Welp, that was okay.

I'm finding apathy to feel a bit worse than excitement or disappointment in this specific case...

This show more than anything, at this point, makes me want to finally take the time to watch this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanted_Dead_or_Alive_(TV_series)

I'll definitely watch more, and feel this might fair better than the Witcher, but I'm more curious than outright excited.

By the way, to anyone interested in the show, I'd say watch it sooner, rather than later.

There is a spoiler you'd wish not to be spoiled.

I give it a 6 out of 10

"ok" but not GREAT

We will see...

" I have spoken "

I've not seen it but just caution that first episodes of series are not always the best of times. Maybe there are some occasions like TWD but lots of times it's more introduction and laying the groundwork.

For sure!

Though, for costing 100 million production wise, this looks a bit WB level of aesthetics. Some things seem nice, some fair, but none feel film quality, and considering this first episode seemed like much of the depicted environment wasn't entirely founded in the real world, things came off a bit jarring, not quite authentic set design wise.

Meh. The show is ok I guess. It's basically "stuff I remember: the series". Makes me realize that we'll probably never see anything truly new and unique in the star wars universe.

Watched it last night. 7 out of 10 is about right. Not horrible, but nothing really happened that would make me watch it again at some point. At least there wasn't any SJW or Lucas silly CGI shit, so it's got that going for it.

Was great seeing Carl Weathers again...just wish that Herzog played his part a bit different, it wasn't anything great.

One thing they have to get past is using the same ol shit from the first films. Land Speeder, check. Robot eye out of a building door, check. The square little robot box, check.

Gonk..... Gonk.....

The problem I have is two fold. First buying into a TV series for season 1 is risky because of cancellation. There is zero chance Disney cancels the Mandy. I don't know if it will last four seasons though. But why buy into it one episode at a time? I'll wait for season 2 to drop before watching. The second problem I have is with 100 million dollar production, when will the second season drop? Will it be like Altered Carbon season 2, taking forever?

mandalorian ep1 - I guess was ok. What it actually did for me more than anything else was make me think and want more Firefly. Will wait and see how Ep2 pans out.

Herzog being Herzog.

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/werner-herzog-the-mandalorian-star-wars-jon-favreau-disney-plus-1203400810/

I think Favaru was going for the Christoph Waltz thing from inglorious bastards but Herzog is not really an actor. In any case it may have been a director thing for him to have Herzog in a movie or film. I mean in school everybody knew about the crazy German director who went in the wild for a year to make a movie.

Firefly was fantastic.

What really stood out for me on Mandalorian was how "sparse" things were. Due to the budgets of the films my brain has been trained that the SW universe is bursting at the seams. It will take my brain some re-training.

And that was the beauty of Firefly. There was no background reference. It was ok for the firefly universe to be sparse and for the CG effects to be secondary. It was a true western in space.

Of course in addition the writing and chemistry between characters and the humor was fantastic as well.

Firefly was great because of the charters, the interaction, dialog, and just that it was fun to watch. Every person had positive and negative traits, and you were always watching to see what came next.

Ashamed it ended like it did. Another great show like it was FarScape.

That's always what these big budget things seem to miss, character. Effects don't equal that, and it's amazing to watch certain media, see it develop character immediately via the performances and writing, then wait endlessly for other pieces of media to at some point develop any sense of it.

This was the highest point of interest for me last night on my offday, and I'd had "Death Stranding" sitting around for a few days, and a copy of Wim Wenders' "Alice in the Cities" sitting around for years. Absorbed myself in all three, and man the highpoints came from the lesser priority interests.

I wouldn’t call it a temple. More like an exclusive market for the displaced Mandalorians. He seeks out the Master Smith, as they are the only ones with the skills to forge Beskar. The ingot has an Imperial symbol on it, and mentions it was gathered in The Great Purge, when Mandalor fell to the Empire. It’s revealed he doesn’t have a Signet, or symbol, yet. There are several different tribes on Mandalorian culture. Perhaps he’s still a loner & looking to be accepted. The extra beskar will go to help other young mandalorians. This race sticks together. I think the flashbacks were to his youth. Did anyone spot the vague Boba Fett looking character in the dark corner, with the same colored armor & same dent on his helmet? Perhaps he escaped the Sarlacc Pit after all.

The foundation for the show has been laid. The Easter eggs are too many to list, just from a single episode so far. Looking forward to more details being revealed about these characters as the season progresses. Wish I could stream it all right now. I thought it was the best material I’ve seen since TOS. Some of the tough crowd Debbie downer acts here is laughable, but doesn’t matter to me. My fellow 501st buds are thrilled so far, already mapping out how to build his costume for cosplay.

The shocking reveal is super cool. Don’t want to spoil, but the lore behind that was off limits for 40 years. It has never been explored, not even in the expanded universe. It appears that Filoni/Favreau consulted with Lucas while writing the script, and he gave his blessing & thoughts on it. It’s going to make an excellent plot device for the season IMO.

Show is fucking awesome. So was seeing a bounty droid like IG-11 moving around, targeting & kicking serious ass. 10/10

I think it's okay for people to feel differently on this episode. It's just one episode, and I think most people had tempered expectations, and their reactions were probably more hopeful than expected. I'll give the next few a chance, for sure, and that's far more interest than I have for most new media.

That said, frankly I was curious as to your reaction, but the Debbie Downer tude' is a bit offputting. I think all of us here want to be excited, entertained, and engaged, and if you're more excited than I am, I'm happy about that, not offput.

For me, if the franchise trappings and signatures were stripped away from this episode, or the last few films, would I be engaged or anticipate these things continuing? No. I don't feel most of the universe, since the Prequels creates, rather it builds, references or namedrops. Twenty years ago, a random familiar sound effect or callback visual stirred my nostalgic excitement, now....watching this show particularly, I cringed at how each sighting or cue felt muned nostalgia and felt abusive to the fanbase, more so than constructive.

And the big ole spoiler, felt the pinnacle of that. This franchise feels bereft of genuine creativity or new artistic merit.

I'm just glad Tolkien is having a bit of a rest. Oh wait, nevermind....

Damn, I'd love creators to actually create, rather than mine the same properties ad naseum, sans adding new lore or worthwhile characters to these properties.

Terminator. Aliens. Bill and Ted. Bond. M.I.B. Spiderman. Jurassic Park. Batman. Bladerunner. Ghostbusters. Star Trek. Star Wars. And on, and on, and on.

Milking franchises via familiarity is an easy quick buck, rebooting Batman for the umpteenth time isn't nearly enjoyable at some point, as trailblazing the scene with a new property.

Yes, you both have your points. Let's not forget it's s tv series not a 400 mill movie..they got Favreau, Filoni, Pedro fucking Pascal and Nic Nolte..these guys are no JJ and RJ...Remember I mentioned earlier if the show knows what it is and delivers on it then it would be a hit. Well, the Easter eggs and the homage stuff is part of that familiarity. Now that I understand the Beskar bit, I can see where they're taking it. A tribeless loner finds a kindred spirit that gives him reason to take up a cause.

To say “same old shit” is a lame lazy critique, and yes, it is laughable. This takes place 5 years after ROTJ. Are all the old ships, droids & races just supposed to disappear? What does one expect? It’s the time period this show is taking place in & thank god they are fully embracing it. Yes it’s fan service. It’s about time. I lost count of how many new alien races were in this episode alone.

Claims of cringing upon seeing iconic things like astro droids, Quarrians, or classic stormtroopers is laughable to me. Would some prefer the shitty characters & lame ideas of the new trilogy instead? Riiiight. Give me a break. Some people just love to bitch & will never be satisfied.

They announced tonight that Episode 2 will release this Friday, then episodes every Friday after. Less than 2 days to wait!

Well, so much for having a rational discussion with you.

I never once said "same old shit", yet I am quoted as such?

Using the word "lazy" as a critique of an entire thread of ideas I presented, to me is lazy.

I complimented you on your enthusiasm, even after you threw out a general criticism to those that disagreed with you. I also said I looked forward to your thoughts. So rather than acknowledge such things, you doubled down with criticism in a very direct way, rather than actually acknowledge my point of view, yet alone respect it.

I am sorry if you accept fan service in lieu of new ideas and new character creation. That is an acknowledgment of your standards for entertainment, rather than mine.

As I said, I'll watch more episodes, and try to be reasonable in my assessment of them, and ideally enjoy them, but can you say the same about how you view other's that might feel less overwhelmingly enthusiastic than yourself?

Again, I do not feel I've talked down to, devalued your views, or told you to view things differently than you do. A debate is a disclosure of ideas, not a dominance of such things.

I can't find whatever the definition of a Quarrian is either.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/amp/english/quarrian

And I'm not familiar with what "TOS" is the abbreviation for.

See how I am curious, more so than judgmental, in conversing with you?

And what new alien races were fascinating here, the half shaved headed white gal with tatts?

I'd directly compare the first episode of Cowboy Bebop to this, and within a much, much shorter timeframe, that first episode does much more to frame mood, establish characters, and create an overall ambiance that doesn't even exist within a very long 38 minutes of this first episode.

I was willing entirely to give this first episode a chance to breathe, but were you willing to give it any chance at all, to fail?

Edit:

By the way, I like that the audience is supposed to take this as anything but a farse of a show when episode one alone features; Brian Posehn, Gonk droid, random Bossk dudes, Jabba Palace Wall Droid, Herzog speaking very cryptically about bounty hunters, an IG unit shooting batshit crazy, ootini'ing Jawas, multiple land speeders, plethora of Mandalorians, mention of legendary character status, random Apollo Creed siting, gratuitous Ugnaught, series star without a face, planet backdrops with no discernable structures or character, musical score that stands out due to drama and dialog being inept, lonely lead character being a bounty hunter that is mysterious and doesn't ask for help, and the final straw being the surprise at the end.

Did I miss any other not so random, but brilliantly executed, stupid shit?

How many tropes can be wedged into just 38 minutes? Answer? So many.

I thought Solo was goofy, fan service laden, and bereft of original ideas, but this shit is just getting ridiculous, and pathetic, now.

Reviews for EP1 here

SCROLL DOWN a bit......

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-mandalorian-first-reviews-episode-one-reactions/

Just watched episode 2 of The Mandalorian. Great show so far! Two episodes in and it's already better then both Episode 7 and 8 in my opinion. Such a nice break from the terrible jokes and mess that is the new trilogy. I think The Mandalorian does a good job of capturing the look and feeling of the original trilogy.

I liked the first episode of TM quite a bit! Probably the best of the new Star Wars stuff, FWIW. But I am still in full boycott mode for Episode 9 because of Episode 8. Someone was talking earlier about "bad Bond movies". That is not what Episode 8 was. That is what Episode 1 was and I continued to watch Episodes 2 and 3 on opening day and multiple times in theaters. The Last Jedi was a full on assault on and affront to Star Wars, Luke Skywalker and Mark Hamill by the hack Rian Johnson with the last chance to have Mark and Carrie on screen together. It is not just a terrible movie; it is a travesty.

I agree wholeheartedly!

With the first and second episodes I feel like that is more or less one episode cut up into two parts. Having them play back to back in the same week was good IMHO.

Holy shit...the second one was fantastic! The action sequences were top notch. I'm genuinely surprised how good it was. I give this one 9.5 put of 10

Yup... I like the fact that the series has a serious tone and a lot of what was in the second episode was just plain fun... and it fit in very well!

In terms of the plot, The Mandalorian reminds me of a children's Saturday Morning cartoon.

With the exception of a small minority, the rest of us here seem to be enjoying The Mandalorian immensely though. That‘s great to hear. I thought second episode was even better than the first, and now the story is set to ramp up. Got to see a different side of him this episode. Looking forward to seeing more new bounty hunters & what remains of the Empire. No idea how this will play out. You can just tell this is series is being made by fans for the fans. It’s just what the franchise needs right now.

And there should be a “child” on every toy store shelf this Christmas. They’d sell like hot cakes. I want one!

Second episode.

Very competent. But is this effective so far in doing anything more than simply feeding on the old? Is it creating anything really new, novel or unique at this point? No.

Feels like, the C sides of Star Wars. Reminds me of how I felt removed, and disinterested in watching multiple seasons of the Clone Wars.

I don't necessarily dislike it so far, but even at 38, then 30 minutes, it feels like it's staying longer on the screen than it does....

Is the lead character unique or compelling so far? No, not for me. Is nostalgia the largest fuel for interest in these first two episodes. Yup. Can it expand past that? I hope so, but am not holding my breath.

Action sequences, with familiar nuances, sound effects and visuals are easy to pull off, but character development, dramatic intrigue, and genuine emotional intrigue are really, really nuanced things to accomplish, and without those greater parts, media pieces like this ultimately feel like empty farts in the wind, for me. Unforgettable, and without meaning.

Onto the third episode! I hope it develops more of it's own style, and mines less from the universe created before it. Here's hoping!

"Kennedy confessed the Lucasfilm team haven't settled on which direction to take with the next Star Wars film yet, though she also admitted it had been a "liberating" process so far, as they're currently thrashing out all of the options on the drawing board to determine the best possible story to develop."

Ugh. Sounds like a familiar approach....

"Director JJ Abrams echoed Iger's comments in a recent interview himself, as he also confirmed that the concluding chapter of the Skywalker saga would not set-up any future storylines that could directly lead into another potential Star Wars trilogy."

Um, yeah. Neither did Return of the Jedi, yet here we are.

Incompetent..I don't know how she became who she is. HW is chockful of subpar talents making movies...I don't get it.

See above comment

There are literally 30 years of stories/books and video games outside the skywalker story line. The only thing in Disney's way moving forward is greed. They are focussed on ultra profitability of any story going forward vs just telling a story and making some respective $$. There's not much room for creativity in their wheel house.

I can guarantee the third film in this Trilogy will be even more of a train wreck than TLJ!!

Not possible.

I'm hearing they're doing re-shoot a month out lol & on top of that very low test audience scores.

1. Leia scenes will be awkward
2. Return of Palpy stupid IMO
3. Zero development with any of the new characters
4. I'm afraid they're going to have to really cram a lot of story in this one to make up for lost time...

All of this = complete disaster!!

Right secretarial position, right....people. She was the lackluster butter slathering both Lucas and Spielberg, decades ago. She's good at something, connections, and most likely said buttering. Everything else she seems vastly incompetent, but hey....it's George that has the issues.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kathleen-kennedy-george-lucas-criticises-star-wars-because-he-finds-it-difficult-to-let-go-120558084.html

They'll find a way!

J.J. trying to right the ship, plus end the 3 trilogies, all the while adding his own dumb dumb spin. I think they have a shot to surpass TLJ in a few different ways!

I watched the 3rd episode of The Mandalorian this morning. Awesome episode, best one yet in my opinion. Once it ended I thought "Star Wars is finally back"! I still can't get it over just how bad the new trilogy comes across after watching The Mandalorian.

You are so right! The detail and how well they've incorporated Star Wars elements is perfect. There is a definite nod to another franchise in this episode... and I was totally cool with it. The only complaint I have and its not really a complaint is that I wish they were a bit longer. However they have really great cadence, starting and finishing... leaving you with wanting more.

Haters ...last Jedi was awesome. I'm not joking either. I have it , force awakens, and phantom menace as top 3 star wars movies. I think so many people hate it because it broke the rules. Wasting snoke and having Rey's parents as drunks was great. Nobody saw that coming. Not sure what is so bad in the movie. It had action, humor, great story, etc. Much better sw movie than originals or prequel. Hate on hand solo movie.. that was a bad movie.

1) Chewy eating porgs. 2) Spaceships running out of fuel. The whole plot of the movie revolved around two ships chasing one another. 3) Green boob milk drinking. 4) captain fantasma character development. 5) Everyone else's character development 6) No jar jar. 7) Jedi kid at the end

I needed a good laugh.