The Mandalorian is a TV series set in the Star Wars universe. It follows the adventures of a Mandalorian bounty hunter and the strange alien child (with magical powers) that's in his care. This review will cover Season 1 and highlight any potential concerns that parents may have when considering whether it's appropriate for their kids to watch.
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Required Star Wars Knowledge
The Mandalorian actually requires no prior knowledge of the Star Wars universe in order to enjoy the show. In fact, it was my first introduction to the Star Wars franchise, and I felt it did a good job of explaining things as they came up. However, since the government is referenced so often, I wish I had this additional basic understanding of it:
This series takes place after rebels overthrew the Galactic Empire (aka after the movie Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi). The Galactic Empire was a tyrannical dictatorship that ruled by fear and violence; their troops wore white armor and were called storm troopers. The government before the Galactic Empire was called the Republic, and the current government is called the New Republic. The farther away you get from the center of the galaxy, the less likely the government is to be around, and therefore the more lawless a place is.
If you're familiar with the Star Wars universe then there's a ton of additional interconnected lore and easter eggs to enjoy, but it's not required knowledge to enjoy the show.
What to Expect in Every Episode
A lot of violence. Fist fighting and gunfights are common, as is stabbings and death. However, there's very little blood and gore. The human-like characters rarely have more than a smoking blaster mark shown; but, it's common for destroyed robots to be shown torn apart or with massive holes in them.
A swear word, and it's usually said in a slightly obscured way (mid breath, in surprise when ambushed, etc.)
All sorts of alien creatures with varying different looks, some of which small kids may find scary (especially if they're bad guys).
References to having a creed and honor, being a bounty hunter, and bartering; which are concepts the viewer is expected to already understand. Additionally, a couple scenes have some subtitles to read.
The Child occasionally using his magical powers.
References to both the Child's and Mandalorian's religions. The Child is from "an order of sorcerers called Jedi, that fought with such powers [to move objects with its mind]". The Mandalorian is part of a group of fierce warriors that strongly adhere to a set creed, and affirm their adherence by uttering the words "this is the way".
The Mandalorian and the Child both using subtle body language in lieu of speaking.
Strong foes, impossible odds, tragedies, and a lot of morally grey characters.
Presumably alcoholic beverages.
Content by Chapter
In addition to the things listed above, here's any extra potentially objectionable content in each episode.
Chapter 1
A character gets chopped in half in the opening scene. Shortly after, a large scary creature breaks through the ice, eats someone, and then tries to bring down the Mandalorian's ship. A robot contemplates suicide over being captured.
Chapter 2
The child levitates an animal.
Chapter 3
Flashbacks to the Mandalorian's parents being killed, which involves the slaughter of unarmed people.
Chapter 4
Raiders attack innocent villagers.
Chapter 5
A character is gut shot and left for dead in the desert.
Chapter 6
This episode has an above average amount of violence and suspense. The Mandalorian participates in a heist to break someone out of prison, then he is double crossed, and finally he gets revenge. A character flirts with the Mandalorian and someone asks "do we need to leave the room or something?". One large character is red skinned, fire resistant, and has large horns; presumably he intentionally looks devilish and is about as scary as a devilish halloween costume. The heist crew bullies the Mandalorian on several occasions. The Mandalorian wraps a rope around a bad guy's neck and tries to hang him.
Chapter 7
The child uses his powers to choke a friend of the Mandalorian and later to heal a poisoned wound. In an intense and scary scene, Pterodactyl like creatures appear out of the pitch black night and attack from every angle.
Chapter 8
The child is punched several times. It's explicitly narrated multiple times that the enemy intentionally kills many of their own troops. More flashbacks to the death of the Mandalorian's parents, which involves the slaughter of unarmed people. The child uses his powers to set someone on fire. The Mandalorian's bloody face is revealed and he almost dies. A character sacrificially blows themselves up, and there's a significant amount of emotional dialogue trying to dissuade them before they do it.
Conclusion
The Mandalorian is an extremely well done TV series, but it's not made with smaller kids in mind. However, once a child (or more likely a teen) can handle the large amounts of violence, they're probably capable of navigating any of the other concerning issues too.
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