It is sort of ironic how some of the best westerns are anti-westerns... "The Searchers" is a great example. As is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" and "Unforgiven." "Pale Rider," on the other hand, goes back to the original trope and, although I kinda like the movie, I kinda hate it too...
I would put "Firefly" in the western genre too-- it was way ahead of its time and it sucks that it was another Fox-assassination of a great show. I don't think "The Mandolarian" would exist if not for "Firefly."
I rewatched eps 1/2. I agree they were one episode cut in half with added padding of the ship repair montage, the egg-hunt, and the besker ride scene. After all, you can't traverse that terrain without one. Until, of course, Mando does.
Here's what I notice on the rewatch-- Mando is a total douche without morals. That's not a bad thing for a Western. I am just surprised that Disney is pumping this out. I was struck on how he needlessly cuts a fleeing man in half in episode one, kills an alien mommy protecting her egg in episode 2, and just kills the shit out of a ton of people (who may not have been bad guys at all). Were those dudes he and the droid slaughtered protecting baby Yoda? Now, don't get me wrong. I am absolutely cool with him being an anti-hero (or not even a hero at all, just the central character). But on the re-watch I got a tingling sensation down the back of my spine that they were going to soften him up. I sure as shit hope not. Let him be the bad-ass, post-traumatic, force of death he is. I will scream at the TV when or if he becomes a sweetheart softie. He needs to stay the man-without-a-name, heartless, loveless, soul-less, monster he is.
How exactly (I am not compaining) is this "Disney?" - Oh wait, I know, it's classic Disney that loved to torture orphans and kill mommies!!
