The top-rated episode ofThe Mandalorianhas a staggering 9.8/10 rating on IMDB with more than 64,000 ratings, but that actually has me very concerned aboutStar Wars’future.The Mandalorianis one ofStar Wars’best shows, and it’s arguably one of DisneyStar Wars’most successful projects to date. The show has pulled off introducing brand-new characters, some of which are now amongStar Wars’best characters, which is something the franchise has historically struggled with and continues to struggle with in newer shows.
The Mandalorianhas been a pretty significant anomaly in that sense, and that’s reflected in many of the episodes' ratings on platforms like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Although there have been some episodes that surprisingly got hate, like oneClone Wars-inspiredMandalorianseason 3 episode, for the most part,The Mandalorianhas been a hit.The Mandalorian’shighest-rated episode on IMDB has me very concerned, however, as it spells trouble forStar Wars’future.
The Season 2 Finale Of The Mandalorian Is The Top-Rated Episode
The Mandalorianseason 2 finaleis the show’s most highly-ratedMandalorianepisode on IMDB to date, and it has a multipoint margin compared to several other episodes. With a 9.8/10,The Mandalorianseason 2, episode 8, has a nearly perfect score with tens of thousands of ratings. Clearly, this episode was a major hit—butI am convinced that was in very large part due to Luke Skywalker’s surprising cameo at the end of the episode.
8.6/10
8.5/10
8.9/10
7.7/10
7.5/10
8.3/10
9.0/10
9.2/10
8.8/10
7.8/10
8.7/10
9.3/10
9.1/10
9.8/10
7.4/10
Season 3, Episode 2, “The Mines of Mandalore”
8.2/10
7.0/10
7.6/10
8.1/10
Season 3, Episode 6, “Guns for Hire”
6.4/10
Season 3, Episode 8, “The Return”
8.4/10
Luke’s appearance at the end of the episode was entirely unexpected for most viewers, and it was met with incredible fanfare. Few could have anticipated thatStar Warswould make such a massive jump, as it required de-aging, Mark Hamill’s involvement, and various tricks of the trade. That it was unexpected made it exciting enough, but it was particularly thrilling because Luke Skywalker hadn’t been shown on screen during this era yet. This episode took place afterReturn of the Jediand well beforeStar Wars: The Force Awakens, so it was something brand-new for audiences.
Luke Skywalker hadn’t been shown on screen during this era yet.
People rightfully had major reactions to this cameo, and it created plenty of interest in and love for this episode. While I was also delighted by Luke’s appearance, and it completely took me by surprise, there’s a larger issue that this success indicates.With Luke’s cameo putting this episode head and shoulders above many otherMandalorianepisodes, it only reinforces thatStar Warsstill thrives off of the Skywalkers—and that’s ultimately bad news.
The Skywalkers Are Still Star Wars' Biggest Draw
The Skywalkers Will Get Views Every Single Time
The Skywalker family treehas dominatedStar Warsfrom the very beginning, and, try as it might to move in different directions, such as with shows likeThe Mandalorianand myriad other projects,Star Warscan’t escape the truth that the Skywalkers sell. In fact, realistically, the Skywalkers sell more than anything else in the franchise. This has been proven time and again with Skywalker cameos in recent years, including Anakin’s appearance inObi-Wan KenobiandAhsoka.
This can be seen even with fan conventions, though. Hayden Christensen and Mark Hamill will always pull in enormous crowds, and even with love for new actors and characters, the Skywalkers are simply untouchable when it comes to theStar Warsfandom.Star Warsseems well aware of this, given how many cameos the Skywalkers have had in recent years.This makes one ofStar Wars’biggest declarations all the more confusing, though, and it has me convinced that the franchise either needs to go back on this promise or take a massive hit.
The Skywalkers are simply untouchable when it comes to theStar Warsfandom.
Star Wars Killed Off The Skywalkers… And That Is A Mistake
The Skywalker Saga Is Over, But Why!?
Despite the love audiences continue to have for the Skywalkers,Star Warshas killed off the entire Skywalker bloodline, and, more than that, the franchise has declared that the Skywalker Saga is ‘over.’ What exactly ‘over’ means remains to be seen, particularly given they do continue to have cameos. Presumably, this refers specifically to the trilogy movies, but it remains bewildering to me that they decided to kill off every last Skywalker—Star Wars’most popular characters—and insist that the franchise is moving on.
10 Ways Disney Has Changed The Skywalker Saga Forever
Disney Star Wars has made many updates to the Skywalker Saga—here are 10 major changes the franchise has made to the Skywalkers over the years.
With the Skywalkers being such a selling point even now and new shows likeThe Acolyteand new movies likeSolo: A Star Wars Storyfailing to perform in terms of reception, I have serious concerns aboutStar Wars’future. Clearly, the franchise thought it was time to move on from the Skywalkers, and while audiences may have initially agreed, it’s difficult to argue with numbers.The Mandalorian’sseason 2 finale ratings suggest that the Skywalker family continues to be key inStar Wars, and that could mean a tough road ahead.
