The Mandalorian The Mandalorian 3.07 - Chapter 23 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

@Mandalore464 You have a fair observation about the Armorer’s line about Death Watch splitting into warring factions.

I do remember that line though I think it is a case of the show “telling” and not showing.

It also provides basically nothing in the way of insight into what Death Watch may have believed for the viewer not familiar with all Mandalorian content in other Star Wars media.

I think that is one of my bigger issues with season three of Mandalorian there is now a long list of Star Wars content beyond the nine main saga films and previous Mandalorian seasons a viewer is expected to be familiar with in order to make sense of the story Mandalorian is trying to tell. Whereas when Mandalorian used to be basically lone warrior Mando going on bounty hunting adventures with Baby Yoda, it was a fun weekly live action serial that required no real prior knowledge of Star Wars beyond the main saga films and previous Mandalorian episodes.

 

@Bor Mullet To be honest, I think it makes no sense at all. Death Watch is never mentioned in the Mandalorian show prior to that line and we are given zero information on what Death Watch believed or what made them so terrifying or anything. Or how they differ from the other Mandalorians we have seen.

The whole show is laughably surface level and underdeveloped in terms of its depiction of Mandalorian culture. The only distinction between the two factions the show spends any time focusing on is one believes adult Mandalorians must wear helmets at all times in front of others or be anathema and excommunicate (basically no longer Mandalorian) and the other faction believes it is okay for Mandalorians to take their helmets off in front of others.

What Death Watch believed that could have made them different from these factions or what these so far unshown supposedly warring factions believe is not explored.

Mandalorian season 3 wants to explore Mandalorian culture in more depth but for the most part fails abysmally at it.

Truthfully this show had no purpose or direction after Baby Yoda was given to Luke for Jedi training at the end of season 2. That was the moment the show was building toward and should have stopped since nothing afterwards has been nearly as good.

It’s why I would have no interest in a season four of Mandalorian. There is no story here any more.

Mandalorian season 1 and 2 had content that could interest and appeal to someone like me who was never a big fan of Mandalorians or of Jango and Boba Fett. Season 3 has no such hook for me.

It became yet another show that ran too long because it’s creators didn’t see they had no more story left.

Which was more than I ever expected it to be initially since I thought none of it would be to my taste given that I am not a Mandalorian fan.

But still disappointing in the context of the fact that season 1 and 2 had appeal and interest to those who were not going to win Mandalorian trivia contests like myself. Seasons 1 and 2 were like the main saga films in that I felt I could point them to casual Star Wars fans to them to enjoy. Whereas Season 3 my verdict to casual Star Wars fans would be not to bother watching.

Season 3 seems to target instead of a general audience including casual Star Wars fans a much narrower demographic of hard core Star Wars fans who think Mandalorians are the best thing since sliced bread.

Which is fine, but that is a demographic that does not include me. So I will be getting off the Mandalorian ride at the end of season 3 and don’t foresee myself bothering to get back on again. Nor watching the rest of the Boba Fett episodes since I am honestly kind of sick of Mandalorians and content focused on them.

No hard feelings overall from me to the Mandalorian show or its creators but the show no longer really interests me or appeals to me.

I am happy for the fans for whom the Mandalorian show still holds appeal and interest.

But going forward once Season 3 is concluded, I will probably just focus on Star Wars content that does continue to have appeal and interest for me.

Stuff like the High Republic content because I am an unashamed Jedi fan girl.

Star Wars is a big tent fandom with something to appeal to everyone so I will just go back toward the parts of the tent more catered to me but no hard feelings toward the other parts of the tent. It was fun visiting but I will not overstay my welcome.

I will peace out at the end of Season 3 of Mandalorian but be grateful for the good moments and fun the show provided in its first two seasons. Which is more than many shows ever provide!

 

@Bor Mullet My view is that we have been told that there are supposedly these deep divisions in Mandalorian society but we haven't seen them in the show. So far, the only notable divisions in Mandalorian society that the show has presented is that there is one faction that believes that adult Mandalorians must always wear their helmets in the presence of others or be considered no longer Mandalorian and that there is another faction who believes that adult Mandalorians can remove their helmets in front of others and not forfeit their Mandalorian status. That's it. That is the only noteworthy division that has received any attention and exploration at all in this show.

And it is a very surface level, aesthetic difference and distinction so it undermines my attempts to take the show seriously when the cause of these supposedly deep divisions is entirely a matter of surface level, aesthetic preference.

So to use a somewhat light-hearted comparison to illustrate what I mean. I am from Northern New Jersey. People from Northern New Jersey often refer to a type of salted breakfast meat as Taylor Ham. Those from Southern New Jersey call the same meat a pork roll. Sometimes those of us from Northern New Jersey make jokes about how the people from Southern New Jersey aren't really from New Jersey because they refer to the salted breakfast meat by what we consider to be the "wrong" name. But these comments are indeed made with the tongue firmly planted in cheek because these are actually surface level differences and not causes of deep divisions. But the Mandalorian season three treats these sort of surface level differences as if they are legitimately deep divisions.

Therefore, it is hard for me to attach any gravitas to these supposedly deep cultural divisions within Mandalorian society.

Sure, a Mandalorian can ask with awe and fear in his tone, "Are you Death Watch? Do you have to wear your helmets all the time in front of other people or not be considered Mandalorian any more?"

And a person from Southern New Jersey can ask with awe and fear in his tone, "Are you from Northern New Jersey? Do you refer to the salted breakfast meat as Taylor Ham and not pork roll?"

The second case would be a spoof. A joke. A bit of ribbing that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The first one takes itself very seriously. Expects the audience to draw in a big gasp of horror. And therefore I find it hard to actually take seriously. It still feels like a spoof and a joke. Just a spoof and a joke that doesn't realize it is a spoof and a joke.

It is surface level stuff that thinks it is being deep.

As far as cultures making sense, in my study of real world history and cultures, they generally do. For example, it makes sense that brides from Christian countries have historically worn white because white is a color of purity in those cultures, and Chinese brides historically have worn red because red is a color of good fortune. Or why Japanese people would wear white to funerals because white is a color of mourning in their culture. Or why medieval people hung tapestries in their castles for insulation and decoration.

Mandalorian culture in season 3 feels poorly developed to me because it never delves into the deeper whys and focuses only on surface level differences between the two presented Mandalorian factions and never even explores any deeper meaning behind those surface level differences.

Like I still couldn't tell you why Mando's faction believes that Mandalorians have to wear their helmets all the time in front of others or have their Mandalorian status summarily revoked. And I have been watching the show for three seasons now.

Maybe that gets explained in Season 15, Episode 8 but I don't plan to tune in that long so I wouldn't know.

Because I just no longer care about Mandalorians or the Mandalorian show. The show stopped making me care about Mandalorians and about itself. Whatever appetite I had for consuming Mandalorian content has been satisfied at this point.

I'll tune in for the final episode of Season 3 and then check out.

But hopefully those who keep watching subsequent seasons continue to enjoy it.

 

There is nothing more serious than when different factions learn the other "side" has different rules to board games.

 

I love the way Pellaeon's actor, an American, is clearly having fun doing a specific type of "British officer" voice - you can tell that while he's holding it in, saying "is-ue" and gruffly snarking about Gideon being flashy is something he enjoys on a deep, fun level.

I think what I'd say is that if you *do* know the deeper history of the Mandos from the cartoons than its going to feel like the show is being profoundly shallow with them right now, while if you don't know their history, you're maybe missing out on a richer story than what the show has right now, and might be more likely to be bored - albeit this is all mild possibilities, since we all want "pew-pew space lasers!" on some level.

I *do* find myself thinking something like this:

If we're directly referencing Mandalore having a "great society," different factions having grudges and hatred for each other, and the idea that not all Mandalorians are the same, than it's confusing why the actual "great society," different factions, and long history of feuds that the show has access to are only being obliquely referred to and massively downplayed to the extent a mainstream watcher might not even really catch.

If we're not exploring that history, that society, and those details... then why reference them at all?

Like... Bo not mentioning her sister may be annoying to those who know who Satine is and want to explore that, but if Satine doesn't matter to how the audience is supposed to react to Bo right now, than it actually makes sense to have the live action mainstream audience not have to even bother with an obscure reference to her.... even if that also means you're sort of hamstringing the story by keeping it shallow and one-dimensional instead of exploring the three-dimensional and complex story you had before.

 

@A Chorus of Disapproval Fair enough. The two factions do indeed have different board game rules and have a brawl about that. So they are up to two very big and serious differences between the two factions. Board game rules and helmet rules