a couple excellent episodes with Mando transporting Frog Lady and her eggs. Din and Grogu's stories are always the "side quests." Its an anthology series set in and around the much larger events of the Star Wars universe.

Folks keep expecting major twists, turns and betrayals...

and the series keeps being a straight forward story about a good hearted bounty hunter and his son.

The season ended in a way that would be complete and satisfying if the series ended there. Grogu and Mando's relationship has progressed, and they they have a home and a job working for the good guys. Bo-Katan has reunited the Mandalorians on their home world, and Moff Gideon had himself and his base blown to smithereens after a totally awesome jetpack army battle done in the classic "multiple fronts" style Star Wars is known for.

And Ahmed Best got some long overdue awesomeness for staying with the franchise after the crappy way the "fans" treated him.

Its hard for me to understand why other old fans were down on this season, especially since we were in it. 

Captain Carson Teva is one of us. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is fifty, balding with a grey beard and not what would be referred to as a bodybuilder physique. Captain Teva talks about being there in the old days of the Original Trilogy, and points out how things should be done better, based on how they were in those times rather than those of "New Star Wars." 

Talk about representation!

Oh, and to don my Captain Continuity hat again, for those that lost all suspension of disbelief in a  space fantasy series that has faster than light travel, magical knights with laser swords and a severe dislike for the wheel, when one week they couldn't catch a giant pterodactyl with their jetpacks but another week someone with a jetpack flew into orbit, I submit several theories.

1) When the monster flew in, they were training and didn't have their jetpacks fully charged.

2) The different clans have different power levels of jetpacks.

3) Axe was wearing a jetpack specifically chosen for a military assault from orbit.

4) Axe didn't need to save reserve fuel for the return trip.

5) Mandalore is smaller and has lower gravity than the Dinosaur Planet the covert was on before it.

Just enjoy the action folks.

There was far more than enough left open to continue the story however. Mando working for the New Republic is an endless source of one off episodes. For the big picture, Moff Gideon in his power armor could have easily pulled a Doctor Doom and his Doombots, and had a clone blown up. It has been pointed out that the one in the love child of Vader and Fett armor had no facial hair, just like his clones did. 

Maybe in a small tank somewhere, that's all that survived of him.

Next Series-

The Mandalorian Season IV- "Revenge of the 'Stache!"