Lizzo's Cameo Turned Mandalorian Episode Into SNL Skit (And Not a Fun One)

Chapter 22: Guns For Hire, written by Jon Favreau and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, who Mandalorian fans know all too well, took viewers on a wild and comedic ride.

Bo-Katan and Din spent most of the episode on a side quest in search of clues about a group of rogue battle droids on Plazir-15, the planet where the mercenary Mandalorians had settled.

The highlight of the episode, of course, was not one, but three big-name guest stars.

The leaders of Plazir-15 were portrayed by Jack Black and Lizzo, who are in love and run the planet in very contradictory ways. The third cameo was teased in advance and had many fans excited. Iconic Christopher Lloyd played the head of security and a commissioner on Plazir-15.

But the cameos didn't help the episode get a positive reception from the fans. If anything, they turned it into a comedy sketch that felt poorly written and somehow ridiculous. While some viewers got a kick out of the absurdity of the chapter, many commenters shared that it just made no sense.

It certainly didn't advance the story of the season or the arcs of the characters. And when you have limited episode space, as is the case with The Mandalorian, it is important to tie each episode to the main storyline.

"WHY are we side-tracked eating a comedic nothing burger?" a fan asked in a Reddit discussion of the episode, and commenters agreed that the question was valid.

Fans just didn't understand why moments that were important to character arcs and could be shown as powerful points of growth, such as Din confronting the droids that killed his family, would take a comedic turn. Instead, in a move that was anticlimactic for many viewers, the writers went for guest stars and a confusing comedy angle.

As a result, the episode felt like an SNL parody of a Star Wars show, with host Jack Black and musical guest Lizzo, whose acting left much to be desired.

"Lizzo's acting was terrible. Felt like I was on an SNL Parody skit," a fan commented on the episode on Reddit.

Many viewers shared this sentiment. Although Lizzo is a charismatic celebrity beloved by millions of fans, she is first and foremost a musician, singer, and songwriter. Next to Hollywood icons like Jack Black, Christopher Lloyd, and Pedro Pascal, her performance looked even less appealing and more reminiscent of a comedy show with guest stars brought in to boost ratings.

So maybe The Mandalorian's creators need to rethink their approach to cameos, and Lizzo would be better off sticking to her music career.