The Mandalorian Star Katee Sackhoff Reveals Why the Star Wars Episodes Are So Short

Over the past three seasons, Star Wars: The Mandalorian has become a groundbreaking part of the television landscape. The live-action Star Wars series has delighted and entertained fans in countless ways, all while experimenting with format — as well as the lengths of its episodes. According to a new conversation between members of The Mandalorian's cast and crew, there's a reason why some of the show's episodes have been shorter. Katee Sackhoff, who stars as Bo-Katan Kryze, recently spoke with The Mandalorian director Bryce Dallas Howard about The Mandalorian's unconventional production during an episode of her podcast, Blah Blah Blah.

"It's so fun to get to be a part of stories like ['Spider-Man'], because it's very meaningful to people, right? But also because it requires so many people to achieve it, right? And the kind of… animatronics, the mix of visual effects, practical effects, cinema, performance, and so many different kinds of people need to come together in order for it to work. Because like… engineers, and artists, and it's really, really, really amazing when it does all work."

"And it works. That's why I tell people that 'Mando' is like… They're always so confused why it takes so long for us to shoot and why the episodes are, in their minds, so short. And I'm like, 'There are so many moving parts to this that you have no idea.'"

Is The Mandalorian renewed for Season 4?

While Disney+ and Lucasfilm have yet to officially confirm a fourth season of The Mandalorian, comments from Famuyiwa and other members of the series' crew have teased that work on it is well underway. 

"A lot of this stuff has to be thought through, built, conceived, and prepped ... That work takes time. That work has to get done ... Jon [Favreau] has written the scripts," Famuyiwa confirmed to Deadline earlier this summer. "He's excited about continuing to tell stories in the world. When and how that happens, considering everything, we'll see... I felt like this season was a nice culmination, but I'm excited about Season 4. It's certainly coming, I just don't know exactly when."

What was Season 3 of The Mandalorian about?

In Season 3 of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, the journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together. The new episodes see the return of Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, and Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon. 

"The storytelling that Jon [Favreau] has been spearheading from the very beginning has been slowly, each season, each project, leading us to this. Leading us to the third season," Famuyiwa previously teased. "And so I think there are a lot of seeds that are planted that are growing and culminating in this season, so I feel that's partly the feeling — the sense of things culminating. This really feels like a third act in some ways, even though there's lots of stories to tell."

The first three seasons of Star Wars: The Mandalorian are now available to stream exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

Note: If you purchase one of the awesome, independently chosen products featured here, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.