Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Is there any buzz around who the mysterious hooded woman was in the beginning of last week’s episode? My reflex is to hope that it’s Mara Jade, but that seems far fetched.

Sorbicol wrote:

Urgh. ‘M-count’?!?! We’re really going back to midiclorians again?

I feel the same way, but I mean... it is canon. The fact that they called it “M” count is a plus in my opinion.

If they leave it at ‘“The Empire is trying to recreate dark Jedi by transfusing force users' blood,” then that's enough to drive this story. It doesn’t need to be Snoke or Emperor clones. It can live along side that bigger story.

RawkGWJ wrote:

Is there any buzz around who the mysterious hooded woman was in the beginning of last week’s episode? My reflex is to hope that it’s Mara Jade, but that seems far fetched.

That was Sasha Banks' character Koska Reeves, one of the Mandalorians in Bo-Katan's crew.

Please can someone tell me if there’s a database of every frame where baby Yoda is on the screen. I need it.

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PaladinTom wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

Urgh. ‘M-count’?!?! We’re really going back to midiclorians again?

I feel the same way, but I mean... it is canon. The fact that they called it “M” count is a plus in my opinion.

If they leave it at ‘“The Empire is trying to recreate dark Jedi by transfusing force users' blood,” then that's enough to drive this story. It doesn’t need to be Snoke or Emperor clones. It can live along side that bigger story.

*sigh*

After the debacle that was (the end of) Rise of Skywalker I really hope that this isn't the direction they go in. It's just rehashing of really old ground that serves no purpose and has no benefit - obviously in my opinion! And I really hope Ahsoka's role in all this is to tell Mando to take Baby Yoda back to his species, not more Jedi (otherwise, why isn't he taking him to Luke Skywalker given the time line this is all operating in, and we know how that turned out).

Ah. I'm really not trying to be down on this show I promise - I honestly think it's been fantastic. But the last 2 episode have really taken me back a lot. I'm up to season 4 of The Clone Wars now, and while I like a lot of what they have done to explain the mythology of Mandalore and it's warriors, some of it doesn't really hit the mark (you know what I'm talking about)

To then double down and go with more cloning of Sith (be it either The Emperor or Darth Vader clones)......... It's just so unimaginative. Oh course there is still a lot of show to go and given what they'd done with it so far it deserves a hell of a lot of leeway. But it's certainly giving me pause right now.

Sorb,
I think you bring up some good points, and I certainly don’t feel like your trashing the show.

Maybe it will be similar to Rogue One. We went into Rogue One knowing a few things. 1. The rebel army does end up receiving the Death Star plans. 2. A lot of good people died in the process of getting the plans to the rebel army.

Perhaps this will be the story of the failed attempt to create a Sith clone army. Perhaps it will be a good story. Perhaps it will suck. Time will tell.

Maybe there will be multiple plot threads; Sith clones, black laser swords, Bo-Katan, Ahsoka, adult Yodas, and Jedi. Who knows.

Sorbicol wrote:

But the last 2 episode have really taken me back a lot.

It is funny because the last 2 episodes to me have been great. Though I personally don't see how midichlorians was a bad thing or how it deters from the story they are trying to write.

kazar wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

But the last 2 episode have really taken me back a lot.

It is funny because the last 2 episodes to me have been great. Though I personally don't see how midichlorians was a bad thing or how it deters from the story they are trying to write.

I don’t think you’re trashing it either Sorb, but I DO worry you are going to be disappointed long-term. This is clearly a lore-heavy show, which means if you don’t like the lore, you’re not going to like the stories told in and around that lore.

I recall someone flipped out at me in the Rise of Skywalker thread when I tried to say, like-it-or-not, those events are now canon. (Hope that wasn’t you!)

I've hated the direction of some story elements for sure, but I find not worrying too much about the details has helped me to enjoy things a lot more. (“M count” is a glass half full, you know?)

There were so many great character moments in this episode that easily made it my favorite of the series so far.

PaladinTom wrote:

I don’t think you’re trashing it either Sorb, but I DO worry you are going to be disappointed long-term. This is clearly a lore-heavy show, which means if you don’t like the lore, you’re not going to like the stories told in and around that lore.

It's not that I don't "like" the lore as such, it's just some of it (again my opinion!) isn't very good lore. Take that Darksabre for example. It serves no purpose. there is nothing I've seen so far in The Clone Wars or the background reading I've done that means that the story - in any of the "canon" storylines - would have changed, or need to be changed one iota if it didn't exist. It really only exists for the same reason Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsabre for Mace Windu - he thought it looked cool. To spend that much time building a mythology around it which serves no practical purpose at all? I just find it all very disappointing.

I recall someone flipped out at me in the Rise of Skywalker thread when I tried to say, like-it-or-not, those events are now canon. (Hope that wasn’t you!)

I've hated the direction of some story elements for sure, but I find not worrying too much about the details has helped me to enjoy things a lot more. (“M count” is a glass half full, you know?)

There were so many great character moments in this episode that easily made it my favorite of the series so far.

No that wasn't me I don't think, but I think I made clear my feelings about the resurrection of Palpatine in the RoS thread, so we'll leave it there. I also absolutely agree with you about the character building in this episode - it's something The Mandalorian is doing so well. Of course it's a TV series so it's got time to do it an all, but my word they are doing it extremely well! Anyway like I said a long way to go yet, we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

kazar wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

But the last 2 episode have really taken me back a lot.

It is funny because the last 2 episodes to me have been great. Though I personally don't see how midichlorians was a bad thing or how it deters from the story they are trying to write.

Agreed. Especially episode 3.

And I'm very excited about what I think is getting ready to happen in episode 5.

Sorbicol wrote:

It really only exists for the same reason Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsabre for Mace Windu - he thought it looked cool. To spend that much time building a mythology around it which serves no practical purpose at all? I just find it all very disappointing.

Yeah. Just like Boba Fett!

Wait a minute...

LouZiffer wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

It really only exists for the same reason Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsabre for Mace Windu - he thought it looked cool. To spend that much time building a mythology around it which serves no practical purpose at all? I just find it all very disappointing.

Yeah. Just like Boba Fett!

Wait a minute...

Exactly, it's a work of fiction, everything in it exists to some extent because someone thought it would be cool. Baby Yoda, for example, only exists because someone thought he'd be cute. He could easily be swapped out for any of the dozens of other force sensitive babies/children that exist in the universe.

LouZiffer wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

It really only exists for the same reason Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsabre for Mace Windu - he thought it looked cool. To spend that much time building a mythology around it which serves no practical purpose at all? I just find it all very disappointing.

Yeah. Just like Boba Fett!

Wait a minute...

Yup. And Vader was an evil space samurai who only needed a mask so he can breathe in space.

Sorbicol wrote:

It's not that I don't "like" the lore as such, it's just some of it (again my opinion!) isn't very good lore. Take that Darksabre for example. It serves no purpose. there is nothing I've seen so far in The Clone Wars or the background reading I've done that means that the story - in any of the "canon" storylines - would have changed, or need to be changed one iota if it didn't exist. It really only exists for the same reason Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsabre for Mace Windu - he thought it looked cool. To spend that much time building a mythology around it which serves no practical purpose at all? I just find it all very disappointing.

When the empire took Mandalore and Moff Gideon claimed the Darksaber for himself it was a very symbolic representation of the victory that the empire was able to claim. It demoralized the Mandalorians and fractured their leadership which led to them being mostly wiped out.

Mandalorian are a clan-like race with the holder of the saber usually being recognized as the ruler. Bo-Katan was the previous owner and it is important for her to reclaim it and restore Mandalore to its former greatness.

How exactly is that pointless? The reveal at the end of season 1 was the tease to those of us who've watched the other shows and clue us in on some potential things to come. Now we're seeing those things come to fruition and will likely see more before the season ends.

Yeah, Excalibur was dumb. The one ring was dumb. Marcellus Wallace's case served no plot value if we want to talk Samuel Jackson.

McGuffins have and will always be around. I think the Darksaber has a cool story myself. Quite a bit of story history outside the show, plus plenty of use for it in the show for its own sake even if you don't know all of that.

OK, watched the latest episode and caught up here before it turned into another five pages again.

I caught the bit about the M-count, and a light went on in my head. Not that it was a reference to midichlorians, but that Filoni and Favreau are definitely writing the series so that it's accessible to people with no Star Wars backstory, even the movies. This is why Din knows nothing about the Jedi. He's the vehicle for the audience to catch up on the relevant major plot points.

Yeah, it was a little clumsy to fit into the setting, but if you want more Star Wars, it needs to make money, and for that, it needs to bring back the old fans and new ones. It's really clear to me now that these guys know what they're doing, but they're also not going to be able to make the entire fan spectrum happy the entire time.

I only expect to see the minimum necessary references to M-count. Showing transfusions don't work was a quick and easy retcon and explains the demand for the Child here. They're not going to make a mountain out of a molehill. If anyone does that, it'll be the fans.

And now, as far as the Clone Wars and Rebels backstory goes, Ahsoka would be the perfect person to catch Mando (the audience) up on the remainder of the important plot points. Fans that have seen them can squee, nod-knowingly at references, and jaw drop as she nonchalantly answers one or two long-unanswered questions. Fans that haven't seen them can have their interest piqued and keep their Disney+ subscription around to watch them after they're done with Season 2 of The Mandalorian.

Fans are (mostly) happy, Disney execs are happy, and most importantly, we keep getting more Star Wars, which was in doubt after the performance of the last couple of movies.

I'm not expecting any galaxy shattering answers from her, I'm mainly hoping that her being in this will lead to some sort of resolution to a major loose threads from the ending of Rebels. I don't expect it (or want it) in this series, but I know there's talk of a spinoff that's probably waiting to see how she's received by people who've never seen her before.

Enjoyed the ep.

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Stengah wrote:

I'm not expecting any galaxy shattering answers from her, I'm mainly hoping that her being in this will lead to some sort of resolution to a major loose threads from the ending of Rebels. I don't expect it (or want it) in this series, but I know there's talk of a spinoff that's probably waiting to see how she's received by people who've never seen her before.

Ahsoka is arguably Filoni’s greatest creation. He has always written her in a way that made the fans love her more than they already did. Filoni is a great fiction writer, and I can’t wait to see where he’s taking this show.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

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Freeking adorable!!

Baron Of Hell wrote:

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The Girls Scouts need to start selling packs of blue thin mints. I don't care if they were supposed to be crackers in the show, a pack of blue thin mints was what they looked like to me.

Stengah wrote:
Baron Of Hell wrote:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/36ODqxw.jpg)

The Girls Scouts need to start selling packs of blue thin mints. I don't care if they were supposed to be crackers in the show, a pack of blue thin mints was what they looked like to me.

Pretty sure they were just off the shelf macaroons of some type.

IMAGE(https://www.cakecraftcompany.com/images/pavoni-500g-light-blue-macaroon-mix-quick-easy-p1076-3688_image.jpg)

The Macaronian

Saw a theory I like. Since it looks like Din's group/cult was the remnants of the Death Watch that followed Darth Maul, The Armorer's helmet horns were in honor of him.

IMAGE(https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Emily-Swallow-The-Armorer-The-Mandalorian-Darth-Maul.jpg)

I could see it. I could also see them being coincidental.

RawkGWJ wrote:

Ahsoka is arguably Filoni’s greatest creation. He has always written her in a way that made the fans love her more than they already did. Filoni is a great fiction writer, and I can’t wait to see where he’s taking this show.

I'd broadly agree with the comment about Ahsoka, I really hope this show does her justice.

Yeah the horns on the helmet is straight out of Clone Wars.

karmajay wrote:

Yeah the horns on the helmet is straight out of Clone Wars.

Did some of the Death Watch have horned helmets? I don't remember. Been awhile.

EDIT: Googled it and answered my own question. Good call. I'd forgotten.

Sorbicol wrote:
RawkGWJ wrote:

Ahsoka is arguably Filoni’s greatest creation. He has always written her in a way that made the fans love her more than they already did. Filoni is a great fiction writer, and I can’t wait to see where he’s taking this show.

I'd broadly agree with the comment about Ahsoka, I really hope this show does her justice.

IMO it, and her arc in Rebels, do do her justice. ymmv of course but i really like where they went with her and am looking forward to seeing what they do with her in this.

and re: the M-count, i really disliked midichlorians, but if you are looking for a mad-sciency way to say "we need a force sensitive individual" i think they struck a good middle ground by not using the hated word, but also not just inventing some new way to technologically detect force users to fit that story beat. or choose resurrect something from Legends like the sensor paddles from the Jedi academy trilogy. I actually prefer they light touched something from canon.

Midichlorians work for this story, in which Force power is a macguffin rather than a part of our young Campbellian hero's journey of spiritual self-discovery.

I don't blame anyone for whom the euphemistic reference to that most hated of plot points in the dreaded prequels rankles, but I was fine with it.

They've always had an out with midicholorians, which is to say, "Oh, actually they're just present in/attracted to organisms strong in the Force. They don't actually cause it."

But I think they've doubled down on the midichlorians-give-powers clause in a couple prominent places.