'Mandalorian' Fans Just Noticed a Big Mistake in This Week's Episode

Star Wars fandom borders on zealotry, and the die-hards are known to pour over every detail and debate even the most minute of points. But an error this week could be caught by even casual viewers: The site of a crew member onscreen wearing casual clothes.

The man making the unsuspecting cameo can be seen on the lefthand corner of the screen, a bit behind and to the side of Greef Karga (Carl Weathers). He's wearing what appears to be faded jeans, a loose-fitting T-shirt, and a wristwatch--in other words, attire more appropriate for Earth circa 2020, and not a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Here is one Twitter Star Wars fan account that posted a screen grab of the moment.

Many of those who commented on the mistake seemed to find it especially egregious given the amount of money Disney spends on the production.

It also reminded some of when HBO's Game of Thrones contained scenes where plastic water bottles and paper coffee cups were clearly visible.

If anyone forgot the coffee cup moment, this commenter helpfully inserted a video of it into a post.

For The Mandalorian, it was a small yet noticeable (at least for some) error in an episode widely praised by fans. "Chapter 12: The Siege" is the fourth episode of the second season, and it was written by showrunner Jon Favreau. Fans were especially keen on the direction by Carl Weathers. "The Siege" marks the first time Weathers has stepped behind the camera for the show, but it's not his first time at the helm. He has numerous directing credits to his name for various TV shows, though most of them not as high profile as The Mandalorian. Among the shows he's directed are Silk Stockings, Sheena, and 18 Wheels of Justice. His last stint as a director was for a 2019 episode of the CBS hit Hawaii Five-0.

In the unlikely event that Weathers' stint in the Star Wars universe will be remembered in some circles for one little blunder, it will at least be part of a historic line of other mistakes. Even the beloved original trilogy had its fair share of errors, including the most critically-acclaimed of the three--The Empire Strikes Back. In the famous moment when Lando Calrissian betrays Han Solo on Cloud City, Han is seen wearing a white shirt before Boba Fett freezes him in carbonite. However, in some close-up shots, Solo's blue jacket is visible in the carbonate mold. (George Lucas fixed the error in later editions of the movie.)

Also, in the same film, Luke Skywalker has a run-in with the giant snow monster called a Wampa. The Wampa kills Luke's Tauntaun and drags Luke into his cave, presumably to eat later. There is a very brief moment when the Wampa swats Luke off of his Tauntaun before turning his attack on the Tauntaun. Similar to the new episode of The Mandalorian, we catch a glimpse of a crew member, but just an arm in this instance, which reaches a little too far into the shot and is visible at the edge of the frame.

With so many parts in play for these types of productions, some slip-ups are bound to work their way in, no matter how many editors and money is behind the effort. And discerning fans with alway-improving technology will inevitably catch them.