RJ Writing Ink

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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Oh, yes; this is the stuff that I’ve been wanting to get out of The Mandalorian! After last week consisted of attack of the ice spiders, it felt like the show lost some of its steam. However, it not only got said steam back this week, but went into overtime. Since there’s no way for me to talk about this episode without spoiling it, I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, then you already watched the episode. That, or you don’t care about spoilers. Buckle up for ‘The Heiress’, because it’s going to tie back to some fan-favorite shows in Star Wars.

The Titular Heiress of Mandalore

So, after getting Frog Lady to her husband safely on the water moon of Trask, Mando gets the info he wanted: the whereabouts of other Mandalorians. A group of Quarren take him on their boat…only to try and kill him and feed Baby Yoda to a sea monster.

At the last minute, the Mandalorians that Mando was looking for swoop down and save them both. And they’re not just any Mandalorians: it’s the Nite Owls, led by Bo-Kotan Kryze.

If you never watched Star Wars: the Clone Wars or Rebels, Bo-Katan is a Mandalorian that was introduced as part of a terrorist group that sought to bring back Mandalore’s warrior past. When the Empire took over, she fought against them as their leader. She was also the previous owner of the Darksaber, now in Moff Gideon’s hands.

With that fact in mind, when I saw that Gideon had the Darksaber, I was afraid that Bo-Katan may be dead. The fact that she’s not can only mean that Gideon stole or won it in battle. As a result, the heiress is gathering forces to bring him down

She and Mando don’t get along at first.

This is the Dank Farriq Way

Back in Season One, we learned that Mando’s tribe never took off their helmets as part of their warrior creed. I thought it was weird at first, but didn’t question it; thought it was something new that they adopted after the Empire drove them into hiding. It turns out it’s not.

Bo-Katan drops a massive bombshell on Mando and the audience, revealing that the group that took him in is, in truth, a fringe group of Mandalorians that broke off from everyone else. They’re so strict that even Bo-Katan, the heiress of Mandalore, curses when she learns he’s one of them.

This revelation that what he knows may not be the norm for his people shakes Mando to the core, and will no doubt have some long-term implications. However, it may be for the best though. Even when he was with his Tribe, Mando didn’t seem like got along with that many members. Learning that there are other ways for Mandalorians to live may encourage him to be more open-minded. At the moment, though, he’s more focused on finding a Jedi to help look after Baby Yoda. So, after helping Bo-Katan out, she points him in the right direction.

Which ends up confirming Star Wars fans wildest hopes.

The Return of Ashoka

This is not a drill people! Bo-Katan Kryze herself has confirmed it: Ashoka Tano is going to be in The Manadalorian! While it had been all but confirmed months ago, hearing her name being dropped in-show is still a big milestone. As a result, we finally get to see the next chapter in the incredible story of Ashoka Tano.

Canonically, the last time we saw Ashoka, she and Sabine Wren were going on a quest to find Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger. That happened sometime after the Battle of Endor. Yet according to Bo-Katan, she’s living on a forest planet called Corvus. Either she and Sabine succeeded in finding Ezra, or something happened. Still, the former Jedi is Mando’s best bet in keeping Baby Yoda safe; and personally, I think she’d make a great teacher.

‘The Heiress’ Hit all the right notes

By a wide margin, ‘The Heiress’ is one of the best episodes of the show thus far. It hits all the right notes, balancing the world-building, action, and fan service to deliver an amazing chapter to this amazing show. What makes it all the more impressive is that, at thirty-six minutes, it’s one of the shortest episodes of the series. If you haven’t seen this show by now, then for the love of all that’s holy, go watch it! This is the way.

I Give “The Heiress” a 5/5.

Stray Observations

• Mando needs to get the Razor Crest fixed or find a new ship. Because it looks like it’s not going to last much longer.
• Baby Yoda doesn’t eat any more eggs!

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Last week, we saw The Mandalorian begin its sophomore season with as big a bang as possible. There were explosions, Tusken Raiders, a giant Krayt Dragon, and the return of a legendary character. So how does it follow up on that? Two words: Giant. Spiders!

The Rigors of Being a Parent

The first thing we see as the episode starts is Mando fighting off a bunch of random bandits that were after Baby Yoda. And he absolutely wrecks them, all while showing how protective he is when it comes to the child. He lets one of the bandits take his jetpack in exchange for the child’s safety. Granted, he then uses that to drop the bandit out of the sky, but it’s the thought that counts.

As awesome as it is to see Din Djarin go Liam Neeson on the bad guys, it should be noted that he has yet to truly get into the mindset of being a parent. It’s not just Baby Yoda’s safety that should be his concern, but ensuring that he’s got a moral compass by being a good role model. Even when that means doing things he doesn’t want to do.

The crux of the episode is that Mando gets another lead on finding more Mandalorians. But in exchange, he has to ferry this Frog Woman and her eggs to her husband so they can have a family. A simple task, were it not for the fact that they have to travel at sub-light speed the whole time.

Then to make things worse, a New Republic patrol shows up and recognizes him from the raid on the prison ship from last season. Next thing we know, they’ve crashed on an ice planet filled with giant spiders.

Mando’s first instinct is to break off the deal and save himself and Baby Yoda, but the Frog Lady calls him out on this in front of the child. This is the moment where Mando truly becomes a parent. He knows that helping the Frog Lady won’t help them survive, but he’s got to set a good example.

Baby Yoda Needs Morals

As cute as he is, Baby Yoda’s still a child; and children tend to get in trouble. In this episode, Baby Yoda ends up causing his adoptive father a lot of trouble.

Several times throughout the episode, Baby Yoda tries to eat the Frog Lady’s eggs when Mando’s not looking. It’s a running gag with a lot of shades of dark comedy. On the one hand, it reminds us of a kid trying to sneak candy past an adult when they’re not looking. On the other, it’s a bit sociopathic considering how these are eggs that will hatch into living beings.

It’s moments like these that hammer home how Baby Yoda needs to be taught the difference between right from wrong; especially since he’s Force Sensitive. If not, he could end up hurting a lot of people when he’s an adult in who knows how many centuries from now. That, or he’ll get himself killed like how he almost does in this episode.

Spiders!!

The real highlight of this episode, though, were the giant ice spiders! After Baby Yoda tries to eat one of them, a horde of vicious spiders appears and tries to kill Mando, Baby Yoda, and the Frog Lady. And they are absolutely terrifying to look at. On par with the best monsters that Hollywood can conjure, this horde of spiders is nightmare-fuel that will make most people tremble in fear. Look at it!

Believe it or not, these phobia-provoking creatures aren’t new. They’re based on a concept for monsters that Luke would have encountered on Dagobah in Empire. That in itself is an impressive call-back that shows us how deep Jon Favreau’s willing to dig to make The Mandalorian awesome. Most impressive.

A Filler Episode or Bigger Plot Point?

At first glance, it feels like this episode’s just a filler meant to pad out the season. However, a few of the episodes from Season One also gave off that same vibe, only to end up becoming important as time passed. In this case, that prison break, and Mando’s subsequent good deeds pay off. Those New Republic pilots wind up saving him from the spiders before letting him go. Thank you, karma.

At the moment, though, I feel like this episode doesn’t live up to the season premiere. Sad as it is, I will likely forget about those spider monsters in the next few episodes, as they have no real bearing on the plot.

I Give “The Passenger” a 2.8/5.

Stray Observation

• Dave Filoni made another cameo in this episode as one of the X-Wing pilots. Nice to see the heir of George Lucas living the dream.

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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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Star Wars: The Mandalorian Returns October 30th.

After the year we’ve had, you have no idea how relieved I am to have seen this: The Mandalorian, the show that gave us the saying “This is the Way” and Baby Yoda, is coming back for a new season.

When we left off with the Mando and the Child, they had just escaped from Imperial Warlord Gideon. Now the Mandalorian’s new mission is to find Baby Yoda’s people and return it to them. Barring that, though, his only option is to locate the one group that can help the Child control it’s Force Abilities: the Jedi.

Only one problem: the Jedi are either all dead or in hiding, and I doubt that Luke Skywalker’s going to make an appearance. Fortunately, there’s always Ashoka Tano and Ezra Bridger. And I’m really hoping Ashoka will appear!

Are you guys hyped for the new season? Let me know in the comments!

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