RJ Writing Ink

Everyone, I’m going to start this review with a disclaimer. If you haven’t seen the season finale to The Mandalorian, then for the love of all that is holy, go watch it. RIGHT. NOW. Because it’s only after watching it that you’ll understand why the entire Star Wars fandom cried tears of joy in the early morning of December 18th, 2020.

You back? Good. Now you know our joy. But before we talk about that ending to The Mandalorian, let’s talk about what made the season finale one of the best things to ever happen to Star Wars.

Mando Assembles the Team

After learning the location of Gideon’s ship, the next move of Mando’s team is to capture the Moff’s lead scientist, Dr. Pershing, and force him to tell them about all the defenses Gideon’s ship has. After that, they go to get the last members they need to pull off this rescue: Bo-Katan and one of her Nite Owls.

I wasn’t surprised that Bo-Katan returned so soon to the show. She’d have to settle her score with Gideon and reclaim the Darksaber, after all. What did surprise me, though, was the open hostility she showed towards Boba Fett. It’s understandable given her turbulent history with Jango Fett’s clones, but to openly deny that Boba’s a true Mandalorian? In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if Boba Fett’s a clone or a foundling; he’s a Mandalorian to me.

The resulting altercation and fistfight did bring up one of the central themes to this season, though: what does it mean to be Mandalorian? Does that mean one must be born to someone of Mandalore, or do they merely have to be raised in their culture? It’s a poignant question that lightly touches on the real-world concept of what can unite a people, be it a shared cultural identity, religion, or goals. As Bo-Katan points out, though, the Mandalorians have been fractured for too long. They must unite to take back their home, and that starts with taking down Gideon, getting the Darksaber, and taking his ship.

Like Something out of a Video Game

With all the members aboard, Mando begins his raid to rescue Baby Yoda. What follows over the next fifteen minutes of the episode feels, quite frankly, like something out of a video game.

After Boba gets them inside with an elaborate ruse, Fennec, Cara, Bo-Katan, and Koska assault Gideon’s ship and slaughter his Stormtroopers. It’s a very entertaining action sequence that empashizes how badass these women are. Not only that, but they all manage to work very well together. Their team dynamic’s solid and they even get in a few quips and one-liners.

Mando, though, has the hard job. He has to make sure Gideon’s Dark Troopers don’t get loose in the ship, and he only barely manages to toss them out an airlock. Before that happens, though, he goes against a single Dark Trooper. The fight that follows is brutal, with the Dark Trooper being tough enough to give the Terminator a run for his money. Mando’s barely able to take it down with his Beskar spear.

Of course, that only leads him to his next problem: Moff Gideon holding Baby Yoda at sword-point. What follows is a brief, but impressive duel that shows just how good a fighter Din Djarin is. One that ends in his victory and taking possession of the Darksaber.

Uh-oh.

The True Power of the Darksaber

For those who didn’t watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars or Rebels, here’s the importance behind the Darksaber. It was forged a thousand years ago by the only Mandalorian to ever join the Jedi. When he died, his people stole it from the Jedi Temple, and the blade became a symbol of leadership for Mandalore, passing from owner to owner whenever the previous one was bested in combat. Thus, the Mandalorians will only recognize someone as the rightful owner of the Darksaber if they won it in combat. In other words, Mando inadvertently won the right to claim the title of Mandalore.

I’d speculated once that Gideon did not win the Darksaber from Bo-Katan, but stole it. However, that may not be the case, given how obsessed she was with fighting Gideon. And now, she’ll have to fight Mando for it.

I won’t lie to you, there’s been a thought in the very back of my head: what if Din Djarin’s going to be the next Mandalore? A foundling who unites his people to retake their home and become their next leader would make for a hell of a story.

But there are bigger problems: the Dark Troopers are back! Fortunately, help comes in the form of a legendary Jedi.

Luke Skywalker Gets the Return he Deserved

I cannot tell a lie: when I saw that familiar-looking X-Wing land in the hanger of Gideon’s ship, I knew what was about to happen. And I began to squeal in joy over it. Luke Skywalker, the legendary Jedi Master, had returned to us.

Like a lot of fans, I was deeply dissappointed with how Rian Johnson turned Luke into a cynical hermit in The Last Jedi. Yeah, it was because of his failure to keep his nephew from becoming Kylo Ren, but my gripe was the fact that he gave up too easily. Instead of learning from it and keep trying to rebuild the Jedi, he thought the Galaxy would be better off without them. Spoiler alert: it isn’t, Luke! This wasn’t the Luke Skywalker the fans wanted to see. Fortunately, Dave Filoni and John Favreau knew this, and brought Luke back the right way.

When I saw the hooded figure of Luke fighting his way through Gideon’s ship, cutting through droids like his father before him, I was overcome by joy. This was the Luke Skywalker the fans wanted to see. The legendary Jedi that struck fear in the Empire and always fought for what was right. And by the Force, it was glorious. By the end, I was cheering like it was a sports game.

A Tearful Goodbye. For Now, At Least

With the arrival of Luke and Gideon in chains, the rescue’s been a success. What’s more, Mando’s fulfilled the mission his tribe gave him: to find a Jedi to look after Baby Yoda. However, given how much he’s come to care for Grogu/Baby Yoda, it only makes it harder to see what happens next.

One big theme to the show thus far has been about parenthood. In season one, Mando learned to accept his role as a father figure for Grogu. Season two’s seen him learn how to be an actual father, and a good one at that. Of course, this leads us to the hardest part of any parent’s life: learning to let go of their child.

It’s obvious to everyone that Mando doesn’t want to part with Baby Yoda, no matter how necessary it is. And then, we saw Mando do something that left me in tears. Completely forsaking his Tribe’s rule of never showing his face, Mando willingly removed his helmet so he could give his son a proper goodbye.

This has to be one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever seen in Star Wars. Heck, the only other moment I think rivals this is when Luke took off his father’s helmet as he was dying. It also shows off just how much Mando has changed since the first episode. His experiences throughout this season only reinforced those lessons, whilst simultaneously making him question everything he knew.

Bottom line, everything led us to this moment. The old Mando we first met is long gone. In his place is a new Mando, one who’s not defined by the rigid rules he was raised under. You go, Mando!

The Adventure Continues

Thus, another season of The Mandalorian comes to an end. Of course, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: what now? I’ve got a few ideas.

While I have a feeling we’ll see Baby Yoda again, I think that Mando will choose to stick with Bo-Katan. She’ll want the Darksaber back, so I doubt he’ll have much of a choice anyway. This could eventually lead to a grand finale where the Mandalorian people unite to take back their homeworld at long last. It would be an amazing way to cap off the story of Din Djarin, if you ask me.

Alternativately, the series could shift focus onto another Mandalorian: Boba Fett. In a post-credits scene, Fett returns to Tatooine after repaying his debt to Mando. He then proceeds to return to Jabba’s palace, kill what’s left of his court, and take the palace for himself. I don’t know what the old bounty hunter has planned, but it will no doubt be big. Big enough to warrant his own story.

No matter how you slice it, though, I think the future of Star Wars is a bright one. I can’t wait to see what happens in Season Three of The Mandalorian.

At the same time, though, we shouldn’t forget about the past.

RIP, Jeremy Bulloch

I’m not sure if you’ve heard by now, but yesterday, it was announced that Jeremy Bulloch, the original actor who played Boba Fett, passed away at the age of 75.

Jeremy Bulloch was the original Mandalorian, and Star Wars owes him a great debt. While he only had a handful of lines onscreen, Boba Fett grew to become one of the franchise’s most popular characters. Decades later, that popularity would lead to the prequels giving us Jango Fett, and with him, the Clone Troopers. So much of Star Wars success beyond the movies can be trace back to Boba Fett, and Jeremy was the man behind the mask. He may be gone, but I find it fitting that he lived to see his iconic role capture the hearts of a new generation. RIP, Jeremy Bulloch. This is the Way.

I Give “The Rescue” a 5/5.

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Ever since he was introduced back in “The Reckoning”, fans have been asking questions about the new villain, Moff Gideon. We know that he’s dangerous and that he wants to get ahold of Baby Yoda, but why? What’s his endgame or master plan? After seeing the latest episode, I have a theory as to what Moff Gideon’s plan is…and it’s not good for anyone.

Return to Nevarro

So, after it becomes apparent that the Mon Calamari that fixed the Razor Crest last episode did a terrible job, Mando makes a detour to get his ship fixed at Nevarro. And the first thing that he notices is that the town’s changed since Moff Gideon’s men got driven out. Under Cara and Greef Karga’s leadership, things got a lot safer and cleaner. They even turned the old bar into a school! Obviously, life’s gotten a lot better, except for a single remaining thorn. Not far from the city lies an Imperial Base loaded with weapons and ships. Karga and Cara want it gone, so they recruit Mando (and a mark that Mando captured in the first episdoe) to blow the base to kingdom come!

I, for one, liked seeing Nevarro becoming such a safe place for people to be. Throughout the franchise’s history, the Outer Rim’s largely been the equivalent to the Old West of America. Crime is rampant, there are varying levels of infrastrcuture, and people have to fend for themselves. They can’t count on the New Republic to help them out. Ergo, seeing the town prosper makes me feel hopeful about the sector’s future.

A future that’s being threatened by Moff Gideon.

The Unholy Plans of Moff Gideon

Whilst running through the base as its about to go sky high, the team stumbles on something disturbing. There’s an entire room full of beings floating in tanks, but a lot of them are misshapen and deformed. What’s even more unsettling, though, is a recording that the group finds in the base’s computers. It’s a message from the Doctor that we saw experimenting on Baby Yoda to Moff Gideon. The message clearly says that the Doctor was drawing blood from Baby Yoda in order to tranfuse it into other people in order to give them a high “M-count”.

It was at this moment that everything clicked into place for me. The M-Count has to refer to Midicholrian Count. For those who don’t know, Midicholrians are micro-organisms found in the cells of all life and tied directly to the Force. The higher the count, the stronger they are in the Force. Baby Yoda is Force-Sensitive, so it’s the only explanation. There’s only one reason Moff Gideon would draw blood from Baby Yoda, then: he’s trying to artificially create an army of Force-Sensitives.

This isn’t a new idea, either. In the old Expanded Universe, an Imperial Remnant led by a Dark Jedi tried to create an army of Dark Side-wielding warriors artificially imbued with the Force. While that succeeded due to extenuating circumstances, no one was able to do so otherwise. And from the sounds of it, Gideon’s remnant has also been met with failure. However, the thought of him somehow succeeding is terrifying. An army of Force-Users loyal to him and the Empire could conquer the entire Galaxy.

They Need Ashoka, Now!

In the end, Mando’s team manages to destroy the base and kill the Imperials in it, and the Razor Crest is good as new and ready to take him and Baby Yoda to Corvus to find Ashoka. Which is a good thing, too. Now that I have an idea of what Moff Gideon’s plans are, I know that the two will need the aid of the former Jedi. Especially since one of the Moff’s spies put a locator beacon on board the Razor Crest during the repairs.

Some people may say that this episode was filler, but it’s filler done right. Besides offering a fun side quest and giving Carl Weathers a chance to show his directing chops, it advanced the plot of the show in the best way possible.

Overall, this was another stellar episode from a season that’s already given us plenty of good episodes. While I’m bummed that we didn’t see Ashoka this week, the next episode has to have her one way or another. Why?

Case closed. This is the way.

I Give “The Siege” a 4.5/5

Stray Observations

• This episode made jeans and tees canon in Star Wars!

• There’s a statue of IG-11 in the town. A tribute to the droid that helped save it.

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In the months since the season finale of The Mandalorian, Star Wars fans have been active online trying to speculate on what could happen in Season Two. Would a Jedi appear? Would we learn how Moff Gideon got the Darksaber? But most important, would we see the return of fan favorite characters such as Boba Fett and Ashoka Tano? While the jury’s out on Ashoka (despite what this post says,) the season premiere just confirmed the return of a certain legendary bounty hunter. The original Mandalorian himself, back from the dead.

I wanted to do this review spoiler-free, but after seeing the season premiere, I can’t do that. You have been warned!

Tatooine: It just can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight.

Tatooine, home to Jawas and Tusken Raiders; birthplace of the Skywalker family; and a planet that just can’t seem to avoid attracting attention! In his quest to return Baby Yoda to his people, Mando follows a lead about a Mandalorian back to Tatooine. There, deep in the deserts, is the old mining town of Mos Pelgo. He doesn’t find a Mandalorian, though. It’s just a resident of Tatooine, Cobb Vanth, wearing Mandalorian Armor. After the Second Death Star blew up, the town was taken over by bandits. Vanth managed to buy Mandalorian armor from a group of Jawas and uses it to protect the town.

It’s not just any armor that Vanth’s wearing, though: it’s the armor of the legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett. The last time we saw him in the canon, he was eaten by the Sarlacc, but a character that badass would have their story end like that. Somehow, Jawas got their hands on his armor, and now the Mandalorian wants it. To him, a non-Mandalorian wearing it is an insult to his people.

I’ve never seen the actor playing Cobb Vanth before, but I’ve seen a lot of people singing his praises, and I can see why. He carries himself like a classic, old west sheriff; the John Wayne to the Mandalorian’s Clint Eastwood. And thankfully, these two fight over the armor, because there are bigger fish to fry.

Krayt Dragons Scare Me

If you don’t know what a Krayt Dragon is, I don’t blame you; you should be grateful you haven’t seen one. It’s like if you crossed the Sandworms from Dune with an acid-spitting T-Rex: terrifying! And to save Mos Pelgo from destruction, Vanth enlists Mando to help him kill it. But it’s so dangerous they have to enlist the townspeople; and the Tusken Raiders.

Yeah, given how vicious they’ve been to people in the franchise, it’s hard to see anyone allying with Tusken Raiders. However, when you think about it, they’re indigenous people trying to take back their home from the outsiders who are trespassing. Sound familiar? As a result of that mindset, the writers go out of their way to show that the Tuskens and Settlers can work together.

What follows is an epic battle that I refuse to spoil because it’s as good as anything the movies could ever give us. All you need to know is they win, and Mando gets the armor.

Boba Fett is Alive

In the final moments of the episode, as the Mandalorian rides into the sunset, we get a look at this guy.

If you guys don’t know who that is, I don’t blame you. But that’s the guy who played Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones. Jango Fett was not only the template for the Clone Troopers, but the father of Boba Fett. Ergo, this guy is most likely Boba Fett himself! He’s alive!

How Boba Fett escaped the Sarlacc is of little concern. He’s a badass, so it wouldn’t be that hard. What we should be asking is how did is armor get stolen? Was he too weak to stop that from happening? And why would he remain on Tatooine all this time when he could have left and continued his bounty hunting career? My only guess is that he was hunting for his armor, and now that the Mandalorian has it, he will want it back.

This brings us to an interesting idea: will Boba Fett be a recurring character this season? More importantly, will he be a friend or foe to Mando and Baby Yoda? I wouldn’t mind seeing the three working together, but I’m also curious to see what would happen if they fought. It would show us just how good the Mandalorian really is or isn’t. Regardless, Boba Fett has a role to play in this season, and I only hope that they do his character justice. Without Boba Fett, there would be no Mandalorian!

I also hope that we see more of Cobb Vanth. He and the Mandalorian have a good dynamic going, and I’d like to see them work together more the future. Vanth may not be a foundling or Mandalorian by birth, but he’s got the heart of one.

I Give “The Marshal” A 5/5. Best Episode Yet.

Stray Observations

• You guys noticed how Mando let those Pit Droids work on his ship? Maybe working with IG-11 made him soften his hatred for droids. That’s character development!

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