The Mandalorian is the latest Disney entry into the Star Wars franchise. Taking place five years after the conclusion of the original trilogy, the show follows the titular Mandalorian; a galactic bounty hunter tasked with hunting down and tracking intergalactic criminals.

Currently, seven episodes of the first season have been released, with a total of eight planned for the first season. The show has already been renewed for a second season in the light of positive reviews and ratings. Episodes are currently only available through Disney Plus, Disney’s latest streaming service.

Despite franchise affiliation, the Mandalorian is (currently) an entirely new perspective within the Star Wars universe. The show features a cast of entirely original characters, with no familiar faces returning from previous movies.

The Mandalorian is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe. It succeeds in delivering not only on well choreographed action and stunning setpieces most commonly associated with the franchise, but also a genuine sense of connection and relation with the characters. (Most) characters are well written, character development is strong, and the protagonist is a compelling anti-hero.

The overall production value is stellar. The Mandalorian makes heavy use of practical setpieces mixed with CGI, creating scenes that feel remarkably professional even when compared to high budget major motion pictures. Certain CGI effects however, can stick out like a sore thumb when compared to the beautiful hand-made setpieces.

Any new fans of the Star Wars series might find themselves confused. Despite being an original creation, the Mandalorian makes heavy references to events from the original trilogy. Although it won’t stop you from understanding the general gist of what’s going on, anyone who isn’t familiar with the franchise may find themselves confused when past events are referenced.

(Light spoilers). Perhaps most famously, the Mandalorian spawned the influx of Baby Yoda pictures online. “Baby Yoda”, as the character is referred to online, plays a major role as a source of conflict in the show, and has been incredibly popular with the Star Wars fan base. Pictures of Baby Yoda recently made headlines for being more popular than the Democratic Debates.

I highly recommend that you watch the Mandalorian. It is a compelling, dramatic, and exciting addition to the Star Wars franchise, definitely worth the watch.