'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' Season 1, Episode 8 Review: Honoring 'Star Wars' and every good Easter Egg
One of the most fun aspects of any new 'Star Wars' feature is all the little references it has to the original movies, as well as minor bits of the expanded universe. 'The Mandalorian' went all in for these aspects, re-introducing old concepts as faithful homages, and this final episode of 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' explores all the ones that made the show great.
If there's one thing that 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' has proven, it's that everyone involved with the show is an absolute 'Star Wars' nerd at heart, getting to use Disney's prodigious budget to bring that world to life. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau even had that running joke comparing all the 'Star Wars' props, characters and costumes they get to use are just the leftover toys they get to play with after their older brother (the 'Star Wars' film franchises) get to take the cool ones. 'The Mandalorian' certainly made the most of the uncool, including everything from the disaffected X-Wing Pilots to the beloved ice cream machine from 'The Empire Strikes Back.'
It's certainly the most fun episode of the entire docuseries, as the directors sit around the table reminisce over how they brought their favorite background bits from the original movies and make them a reality on the sets of 'The Mandalorian.' In the decades since its release, the 'Star Wars' franchise has mined every frame, every prop, every background detail for more stories, fleshing out even minor on-screen gaffes, giving them a backstory, and making them canon. There is something heartwarmingly lame, silly, and incredibly fun in knowing this 'Star Wars' minutiae and how the franchise pays just as much attention to detailing, as well.
On the flip side of it, you have organizations like the 501st Legion, who make that encyclopedic knowledge their life's work. The organization is dedicated to bringing the Stormtroopers to life in every minute detail, and they were featured in this episode. A group of about 30 of them were called in at the last minute to help bolster the Stormtrooper army in the finale, allowing their real-life Stormtrooper training and their handmade costumes to become an official part of 'Star Wars' lore. The 501st Legion's inclusion in 'The Mandalorian' is every fan's dream - for their dedication to the franchise to help them literally become a part of the 'Star Wars' universe.
It's the perfect note to end the docuseries on because that is exactly what the making of 'The Mandalorian' appears to have been about - a collection of dedicated 'Star Wars' fans who were given the opportunity to contribute to the 'Star Wars' universe, and in doing so become a permanent fixture of the franchise in its own right.
All episodes of 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian' are available to stream on Disney+.
