HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' Episode 1: Show's directors unite for a joyful celebration of 'Star Wars'

The show features the five directors of 'The Mandalorian', how they came to the show and what they love about the 'Star Wars' franchise

Though it will be airing weekly on Fridays, the first episode of 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' premiered on May 4 instead, on international 'Star Wars' Day.

If you're not just rewatching your favorite 'Star Wars' movies or shows again, you couldn't ask for better 'Star Wars' Day viewing. The premiere episode focuses on direction, and you couldn't find bigger fans of the 'Star Wars' franchise than the five directors of 'The Mandalorian'. 

Through 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian,' fans of the titular Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) get an in-depth look into the show.

Creator and executive producer for 'The Mandalorian' hosts the show, and the first episode — 'Directing' — sees him talking to the show's five directors about how they got involved with the show, and what the series has meant to them.

Favreau is joined by Dave Filoni, Deborah Chow, Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard and Rick Famuyiwa, who share their stories, and their love for the 'Star Wars' canon as a whole.

When 'The Mandalorian' aired, there was a lot of talk about how the franchise finally felt like it was 'Star Wars' again, and it's easy to see just how that was achieved. Through the directors' comments, there is so much love for the franchise apparent in this first episode.

Dave Filoni, in particular, is celebrated (and teased) for just how much of a 'Star Wars' nerd he is. It's unsurprising, given his work behind the brilliant 'Star Wars: Clone Wars' prior to making the leap to live-action directing.

Each episode of 'The Mandalorian' felt like it was exploring a different genre, and we learn that that's in large part due to the creative freedom each director was given. It's rare for a show to allow that level of varying creative voices.

As Jon Favreau points out, the assembled directors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, genres, and experiences. From big-budget, comedy-action directors like Taika Waititi fresh off of 'Thor: Ragnorak,' to 'Star Wars' experts like Dave Filoni, to newcomers like Bryce Dallas Howard, each director brought their own unique vision to the show. 

'The Mandalorian' can feel like a series of well-crafted feature films, and as the docuseries shows, that is very much by design.

The documentary series is a straightforward celebration not just of 'The Mandalorian,' but of the franchise as a whole. Every fan has a fractured relationship with the 'Star Wars' series, but shows like 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' are a great way to unite the fans in their love of the franchise.

It's also a great look at just what separates a good director from the bad or mediocre ones, standing on its own for those who've never seen 'The Mandalorian' before (though be warned, there are major spoilers sprinkled throughout). It is perfect 'Star Wars' day viewing, and any fan of the franchise should be taking a look.

The next episode of 'Disney Galley: The Mandalorian' airs on May 8 on Disney+.