In pop culture, in particular for the geek-nerd, May 4th has now become unequivocally Star Wars Day by playing on the fact that “May the Force (be with you)” remembers “May the Fourth”.
Therefore, as is now tradition , also this year we at Infodata have dedicated a thought to the saga that has bewitched at least three generations since the release in theaters of “A new hope” in the distant (distant) 1977.
For sure, even if thecinematic epic is as beautiful as it is over, picking up from the opening credits of “The Empire Strikes Back”, “these are not dark times” as regards the productivity of the screenwriters of the universe conceived by Goerge Lucas and the proposal for the general public, although different from how it was offered in the past, is constantly expanding.
Assuming that the latest trilogy (for the layman it is both in chronological sense and in order of production) has received quite discordant reviews, as well as the latest spin-off released in the cinema dedicated to the events of the young Han Solo, the good news comes from the small screen, or rather from the home thanks to streaming.
As known, in 2012 Lucas decided to sell the entire Star Wars franchise to Disney (for an estimated value of around four billion dollars) and from that moment on the fate of the Force took a different path, let’s say.
With all due respect to the hardcore fans, even by the creator’s own admission, if there had not been an agreement with Disney, the Star Wars saga probably would have remained – at least cinematically – unfinished and, in addition, the recent creations could not have been born. designed for the new format as a TV series that has become popular in recent years.
And it is precisely to the successful series broadcast on Disney + that we have dedicated our little tribute since we decided to create a view entirely dedicated to “The Mandalorian”, probably known to most as “the saga where there is Baby Yoda”.
The graph below shows the sixteen episodes of the two seasons from the point of view of the average rating on IMDb, divided by color between the first eight (ocher) and the last eight (gray).
By passing with the cursor on the single episode (click from mobile) it is possible to obtain additional information accompanied by a frame of the episode.
As can be seen from the average value of user reviews, the series has been very successful with just three episodes below the average of eight and six that exceed the full nine.
Beyond the numbers, The Mandalorian has at least three fundamental aspects that could herald some success: it is a TV series with a colossus behind it, it fits into a background known to practically everyone but which is not essential for those who had to start from scratch, and – no less important – it presented itself with a character that even without a series would probably have depopulated for its “pucciosità”.
But let’s go in order and try to give a picture as spoiler-free as possible so as not to spoil the surprise for those who want to give an opportunity to the events of the strange couple formed by the Mandalorian and the “Baby Yoda”.
The plot is set in the canonical universe of Star Wars five years after the events of “Return of the Jedi”, those who saw the defeat of the Empire by the resistance led by Luke Skywalker, his sister Leia and the smuggler Han Solo, and consequently twenty-five years earlier than “The Awakening of the Force” when the Dark Side rises from its ashes .
Without going into too much detail, there is a lonely bounty hunter called the Mandalorian (for friends Mando) who, between one mission and another, agrees to recover a mysterious creature called “the Child” belonging to the species of Yoda, the famous Jedi master and powerful in the Force.
By doing a quick check on the basic knowledge ofuniverse of Star Wars just know that the Mandalorians are an ethno-religious culture and group united by a common belief and with a deeply rooted warrior tradition that always sees them wearing their own battle armor, including a helmet that constantly hides their identity.
All of this might sound absolutely familiar to you if you have seen one of the first two film trilogies as a representative of this culture appears in both and to be precise we are talking about Jango and Boba Fett, father and son respectively, even if the concept of paternity would go a long way. slightly revised since it is cloning, but we try not to digress too far.
As for the “Baby Yoda“, Objectively, a bit like the Jedi master from whom he inherited the nickname, initially very little is known also because the race to which he belongs has always been shrouded in an aura of mystery which, probably, makes it so more intriguing than to all the other decidedly less rare.
In order not to spoil the pleasure of enjoying the two seasons of the series, but without leaving you speechless in terms of succulent details, just know that yes, the Baby Yoda (she also has a name revealed in Season 2) has an innate predisposition towards the Force, the reason that makes it so precious, and that the sixteenth episode sees a cameo in which the lovers of the saga, with the appropriate background music (let’s say nothing more!), will be catapulted back to the times of the “golden age” of Star Wars .
The future of Star Wars. Ah, before saying goodbye, try to get into the mood of the Star Wars TV series because two more productions are (should be) on the way that promise more hours of entertainment.
Andor, arriving in 2022, will be the prequel to Rogue One, a film released in 2016, which explains how the terrible spaceship Death Star was designed, while Obi-Wan Kenobi (whose production began in April) will deal with the story of the homonymous Jedi master set ten years after the dramatic finale of “Revenge of the Sith”.
So we just have to say goodbye with the classic “May the Force be with you”.