And we’re back! The Mandalorian Season 2 is here and hasn’t missed a beat. At the end of season 1, Mando and Baby Yoda (The Child for you sticklers) barely escaped the Empire’s forces. We lost IG-11, The Madoraian’s clan was decimated, and Moff Gideon has the infamous Dark Saber. Our heroes are on the run for their lives.
Chapter 9 has The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda searching for more Mandalorians. They hope to find a safe home for the constantly hunted Child. Sources bring them to Tatooine to find an imposter that wears Boba Fett’s armor to defend his town. The group teams up to take down the Krayt dragon.
A perfect example of what a Star Wars story should be. Mando helps a local town survive. No galactic war or balancing of sorcerer factions. Just a classic western in the Star Wars universe. Mando is a hero that comes in like Mad Max or Clint Eastwood. He meets the local marshal Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), who wears the found Boba Fett armor. Olyphant brings back some of his Deadwood acting to convey a man barely keeping a town alive.
We get a lesson in cooperation as the town works with a nearby Tusken Raider party to rid themselves of the dragon. The Tuskens have always been a threat in Star Wars. First appearing in Episode 4, they attack Luke before Old Ben intervenes. In Chapter 9, we see the raiders as a tribe. They have traditions and customs like any other. The Mandalorian unites the two parties and shows them their commonalities.
The conclusion is a massive action set-piece worthy of a summer blockbuster. The untied forces do severe damage to the dragon before ultimately losing control. Mando and Vanth work in tandem, showing off the power of the Mandalorian armor. When we hit the “all is lost” moment, Mando seemingly sacrifices himself to the dragon. After detonating bombs from the inside, Mando proves he is worthy of his armor.
I don’t give out perfect grades easily. In my opinion, an A+ means there was nothing to change. While watching, the only regret I had was a lack of the real Boba Fett. Then, in the final shot, there he was. Boba watches The Mandalorian ride off with his armor. He is back and will want what’s his. Chapter 9 get an A+.
Chapter 10 picks up with Mando and Baby Yoda returning to Mos Eisley, looking for another lead. Peli Motto has one in a passenger that needs a ride. The Frog Lady (her actual name in the credits) needs to get to a nearby planet to meet her husband. Her husband has had to deal with a Mandalorian clan and could be the next step to safety. Two problems, they can’t travel faster than light because she is bringing her eggs, and those eggs look mighty tasty to Baby Yoda.
During their journey, Mando has to balance a Frog Lady he can’t communicate with and a child trying to eat precious eggs. They are eventually confronted by New Republic X-Wings that chase them to an icy planet. Mando crashes into a cave, and they are stranded.
There is always a theme to The Mandalorian. The last episode was cooperation; this one was parentage. Frog Lady tries so hard to keep her eggs alive. She uses her own blanket to keep their vat warm and trudges through the snow to put them in a hot spring. This entire journey expresses her dedication to her future children. Meanwhile, Mando is dealing with a 50-year-old going through his terrible twos. Once left alone, the Child b-lines to the eggs and sneaks one in. Seeing baby Yoda being caught mid egg heist is similar to a kid trying to hide the mess they created. Every parent has been there.
The tough situation escalates quickly when they find a nest of spider-like creatures in the cave. They take shelter in the cabin of the Wavecrest, but the windshield is breaking from a monster’s continuous attack. Then, the familiar hum of Republic blasters. Two Xwing pilots shoot off the rest of the spiders and save our desperate protagonists. They decide to not arrest Mando, knowing his exploits. The ragged crew limps off to their destination in a damaged Wavecrest.
A solid episode all around. Smaller in scale than chapter 9 but full of Baby Yoda hijinx. I enjoyed it but was not blown away. Giving this one a respectable B.
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