The Mandalorian season 2

The Mandalorian was Disney's first attempt at capturing the magic of Star Wars on the small screen in live-action and the first season was a pleasant success for fans. Pedro Pascal stars as the masked bounty hunter, Mando, and each of the eight episodes took a self-contained episodic approach as we followed him travel the galaxy while escorting a high valued target, dubbed 'Baby Yoda' by fans, away from the clutches of the evil Empire. The first season was a lot of fun as a fan of the series and it showed promise that Disney could get Star Wars 'right' following their divisive trilogy which failed to hit the mark.

However, the season wasn't without it's faults with some viewers not quite enjoying the video-game fetch quest some episodes turned into which seemingly dragged out a rather simple narrative. It was a minor gripe which I can't argue against and season two's first two episodes unfortunately took the same approach as Mando requires X but has to do Y if he can complete his mission etc. Thankfully this all changes from episode three and story finally swings into gear for a far more satisfying experience.

Following a clash with Giancarlo Esposito's imperial troops at the end of last season, Mando is getting closer to finding where he must deliver 'Baby Yoda' while the Empire is gradually forming into what will become the First Order. If you're hardcore fan or have followed the animated Star Wards series then there will be plenty to love here as Mando joins forces with a number of familiar faces while newcomers will find themselves a little in the dark but creator Jon Favreau and his crew do an excellent job of keeping the show as accessible as possible.

The Mandalorian is also one of the best looking shows out there and it really feels like the Star Wars fans know and love. It even boasts a terrific cast of new faces including the likes of Rosario Dawson, Timothy Olyphant and Katee Sackhoff who seemingly share the same passion as Favreau and Dave Filoni who want to make something special. My only fear is that this show is running into Disney's trilogy when you follow the timeline and while there a few fun nods to this, it is an area many fans would rather forget. Nonetheless, it doesn't dent the overall season and it's enjoyable to watch the series expand even if this is Disney spreading the seeds for future shows to capitalise on in the future.

Simply put; if you don't like Star Wars then there'll be little to sway your opinion with The Mandalorian. For everyone else, this has been a highly enjoyable ride and also a welcome distraction from the pandemic to get lost in such a rich experience that's been carefully crafted by a talented cast and crew which will delight fans. Pascal continues to shine from under that shiny helmet and I really look forward to seeing where this series goes next after such an exciting final episode, and to also see what else Favreau and Filoni have in store to follow.