[SPOILERS] The Mandalorian: Chapter 1 Review

So, a forenote...I now have access to Disney+ and I can immediately tell you it's mindblowing what all they've got. I'm talking new movies and TV shows, like Avengers: Endgame and The Mandalorian, to classics, like the old Mickey Mouse content and movies I frankly thought I'd never see again thanks to their ancient age. Basically, you name it, and if Disney was somehow involved in it, Disney+ probably has it. So I can tell you, I'm gonna be hanging out on this new streaming service a lot, especially after November ends.

I haven't actually done a whole lot on it, yet, though. I browsed the selection of content with my family, and I also watched the first episode of the first Star Wars live action TV show, "The Mandalorian." The trailers didn't have me super hyped, to be honest. It looked like something I'd really enjoy, but it felt like the trailers were pretty repetitive in theme, consistency, and in some cases, what actually showed up. But regardless, I was super hyped, not because of the trailers, but because of the title. Mandalorians are one of my favorite aspects of Star Wars! The warrior/mercenary race has always appealed to me in an odd way. Futhermore, the trailers I read justified my hype, and raised my expectations for this show even more. Yet I was still shocked with how awesome this episode was.

It starts off with the Mandalorian walking into a bar. Doing so manages to anger some thugs, and the Mandalorian tries to ignore them initially. Then, unexpectedly, he either kills or incapacitates all the thugs. Prior to the Mandalorian's entrance, the thugs were picking on some sort of blue creature, who is immensely grateful, and even offers credits. Then the Mandalorian then reveals that there's a bounty on him (the blue creature), who attempts to talk his way out of it. Rather unsuccessfully, I might add.

They take transportation to the Mandalorian's ship, where the blue guy adds that he has a ton of credits, and could afford to give the bounty hunter a massive upgrade. The Mandalorian pointedly ignores the offer and takes the blue creature off-planet. During the flight, the Mandalorian carbon-freezes the alien, which I initially felt was to shut him up.

The Mandalorian (I know I've said that word a million times, now, but he's currently unnamed, so I can't exactly use his name) then delivers the blue creature- alongside several other bounties- to the "Guild". After trying to accept all five of the final bounties simultaneously and being refused, he's given an address where someone wants to privately hire a bounty hunter. He goes to the address, where a wealthy-looking man and a bunch of stormtroopers are waiting. He's told the bounty can be taken dead or alive, although if the bounty is brought in dead, he'll only get half the payment. There are only two things the Mandalorian is given: a tracking fob to track the bounty, and the age of the bounty (which is about 50 years old).

The Mandalorian goes to the planet, where he's attacked by a large creature called a blurrg. He has his hands full (in a sense, quite literally) when yet another attacks. Both are tranquilized, and the Mandalorian's rescuer notes he's a bounty hunter. He then says, "I will help you. I have spoken." The final sentence in that phrase is quickly realized to be the rescuer's catch-phrase. After the Mandalorian learns to tame and ride a blurrg, the two ride off, where the man shows the Mandalorian where the encampment is.

The problem is, a droid named IG-11 has beaten the Mandalorian to assaulting the fortress. The Mandalorian hurries down and helps the droid, suggesting alternative tactics, and repeatedly telling the bounty droid not to initiate its self-destruct sequence. They fight their way in, where the tracking fob leads them to their target...a baby inside a crib. But this isn't an ordinary baby. This baby is of the same species as Yoda, which is an unnamed species as of yet. IG-11 raises its blaster to kill the baby, insisting his contract was very specific, and the target must be exterminated. The Mandalorian double-crosses the droid and destroys it before it can shoot the baby. The final scene shows the Mandalorian reaching towards the baby, and the baby reaching back.

Overall, this TV show, so far, is astonishing. It's everything I want from Star Wars; a high-action bounty-hunting adventure without any Force-sensitives messing everything up. Granted, I love Jedi and Sith and everything in-between, but Star Wars feels more real without any of that mystical stuff, and that's why Rogue One and Solo were (and still are) my favorite Star Wars movies. There are plenty of variety of creatures and people found throughout the series, and you get a glimpse into the Mandalorian's past, which looks extremely traumatic. There is more to the first chapter than I've listed, but I mostly just covered the main plot details.

Now, here's the million-dollar question none of you might be asking: Is "The Mandalorian" good enough to warrant buying Disney+? The answer remains to be seen. Plenty of shows can start off amazing and get really bad really fast. I will say, however, that "The Mandalorian" isn't the only reason to get excited about the streaming service. There are some new Marvel TV shows coming, including but not limited to, "Falcon and the Winter Soldier", "WandaVision", and "Loki". Not to mention, there's also a HUGE list of other content that you'll probably never find anywhere else anymore. Want to watch a Lego Frozen short? They've got it! Want to revisit Mickey Mouse? You've got plenty of options! Haven't been able to watch Lego Star Wars: All-Stars? I hear you, and I can't wait to find out what in the galaxy that's about!

I'll continue to cover content from Disney+ on this blog. Not all of it will be spoiler-filled reviews, however. In fact, beyond this, I might not even use spoiler reviews for Disney+ related content at all. Is there anything in particular you want me to try to cover on this blog? If so, let me know! I'll try to get it covered eventually.