Editor's Note: The following contains minor spoilers from Season 3 Episode 5 of The Mandalorian.The Mandalorian remains one of the most popular shows going on Disney Plus, and it still is a constant trending topic with each new episode that releases. Yet, something feels slightly off in the progression of Season 3. While this week’s episode tapped back into the roots of the show with its episodic mission, the bulk of this new chapter has always felt detached. Pointing a figure at one thing isn’t easy to do, either. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) has taken a back seat this season with Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) becoming the de facto lead. There’s no doubt her story has taken center stage this time around. Grogu remains prevalent but outside of one mission to rescue Din, he’s been relegated back to being a lovable, memeable character who doesn’t have a real purpose.

If you had to sum up what is going on this season it’s a lot harder to do than in the prior seasons when there was a clear objective of Din saving Grogu and then returning him to safety. Now it seems all convoluted. There are a lot of different plots happening with no set objective. There is one thing that has become all too apparent with each episode, and that’s the show tapping into the animated world of Rebels and The Clone Wars more than it has ever done. It’s not easy for newcomers to learn the history in between episodes. With a growing reliance on characters and stories from a sector of Star Wars fandom that comprises 11 seasons worth of content, it begins to lose the casual viewers.

The Mandalorian is Relying Too Much on Prior Knowledge

The Armorer trains Din Djarin to use the Darksaber in The Book of Boba Fett.
Image via Disney+

Ahead of Season 3, there were already questions about how the show would handle its “Season 2.5” which encompassed the back half of The Book of Boba Fett. Over those few episodes, there was some serious narrative advancements and pivotal moments. Din had two of his best (and coolest) scenes when he first wielded the Darksaber and when he battled with Paz Vizla. He even visited the Jedi Academy where he interacted with Ahsoka Tano once again. A lot happened when he became the de facto lead of that series, yet how many fans watched that as well as The Mandalorian? There’s certainly a large crossover of fans who watch everything and anything Star Wars, but The Mandalorian was a show that not only appeased the diehards but also brought along casuals and first-time viewers. If you didn’t watch The Book of Boba Fett, it’s not totally leaving you in the dark with Season 3, but it’s also unfair of the show to ask its viewers to not miss anything that goes on in this universe, either. This is an issue that isn’t going away anytime soon as many of the large franchises are utilizing different shows and mediums to intertwine stories.

The ask for viewers to have all of this prior knowledge doesn’t stop there, either. It’s one thing to cross journeys among shows that air on the same streaming service where those who watch The Mandalorian can easily see that a new show in the Star Wars universe is releasing new episodes. The problem is that there are just so many television shows going on not just with Disney+ but across the gamut. The Mandalorian grew to be so popular as a result of its ability to transcend the universe. It was a simple show with a premise of one person having to save another for its two first seasons. There wasn’t a need for viewers to know the politics of this world, what Order 66 was, or what a purrgill is. Season 2 made a big swing when it brought in a pair of Jedis to this world in Luke Skywalker and the aforementioned Ahsoka. What that also did, though, was open up this series to far more lore than its audience may want.

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The Animated Series Callbacks Are Fine in Short Doses but Not Like This

Zeb Orrelios in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 5
Image via Disney+

Each new episode of this season hasn’t shied away from the fact that it’s pulling stuff straight from The Clone Wars and Rebels. If done correctly, this isn’t an issue. The series already brought Ahsoka into live-action from these roots but spent so much time explaining to her that she never felt out of place. Now, though, there are constant background references to these shows and characters appearing where it’s becoming too much all at once. There’s no easier way to lose a viewer’s interest than making them feel isolated. Again, not everyone has seen these shows let alone in their entirety. While seeing Zeb in live-action was a thrill for some, many had no payoff from that character. The same goes for the purrgils at the beginning of the season.

With Ahsoka getting her own series later this year, there’s going to be plenty more being pulled from that animated universe. The references being made in The Mandalorian may have been suited for that show rather than one that had transcended the fandom by bringing in many viewers who knew nothing prior about Star Wars. Large-scale characters, like an Ahsoka or someone like Ezra and Thrawn, are much easier for newcomers to digest when their story is being retold as an introduction. The more this show litters the story with prior knowledge, the more likely it is to deter casuals who feel they’re beginning to enter a show where they’ll be lost. Finding that balance is something many franchises are attempting to do now. Marvel is among those leaning into the idea of crossing mediums and so far has seen mixed results. We’ll see if this truly hinders The Mandalorian moving forward or if the references are subtle enough that casuals aren’t pulling away. Maybe the cuteness of Grogu alone can keep everyone who tapped into this show with no history to this universe onboard.

The Mandalorian releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

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