Under the Helmet: A ‘Mandalorian’ Character Close Up – Part 3

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

Din Djarin a.k.a. ‘The Mandalorian’

With season two of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney+) on the horizon, I am eagerly awaiting the continuation to arguably one of the best fandom shows on television to date. And, if you’re anything like me, you’re extremely excited that Jon Favreau (Creator; Showrunner) and his colleagues have given us a plethora of new characters to pour over – hopefully for years to come, right?? Plus, now that we know Favreau has been “writing season 3 for a while,” we can all breath a collective sigh of relief that at least some of our dreams are coming true (LOL)!! So, whether you’ve been following my three part Under the Helmet series or not, you’re likely here because this article is about the main character; Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). Obviously, I saved him for last, and similar to Part 1: The Armorer and Part 2: Paz Vizla, we’ll visit the actor himself as well as the character in The Mandalorian series. I’ll offer some questions and share some opinions as well. So, before you can say, “This is the way,” let’s dive in, shall we?
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Originally from Chile, Pedro Pascal’s parents were political activists against the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and fled to Denmark under political asylum not long after Pedro was born. Interesting!! Later, moving to the United States, Pascal was raised in California and Texas before heading to New York at 18 to pursue theatre. Attending both Orange County School of the Arts and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Pedro has had a pretty successful theatre career. Beyond directing original productions for the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre and the LAByrinth Theatre Company, he’s also starred in various off Broadway productions and received critical acclaim and awards for his work.

More recently, Pascal made his Broadway debut in 2019 as Edmund in King Lear (William Shakespeare), receiving high marks publicly. He’s also been a television actor since the 90s playing various one time roles in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB; UPN), Nurse Jackie (Showtime), Nikita (The CW) and Homeland (Showtime). As well as, multiple one-time characters in the Law and Order (NBC) franchise including Special Victims Units, Criminal Intent and Law and Order proper. Further, he’s had recurring roles as Nathan Landry in The Good Wife (CBS), Omar Assarian in Lights Out (FX) and Jay Castillo in Red Window (ABC). However, none of these roles is where I first met Pedro. I mean. Do YOU remember him in Buffy?? LOL!!

It wasn’t until a teeny, tiny, wittle show (LOL!), called Game of Thrones (HBO) that Pascal landed on my radar. His character, Oberyn Martell, was an instant hit and likely led to his even larger recurring roles as Agent Juan Badillo in Graceland (USA Networks), Agent Juan Marcus Pike in The Mentalist (CBS) and the very well received, Javier Peña in Narcos (Netflix). His movie career also flourished with roles like Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (20th Century Fox), Dave York in The Equalizer 2 (Sony Pictures) and Max Lord in the upcoming and highly anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros. Pictures). In love with Oberyn Martell and his charisma from the get, I was quite excited to find out Pascal would play the mysterious lead in The Mandalorian. But how well could he do without showing his face, a huge part of his charisma in the first place? Turns out… holy cow, way better than I ever dreamed!!

By now, Chapter 1: The Mandalorian has gone down in Star Wars history for so many reasons. I mean. Baby Yoda, yo!! LOL. But, beyond the cutest character to grace the Star Wars Universe, Mando, as he’s immediately dubbed, gives us exactly what we wanted! The true embodiment of a Mandalorian bounty hunter without looking or sounding too much like the one who paved the way; Boba Fett (Jeremy Bullock). Though, it seems nowadays, Fett’s true Mandalorian status is that of a simple bounty hunter and not actually a Mandalorian or, I believe, even an adopted one, as Din Djarin appears to be. But I digress… LOL!! Back to the story at hand. The overall western scene set at the far reaches of the galaxy felt familiar and brand new at the same time. Exactly what Favreau was going for, I’d wager. You?? Plus, we see immediately that Pascal’s charisma is on full display face unseen! His calm voice, rustic armor, even his walk, all play a distinct part in laying the groundwork for this character. And later, as he acquires new armor, the history behind it adds not only to the character, but the overall story arc. Pascal’s silent disposition, even during Mando’s childhood flashbacks, is felt right through the helmet on so many levels it’s crazy!

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Not a thick and towering character like Paz Vizla (Tait Fletcher; Jon Favreau), Mando’s presence is somehow larger. His calm approach almost automatically gives one confidence in his abilities making it easy to believe the old adage that his reputation precedes him. His armor, scuffed in all the right places, looks worn and battle weary, giving even a stronger sense of Mando’s checkered history and experience. Still, the Alpha Trawler (also Tait Fletcher) second guesses Mando, giving the viewer that "I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” vibe. A set up we’ve seen a million times, yet made individual by the new surroundings and Pedro under the Helmet. Pascal himself, referring to Mando, says, “He’s got a lot of Clint Eastwood in him (a),” confirming the strong, silent demeanor is definitely on purpose. Further, he confirmed studying homework (b) in the ways of the classic gunslinger and old school Samurai flicks, and boy does it show!! Not to mention the amazing set designs and cinematography supported by a blockbuster movie-like budget, top notch co-stars and directors throughout. A fun side note – Favreau would only allow true fans of the genre to direct and I am so here for it!! Finally, adding in the fantastic music from Ludwig Göransson, known for scoring major films like Black Panther (Marvel Studios) and the Creed series (Warner Bros. Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), completes the ensemble better than one could’ve imagined, no?
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As the show progresses, Mando’s story unfolds with perfect little teasers of his past, present and future. Just enough for the viewer to understand his plight yet still question his motives. We learn that he’s currently a member of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, yet also holds connections to the group of Mandalorians living in the secret underground enclave on Nevarro, know only as The Tribe. Complicated to say the least, am I right?? And when he returns to Nevarro to save The Child in Chapter 3: The Sin, as we all knew he would, the overall outcome was still surprising when he’s aided by The Tribe in a scene that I’m pretty sure on some level, made my head actually explode (LOL)! Further, saved as a child himself by a mysterious Mandalorian later confirmed to be what we all suspected, a member of Death Watch, we learn why Mando hates droids and holds the Mandalorian way of life in the highest regard above all. It’s also clear why Din Djarin, a Mandalorian, most of which are not really known for their caring side, could empathize with an innocent youngling – protecting The Child at all costs.

Still, by the end of season one, so much about Din Djarin remains a mystery. Who were his parents and what planet is he from? Why were the Separatists on this planet specifically? Actually seeking out his parents or just doing what Separatists do – wreak havoc? Who is the Mandalorian from Death Watch that saved him and why? This doesn’t really go along with that “caring side” I mentioned above…LOL! And what about Mando’s bounty hunter connections revealed in Chapter 6: The Prisoner? I certainly assume we’ll see more of them as time goes by. Why does Moff Gideon know all about him – his name; his past? And who could forget that jaw dropping season one ending with the Dark Saber, right??  Mando has to be connected to all this somehow!! And where did the rule of not removing your helmet come from? It’s certainly not “The way” in other clans, as evidenced in both The Clone Wars and Rebels TV series. Was Din Djarin taught this specifically? If so, why? Maybe, Paz Vizla and The Armorer (Emily Swallow) have something to do with this, since they are the only other Mandalorians we’ve heard use the term “This is the way.” These are just a few of my questions… LOL! Seriously, they’re endless!!

Looking ahead, I obviously (LOL!) have several theories on just where this story is headed. One point – considering Din Djarin was born between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, his history is deeply rooted in not only Mandalorian history, but Jedi as well. Additionally, The Mandalorian series picks up shortly after the Battle of Endor as Favreau wonders, “What happened after the celebration of the Empire falling? The revolution is successful, and then what happens? Now what?” Indeed!! All I know is thus far, Favreau’s vision has me locked in and fully engaged and to that I say…”Well played Happy, well played!!” Or should I say…”Paz Vizla?”

What about you? Do you have similar questions regarding Mando’s past, present and future? Other questions and/or theories? Reach out to me in the comments below or @obi_juanita on Twitter. In the meantime… I have spoken! *wink*
 
References:
1.https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/the-mandalorian-season-3-in-the-works-disney-plus-1234586103/
2.https://nerdsthatgeek.com/television/under-the-helmet-a-mandalorian-character-close-up-part-1
3.https://nerdsthatgeek.com/television/under-the-helmet-a-mandalorian-character-close-up-part-2
4.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Augusto-Pinochet
5.https://www.ocsarts.net/alumni/hall-of-fame
6.https://tisch.nyu.edu/drama/about/studios/experimental-theatre-wing/alumni
7.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/king-lear-theater-review-1199652
8.https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Oberyn_Martell
9.https://www.bobafettfanclub.com/news/fett-fact-check/is-boba-fett-a-mandalorian-or-does-he-just-wear-mandalorian-armor/
10.https://www.starwars.com/news/swcc-2019-9-things-we-learned-from-the-mandalorian-panel (a and b)
11.https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3234869/#composer
12.https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bounty_Hunters%27_Guild
13.https://www.newsweek.com/mandalorian-timeline-star-wars-galaxy-events-disney-plus-first-order-1473583

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