With 2020 nearly upon us, I thought I’d share “My Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019.”
This list is based purely on traffic numbers for the posts published in 2019. As a result, some of my favorite posts didn’t make the cut.
Keep in mind, the blog posts published earlier in the year have had the advantage of time as it regards overall views. (Sorry, Mandalorian.)
#1 - “BOOK REVIEW: CHIP DAVIS’S ‘THE WOLF AND THE WARLANDER TRILOGY’”
I enjoyed having the opportunity to read and review this YA fantasy series (about a wolf named Seti and a horse named Ghost) by Mannheim Steamroller impresario Chip Davis. In my review, I wrote: “‘The Wolf and the Warlander’ is an engaging fiction saga from one of this generation’s beloved musicians.”
Not only was it my most viewed post of 2019, it is the second most viewed post *all time* on the blog:
#2 - “IS ‘FROZEN 2’ TRAILER BASICALLY A REMAKE OF ‘THE LAST JEDI’ TEASER?”
People probably wonder why I take the time to review trailers. First off, I’ve loved movie trailers since a young age. Secondly, sharing thoughts on trailers is content that is fairly easy to create. As I watched the Feb. 13 teaser trailer for “Frozen II,” it reminded me a lot of the teaser for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”:
#3 - “REVIEW: ‘COBRA KAI’ SEASON 2 IS AN EMOTIONAL KICK IN THE GUT”
I absolutely adore YouTube’s “Karate Kid” reboot/sequel series “Cobra Kai.” The show has the ability to be poignant, sentimental, funny, and intense — all in a single episode. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are brilliant reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Well worth your time:
#4 - “LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT NEW ‘TOY STORY 4’ TRAILER”
As I mentioned earlier, trailer reviews seem to be pretty good fodder for blog posts, and my review of the second trailer for “Toy Story 4” apparently struck a chord with viewers.
(I’ll never understand why trailer reviews are sometimes more popular than my reviews of the movies they’re promoting, but here we are…)
#5 - “‘SURPRISE! WE’RE GOING ON VACATION!’ - DISNEY TRIP: PART 1”
Our trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, was definitely a highlight this year. You can vicariously enjoy the experience via my six-part series on the trip:
Jack Carr is one of the best new thriller writers in the business today. His series featuring former Navy SEAL James Reece has become a favorite of mine.
In my review, I wrote: “Carr’s attention to detail in the novel is excellent, and his life as a former special operator lends authenticity to the story”:
#7 – “THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD: A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE”
An Omaha Press Club presentation (by OWH staff) regarding the future of Omaha’s venerable daily newspaper was the subject of a Jan. 17 blog post. If you are at all curious about the future of daily newspapers — and what lengths papers are going to attract and retain readers — you’ll want to check out my blog post:
“Captain Marvel” didn’t rank as my favorite superhero movie in 2019. I wrote in my review that the movie “could have been so much more.” That said, I enjoyed the movie more on a second viewing. It stands as my most-viewed movie review of the year:
#9 - “MY SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW OF ‘AVENGERS: ENDGAME’”
My second most-viewed movie review of 2019 was “Avengers: Endgame.” I wrote that “I got misty eyed at several points during ‘Avengers: Endgame.’”
I also suggested that “Feige & Co. were milking the poignant moments so the payoff at the end would be worth the wait. But it works. It always works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
#10 - “BOOK REVIEW: CONTAGIOUS THRILLS IN ‘VINCE FLYNN — LETHAL AGENT’ BY KYLE MILLS”
Mitch Rapp has been like a rock for me (and millions of readers) when it comes to the world of kick-ass thriller protagonists. Author Kyle Mills has continued the series made popular by the late Vince Flynn. I love the results.
In my review I wrote: “‘Lethal Agent’ epitomizes the best the Mitch Rapp series has to offer. Mills gives readers a thrilling scenario with classic elements that will leave fans thirsting for more.”
Bridget and I were both picked to be #MitchRappAmbassadors (for the first time) this year, and had the opportunity to read “Lethal Agent” in advance.
I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and share my posts since I first started this blog in 2016. You’ll never know how much that means to me. The support of family, friends, and fans has made this blog a lot of fun.
I also want to thank those who have provided me with books to review on the blog. It is an honor to be able to read these wonderful stories and share my thoughts with readers around the world.
The season finale of “The Mandalorian” is upon us…
WEEKLY DOSES
In this age of “binge” TV, it was something of a novelty to have to wait a week to stream each new episode of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+.
In some respects, I kind of preferred it to the all-at-once model we’ve become accustomed to from other streaming services. It gave viewers something to look forward to each week.
Moreover, it gave Disney eight weeks worth of free publicity for the show as fans shared their reactions and every “Baby Yoda” meme imaginable.
It’s too bad Netflix doesn’t follow a similar model for shows like “Stranger Things.” By the time Bridget and I finally watched the third season (a mere week after it appeared on Netflix), it seemed like everyone had already viewed it (with most of the chatter having dried up).
I enjoyed the communal banter that ensued by having “The Mandalorian" doled out in smaller portions each week. For example, it gave me a chance to text back and forth with my friend Jason Combs about each week’s episode, and setup a scenario where I reviewed each episode individually on this blog (I’ve typically reviewed entire seasons at once).
A LONG TIME AGO, IN A COMEDY CLUB FAR, FAR AWAY...
“The Mandalorian” season finale finds our heroes in a seemingly impossible showdown with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and his band of Stormtroopers and Death Troopers — continuing the events of Episode 7.
The episode begins with the two Imperial Biker Scouts (who had captured the fallen Baby Yoda and murdered the Ugnaught Kuiil). We see them “standing by” in the lava flats of Nevarro, waiting for permission to return the child to Moff Gideon.
This sets up a scene featuring some humorous banter between the two. One of the scouts is played by well-known comic actor Jason Sudeikis, and the other is played by Adam Pally of “The Mindy Project.”
Episode 8 was directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi helmed 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok” — a movie that injected more tongue-in-cheek humor into the Thor storyline than fans had previously experienced (read my review of “Thor: Ragnarok”).
I loved “Thor: Ragnarok,” and consider it to be among my favorite Marvel movies.
Overall, I found the scene fairly amusing because it setup the arrival of the reformed IG-11 droid nicely (the “nurse droid” summarily kicks the crap out of the scouts as he rescues Baby Yoda).
Series creator Jon Favreau was a comedic actor/writer/director before he started helming big budget Disney productions.
Favreau’s humorous flair brought a lot to 2008’s “Iron Man” (the film that set the stage for the Marvel Cinematic Universe). He handled the directing duties, and played Tony Stark’s snarky driver Happy Hogan.
You have to be careful with “Star Wars” because attempts at humor have sometimes had unintended consequences (cue Jar Jar Binks). However, I think the franchise needs to have moments of levity every so often.
OUR PROTAGONISTS ARE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION
Anyhow, the Mando (Pedro Pascal), Dune (Gina Carano), and Karga (Carl Weathers) are holed up in a bar on Nevarro listening to the demands of Moff Gideon — as Baby Yoda is being rescued by the IG unit.
During this sequence we learn that Cara Dune is originally from Alderaan. As we all know, Leia was Princess of Alderaan, and the planet was obliterated by the first Death Star. This likely stands as the reason Dune hates the Empire (not that anyone really needs a specific reason to hate the Empire).
We also find out that her full first name is “Carasynthia” — a pretty name for a tough lady.
HIS NAME IS FINALLY REVEALED
Gideon mentions that the Mando is a decommissioned Mandalorian hunter named “Din Djarin.”
Thank goodness his name has finally been revealed. I've referred to the character as “the Mandalorian” and “the Mando” since I started this series of reviews.
Depending on who you read/watch online, some people refer to the character simply as “Mando,” while others (like me) refer to him as “the Mando” (since it is a descriptor more than it is a proper name). Using “the” is a stylistic choice on my part, and I’ll keep using the term for consistency’s sake. I’m just relieved we can finally start referring to the character with a proper name.
Additionally, we find out that Greef Karga is apparently a disgraced former magistrate. It’s kind of nice to know the character wasn’t always a smarmy bounty hunter.
It was nice to learn new details about these characters in the season finale. The more the writers can sprinkle in new background information, the better.
ALL HAIL PEDRO PASCAL
I want to take a moment to commend Pascal’s portrayal of the titular character on “The Mandalorian.” I didn’t know how compelling a character in a helmet would be when the series first began, but he has done a terrific job bringing subtlety and nuance to the Mando.
I’m looking forward to learning more about Din Djarin as future seasons progress. I’m also pleased series creators didn’t try to make this character Boba Fett — something that would have been tempting to do.
A BIG-ASS GUN
One of my favorite appearances in this episode is by a weapon — an “E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster” (similar to the model that appeared in the Hoth sequence in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”).
I had the Kenner toy version of this as a kid. My room was in our home’s attic growing up, and I employed this cannon in various Imperial bases I set up when I was playing with my “Star Wars” action figures:
Moff Gideon uses the gun to intimidate our protagonists, and employs its powerful firing fury to try and extricate them from the bar.
Gideon gives our protagonists until nightfall to decide whether or not to surrender — a choice that feels a bit hokey because it only serves to give our heroes time to scheme... but whatever... “Star Wars” often defies logic. 😉
THE IG UNIT RIDES INTO TOWN
Cara Dune is worried about being captured because she’s concerned she’ll be uploaded to something called a “Mind Flayer” (a term heard in games like Dungeons & Dragons or in the show “Stranger Things,” but something I haven’t heard before in “Star Wars” parlance).
IG-11 soon rides into town (on an absconded speeder bike), and aids our heroes in their escape.
It turns into a pretty entertaining shootout — involving various blaster fire and even a Stormtrooper brandishing a flamethrower!
I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME THE WAY...
We also learn that “Mandolorian isn’t a race.” Rather, “It’s a Creed.” We gain additional insights into the Mando’s youth — he was a foundling who was rescued by Mandalorians clad in blue armor (known as the “Fighting Corps”) when his home was attacked by Imperials.
One interesting note on the outfit the young Din Djarin wears during the show’s flashback sequences — the ornamentation on the chest is a repurposed DonJoy Web Knee Brace (as pointed out by @slade2079 on Twitter):
KENNER ACTION FIGURE MEMORIES
Seeing Mandalorian warriors takes me back to Christmas 1979 when my parents bought me the first-ever Kenner Boba Fett action figure — along with Kenner’sMillennium Falconplayset.
Fett seemed so interesting and mysterious at that time. (“The Empire Strikes Back” wouldn’t be released for another five months, and the character had only been seen briefly in an animated segment during “The Star Wars Holiday Special” on CBS.)
Here is a commercial from that era advertising a special offer where fans could send off for a free Boba Fett action figure using Kenner proofs of purchase (I did that for a number of Kenner offers during those years — including an “accessories pack” with items like a rubber backpack that allowed a Luke Skywalker action figure to carry Yoda on his back):
THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
Getting back to Episode 8, our heroes eventually find a way to escape into the town’s sewer system via a shaft in the tavern. The IG unit is able to cut a hole into the grate covering the sewer line. The Mando sustained a head injury during battle, and urges the others to leave him behind.
As we know from previous episodes, Din Djarin can’t remove his helmet due to Mandalorian doctrine. It is forbidden for a living creature to see the Mando’s face.
Since IG-11 is not a living thing, the droid removes the helmet to assess the injury. We see Djarin’s face for the first time. The droid sprays Din’s wound with bacta (the healing liquid Luke soaked in during the early stages of “The Empire Strikes Back”).
It was a neat experience to see the “face behind the mask” for the first time in “The Mandalorian.” It showed the vulnerable, flesh-and-blood person cloaked behind the Beskar armor.
PILES OF BESKAR STEEL
Djarin and the IG unit eventually meet up with the others in the tunnels under the city. After winding aimlessly through the maze-like passages, Din decides to take them to the Mandalorian covert, hoping his fellow warriors can guide them out.
They find a pile of discarded Beskar helmets and armor in the covert. The armorer (Emily Swallow) steps out of the shadows and informs our protagonists that the Imperials killed most of the Mandalorians on Nevarro.
She is in the process of salvaging the Beskar armor, turning it to liquid in her smelter.
LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES
The Mando reveals Baby Yoda to the armorer. She refers to Baby Yoda as a foundling, and says the Mandalorian Creed states the infant is now in Djarin’s care. He either must be trained in the Way of the Mandalore, or reunited “with its own kind” (a race of “enemy sorcerers”… the Jedi). As it regards Baby Yoda’s special powers, the armorer recognizes the abilities and mentions past battles between the Jedi and the Mandalorians.
This information sets up all sorts of potential plot lines for the second season of “The Mandalorian.” The question is whether Din Djarin will end up training the child in the Mandalorian ways, or if he’ll take the child to the Jedi before that happens.
This sequence also allows Din Djarin to resupply his ammunition, where he is given a Mandalorian Signet (in the form of the mudhorn that appeared in Episode 2).
The armorer tells the Mandalorian “you are a clan of two” (as it regards his obligation to Baby Yoda). Pairs hold galaxy-wide significance in the “Star Wars” universe.
Whether it was Yoda talking about the Sith in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” (when Jedi Master said, “Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice”) ...
… or when Rey and Kylo Ren were referred to as a “Force Dyad" in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” … The concept has meaning in a galaxy far, far away. It’s something I hope will be explored in more depth as the series continues.
The armorer also gives the Mando a jet pack before our heroes depart for the underground lava river.
“Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?” she asks as she gives him the jet pack. Din Djarin says he trained with jet packs as a child.
RIVERS OF LAVA
Resupplied and full of purpose, Din, Cara, Greef, IG-11, and Baby Yoda head to the lava river underneath the city. At the entrance, they find a beached boat with a dormant ferry droid at the helm.
Once they dislodge the vessel, they float slowly down the river toward the the mouth of the cavern.
The Mando scans the area and sees a Stormtrooper platoon hidden ahead, waiting outside to ambush our heroes. Sensing no realistic path to victory, IG-11 informs our heroes he is going to walk through the lava and initiate his self-destruct sequence at the mouth of the cavern (in order to save Baby Yoda from the troopers).
I was kind of hoping IG-11 would stick around awhile. I enjoyed the droid during this season. Maybe we’ll see a different IG droid down the road.
Jon Favreau tweeted to inform fans that the second season of “The Mandalorian” will debut Fall 2020. He included a pic of this Gamorrean model (without an accompanying explanation):
I wonder what sort of role the creature has in the second season. As most of you know, Gamorrean guards graced Jabba the Hutt’s Palace in “Return of the Jedi.”
I remember purchasing one of the Gamorrean Guard action figures when “Return of the Jedi” was released in 1983.
I also recall an adventure I created where the Gamorrean Guard joined Han Solo and Chewbacca as part of the Millennium Falcon's crew. Han and Chewie referred to him as “Gam.” I patterned it after the “Galatica 1980” episode “The Return of Starbuck” (where Starbuck rebuilt an enemy Cylon and called it “Cy”). That’s probably way more than you needed to know about the overactive imagination I had during my childhood. ;-)
It’ll be interesting to see if the Gamorrean turns out to be an enemy, or if the creature will be an ally of Din Djarin.
Anyhow, Episode 8 of “The Mandalorian” concludes with a sequence where Moff Gideon attacks our heroes (who made it safely to the lava flats) in his TIE Fighter. Our heroes’ blasters are useless against Gideon’s ship.
The Mando — using his jet pack and grappling cable — plants explosives on the TIE Fighter. The explosion causes the TIE Fighter to crash beyond the horizon, saving the day, and keeping Baby Yoda out of the clutches of Gideon.
While I really enjoyed the rocket pack sequence, it couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes prior that the armorer informed Djarin it would take a considerable amount of practice before the rocket pack would follow his commands.
Be that as it may, the Mando seemed pretty damn adept out of the gate... ;-)
FAREWELL FOR NOW
Having won the day, Cara Dune decides to stay on Nevarro with Greef Karga (an appealing prospect now that they’ve cleaned the town of Imperial types). I was hoping she’d tag along with Din Djarin and the child. That said, I’m sure they’ll cross paths again.
Djarin and Baby Yoda leave their colleagues behind, and depart Nevarro in the Razor Crest.
The final scene of the first season focuses on Moff Gideon’s downed TIE Fighter. Jawas are scavenging the wreckage, then we see Gideon cutting his way out of the crashed vessel with some sort of instrument.
It is the storied Darksaber that he uses to slice through the ship’s hull.
Having just binge-watched “Star Wars: Rebels” in 2018, I was excited to see the ancient saber make an appearance (read my review of “Star Wars: Rebels”).
The weapon makes appearances in “Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” It was originally created by Tarre Vizsla (the first Mandalorian to be a part of the Jedi Order).
I assume Gideon acquired the Darksaber during the Great Purge of Mandalore. He was part of the Imperial Security Bureau, and potentially has all sorts of historic trinkets stashed away. I’ve mentioned Geek Priest Father Roderick on this blog before, and he offers some interesting insights into Episode 8 on his YouTube channel — the allegorical underpinnings (from the Bible and greek mythology) seen in this episode (including the Darksaber):
THAT’S A WRAP ON THE FIRST SEASON
I guess that’s a wrap on the first season of “The Mandalorian.”
While the first season had its flaws, the series shows a lot of promise. Now that they have a season under their collective belt, I’d imagine things will be sharper during the second season (which is already in production).
I’m excited to see where Favreau & Co. will take the story.
Disney+ has a special show on its hands. “The Mandalorian” needs to be cultivated and nurtured as it progresses.
We’re not going to see another “Star Wars” theatrical movie until 2022, so “The Mandalorian" (along with other SW originals on Disney+) is where the franchise will live in the near future.
Here’s hoping Lucasfilm comes up with a compelling roadmap to guide future entries in the “Star Wars” universe. P.S. — I am obsessed this “80s Retro Synthwave” cover of “The Mandalorian” theme by YSSY:
The penultimate episode of “The Mandalorian” dropped on Disney+ about a week ago.
My reaction to this chapter (“The Reckoning”) is tardy because I was working on my review of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (read it here).
I’ll just say upfront that this was one of the strongest episodes in the series.
Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) sends a holographic transmission to the Mando (Pedro Pascal) — saying the two are even. The client who hired the Mando to find Baby Yoda is still on Nevarro, his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown, and they’ve Imposed despotic rule on the city — all things impeding the livelihood of the Guild.
Karga tells the Mandalorian that they can’t get close enough to the man to take him out. That’s where the Mando comes in. Karga wants to hire him to take out the client, using Baby Yoda as bait.
If successful, the Mando gets to keep Baby Yoda and have his name cleared by the Guild.
The Mando agrees to the job, and heads back to Sorgan (featured in the fourth episode) to persuade former Rebel Dropper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) to help him with the job. He finds her fighting a Dathomirian opponent in the local common house.
Dune agrees to help with the operation. She is concerned about getting involved, but hearing that the target is Imperial proves to be ample motivation.
The Mando also figures it’d be a wise idea to have someone keep an eye on Baby Yoda, so he arm twists the Ugnaught Kuiil (Nick Nolte), who brings along three Blurggs for the crew to ride.
He agrees to do it to “protect the child form Imperial slavery.”
Many fans (like myself) were hoping that IG-11 (shot by the Mando in the first episode this season) would make a return appearance. This episode finds the IG unit restored and reprogrammed by Kuiil. The Mando (who has no love for droids) is skeptical, but Kuiil assures his visitors that the former bounty droid is harmless.
“Droids are not good or bad,” says Kuiil. “They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them.”
Even though a couple of episodes in this first season of “The Mandalorian” have felt episodic (very much standalone in nature), I like how creator Jon Favreau has managed to tie things together.
We also get some insights into the psyche of Baby Yoda. During a down moment on the Razor Crest (as the team is flying to Nevarro), the Mando and Dune are arm wrestling.
Baby Yoda — sensing his overseer is about to lose to the muscular shock troop — uses the Force to strangle her (something that felt very Darth Vader-esque). The Mando intervenes before it’s too late, but it illustrates the power the child possesses. It also illustrates how dangerous the little one could be in the wrong hands.
The dramatics on Nevarro prove to be pretty compelling — and things don’t go according to plan.
Karga had planned to betray the Mando (not terribly surprising), but changes his tune when Baby Yoda uses his skills to heal Karga after a flying Reptavian attacks their camp during the journey to town.
The Mando decides to do the job without Baby Yoda — instead bringing the empty pram (closed) into town. He sends Kuiil back to the Razor Crest with the child.
There are far more Stormtroopers guarding the Mando’s original client (Werner Herzog) than Karga had suggested.
In these moments we see the tension ratcheted up in the narrative. There isn’t anything particularly earth-shattering in terms of novel plot points in the episode, but the execution is really well done.
The seventh chapter ends with a fallen Baby Yoda being scooped up from the lava fields by a couple of biker scouts (who intercepted a transmission from the Mando to Kuiil and chased the Ugnaught to the Razor Crest).
We also see an image of Kuiil where the Ugnaught looks like he is dead, gunned down by the biker scouts. I’m hoping we’ll find out he’s alright in the season finale.
We meet Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) for the first time in this episode (he lands in a TIE Fighter on Nevarro toward the end of the episode). He suggests that the Mandolorian and Cara Dune have no idea what they are in possession of as it regards Baby Yoda.
“It means more to me than you will ever know,” Gideon says.
Gideon — with a group of Death Troopers and additional Stormtroopers — sets up an intimidating showdown for Chapter 8.
It was kind of cool to see an Imperial Troop Transport in this episode.
This craft is based on a toy Kenner released in the 1970s:
This episode was directed by Deborah Chow. She also directed the third episode. If both of the chapters she directed are any indication, fans are in for a treat when the Disney+ series based on Obi-Wan Kenobi (starring Ewan McGregor) is released. Chow will handle all directing duties in that series. She appears to be a talented filmmaker.
Stay tuned for my review of “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 8 — the final episode of the first season!
