Original Content podcast: Disney’s ‘Mandalorian’ is never boring

Disney’s shift to streaming is officially underway with this week’s launch of Disney+  along with its flagship show, the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian.”

On the latest episode of the Original Content podcast, we discuss our initial reactions to the new streaming service.

It turns out that we had fairly different responses: Anthony was impressed by the breadth of the content library (nearly every Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars film, along with 30 seasons of “The Simpsons”), while Darrell was more interested in the original content. Jordan, meanwhile, found herself initially excited about the library, only to wonder how much time she really needs to spend watching her childhood favorites.

As for that original content, we also have a spoiler-free review of “The Mandalorian.” Disney is releasing episodes on a weekly basis, with two episodes live as of publication — but only one available when we recorded. And even though we’re in the age of extra-long streaming episodes, “The Mandalorian”‘s chapters only run 30 or 40 minutes each so far.

Still, we found plenty to talk about. After all, one reason for that brevity may be the visual richness of what’s on-screen, with enough beautiful new worlds and spectacular battles to stand alongside any of the Star Wars feature films.

And the fast pace means we were never bored: The show introduces Pedro Pascal as a silent-but-deadly bounty hunter, along with Werner Herzog as a client who sends him after a mysterious target.

You can listen in the player below, subscribe using Apple Podcasts or find us in your podcast player of choice. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review on Apple. You can also send us feedback directly. (Or suggest shows and movies for us to review!)

And if you want to skip ahead, here’s how the episode breaks down:
0:00 Intro
0:38 “The Morning Show” listener response
9:24 Disney+ discussion
37:34 “The Mandalorian” review (spoiler free)