*SPOILERS FOR THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 2*

The hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian recently finished its second season, capping off 2020 with some major surprises. Compared to the first season’s relative seclusion from other Star Wars stories, Season 2 connects the show to the larger Star Wars universe, though it retains its basic and self-contained plot of Din Djarin protecting The Child, or as the Internet has come to lovingly adorn him, Baby Yoda. Unlike last season, which only introduced new characters (with some being inspired by classic characters like IG-11, who was inspired by IG-88 from Empire Strikes Back) season 2 brings back several established characters from various pieces of Star Wars media.

While the stage is a little more crowded with visitors, this season does a great job giving depth to Din and Grogu’s (the child) relationship. It’s one of the strongest aspects of the series and has been since the first season, but season 2 doesn’t remain stagnant and gives the duo more moments to shine and convey that fatherly emotion which is the core of the series. Coupled with the larger set pieces and wonderful use of recurring characters, The Mandalorian season 2 has an amazing balance of introducing the new while respecting the old.

And if there’s one thing this season did exceedingly well, it was respecting the old. Fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, novels, cartoons, and even its video games will be delighted to see some familiar and unexpected faces. Thanks to new and returning actors, as well as some miraculous CGI, legendary characters from the Star Wars canon grace this season with heavy doses of fanservice.

Season 2 hasn’t been perfect, however. One complaint I have is that each episode is still in the formulaic “video game quest” style where Din has to go and do something for that one episode to “unlock” the next part in his story, making the series feel somewhat repetitive and routine. 

With that said, I do feel that this season feels much more focused on the story it is trying to tell compared to the meandering of the first season. My biggest hope for Season 3 is that the series will break that trend and tell stories in less formulaic ways. With a game-changing ending and multiple spin-offs in the works, I think The Mandalorian is only just beginning to explore its universe.