Thanks,
@KBA.
The Clone Wars can be difficult to get into so I fully understand. If at any point you want to watch the whole series, I like to recommend starting with Season 3 Episode 18 The Citadel and going back to Season 1 if you end up liking the show. Episodes are really hit or miss Seasons 1 and 2. The tone matures very quickly after Season 3.
Since you’re primarily just looking for more context into the state of Mandalore, the easiest way would be to stick to episodes with Bo-Katan in them. She’s a side character for her earliest episodes, but develops into an important figure. It’s helpful to sort of mentally shift your focus to her being the central character.
Here’s a quick rundown of the important characters since you’d be missing out on their introductions:
Duchess Satine Kryze: Bo-Katan’s sister. A pacifist who has tried to turn Mandalore away from its warrior roots to be a pacifist society. Obi-Wan has feelings for her.
Pre Vizsla: Leader of the Death Watch, a splinter group of Mandalorians against the idea of Satine’s pacifism. Voiced by Jon Favreau. Same clan as Paz Vizsla in The Mandalorian, also voiced by Favreau.
Maul and Savage Opress: Maul was resurrected earlier in the series. Savage is a Nightbrother from Dathomir that Maul is close and forms a bond with. Edit: Yes, also biological brothers.
S4E14 in this list is optional, though it is Bo-Katan’s first appearance. It’s mostly a self contained side story.
The Clone Wars
S4E14 - Friend in Need
S5E14 - Eminence
S5E15 - Shades of Reason
S5E16 - The Lawless
S7E9 - Old Friends Not Forgotten
S7E10 - The Phantom Apprentice
S7E11 - Shattered
S7E12 - Victory and Death
[Context: Order 66, the Clone War ends, and the Empire seizes Mandalore by this point. Bo-Katan was made Imperial regent but Palpatine replaces her with Gar Saxon when she will not swear fealty to him.]
Rebels
S4E1&2 - Heroes of Mandalore
[Context: Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian of house Wren, is looking for someone to wield the Darksaber and unite their people. She chooses Bo-Katan. Some time after this episode, she will lose the Darksaber and it will end up in the hands of Moff Gideon in events that are only alluded to.]