The passion Katee Sackhoff has for Bo-Katan Kryze and the energy she brings onscreen is simply undeniable, but her efforts ultimately feel at odds with the weak writing on “The Mandalorian.”
Ironically, despite having deliberately stepped away from centering the Sith and the Jedi in its recent storytelling, the live-action side of the “Star Wars” franchise still seems deathly afraid of portraying any hint of moral ambiguity or nuance (again, save for “Andor” and an episode like “The Convert,” which is very much the exception to the rule on “The Mandalorian”). In contrast, the animated “Star Wars” series have never been afraid to get political and esoteric, even while being geared primarily toward younger viewers. As such, there’s little excuse for the live-action, older-skewing shows on Disney+ to feel so one-dimensional in comparison.
It’s wonderful that Bo-Katan has been given a leading role to shine in on “The Mandalorian,” but I wish it wasn’t at the expense of stripping away the complexity that made the animated version of the character feel authentic and real.
New episodes of “The Mandalorian” premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.
