After a long year of waiting, the second season of The Mandalorian has finally started and with it we begin an entire new season of Star Wars action. This show is undoubtably one of the most anticipated of the year and just what many of us need to escape the reality that we’re living today. So, let’s start with a recap from last season. Here’s what we know, we know our masked Mandalorian bounty hunter with a heart of gold is named Din Djarin, we’ve seen his (handsome) face, and we see he is now dedicated to safely returning the Child (a.k.a baby Yoda) to it’s own planet with it’s own kind. From the looks of things, this season is set up similar to the first, being that Din is on a mission, and that we’re in for a ride on his journey to returning his (adorable) captive to it’s home planet.
Now, let’s dive into the latest episodes. *Warning : Spoilers Ahead*
The Breakdown: Chapters 11 & 12
Chapter 11: The Heiress starts with a bit of a rough (and wet) landing into the waters of Trask, their destination from the last episode and of their third wheel Mrs. Frog Lady herself. While the Razor Crest is being glued back together, Frog Lady has her reuinion with her husband who, as promised, directs Djarin to an inn where he can (finally) properly feed The Child and find a Quarren with information on nearby Mandalorians. The squid-like man explains they have to sail a couple hours away from the port to find them, and so they set sail on a ship full of other Quarren. It turns out to be just about as dubious as it sounded, resulting in baby Yoda and his floating capsule being fed to a sea monster while Mando fights to keep himself alive against a ship full of enemies for that pesky rare beskar armor of his. Suddenly (but timely) 3 Mandalorian swoop in from the sky to save the day, only to later remove their helmets and make Djarin question their authenticity. After removing their helmets, we recognize one to be fan favorite Bo-Katan, who goes on to explain that while they were born on Mandalore, they are the last of their lineage and the armor is now on it’s 3rd generation with them. After expressing his disapproval, our Mando flies off with The Child only to arrive back at the port and in need of more help, which thankfully even after their uncomfortable exchange our new Mandalorian friends are willing to provide. In the shows fashion, his newly acquired “friends” offer information on where to take Baby Yoda next in exchange for Djarin’s assistance. After another lengthy battle on an Imperial freighter to steal weapons to help those back on Mandalore, and we find later they are in search of none other than the dark saber Moff Gideon had at the end of the last season. After this exchange, we finally learn from Bo-Katan that the next place to seek help for The Child is on the planet of Corvus from a Jedi we all know and love… Ahsoka Tano.
Chapter 12: The Siege kicks off again with some much needed Razor Crest repairs (our duo really puts their vessel through a lot- don’t they) and ultimately end up taking a detour on their journey back to Nevvaro to see some familiar faces and get some assistance on their ship. Setting the Child in the new communities classroom, Djarin catches up with the planets new marshal Cara Dune- a face we’re all happy to see once again and Greef Karga. We also see another character from season 1, if you recall Mando’s bounty Mythrol (a.k.a. carbon freeze guy) is there helping out Karga. Now of course we get into the action of the episode, yet another mission requiring our masked hero’s expertise. This time around, Nevarro is still home to an Imperial Base housing some pretty intense weaponry that Karga would like gone from the up and coming trade planet he’s trying to build. Now of course, we know with Din’s luck things are never as simple as they are put to him, but at least we know he’s got some backup from his trusted pals this go-around. They proceed to sneak in and shut down the base’s power system (which happens to be very similar to that of the one in A New Hope) and run through a creepy lab with even creepier alien-like creatures and witness a message from season 1’s Dr. Pershing to Moff Gideon about their “tests failing” and needing more blood from Baby Yoda… for what we do not know. Now with proof that Gideon is still alive however, it’s even more imperative that Djarin gets him to the Jedi, so he takes off leaving the capable Dune, Karga, and Mythrol to fend for themselves against the remaining base workers. After blowing up the base and trying to escape, the trio suffers a close call but we knew Mando wouldn’t leave them hanging, and after swiftly saving the day he takes off from Nevvaro to continue on his journey to get Baby Yoda to safety. Unfortunately, in the last scene we catch a conversation of the sketchy mechanic we saw filmed just a bit too long in the beginning of the episode admitting to placing a tracking device on the Razor Crest, so Gideon now knows the Child and Djarin’s location… Ahsoka Tano cam’t come quick enough.
Easter Eggs
In Chapter 11, the most notable Star War’s reference was of course was the inclusion of Bo-Katan as a live action character from the animated Clone Wars series, she has Mandalorian background and intern ties to the coveted Dark Saber as she’s now trying to track down the mesmerizing weapon from season 1. Another reference back to past Star Wars phenomena was the discussion of helmets in this episode, we watched as Bo-Katan and her companions removed their without hesitation, and thinking back to the cartoons they often did this. Mention of our Mando being a Child of the Watch doesn’t seem so far fetched after their explanation, comparing them to a cult and a small segment of those who believe in ancient beliefs of The Way.
Chapter 12 gave us a couple blasts from the past as well, referencing some of the original movies specifically. Something you may not have caught was Mythrol’s mention of blindness in one of his eyes, if you recall Djarin froze him in carbonite last season the same way Han Solo was frozen, and if you remember in Return of the Jedi, there was a brief period after Solo’s thawing that he was blind… it seems the freezing process may have some temporary (or lasting) affects. We also hear the mention of “M-counts” in this episode during the exchange between Dr. Pershing and Moff Gideon, these are midi-chlorians and are cells that relate to Force sensitivity, first mentioned in The Phantom Menace.
Closing Remarks
All I have to say is wow. Just when we thought last season was the best thing to potentially ever happen for the Star War’s series, the show continues to impress with every single episode. I’m very happy to see them following up on loose ends left from season 1 including the Dark Saber, more about Cara and Karga, and continuing with tying things back to the roots of Star Wars, It seems with every episode so far, there hasn’t been a single meaningless scene or under-utilized moment, the characters are also continually developed in highly engaging ways. Like how about watching Baby Yoda hone in on his Force sensitivity for cookies, and delving deeper into Din Djarin’s upbringing and The Way he knows and abides by being potentially outdated? Every chapter of the series is quite literally a chapter, the show continues to tell a story and give us pieces to a puzzle in meaningful ways, not to mention every episode leaves us with questions we can’t wait to have answered. I’m most excited to see Ahsoka Tano be brought to the live screen, and further to learn more about The Child in hopes he isn’t found sooner by Moff Gideon… and what the heck does he want with the kid’s blood anyway?! So much to be excited for, so many questions still to be answered, and so much appreciation for what this show continues to do for Star Wars.
Thanks for reading!
Late to The Game 12/02/20
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