One question that leaves fans of The Mandalorian scratching their heads is, “why does the episode length vary so much?”. The Mandalorian episode length times are all over the place; they fluctuate from 25 minutes to 47 minutes every week.
You never know whether it’s going to be a short or a long episode. Don’t get us wrong, when the Mandalorians episode length tops 45 minutes; we are incredibly happy. But why isn’t there a set timeframe per episode?
Here are some thoughts and theories to understand why Disney keeps us on our toes every time an episode is released.
Why are The Mandalorians Episode Lengths so Varied?
We as viewers are accustomed to a set episode length; whether it be 20minutes, 30 minutes or even 60 minutes, we know how long an episode of our favourite series will be. But with the Mandalorian, it’s a lottery; you never know what you’re going to get.
Some enjoy the surprise; others find it frustrating, and well, some of us don’t mind. But why would Disney mix up the Mandalorians episode lengths?
One theory is from Peter Csathy. Peter Csathy is the founder and chairman of the digital media consulting firm CreaTV Media. Peter spoke to CNBC and revealed his theory.
He said, “Many of the people who are watching it will be on their mobile devices, so it’s logical for them to program it differently.” He continued explaining that whilst the Mandalorian was for adults, the primary audience is a much younger demographic.
This could be why some episodes are only 25 minutes long. But that doesn’t count for the huge fluctuation in episode length.
The more likely theory is that the series is supposed to be like a novel, and each episode is a chapter. Chapters don’t have a set length or timeframe.
This is why the episodes are more serialised and that the adventures vary so much that having a set timeframe would make the concept redundant.
The novel idea is pretty unique but incredibly interesting. It’s the perfect way to tell a story and creates a way to tell the story over a season piece by piece. We think the novel theory is the closest to why the Mandalorian episode lengths fluctuate wildly.
Why not read: What does Disney own? Find out now.
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What is the Benefit of the Mandalorian Episode Length?
There isn’t a tangible benefit of the varying episode lengths, but one pretty clear benefit is the story development.
With the Mandalorian not having a set episode length, it allows the writers to tell their story within the episode. They are not working towards traditional television timescales, but new age, dynamic way of building a series episode by episode.
I find it pretty captivating, and the way they develop the characters throughout the season keeps me hooked.
Overall the flexibility of the series has allowed the writers to give their spin on things and create a fun, exciting and most importantly, entertaining series.
The Mandalorians are among my favourites for these reasons; I’m rooting for the characters and the multiple storylines that have me hooked.
Where Can I Watch The Mandalorian?
To watch the Mandalorian, you need a subscription to Disney+. Disney Plus costs £7.99 a month in the UK and $8 a month in the US.
You can watch The Mandalorian here, but there are some other incredible series and movies. Including The Marvel Universe, Hamilton and a load of incredible documentaries from The Discovery Channel.
We’ve spoken about what Disney owns in the past and their incredible vault of series, movies and brands they own. Star Wars is one of them, so you’ll need to be subscribed to Disney+ to catch each episode.
Who Created The Mandalorian Series?
The Mandalorian series was created by Actor, Writer and Director Jon Favreau. Jon Favreau recently set up a television and film production company called Golem Creations Ltd. LLC.
The whole premise of the company’s name is that, like a Golem, technology could be used to protect or destroy if control was lost of it.
Jon Favreau has starred in some popular films like Iron Man as Harold “Happy” Hogan and Daredevil as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. As well as directing Elf, The Lion King (2019) and The Jungle Book (2016).
We hope this article on “The Mandalorian’s episode lengths – A modern-day conundrum?!” was useful to you.
Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments. For more film based articles, reviews and topics, scroll a little further!
The Mandalorian
Director: Jon Favreau
Date Created: 2019-11-12 20:00
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