SPOILERS: The Mandalorian Season 2 Discussion

[NateD1226]

The fight between Ahsoka and the magistrate looked amazing, beautiful cinematography.

Fun Fact: The actress who played the magistarte is Bruce Lee's goddaughter and has been doing marital arts and stunt work all her life!

 

[danlb_2000]

I am starting to get a little sad if it really is Luke who picks up Grogu's signal. I dont want to end his time on the series knowing what his fate will be.

And as someone unfamiliar with Ahsoka, I thought Rosario did a fine job.

Even if he ends up with Luke, it doesn't mean he faces the same fate as the other students.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Maybe Dave wants a Trilogy too?

So far this feels like the next chapter in the animated series. Maybe there is an Ahsoka show in the pipeline, maybe some more plays out here. But IMO, the calls to the animated shows are more than just fan service. All those characters aren’t going to show up this year. This is on slow burn to build new characters and new worlds too. But I would be shocked if we never see Ezra and Sabine during the show’s run.

Perhaps...the Ashoka standalone would be the way to go imho. Not everything has to be a “trilogy”....their last two haven’t been world beaters

When Disney bought Lucasfilm they should have given Jon and Dave creative control over the future direction of Star Wars. The sequels really suffered from not having a single creative vision guiding them.

respectfully disagree.

I like both favreau and filoni...but they aren’t perfect. Favreau has done a couple of in the can live actions remakes at disney’s Demand...which is exactly how Iger has run their IPs off course (reboots and remakes)...

And filoni is a tad TOO loyal to George. Time heals all wounds...but there’s still big mistakes from Lucas that altered the course of the franchise that can’t be dismissed.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I am starting to get a little sad if it really is Luke who picks up Grogu's signal. I dont want to end his time on the series knowing what his fate will be.

And as someone unfamiliar with Ahsoka, I thought Rosario did a fine job.

The biggest mistake in Star Wars history...and I haven’t mentally blocked jar jar or Hayden Christiansen....is what that clueless little man boy did with Luke skywalker.

He is an all time key move character. All time.

It was a disastrous mistake. Disney knows it...and they can’t honestly maximize their profit off this franchise if they don’t somehow make up for it.

Good luck convincing me otherwise.

But the problem is mark hammil would need to be timewarped from 1988...and that’s not gonna work. A recast would be a bigger disaster.

 

[danlb_2000]

Perhaps...the Ashoka standalone would be the way to go imho. Not everything has to be a “trilogy”....their last two haven’t been world beaters




respectfully disagree.

I like both favreau and filoni...but they aren’t perfect. Favreau has done a couple of in the can live actions remakes at disney’s Demand...which is exactly how Iger has run their IPs off course (reboots and remakes)...

And filoni is a tad TOO loyal to George. Time heals all wounds...but there’s still big mistakes from Lucas that altered the course of the franchise that can’t be dismissed.

Sure, they may not be perfect, but I still think things would have turned out much better under their guidance. I think Filoni understands the elements that make for good Star Wars and know enough to filter out the bad Lucas ideas.

 

[Mike S]

Oh man, oh man, oh man.

These people know how to make Star Wars. Ahsoka in this one episode is the best live action Jedi we’ve seen since Disney took over. Bar none.

I’m in the camp that Dawson did a great job. It’s clear she really did want to play this character.

 

[hopemax]

Yeah, I don’t think we’ll *see* much of Luke Skywalker because of Mark’s current age. A hologram maybe, references. Same with Leia. But after today, I did start wondering about Han, Chewbacca and Lando showing up at some point. Not Harrison and Billy Dee but Alden and Donald. Solo gave Disney the option, at least.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Sure, they may not be perfect, but I still think things would have turned out much better under their guidance. I think Filoni understands the elements that make for good Star Wars and know enough to filter out the bad Lucas ideas.

I think I agree with you...but the problem with Disney since the day they bought Star Wars is no consistent direction and what appears to be internal politics/disagreements spilling over into production.

It seems that favreau is pretty much protected from that with this...and we know who filoni speaks for...

Oh man, oh man, oh man.

These people know how to make Star Wars. Ahsoka in this one episode is the best live action Jedi we’ve seen since Disney took over. Bar none.

I’m in the camp that Dawson did a great job. It’s clear she really did want to play this character.

I agree with you within the margin of error on this one

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, I don’t think we’ll *see* much of Luke Skywalker because of Mark’s current age. A hologram maybe, references. Same with Leia. But after today, I did start wondering about Han, Chewbacca and Lando showing up at some point. Not Harrison and Billy Dee but Alden and Donald. Solo gave Disney the option, at least.

Wouldn’t work though...how do you have those guys play post rebellion characters?

 

[BrianLo]

Disney will kill off Grogu exactly the same time they allow the on screen deaths of baby Groot and Elsa... which is never.

 

[hopemax]

Wouldn’t work though...how do you have those guys play post rebellion characters?

If the story is compelling enough, changing actors is something people can accept. Think Dumbledore. Or the Jack Ryan movies. We know the original actors can’t get younger, or people who pass away in the middle of the story. Billy Dee was 42 in ROTJ, Donald is 37 now. Harrison was 40 and Alden is 31. A little harder but Star Wars always has good makeup.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If the story is compelling enough, changing actors is something people can accept. Think Dumbledore. Or the Jack Ryan movies. We know the original actors can’t get younger, or people who pass away in the middle of the story. Billy Dee was 42 in ROTJ, Donald is 37 now. Harrison was 40 and Alden is 31. A little harder but Star Wars always has good makeup.

I would agree with you on ANY other franchise...
But not this one. The open wounds of millions that have spent billions on this stuff shouldn’t be “poked”

Nobody wanted a solo backstory...fewer will want a recast. And I didn’t think solo was terrible...but it proved to the Star Wars fans - who have made it known does NOT make them Disney fans by default - that their passion was being mishandled on multiple levels at that time.

Ehrenreich basically has admitted that the whole gig is off...there’s no going back.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

I’m gonna agree with you/supplement with my take -

I was a fan of Dawson in the role...I don’t think any Star Wars role is “reserved” for a particular actor at this point. Such is the state of the franchise. It’s NOT been a good 8 years...they need to think what and how long they want out of this thing? All options are on the table.

But I didn’t 100% love the portrayal. It wasn’t “bad”...just not perfect. One thing - not Dawson related - is the character wasn’t fast enough to fit the established portrayal on the cartoons.

But as far as the acting...remember that the character is now about 35-40 ish years after her intro...and about 8 ish from the reprisal in Rebels.

She’ll be back anyway...so I want to see how it plays.

The thrawn mention is more significant. Disney made a big stink about not using EU...but placing thrawn after ROJ puts Mando now smack dab on a collision course with the Timothy zahn book time period. Which was of course the start of the EU.
Interesting

I think that's a good way of putting it - it wasn't bad, it just wasn't quite on the mark for what I expected either (and I don't legit know what 'on' is!). I know from the Marvel shows Rosario has had fight training, but I don't think her motions (or her stunt double or cgi version) were as sleek as I expected from a two-fisted saber fighter.

It hit me later this afternoon though why - she doesn't have the 'dance' quality of the motions of a film fighter I've come to expect. It was not fluid and like an untrained dancer felt like she was counting the steps essentially.

I was reading in an article this afternoon that the actress who played the magistrate was Bruce Lee's goddaughter and has trained other actors to fight. I knew she was a pro as soon as I saw her hand on the beskar blade - she held it like a dancer aka professional fighter.

Rosario did not have that sensibility in her scenes here to my eye and I wanted better from a pretty legendary character at this point.

 

[Mike S]

Disney will kill off Grogu exactly the same time they allow the on screen deaths of baby Groot and Elsa... which is never.

Baby Groot did “die” though. He’s teenage Groot now and by GotG likely young adult Groot

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think that's a good way of putting it - it wasn't bad, it just wasn't quite on the mark for what I expected either (and I don't legit know what 'on' is!). I know from the Marvel shows Rosario has had fight training, but I don't think her motions (or her stunt double or cgi version) were as sleek as I expected from a two-fisted saber fighter.

It hit me later this afternoon though why - she doesn't have the 'dance' quality of the motions of a film fighter I've come to expect. It was not fluid and like an untrained dancer felt like she was counting the steps essentially.

I was reading in an article this afternoon that the actress who played the magistrate was Bruce Lee's goddaughter and has trained other actors to fight. I knew she was a pro as soon as I saw her hand on the beskar blade - she held it like a dancer aka professional fighter.

Rosario did not have that sensibility in her scenes here to my eye and I wanted better from a pretty legendary character at this point.

Excellent take.

I think for me the kinda “clunkiness” of fighting off the bolts is what stuck with me a little. It was forced, not fluid...which is something that the Lucas people managed to shoot/choreograph much better in later years than the Disney offerings.

The OT was clunky - broadsword kinda look - because the tech wasn’t good enough for speed
The prequels were more fencing/ samurai with the fast movements
The Disney stuff is back to more clunky...which can be ok (one elaborate scene in a notorious movie comes to mind)...but now contrasts a bit too much with the arc of the techniques.
Ashoka is speed/elegance...which is surprising that filoni didn’t try to achieve more of the fluid you’d expect.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Baby Groot did “die” though. He’s teenage Groot now and by GotG likely young adult Groot

The point is they wouldn’t dare touch that thing now...he makes too much.

In the run up to holiday shopping (not today...people seem to be just as stupid as I expected )...the stores were 60% baby yodes, 39% ESB/OT, 1% garbage movies

...that isn’t an exaggeration.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

'The Mandalorian' brings a major fan favorite into the 'Star Wars' live-action universe

The worst-kept secret in the "Star Wars" universe brought a huge fan favorite to "The Mandalorian" -- moving the show further into the orbit of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels," while adding details about the merchandising bonanza alternately known until now...

www.cnn.com

 

[BrianLo]

Baby Groot did “die” though. He’s teenage Groot now and by GotG likely young adult Groot

I moreso meant while he's still a child, which I guess is a good 100+ years of Star Wars canon.

Frankly I can't see them wanting anything but letting him live his whole life expectancy. He's just about the only character that can bridge the entire prequel and further canon.

Now his Daddy on the other hand... that's how they'll emotionally destroy us.

 

[dreday3]

I think too much fan service will be the downfall of the series.

 

[erasure fan1]

The thrawn mention is more significant. Disney made a big stink about not using EU...but placing thrawn after ROJ puts Mando now smack dab on a collision course with the Timothy zahn book time period. Which was of course the start of the EU.
Interesting

The Thrawn mention also signifies to me we are on a collision course with Luke Skywalker. A lot of people consider the Thrawn trilogy a true sequel to return of the jedi. So getting the Luke that everyone wanted in the first place, would make a lot of sense.

As for this episode, It was really good. I can't help but think what a great lead up to the sequels this would have been. It will be a shame if this team isn't allowed to do the next movie series.