How Mando saved Star Wars

I saw the title of an article recently that proposed Disney’s The Mandalorian saved Star Wars. SPOILER ALERT. It did. In my opinion Jon Favreau’s series did more for the franchise than J.J Abrams did for two films. When you talk about the top movies in the canon, one naturally turns to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: Rogue One. All three of these films have one thing in common, a dedication to story. Favreau’s series went back to the basics as to what made these particular films great. 
 
There is no other place in the universe that these characters can belong to and yet, they are all truly something special. My personal favorite was in only two episodes but made an impression that will stick with me for quite some time. I am speaking of course of Werner Herzog, star of the classic Werner Herzog Eats his Shoe. Armed with a sinister leer and a piercing stare, he steals every single scene he is in. Add to the roster the following guest stars, all with reoccurring roles, Nick Nolte, Amy Sedaris, Bill Burr, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers, and you have a cast of characters truly worth tuning in. Not one of these characters is uninteresting and all because of an attention to character and what makes Star Wars truly special.
 
I don’t want to leave out Pedro Pascal who shines as the futuristic samurai with a code that is as unwavering as he is. A great character like this deserves great stories and in two seasons there has not been a dud. Even episodes that are distinctly similar to Kurosawa or Leone have their twist and individual flavor. 
 
The line-up of guest directors is as talented and diverse as the actors. Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas Howard, Taika Waititi and Carl Weathers. All of these artists share two very special things in common, a love of all things Star Wars and the writing and production supervision of Jon Favreau.
 
 Together, they have all forged a welcome addition and a renewed vitality to a beloved series.