hi cyndi! thank you for the ask!
hmm, i don’t think my boldest takes on the mandalorian are particularly uncommon, at least in this corner of the fandom, but here are a couple unpopular opinions or hot takes ive got :)
the mandalorian season 1 is as close to perfection star wars has ever been and is easily the best piece of star wars media out there. now, star wars as a whole is full of brilliant characters, plots, and world building, but the storytelling itself is a hot mess. there’s a lot of star wars media (the prequels and tcw for example) that i love in spite of it’s awkward, incoherent, and even disjointed storytelling due to what it’s trying to achieve or what it could. the substance makes up for the poor presentation, essentially. but the mandalorian! the mandalorian has actual solid storytelling! it succeeds in creating a symbiotic relationship between its plot and characters, in that significant turning points in the plot are often accompanied (if not caused) by significant turning points in a character’s development (ex: din’s decision to go back for grogu). it has strong story beats, thematic elements, intrigue and an emotional core, to name a few narrative elements that are either absent or underdeveloped in other star wars media. not to mention the heart that went into the mandalorian; it is such a genuine love letter to the wealth of material that’s come before it. and it’s commendable that a frankly niche story was made accessible by presenting information to the viewer through the limited lens of the protagonist’s own knowledge. i could say more but like….. yeah the mandalorian (s1) is a genuinely good and satisfying piece of media
the reveal of din’s name and cara’s planet of origin are among the best “plot twist” in star wars. im not explaining myself but im right
din and grogu shouldn’t have reunited in tbobf. they should’ve had the balls to stick with the mandalorian season 2 ending despite the backlash and deal with din and grogu’s separation in season 3 rather than resolve it in between seasons.
dave filoni’s unwillingness to let go of ahsoka, mixed with his inability to truly justify her continued presence in the narrative, is damaging to her character’s legacy and fan favourite status. ahsoka is at her worst in her live action appearances, especially in her mandalorian 2 episode where she steals the spotlight (failing to act as a proper supporting character). and it’s not even worth it because this ahsoka is just so boring. where’s her personality? like i know she’s supposed to be a “realized jedi” type now, but i don’t believe that ahsoka would be as sociable and nice 24/7 with din given her trauma, self imposed solitude, and interpretation of the no attachment rule. it also might have been interesting if we were allowed a perspective of ahsoka that’s deeply influenced by din’s own point of view.
