Annlyel James 
Annlyel shares her reaction to the debut episode of Jon Favreau’s landmark Star Wars series: The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian. It’s all any Star Wars fan can talk about and let me tell you, there’s a reason. I’ve seen lots of television shows. My favorite tv show of all time is Gunsmoke, the thrilling twenty-season long Western starring James Arness as the no-nonsense U.S Marshall, Matt Dillon in the ever-restless, uncivilized Dodge City following the events of the Civil War. For years, I couldn’t get enough of Gunsmoke with its epic showdowns, nail-biting suspense, and thrilling episodes filled with grimy characters and lowdown hooligans just looking for trouble.
So imagine my joy when Jon Favreau announced that The Mandalorian was going to be heavily inspired by westerns. My excitement practically flew through the roof and after watching the first episode it is very obvious the Western influences found in this gritty tale about a lone wolf finding a way to survive in a post-Empire galaxy.
There is fan service left and right but not in a forced way. Rather in an exciting way that makes us remember that the galaxy we love so much is just that; a galaxy. Many things that we see in the movies can be found in other sections of the galaxy, it’s when the creators of these stories us to those other parsecs do we realize that fact.
In terms of the idea that the story is placed after the events of Return of the Jedi, it’s the first time where we get to see The Empire in such a state of disarray. Stormtroopers are filthy and very aggressive. Mentions of The Empire are made in a way not of fear, like in the original Star Wars movies or Rogue One, but rather as in past tense. But nothing is said of the Rebellion, at least…not yet.
Jon Favreau has truly presented the next Star Wars obsession in The Mandalorian and if the first episode is anything to go by Disney will have an even greater future ahead of themselves with these fantastic Disney Plus series.
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Annlyel James is a prolific Staff Writer for Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Follow her on Twitter @annlyeljames where she channels the Force frequently!
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
