It’s the team-up of him and Favreau that I think enables a lot of the schlock. I may not agree with or buy into Filoni’s Star Wars all the time, but at least he’s interested in more than the theme park. Favreau feels like the guy that says it’s okay to indulge like that, and has the perspective of someone removed from the franchise’s prior history. He knows all audiences haven’t watched the cartoons and understands how wide the net should be for a big one. It worked well in Mando season 1 as the first live action tv series, but it solidified an emphasis on form that’s restrained a story itching to evolve.
I agree with you. It’s like they encourage the worst aspects of each other’s inner manchild.
I have no problem with the Mandalorian being the pulpy, Western-inspired side of Star Wars. I prefer Andor but the only way I think it needs to be a template for the other shows (or films) is in the quality of the writing & production. You can have a pulpy tone but still be prestige television.
They need a writers room. If Andor can get Beau Willimon from House of Cards & Stephen Schiff from the Americans, why not get Graham Yost from Justified for the Mandalorian?
It’s also bizarre, given how Disney de-canonised the original EU because it was so sprawling, complicated & of such variable quality, that they are making the same mistakes with these interconnected series.
Most people have neither the time nor inclination to watch every single piece of content - certainly not when it runs to seven seasons - in order to be able to follow the plot & recognise characters. Especially now when there’s so much (better) quality content on streaming. It’s ironic that Star Wars is leaning into this story approach just as it’s running into trouble in the MCU.