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Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Episode 4 Review

Chris Adams; Clint Eastwood; and Samurai Jack. What do these disparate people have in common? They’re all lone warriors who chose to help save a small frontier settlement from bandits. They face down overwhelming odds, yet manage to come out on top in the end. Since the legacy of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood is strong with The Mandalorian, this week’s episode follows that tradition. We got an Old Western stand-off, Star Wars style!

Baby Yoda, Muppet Star

After risking his neck for Baby Yoda last episode, Mando needs to find a place where the child can live in peace. However, his choice of a backwater world, Sorgan, has its own problems. There’s a group of raiders harassing village of krill farmers. While he doesn’t want to do it at first, Mando agrees to help them out in exchange for taking the kid in.

Did I mention that Baby Yoda’s getting even cuter, because he is. That adorable little creature’s won the hearts of millions with his looks and how fond he is of his unwitting guardian. The kids on Sorgan fawn over him. It’s ironic without trying to be: fans have been scrambling to demand Baby Yoda merch, and for once, Disney’s caught off guard. However, their initial releases prove to be bad.

Cuteness aside, Baby Yoda’s proven to be a good partner for the Mandalorian. He helps bring out the warrior’s protective side, and I think it’s gotten to the point where he can communicate without say a thing. When his caretaker’s in a brawl outside a tavern, he’s just standing there, nonchalantly eating his stew.

Possible Partners

Speaking of the brawl, this episode saw the introduction of an awesome female character who may or may not be the Mandalorian’s future partner/love interest. Her name’s Cara Dune, ex-shock trooper for the Rebel Alliance. Now she’s working as a mercenary while trying to find a place to settle down to. She’s almost as good as the Mandalorian in a fight.

On a more intimate level, the Mandalorian gets a more solid love interest in one of the villagers, Omera. She’s a young, widowed mother whose surprisingly good with a blaster. Unlike Cara, though, Omera manages to get the bounty hunter to open up a little, and we learn more about his past. He’s never taken his helmet off in front of others since he was a child, for that would mean never putting it on again. For a moment, though, he considers taking off his armor and living out his life on Sorgan with Baby Yoda and Omera.

Western Stand-Off in the Dark

Fate, however, has other plans in store. It’s discovered that the raiders have an AT-ST on their side, something the villagers can’t hope to match. As a result, Mando and Cara teach them how to fight and have them erect barricades. Their ultimate plan is to lure the AT-ST into a giant pit and trap it there. Thus begins an old western stand-off.

I think that the fights in the show have been great so far. However, this was the first one I had a problem with: it was too dark to see. I started getting flashbacks to “The Long Night” from Game of Thrones, and I didn’t like that. I understand that having a stand-off at night helps with drama, but there needs to be a balance to it. Other than that, though, the fight was superb.

Sadly, Sorgan won’t be the place where Baby Yoda can live in peace. The morning after the battle, a bounty hunter almost kills the child before Cara takes him out. As a result, Mando and Baby Yoda have to move on. It’s a standard trope in old west films: the lone gunslinger moves on with the fight over. It’s sad, but it has to be done.

Nice Standalone Adventure

This may be my favorite episode of the show yet. We finally learned why the Mandalorian never takes off his helmet, he gets a chance at happiness, and Baby Yoda remains cute as ever. In other words, it’s everything the fans wanted. While the fight could have been more visible, I left satisfied with what I saw. I can’t wait for next week’s episode!

I Give “Chapter 4: Sanctuary” a 4.5/5. Best episode yet.

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Also, here’s a CGI Loth-Cat!

One Piece, Chapter 964 Review/Recap

After weeks of seeing Oden romp around the confines of Wano, I started getting bored with One Piece’s latest flashback. All that changed, though, when the Whitebeard Pirates washed up on Kuri Beach. Not only did Oden clash blades with Whitebeard, but he had the guts to flat out ask him to let him join his crew. Oden Kozuki’s grand adventure is about to begin!

Recap

Despite showing he can handle himself in a fight, Whitebeard refuses to let Oden join his crew. He still remembers how unruly the Rock Pirates, and never wants that to happen again. However, Oden refuses to take no for an answer. So when the Whitebeard Pirates try to sneak out at night a few weeks later, he grabs onto the Moby Dick and refuses to let go, even when Izo tries to drag him back. So Whitebeard makes a promise to Oden, if he can hold on for three days, then he’ll let him join.

Sure enough, Oden manages to hold on, despite being at the ocean’s mercy. However, when he only has a few minutes left, Oden lets go, hearing a woman asking for help. That woman is Toki Amatsuki, whose dream is to travel to Wano, to Oden’s disgust. In the end, Whitebeard decides to let Oden join him anyway on their grand adventure. In addition, Izo and Toki join, along with Inu and Neko, who snuck on board to stop Oden.

Thus, Oden Kozuki’s grand adventure begins, and he spends the entire time with the Whitebeard Pirates acting like a kid in a candy store. As the crew’s fame grows, Oden begins to attract attention from others, including a man by the name of Gold Roger.

With this new design, Roger now looks like Ace but with a mustache

Review

Now this is more like it! After being focused on a single country such as Wano for so long, I almost forgot how amazing the world of One Piece truly is. Oden seems to share that sentiment, going on in his journal about how amazing the world is. I’m sure Oden and Luffy would have loved each other.

This is also the first time that we see Oden’s future wife, the time-traveler Toki. She’s the spitting image of Hiyori, both in looks and personality. Why she wants to travel to Wano, though, is beyond me.

Overall, I found this chapter to be hilarious, and helped to pull focus back on why Oden wants to open Wano to the world. Orochi would have them believe the world’s dangerous, and it is. However, it’s also filled with so many wonderful things and people. With Oden’s grand adventure underway, I can’t wait for the next chapter where he meets Gold Roger.

I Give “Oden’s Adventure” a 4.5/5. Also, this face is now a mood.

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