A vocal contingent of Star Wars fans are complaining that they can't enjoy The Mandalorian -- and it's all Andor's fault.Several of the franchise's devotees took to Twitter following the release of The Mandalorian Season 3's debut episode, "Chapter 17: The Apostate," to bemoan its perceived inferiority to Andor. Several tweets highlighted the supposed gap in storytelling quality between the two Star Wars shows, with one Twitter user describing The Mandalorian's dialogue as "weak" in comparison to Andor's. Another common refrain among disgruntled fans was that Andor "set the bar way too high" by putting a fresh slant on Star Wars, undermining The Mandalorian's more conventional approach to the franchise.Related: The Mandalorian Season 3 Confirmed to Conclude the MandoVerse's 'Phase One'

The apparent backlash to The Mandalorian Season 3's premiere stands in stark contrast to professional critics' responses to the episode, which were largely positive. Reviews for "Chapter 17: The Apostate" labeled it an "excellent" start to the season and lauded it for capturing "the vibe of Star Wars." Several critics also singled out the season opener's pacing for praise, although at least one pundit "wish[ed] it went into lightspeed a little quicker." Star Pedro Pascal's portrayal of protagonist Din Djarin garnered substantial kudos as well, as did the performance of Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze.

The Mandalorian Boss Discusses the Show's Fanbase

Fans voicing their dissatisfaction with The Mandalorian Season 3's debut episode is also at odds with series creator Jon Favreau's hopes for the virtual discourse surrounding the show. Favreau stated in a recent interview that his aim for The Mandalorian's third season is to have each of its eight episodes spark enthusiastic engagement online. "The goal is -- I don't know about breaking the internet -- but the goal is that we have enough things happen each episode that everybody wants to jump around the digital kitchen table and talk about, and argue about, and guess to what is going to happen next," he said.

Related: Do Fans Need to Know Star Wars Canon to Enjoy The Mandalorian?

Favreau is also well aware that Star Wars fans' passion can be a double-edged sword. The showrunner recently said as much, alluding to instances where fan theories have made The Mandalorian's creative team second guess their choices. However, Favreau added that he also appreciates the effort that goes into a lot of the Star Wars speculation online. "The good thing about our fans is that usually a tremendous amount of thought has gone into their conjecture," he said.

The Mandalorian Season 3 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.

Source: Twitter