Season two of The Mandalorian is on the horizon and fans everywhere are excited. The show became a massive hit for Disney+ and it seemed like the internet was buzzing whenever a new episode was dropped. The series was even strong enough to score a Best Drama Series Emmy nomination.
Despite the first season being a critical and commercial success, it was far from perfect. They did a ton of things right but also missed the mark with a handful of creative decisions. That means there are a few aspects that should stick around from season one and a few ideas they should avoid repeating.
10 Leave Behind: Romantic Interest Teases
This wasn't something that The Mandalorian did a lot of but it was still clearly there. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) is the protagonist and he mostly comes across as a loner. That being said, you got the sense that there was a romantic situation with two characters.
First, there was Omera in the episode "Sanctuary." She represented a happier, calm possible life for Djarin and The Child. "The Prisoner" also seemed to indicate that he had a romantic past with Xi'an. Star Wars doesn't have the best track record with romantic storylines, so it's best to avoid this.
9 Bring Back: Leftover Imperial Tidbits
Keeping track of the timeline of the Star Wars universe can be a bit of a headache. One thing that's clear is that The Mandalorian takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi. That means that the Empire has fallen and the First Order has yet to rise.
"Sanctuary" saw the raiders the planet was dealing with have an old Imperial AT-ST. Not only did it make for a cool action scene but it also worked to show that things from those days were not fully dead. It was would be welcome to get little tidbits like that again.
8 Leave Behind: Kuiil & IG-11
Don't get things twisted. Kuiil (Nick Nolte) and IG-11 (Taika Waititi) were delightful characters. IG-11 especially managed to steal the show in the final few episodes of season one. That being said, they both did die in those last two episodes.
It can certainly be tempting for shows to try to bring back popular characters from the dead. It has happened a ton. That shouldn't be the case here as you want deaths to matter. The focus should probably be on Djarin teaming with Cara Dune (Gina Carano) and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers).
7 Bring Back: Mandalorian Lore/Backstory
"This is the way" became one of the most popular sayings in recent memory thanks to this show. Those words are important in the creed of the Mandalorians. The character of The Armorer (Emily Swallow) was crucial in delivering bits of lore about the way of her people.
The show also did well in terms of giving small looks into what happened to Djarin during his childhood. You saw what happened to his parents and why he dislikes droids. The series would do well to continue with similar peeks into the past.
6 Leave Behind: Disappearance Of Side Characters
Fans were certainly irked by this happening in the first season. Kuiil was a key part of the first few episodes and then was gone for several. Karga disappeared for a few installments. Cara Dune debuted in episode four and wasn't back until the seventh installment.
While this is Djarin's story and his travels mean he should meet new people, this was a frustrating trend that needs to be avoided in season two. The fans only have a handful of characters they care about and they need to be around often. Having them off to the side for a while hurts the flow.
5 Bring Back: Fun Droids
While it is noted that IG-11 shouldn't return from the dead, that doesn't mean the show should avoid droids altogether. Star Wars has an endless supply of lovable droids, from C-3PO and R2-D2 to BB-8 and K-2SO of Rogue One fame. That's not including the characters from comics, games, and more.
While IG-11 got most of the love, there was also Q9-0, a droid pilot who appeared in the episode, "The Prisoner." Q9-0 wasn't a fan favorite but the inclusion of the droid was still fun. Give fans another enjoyable droid or two and it'll benefit the season.
4 Leave Behind: Forced Connections
Many viewers will agree that the worst episode of the season was "The Gunslinger." It just felt like not much happened on it and that it was only there as an excuse to get the characters to Tatooine. Longtime fans can appreciate a trip to Tatooine due to what it means to franchise lore but it felt forced.
Spinoffs and prequels often run into this problem. While Solo was a delightful adventure film, it tried way too hard to connect the story to what audiences already knew. With the inclusion of characters like Ahsoka Tano, the temptation will be there. Hopefully, they avoid it.
3 Bring Back: Subtle Connections
Of course, when something is part of a larger series, it's imperative that connections are there. The Mandalorian certainly needs some but they should be subtle and not feel heavy-handed. Think about Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) busting out the Darksaber in the finale.
That was a great nod to the lore of the franchise without beating any viewers over the head with it. Keeping it simple with these things goes a long way with a series like this. Some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows from the Netflix era did too little, so striking that balance is key.
2 Leave Behind: Filler Episodes
This was easily the biggest problem with the show's first season. The first three episodes felt like they were part of one story. Then, the next few episodes came across as total filler and they didn't really have much of a connection to the greater plot of the season.
Things got back to the main storyline for the final two episodes, which were great. While it was fun to go on side adventures at times, there are only a precious few hours to tell a story, so wasting time on things that ultimately don't impact the endgame feels like a bad move. Make every minute count.
1 Bring Back: Protective Relationship
When The Mandalorian was announced and even after trailers aired, nobody could've predicted the show would feature a bounty hunter who ends up playing a father figure to a child from Yoda's species. However, that's what happened and it ended up being for the best.
Not only is "Baby Yoda" wildly popular and adorable but the protective role that Din Djarin has with The Child is beloved. Audiences couldn't get enough of watching the way Djarin always cared for him. There was also the great scenes where The Child used the Force whenever someone endangered Djarin.
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