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The good, the bad and [The Mandalorian] OPEN SPOILERS

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  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    Have none of you spied on your children from a relatively secret place while they played with a bunch of new kids?

  • thatassemblyguythatassemblyguy Janitor of Technical Debt .Registered User regular
    There was a different version of that earlier this weekend from the red-insta-gur-ter content machine that just had "to the wall".

  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    The thing I love the most about this series is that it's literally "Lone Wolf and Cub in Space". For anyone who wants more of the "Warrior + baby" kind of storytelling, pick it up. I'm not sure if the manga or movies made it over, but find if if you can :)
    You can read about Lone Wolf and Cub on Wikipedia.

    halkun on
  • darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    halkun wrote: »
    The thing I love the most about this series is that it's literally "Lone Wolf and Cub in Space". For anyone who wants more of the "Warrior + baby" kind of storytelling, pick it up. I'm not sure if the manga or movies made it over, but find if if you can :)
    You can read about Lone Wolf and Cub on Wikipedia.

    Yup, really makes me want to shop a few images from that manga into the Mando and Boda.

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  • kaidkaid Registered User regular
    I have to assume it's a DNA tracker. Nothing else makes sense. I assume you still need to find the right planet though.

    The bounty hunting is tracking them to the correct planet and probably general vicinity of your target. That is why herzog basically told the mandalorian a couple basic pieces of info + the age of the target and expected him to be skilled enough for that to be sufficient to get him close enough for the fob to lock in on the target.

  • TheBigEasyTheBigEasy Registered User regular
    So you are saying, bountyhunting is a complicated profession?

  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    I think the deal with the helmet was probably tied to his underground community. If none of them ever take their helmets off, then it's possible that
    a) Nobody knows exactly how many of them there are
    b) Nobody knows which is which. If our Mando gets killed, another can just show up and plausibly pass for him and use his reputation, so they aren't starting from zero with employers. They seem to survive off his bounties so that's a big deal.
    c) Also it's kind of a verification test. If you meet a Mandolorian and they are ok with taking off their helmet, that's not a real Mandolorian, that's probably just somebody in stolen armor.
    Now that he's kinda permanently on the run, he's probably having second thoughts about the helmet rule. I think he seriously considered settling down in the village, so taking his helmet off not too far from some kids might have been him testing out how it would feel.

    Smurph on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    Smurph wrote: »
    I think the deal with the helmet was probably tied to his underground community. If none of them ever take their helmets off, then it's possible that
    a) Nobody knows exactly how many of them there are
    b) Nobody knows which is which. If our Mando gets killed, another can just show up and plausibly pass for him and use his reputation, so they aren't starting from zero with employers. They seem to survive off his bounties so that's a big deal.
    c) Also it's kind of a verification test. If you meet a Mandolorian and they are ok with taking off their helmet, that's not a real Mandolorian, that's probably just somebody in stolen armor.
    Now that he's kinda permanently on the run, he's probably having second thoughts about the helmet rule. I think he seriously considered settling down in the village, so taking his helmet off not too far from some kids might have been him testing out how it would feel.

    I'm assuming, for now, that the clear distinctions in their helmets are so the audience understands how they tell each other apart, but are probably meant to not be distinguishable to outsiders. If that's the the case then A+B would pretty effectively conceal their numbers.

    I'm curious if events like ep 3 are covered up (to maintain secrecy), or used to sow fearsome rumors about what happens when you assume that lone Mandalorian is really alone.

  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    Smurph wrote: »
    I think the deal with the helmet was probably tied to his underground community. If none of them ever take their helmets off, then it's possible that
    a) Nobody knows exactly how many of them there are
    b) Nobody knows which is which. If our Mando gets killed, another can just show up and plausibly pass for him and use his reputation, so they aren't starting from zero with employers. They seem to survive off his bounties so that's a big deal.
    c) Also it's kind of a verification test. If you meet a Mandolorian and they are ok with taking off their helmet, that's not a real Mandolorian, that's probably just somebody in stolen armor.
    Now that he's kinda permanently on the run, he's probably having second thoughts about the helmet rule. I think he seriously considered settling down in the village, so taking his helmet off not too far from some kids might have been him testing out how it would feel.

    TBH I think the last bit about being on the run is feature, not a bug. If nobody has ever seen you without a helmet, then nobody knows who is "really" a Mandalorian, so scattering into the wind is easier with a face that has literally never been seen before. It could also make leaving and starting a new life a feasible path - meaning that the only people who stick around are the ones who actually want to be there (assuming you don't get hunted down for doing so).

  • Atlas in ChainsAtlas in Chains Registered User regular
    Smurph wrote: »
    I think the deal with the helmet was probably tied to his underground community. If none of them ever take their helmets off, then it's possible that
    a) Nobody knows exactly how many of them there are
    b) Nobody knows which is which. If our Mando gets killed, another can just show up and plausibly pass for him and use his reputation, so they aren't starting from zero with employers. They seem to survive off his bounties so that's a big deal.
    c) Also it's kind of a verification test. If you meet a Mandolorian and they are ok with taking off their helmet, that's not a real Mandolorian, that's probably just somebody in stolen armor.
    Now that he's kinda permanently on the run, he's probably having second thoughts about the helmet rule. I think he seriously considered settling down in the village, so taking his helmet off not too far from some kids might have been him testing out how it would feel.

    TBH I think the last bit about being on the run is feature, not a bug. If nobody has ever seen you without a helmet, then nobody knows who is "really" a Mandalorian, so scattering into the wind is easier with a face that has literally never been seen before. It could also make leaving and starting a new life a feasible path - meaning that the only people who stick around are the ones who actually want to be there (assuming you don't get hunted down for doing so).

    Unless whoever is looking for you has a tracking fob...

  • flamebroiledchickenflamebroiledchicken Registered User regular
    Man, that boot camp montage was corny as hellllll. In fact, everything to do with the villagers was pretty corny. When the widow started taking Mando's helmet off and the cheesy music started swelling, my fiancee and I nearly fell off the couch laughing, then again during the crowd shot of the villagers all waving goodbye. Overall, my relationship with this show continues to be 75% enjoyment and 25% frustration at some of the painfully "Disney" moments. That being said, if these first 4 episodes had been a movie, it would be my favorite of the Disney Star Wars movies by far.

    y59kydgzuja4.png
  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Regarding the tracking fobs, I think it's reasonable to assume they have a max range and you might need to be at least on-planet for them to work. For the initial contract, they already knew the general location of Baby Yoda, it's just that he was in a heavily fortified compound. When the Mando rescued him, all the bounty hunters were already in that town. Now that he escaped to a backwater planet, only one bounty hunter managed to track him there instead of the dozens he was facing before, and it's implied that it took weeks. It's not unreasonable that out of the dozens likely hunting them, one of them happened to pick the right backwater planet to search.
    Otherwise, what's the point of even running?

    Smurph on
  • Doctor DetroitDoctor Detroit Registered User regular
    Man, that boot camp montage was corny as hellllll. In fact, everything to do with the villagers was pretty corny. When the widow started taking Mando's helmet off and the cheesy music started swelling, my fiancee and I nearly fell off the couch laughing, then again during the crowd shot of the villagers all waving goodbye. Overall, my relationship with this show continues to be 75% enjoyment and 25% frustration at some of the painfully "Star Wars" moments. That being said, if these first 4 episodes had been a movie, it would be my favorite of the Disney Star Wars movies by far.

    Fixed that, because, really, nothing we’ve seen is out of place with Lucas running things.

    Hell, Disney has definitely saved us from most of George’s humor, at least.

  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    The plot of the last episode reminded me a lot of "Army of Darkness", right down to the villagers training to fight with wooden spears.

    I love that they presented the AT-ST as this terrifying force though. Right up until it was defeated by some low-tech hi-jinks, as always.

  • kaidkaid Registered User regular
    Smurph wrote: »
    Regarding the tracking fobs, I think it's reasonable to assume they have a max range and you might need to be at least on-planet for them to work. For the initial contract, they already knew the general location of Baby Yoda, it's just that he was in a heavily fortified compound. When the Mando rescued him, all the bounty hunters were already in that town. Now that he escaped to a backwater planet, only one bounty hunter managed to track him there instead of the dozens he was facing before, and it's implied that it took weeks. It's not unreasonable that out of the dozens likely hunting them, one of them happened to pick the right backwater planet to search.
    Otherwise, what's the point of even running?

    And given the mandalorian seemed to feel that he could hide on a very out of the way world points to the fobs have a distance limitation likely planetary or even closer range.

  • kaidkaid Registered User regular
    Smurph wrote: »
    The plot of the last episode reminded me a lot of "Army of Darkness", right down to the villagers training to fight with wooden spears.

    I love that they presented the AT-ST as this terrifying force though. Right up until it was defeated by some low-tech hi-jinks, as always.

    Tank traps are a thing. If you can't kill it out right go for a mobility kill and try to find some chink once it is immobilized to exploit.

  • GONG-00GONG-00 Registered User regular
    Inept villagers are a common trope for the genres being emulated.

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  • flamebroiledchickenflamebroiledchicken Registered User regular
    Man, that boot camp montage was corny as hellllll. In fact, everything to do with the villagers was pretty corny. When the widow started taking Mando's helmet off and the cheesy music started swelling, my fiancee and I nearly fell off the couch laughing, then again during the crowd shot of the villagers all waving goodbye. Overall, my relationship with this show continues to be 75% enjoyment and 25% frustration at some of the painfully "Star Wars" moments. That being said, if these first 4 episodes had been a movie, it would be my favorite of the Disney Star Wars movies by far.

    Fixed that, because, really, nothing we’ve seen is out of place with Lucas running things.

    Hell, Disney has definitely saved us from most of George’s humor, at least.

    Nah there is definitely a difference between Lucas cheesy and Disney cheesy. The yub yub song at the end of ROTJ is Lucas cheesy. Little girl tearfully hugging Baby Yoda, crying "I'll miss you sOoOoO much!!!" is Disney cheesy.

    y59kydgzuja4.png
  • darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Smurph wrote: »
    The plot of the last episode reminded me a lot of "Army of Darkness", right down to the villagers training to fight with wooden spears.

    I love that they presented the AT-ST as this terrifying force though. Right up until it was defeated by some low-tech hi-jinks, as always.

    HA! HOOO! HEY! YA! I am pretty sure it is the exact same spear moves as well, that has to have been a deliberate choice.

    Army of Darkness army prep montage
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8hP3lIxpRI

    darkmayo on
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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    I dunno, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing in that little girl's place. Baby Yoda is totes adorbs.

  • FireflashFireflash Montreal, QCRegistered User regular
    The whole episode was a huge "modern man saving the helpless natives" trope. As soon as the camera lingered on that woman in the intro I knew she would be a love interest or caretaker for our hero. I was reminded of "The Last Samurai".

    So far I like the worldbuilding/lore they insert in every episode but the main plot of each episode not so much. episode 4 was the worst so far.

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  • cursedkingcursedking Registered User regular
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  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    Fireflash wrote: »
    The whole episode was a huge "modern man saving the helpless natives" trope. As soon as the camera lingered on that woman in the intro I knew she would be a love interest or caretaker for our hero. I was reminded of "The Last Samurai".

    So far I like the worldbuilding/lore they insert in every episode but the main plot of each episode not so much. episode 4 was the worst so far.

    No it's seven samurai

    A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
  • cursedkingcursedking Registered User regular
    The Mandalorian is literally just "what western are we doing today", and this week's was Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai. It really has no connective tissue to the last samurai at all.

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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Fireflash wrote: »
    The whole episode was a huge "modern man saving the helpless natives" trope. As soon as the camera lingered on that woman in the intro I knew she would be a love interest or caretaker for our hero. I was reminded of "The Last Samurai".

    So far I like the worldbuilding/lore they insert in every episode but the main plot of each episode not so much. episode 4 was the worst so far.

    ....what? This is fucking Star Wars, there's no "modern man" or "helpless natives". The villagers have droids helping them load their harvest onto hoverskids. These are folks who just live out in the middle of nowhere, they just don't have piles of blaster rifles or fancy combat droids or spaceships handy. They're peaceful and isolated, not primitive.

  • flamebroiledchickenflamebroiledchicken Registered User regular
    Yeah I love the "space western" style but I wish they wouldn't lean so hard into such obvious tropes. "Wandering hero teaches peaceful villagers to defend their village from bandits" has been done tooooo many times for such a non-fresh take. Hell, it's even been done on Clone Wars before, apparently. I've been seeing a lot of "This felt like an episode of Xena/A-Team/TNG" reactions online. As soon as Mando said "We could teach them how to fight", in my head I went "Nooooo" because then I knew exactly how the episode was going to play out.

    I did like Gina Carano and some of the worldbuilding implied by her character.

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  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    I think earlier in this thread someone pointed out that the main arc of this episode was already done in Clone Wars, down to the training of villagers with spears. And as others have pointed out, it's been done before in plenty of other media (Westerns or not).

    This episode wasn't my favorite out of the ones we've seen so far, but it was entertaining overall. I'm sure that not every single episode is going to be amazing, but I'm hopeful that there will continue to be great ones in the future.

    Also, if anything else this episode gave us two internet memes: (1) "Stop touching things", (2) "Mmmm soup!"

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    I feel like Favreau is taking his time getting to Firefly, but it's definitely moving in that direction.

    You have a former shock trooper, a killer bounty droid and a literal magic baby.

    All we need is a doctor and a mechanic, and maybe a former imperial turned wandering monk.

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  • darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    edited December 2019
    Doodmann wrote: »
    I feel like Favreau is taking his time getting to Firefly, but it's definitely moving in that direction.

    You have a former shock trooper, a killer bounty droid and a literal magic baby.

    All we need is a doctor and a mechanic, and maybe a former imperial turned wandering monk.

    You have a mechanic already, Ugnick Nolte. As well the imperial? doctor who was trying to keep Boda from being killed.

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  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    I hope they redo the Firefly episode "Out of Gas".

    Then everyone will be like "oh man what a great episode!" and then the internet will correct them and say "Firefly did it better check this out!" and then everyone will watch Firefly and it will be win-win and world peace.

  • cursedkingcursedking Registered User regular
    I just really do not mind them revisiting western tropes/story beats. They're executing them well and doing fun stuff with them. I'm not looking for transformational TV, here, I'm looking for a fun show. This is the best proof of concept they could have hoped for with a Star Wars tv show. It's so good.

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  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Firefly sucked and it was good it only lasted one brief season.

    #truefactswithpreacher

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

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  • ObiFettObiFett Use the Force As You WishRegistered User regular
    Oh no Preacher what have you done

  • cursedkingcursedking Registered User regular
    Like, this episode was just a truncated skeleton of Magnificent Seven. but it also gave more relationship growth between boda and mando, it gave more cultural context for some of the mandalorian stuff, and it showed a little bit more of the inner life of the mando. The shorthand of defending the village let them do more of that stuff and put the plot in the background and fast-track it.

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  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    ObiFett wrote: »
    Oh no Preacher what have you done

    *sets down his smoking .45*

    Finished it.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Firefly sucked and it was good it only lasted one brief season.

    #truefactswithpreacher

    Oof, what a terrible thing to have etched in a tombstone.

  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    cursedking wrote: »
    I just really do not mind them revisiting western tropes/story beats. They're executing them well and doing fun stuff with them. I'm not looking for transformational TV, here, I'm looking for a fun show. This is the best proof of concept they could have hoped for with a Star Wars tv show. It's so good.

    Also this is THE launch title for Disney+, they need something safe. Star Wars + Western / Samurai tropes + Jon Favereau + Baby Yoda is as safe as you can get. This show is formulaic as hell, but it had to be.

  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    cursedking wrote: »
    I just really do not mind them revisiting western tropes/story beats. They're executing them well and doing fun stuff with them. I'm not looking for transformational TV, here, I'm looking for a fun show. This is the best proof of concept they could have hoped for with a Star Wars tv show. It's so good.

    I do feel like this is a bit of a proof of concept season. Like definitely something Star Wars fans have known is that one of the strengths of Star Wars is that it can very easily play in a whole bunch of different genre sandboxes, from spy thrillers to cyberpunk to western/samurai to fighter pilot to heist movies.
    Like one of the things we've seen so far from the movies is the execs seem nervous about getting too far away from that core Star Wars brand: Solo isn't really a heist movie and isn't fully a comedy either, and Rogue One was supposed to have more spy elements and a generally darker tone before it got reworked.

    So The Mandalorian seems like the creators pretty consciously leaning into its genre-ness to prove that mainstream audiences will be along for the ride too, even without lightsabers.

    A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
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