The Mandalorian Returns to Disney+
After a year of waiting, the much anticipated second season of The Mandalorian began its release on Disney+ on Oct. 30. With a release schedule of one episode every Friday, the eight episode season is already quickly nearing its end. Many fans had high expectations for the second season after its award winning predecessor – expectations that, so far, it has had no trouble living up to.
With all the familiar stylings of a space western, The Mandalorian stays thematically in line with its first season without rehashing the same plot points over again. The show balances its existing characters with new characters nicely and even introduces some familiar faces for fans of other installments in the greater Star Wars canon. The second season is generally much more involved in the existing Star Wars universe, establishing a clearer timeline for the show and losing some of the standalone feel of its previous episodes.
However, the plot is not the only noteworthy difference. Where the first season’s soundtrack was good, the second season’s soundtrack is great – the original Mandalorian theme still heavily influences the sound, but there are plenty of other notable motifs throughout each episode. Ludwig Göransson does each scene justice with his compositions, from the soft twinkling of The Child’s curiosity to the stabbing synthesizers, frantic strings, and threatening percussion of the Mandalorian’s multiple fight scenes.
The new season is also visually stunning, showcasing the beautiful landscapes characteristic of Star Wars and the meticulously crafted character designs of friend and foe alike. The setting of each episode is gorgeous to look at, even on planets covered in oppressive fog or devoid of most scenery besides sand. Additionally, the designs of the aliens populating the world of The Mandalorian have stepped up a notch, especially the designs of the various sentient humanoids of the galaxy’s outer rim. Even the concept art shown during the credits of each episode is worth sticking around for.
Overall, The Mandalorian’s second season lives up to the expectation set by its previous episodes, and is even higher quality in some areas. The whole show is definitely worth a watch, whether you are a fan of Star Wars or completely new to the franchise. The Mandalorian is available for streaming on Disney+, where the season two finale is set to be released on Dec. 18.
