Written by Charissa Roberson
After a rousingly successful debut in 2019, “The Mandalorian” returned to Disney+ in October for the start of its second season.
The first Season 2 episode of “The Mandalorian” premiered on Oct. 30. Unlike Netflix, which releases entire seasons at once, Disney+ is releasing one new episode per week, mimicking the schedule of an on-air TV show. Forget binge-watching—if a “Mandalorian” episode ends in a cliff-hanger, audiences will have to wait until the next Friday to find out what happens. The new season couldn’t have come at a better time, with the holidays arriving and fans eager for quality entertainment.
Back in 2019, “The Mandalorian” took the internet by storm, mostly thanks to an adorable little creature who features as one of the show’s main characters. Even if someone hadn’t seen “The Mandalorian,” they had certainly seen a “Baby Yoda” meme popping up on their social media feed. Critics and fans alike praised the show’s streamlined storytelling, exciting mythos and overall appeal. Rotten Tomatoes gave “The Mandalorian” a 92% fresh rating, compared to the 51% awarded to the main franchise’s most recent installment, “The Rise of Skywalker.”
Now, with the arrival of its second season, the reputation of “The Mandalorian” is standing strong. The weeks in between episodes have given fans and critics time to speculate about future storylines, hunt for Easter eggs and promote upcoming episodes. A sampling of online articles includes Film Daily offering an introduction to new characters in Season 2, Polygon with an explanation of what a “darksaber” is, and We Got This Covered pointing out a reference to the Hans Solo “Who shot first?” scene in the credits of a “Mandalorian” episode. The general consensus seems to be pure excitement for more episodes of this stand-out show.
“The Mandalorian” is one of the lucky shows that finished production on its new content before the pandemic hit (The Verge). Now, “The Mandalorian” is undoubtedly benefiting from the reduced competition from other shows and the increased anticipation of its viewers, who have had little in the way of new releases since the pandemic began.
If the word online is anything to go by, “The Mandalorian” is in no danger of losing the momentum and fanbase it gained from its first season. Keep an eye out for new Season 2 episodes on Disney+, every Friday until the season finale on Dec. 18.
