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.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Boba Fett is one of the most iconic characters in Star Wars. Despite having only seven lines in Empire, his kickass armor and quiet demeanor made him a merchandising goldmine. His fans call him one of the biggest badasses in the Galaxy. The naysayers wonder if he’s overhyped. Some even question if Boba’s a true Mandalorian. After today’s new epiosde of The Mandalorian, let those doubts be silenced. Boba Fett’s every bit the legend he’s been built up as over the last forty years!

To be fair, I already knew that. Expanded Universe, after all.

Boba Fett Returns

In a slight break to its formula of “main story, side quest, main story,” The Mandalorian jumps straight to Tython. There, in the ruins of an ancient Temple, Baby Yoda meditates to unlock his connection to the Force. Unfortunatley, they’ve got company in the form of Boba Fett. He’s not alone, either. With him is Fennec, the woman who betrayed Mando and got left for dead. Boba found her and restored her with cybernetics.

Many fans speculated that Boba Fett was the one who approached Fennec. Right now, I imagine they’re celebrating being vindicated. Now she works for Boba, who wants what was taken from him. He wants his armor back.

When Boba and Mando meet face-to-face, I noticed a few things different about him. On the surface, he’s scarred and grizzled thanks to his encounter with the Sarlaac. However, his demeanor’s changed, as well. He’s willing to talk things out with Mando, negotiate to get his armor back. Either it means that much to him, or the near-death experience made made him more willing to talk things out.

Talking goes out the window, though, when the Empire shows up to get Baby Yoda.

Skirmish on Tython

the rest of the (relatively) short episode consists mainly of a scene straight out of a first-person shooter. Mando, Fennec, and Boba Fett go on a rampage, mowing down Stormtroopers in an action sequence that would make Game of Thrones green with envy.

This show’s already given us its fair share of great fight scenes. That said, in this episode is by far the best. It easily approaches the level of the films, and gives us several great moments. Like this.

And this.

And this!

Pure, unadulterated fanservice.

Alas, the trio’s efforts are for naught. While they fight, Moff Gideon’s ship arrives and his Dark Troopers capture Baby Yoda before the others can reach him. And to add insult to injury, they destroy the Razor Crest.

Boba Fett is a Mandalorian

Ever since “The Mandalore Plot” in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there’s been controversy over Boba Fett’s identity as a Mandalorian. One character in the show, a Mandalorian, claims that his father, Jango Fett, was little more than a common bounty hunter who wore Mandalorian armor. I ignored it at the time. However, this made people doubt if Boba was a Mandalorian. Tonight, those doubts are silenced.

After the battle, Boba shows Mando the chain code on his armor. Not only does it prove that it belongs to him, but to his father as well. In other words, Jango Fett was a foundling.

Given Boba’s status as a clone, people may still want to debate this. Although this may be true, I don’t think that matters in the grand scheme. Boba Fett is a Mandalorian. And he’s ready to pay his debts.

Mando Goes to War

With Moff Gideon now holding Baby Yoda captive, fans are left wondering how Mando will rescue his charge. The answer’s simple: he’s going to war, with Boba Fett and Fennec at his side.

Given how the episode ends, the next one will focus on the group freeing one of the criminals Mando left on that prison ship to mount a rescue.

This is the one complaint I have about the episode, though. Why rescue someone who they don’t know if they can trust when there are others who can help. Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls would gladly help if it gave them the chance to take out Moff Gideon. Moreover, seeing a bunch of Mandalorians fighting together kicks ass.

Regardless of how things ended, it’s clear that the show’s going to do something explosive for its season finale. Will Mando rescue Baby Yoda? Will Baby Yoda misuse his newly acquired Force Powers? Am I right about Gideon’s endgame? These are all great questions that are making me yearn for the next episode, and I love it.

Also, it proves that Boba Fett is the badass everyone thought. This is the Way

I Give “The Tragedy” a 5/5.

Stray Observations

• The Dark Troopers are now canon. If you don’t know what they are, they’re experimental battle droids from a 90s video game. Great story to them.
• Anyone curious how Boba got his ship back?

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Ashoka Tano; few characters in Star Wars have had such a complex journey, both in-universe and in the real world. When she debuted in the pilot movie for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, people thought she was an annoying tag-along that would die before the show’s end; she did, but it didn’t stick. Twelve years later, though, and this former Jedi turned rebel stands as one of the franchise’s greatest heroes. Now, after months of speculation, and two weeks since the name drop in “The Heiress”, the fans wish came true.

THANK YOU, DAVE FILONI!

Ashoka Tano’s Journey Continues

Canonically, the last time we saw Ashoka was sometime after the fall of the Empire. She and Sabine Wren left in search of Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, who disappeared into the Unknown Regions at the end of Star Wars: Rebels. Flash-forward four or five years, and she’s fighting the forces of a corrupt magistrate on Corvus. Fighting, and winning. In fact, if it weren’t for the Magistrate’s willingness to kill the townspeople under her thumb, I think Ashoka could have taken her down with little effort.

Fans of Star Wars may know that the Jedi took a lot of inspiration from depictions of the Samurai of Japan. That influence is very much prevalent in “The Jedi”, down to Ashoka’s role in the episode. If the Jedi are Samurai, then Ashoka’s a Ronin, a wandering, master-less Samurai trying to help those in need. She’s fighting to free a town from its cruel lord, which leads to a final showdown between her and the Magistrate in the latter’s compound. The backdrop’s got some heavy Oriental influences to it, while the fight itself resembles what you might expect from Akira Kurosawa’s films. In other words, Ashoka spends the whole episode kicking ass, and I love it.

Mando Learns More About Baby Yoda

When Mando arrives on Corvus, the Magistrate’s desperate enough to get rid of the former Jedi that she hires him to kill her. Big mistake, though, as all he does is talk to her about Baby Yoda. Or rather, she communicates with Baby Yoda using the Force, while Mando’s left in the dark. She seems pleased by what she learns, and is happy to share it with Mando.

It’s here that we actually learn more about Baby Yoda’s past. He was once a Jedi Youngling living in the Temple. When Order 66 saw the Temple attacked, someone took him away and hid him. He’s been alone and in hiding ever since. We also learn Baby Yoda’s real name: Grogu.

Yeah, I’m still calling him Baby Yoda.

Despite Mando’s argument that the Child should be trained to control his Force powers, Ashoka refuses. She says that the bond that Grogu and Mando have could lead to him tapping into the Dark Side. She knows from first-hand experience how that can end badly for everyone.

Ashoka makes a good point: Jedi who let fear and negative emotions cloud their judgement are dangerous. However, I think that Ashoka’s suffering from slight PTSD over the fact that her master became Darth Vader. That’s why she won’t train him, even after Mando helps her free the town from the Magistrate.

She does, however, point him on another path.

Two Big Name Drops

The reason why Ashoka was fighting the Magistrate was because she was wanted information. It’s not until the end of the episode that we actually learn what it was she wanted to learn: the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Fans of Rebels will remember him as the blue-skinned Admiral of the Empire that served as the big bad for the latter half of the show. He and Ezra disappeared into the Unknown Regions in the series finale, hence Ashoka’s quest to find Ezra. The fact that we got his name dropped by Ashoka means two things. Firstly, that Thrawn’s still alive and operating somewhere. Secondly, that Ezra Bridger is most likely alive as well.

The episode ends with Ashoka and Mando going their separate ways, so there’s no indication that she will return in the future. However, it’s likely the events of this episode could set up Ashoka for her own series focusing on her search for Ezra. Or maybe the two will intersect in the future.

Ashoka does point Mando and Grogu in the right direction, though. She tells them to travel to the planet of Tython. There they’ll find the ruins of an old Jedi Temple that’s strong in the Force. Grogu will be able to use it to choose his own path; if he wants to, he can call out to another Jedi through the Force.

While it hasn’t been made any big appearances in the new canon, Tython had a big impact in the old Expanded Universe. Located in the Deep Core, Tython’s thought by some to be the homeworld of the Jedi Order. The Jedi abandoned it after their founding before returning millenia later, only for it to be abandoned once more. If Tython is Mando’s next destination, then I can’t wait.

Dave Filoni Does it Again

Overall, this episode was amazing and worth the months of waiting. Rosario Dawson knocked it out of the park as Ashoka and I hope we see more of her in the future. Dave Filoni once again demonstrated why he’s one of the best people to take over the reins of Star Wars while showing off his love for the franchise. And we finally got some clues regarding Baby Yoda’s past. Stellar episode overall; one of the best of the series.

This is the Way.

I Give “The Jedi” A Solid 5/5

Stray Observations

• Listen closely and you’ll hear Ashoka and Yoda’s themes play at certain points in the episode
• Morai the owl-thing is back!

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

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.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

Click here to learn all there is about Star Wars with Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.