Logline
A stranger comes to town;
Or,
An ambivalent bounty hunter discovers his latest quarry is the most adorable magic baby in the galaxy. Ambivalence becomes untenable;
Or,
It's cowboys! In space!
Dramatis Personae
From left to right:
- Kuiil
"I have spoken." Formerly an indentured servant to the Empire. Recently free. Good at building things.
- IG-11
Formerly a hunter assassin droid. Reprogrammed as a nanny assassin droid. Has a thing for its self-destruct mechanism.
- The Mandalorian
We find out his name is Din Djarin in the season finale. He's a Foundling (AKA an orphan raised by the Mandalorians) and a bounty hunter and he's going through some stuff now that he's a dad.
- Cara Dune
Former Rebellion, fighter at heart, she's from Alderaan (like, everything we need to know about her is kind of in that one fact), and she's a good buddy for Mando.
But then we have the Gina Carano problem. Don't get me wrong--once someone's a bigot in public, one should face consequences. It just makes me sad that because of the actor, we don't get the character anymore. (I mean, TPTB have said her departure wasn't about all that, but c'mon.) And Carano is excellent at these action scenes. Ever seen Haywire? It's basically Carano fighting a series of handsome men (Tatum, McGregor, Banderas, Fassbender).
- Greef Karga
Seemingly the head honcho of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, buddy to Mando unless there's money involved, seems to be in charge of this podunk town.
- Baby Yoda
Fifty years old, probably a toddler, strong in the Force, lacking a strong moral compass.
- The Armorer
An extremely important personage in the underground Mandalorian, uh, network. She seems to be a combination of high priestess and really good mechanic.
Wherefore Art Thou
I was never going to not watch any new Star Wars, but prior to this show (and the accessibility of Disney+) I hadn't delved into the larger universe very much. Hadn't watched Clone Wars, didn't actually know what "Mandalorian" signified. Now I've watched all the shows and read, like, a dozen Star Wars novels in the space of a month.
As with pretty much every Star Wars thing, the show is 100% gorgeous. And, also a great thing about all things Star Wars, they have a ton of practical effects along with the typical CGI. I'm pretty sure there are fascinating things to learn in the making-of show, but I actually am cool with not knowing any of it.
Episode Rundown
- "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian"
Star Wars has never more clearly been a Western. The titular Mandalorian is a bounty hunter, but he starts off with a fight in a saloon, guys, I don't know what else to say about it. (I mean, Mando's kind of like if all of Han Solo's boasts about being a scoundrel were actually true, and also he wore a helmet all the time.) This takes place in the wild days after the Empire's defeat, way out in the Outer Rim.
Werner Herzog is in this, guys. This is the reality we live in. (Also, Pershing is the guy that plays Salim in American Gods, but that's a post for another time.) It's suggested he's a former Imperial and y'all, I very much want to see a scene with him and, like, Darth Vader.
And then the little egg-crib opens up and our entire world changes. (I'm legit boggled they managed to keep it a secret until the premiere.)
- "Chapter 2: The Child"
Ba-by Yo-da *clap* *clap* *clap-clap-clap*
And we're all like, USE YOUR POWERS, tiny Yoda!
Look, there are just gonna be a lot of Baby Yoda pics in this post, okay? It's the rules.
Little did we know what evils his hunger will wreak.
"I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion." Like, it isn't until later that the extent of that truth is revealed, but oh man, I love that it's world-building instead of a joke. (Also: He speaks Jawa! Good on you, Mando.)
One thing that's really lovely about our protag is that he's good at what he does, but he's not a superhero or anything. A pack o' Jawas stuns the crap out of him. A giant rhino makes quick work of him. (Watching him lift his tiny knife as a last stand is just amazing.) AND THEN.
First of all, the music for that scene, OOF. Second, how strong is this kid, anyway? I mean, back in the trilogy, Yoda lifting Luke's X-wing was supposed to be a flex. I'm willing to bet the mudhorn is equivalent in heft.
Also, it's kind of amazing that we can infer so much about Mando's emotions based on how Pedro Pascal (or his stand-in, I suppose) just, like, tilts head and shoulders.
The little exchange with Kuiil at the end is nice, too--he refuses payment because he spent too much of his life in servitude. I dig how Mando is supposed to be read as a complete loner, but pretty much every episode he makes new and surprisingly loyal friends.
- "Chapter 3: The Sin"
Ominous title, dang. The titular sin being, I assume, Mando giving Baby Yoda up to the Imperials. But also, good on him for getting the beskar and then rescuing the kid. That's some stellar moral ambiguity there, my friend.
Having all the Mandalorians swoop in to the rescue in that final battle was so good, y'all. All we know about their culture (within the show) is that they don't take off their helmets and they take their responsibility to foundlings seriously. Like, reveal their secret HQ seriously.
This is the way.
So here's a question: Did Mando deliberately shoot Greef Karga where he knew the beskar would protect him?
- "Chapter 4: Sanctuary"
This is the most "A Stranger Comes to Town" this show ever gets and it hits all the beats. ALL OF THEM. Plus the creative team is relentless with Baby Yoda cuteness. It's quite unfair.
Also: Was that a LOTHCAT in the cantina?
Peaceful little town filled with good folk, a tempting widow providing a glimpse of another life, etc, etc. It's pretty clear why Mando thinks Baby Yoda would be better off there; it's more unclear why he plans to leave, too. What better things does he have to do, after all? (I guess run interference on everybody trying to snatch the kid?) And also there's the requisite "training farmers to fight" montage. I care nothing about this plot, guys. Nothing. (Though it's kind of fun to see a walker look scary for once.)
Also, Cara Dune! I already talked about her earlier, but she is really an awesome character. Pretty equal to Mando in terms of skill, an intriguing backstory, and not a romantic interest at all.
Violence is getting pretty normalized for Baby Yoda, huh?
And we get to see how implacable The Way is for its adherents--Mando can never eat in public, which seems pretty awkward to me. I actually was quite irritated at Omera for attempting to remove his helmet--lady, you've gotta have enthusiastic consent.
- "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
We will never escape Tatooine, will we? And then we've got the welcome into Tatooine, which is not what I'd call friendly.
Mando really needs to get Baby Yoda on a regular eating schedule. Also, Amy Sedaris? Not that she doesn't do a decent job, but...why? (OMG A FROG GUY.) In any case, add one more person to our tally of people who take a shine to Mando.
I had 100% forgotten the youngster bounty hunter from my memory. Is this CW castoff supposed to be memorable? Why would I preserve his existence when I could just double down on Fennec Shand? The glorious Fennec Shand, disrespectfully left to die in the desert. (Also, I get that Mando and Baby Yoda are worth a bigger bounty, but why not also bring in Shand? That kid doesn't know how to prioritize.)
"Tuskens think they're the locals. Everybody else is just trespassing." And Mando speaks their language! This filled me with so much joy. (Local savages, especially when put into the context of the show's Western-ness, is ughhhh.) And he knew Jawa earlier on! More untranslated languages for everybody!
I guess other stuff happened? Nothing important? Except for Boba Fett rescuing Fennec from certain death. (Not that we know that for sure at this point.) I am already wiping that kid from my memory again.
- "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
Back when this episode first aired, I remember somebody mentioning that this was the show's version of Farscape and, I mean, yeah.
(I really need to do a Farscape rewatch, but after spending, like, a year of Ben Browder and Claudia Black being Cameron Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran on SG-1, I might have trouble adjusting.)
This gang of ne'er-do-wells sort of pale when compared to the Farscape gang, so that's unfortunate. I mean, they're fine? But aside from Bill Burr's character, Mayfeld, they are pretty non-interesting.
We're supposed to be intrigued by Xi'an (AKA Tonks AKA wannabe Chiana) and her past relationship with Mando, but largely, I think we all had the same thought as Mayfeld: Does he keep the helmet on the whole time? Don't even pretend you didn't wonder.
Their rough attempt to take Mando's helmet off is a pretty intense violation there, guys. Yikes. They thought they could distract us from the assault with roughhousing with Baby Yoda...and yeah, they're right. YOU LEAVE BABY YODA ALONE, YOU MONSTERS.
What's the opposite of a heel turn? Because that's what Mando does when the crew opts to kill the only human on the prison ship. And then he picks off this poor, dumbass crew one by one, horror movie style. I think my favorite sequence is when he creeps up on Mayfeld as emergency lights are flashing, disappearing and reappearing. It's not original, but it's effective.
Someone set it to different music, but I ain't mad about it.
Why do you think Mando has a cape? It's not like he's gonna get cold while he's wearing that armor, right?
Anyway, for a hot second, Baby Yoda thought he exploded a cyborg thing trying to squish him. You'll get there, buddy. You'll get there.
- "Chapter 7: The Reckoning"
Greef Karga sending a "fine, we're even" holo to Mando once again makes me wonder if Mando deliberately shot him in the beskar. But enough of that, guys: We're getting the band back together.
Toddling! He's toddling!
Of course, Mando's first stop is to pick up his new best friend. Cara throwing down as soon as she hears they're after an Imperial is delightful. (We don't find out she's from Alderaan until the next episode.) It's also pretty fascinating how Cara and Kuiil vacillate between old soldiers in accord and old soldiers in a war unending.
Nannies with assassin skills should be more of a trope. And Kuiil is apparently a robot occupational therapist! That was a delightful training sequence. I have so many questions about Kuiil's story: Indentured servitude for three human lifetimes? If someone hasn't started writing a Kuiil novel, I will rage, my friends.
Meanwhile, Baby Yoda is getting into all sorts of hijinks. Piloting the Razor Crest, trying to Force-choke Cara. You're trying to grow up too fast, kiddo.
The timing for this episode was pretty precise--someone noted that Baby Yoda doing some Force healing on whatever Friday this happened was just in time to establish Force healing is a thing so we'd feel less surprised when Rey did it in The Rise of Skywalker that very weekend. Franchise synergy is great, isn't it?
Meanwhile, that campside dragon attack was fully Pitch Black.
"Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?" is possibly the most Werner Herzoggy Werner Herzog has ever been.
NO NOT KUIIL YOU MONSTERS
- "Chapter 8: Redemption"
Okay, the opening sequence with the extremely bored stormtroopers is hilarious. But also, they kept punching Baby Yoda! We're all glad IG-11 killed them.
Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is excellent at being an arrogant Imperial who doesn't have to worry about being Force-choked (OR SO HE THINKS). He knows a lot of stuff about just about everything.
We also get the full flashback of Mando's rescue by the Mandalorians as his town (planet?) was stomped to bits by a ton of Imperial droids. Mando saying that Mandalorian is a creed, rather than a people, is kind of confusing, given there's, like, a planet called Mandalore. (Side note: I had not watched Clone Wars yet and my ventures into the universe had been sporadic at best. More on that later.)
IG-11 is the VIP in this episode, though. First, saving Baby Yoda, using logic to get Mando to remove his helmet and accept medical treatment, and then finally self-destructing. "There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive." What a delightfully weird droid. (Also, is it just me, or was the situation not as dire as they made it seem? Like, the number of stormtroopers waiting at the end of the tunnel was fewer than most of the companies they've fought. How are none of them packing grenades? C'mon.)
And Baby Yoda comes in at the clutch. HE HAS MASTERED FIRE. Though they really shouldn't depend on it, GREEF. "Hey, let's make the baby do the magic hand thing. Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing!"
Ah, the Armorer. First, acting as guardian for the armor of all the dead, explaining the Jedi, giving Mando a clear purpose and mission (This is the way), then utterly destroying a bunch of stormtroopers. QUEEN OF MY HEART. (Now that I've seen Rebels, I kind of want this woman to be an old buddy of Sabine's.)
Hey, Mando has a face! Oh, Pedro Pascal, we have missed your handsome mug. How much time do you think Mando spends on his mustache grooming, given he's the only one who ever sees it?
This show has been pretty good at taking the Imperial vehicles that the Jedi seem to defeat so easily and making them terrifying. First the AT-ST, now a TIE fighter? Good on you, show. Also, I mentioned I hadn't watched Clone Wars, right? So when Moff Gideon whipped out the darksaber, I was just like, "That's pretty weird-looking."
I love this show. It is super-subtle when it comes to its protags, but not with anybody or anything else. And it's just another plain great iteration of Star Wars, the franchise that can pretty much churn out compelling stories in any medium, starring anybody, set during any time or place. And it looks and sounds so good.
Anyway, here is a cello arrangement of the theme song and it is magical.
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