TV # 6: The Mandalorian Chapter 9

We're pivoting a little in our TV/Movie critiques by only reviewing The Mandalorian season 2 episodes for the rest of the year.

WARNING - this contains a ton of spoilers!!! Thoughts are sprinkled into the plot summary. Ekta's thoughts are in blue & Sid's are in teal.

Plot Summary:

We left season 1 loving droids & baby Yoda and worried about Mando because he lost his family. Season 2 starts with Mando trying to find information about other Mandalorians at a "boxing" match. After being crossed by Gor Koresh, a traitor who kills Mandalorians for beskar, Mando finds out that there's a mandalorian on Tatooine

Old Mando definitely would have killed Gor directly but he left him to be eaten alive by wild creatures. I think it's because 1) it's a crueler death rather than him wanting to protect bb Yoda from seeing him kill people 2) the loss of the Mandalorians makes him want to hold up to his Mandalorian values.

I'm so excited that we're returning to Tatooine. I started my star wars journey with episode 1 and episode 2 is my all time favorite. I did get a little nervous considering that episode 7 was a terrible mash up of 4-6 but I was not disappointed! I loved that we even have a new saying - "I guess every once in a while, both suns shine on a womp rat's tail."

Every time I see baby Yoda in these situations, my maternal instincts kick in and I get so worried- he's not ready for such danger! Loved that Mando got Gor Koresh on a semantic technicality - exactly the kind of wit and intelligence I need in my hero.

Mando lands in Mos Eisley and get's his ship fixed by Peli Motto's droids. He learns that he can find the other mandalorian in this abandoned depressing wild west town.

I love that Mando's grown to tolerate droids due to IG-11's role in saving bb Yoda. Also A little disappointed that Mos Eisley didn't have it's iconic tune going in the background but I was glad that they shared it in its post war state.

Although I'm a fan of westerns, it's a little depressing that even during the brief period between 6 and 7 the every day lives weren't improved and there was a giant power vacuum. I wonder if that's predominantly because Tatooine was never an important or developed world.

I am very much here for The Mandalorian leaning into being a western. Let's keep world building with the good guys vs bad guys paradigm.

Mando quickly realizes that Cobb Vanth isn't a Mandalorian at all. They strike a deal- Mando kills the dragon harassing the town in return for the armor. Mando sets out to accomplish this by making the town residents strike a deal with the Sand People.

OMG Cobb is wearing Boba Fett's armor (I'm going to find out more about this in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy).

In episode 2, the sand people kidnap and then murder Anakin's mom. I definitely understand the resistance of the town people and appreciate their willingness to work together. However, I'm surprised that the whole town was willing to mobilize and get behind the bigger picture.

Timothy Olyphant is v dreamy.

Very into this example of joining with your enemies for the greater good - let's keep leaning into the Western genre.

Mando returns successful with Boba's armor....

I don't understand how the dragon was defeated?! 0 details were given after he was swallowed. I also don't understand why the sand people were always going first to alert the dragon - seems like they could have just shot a bomb in the cave to wake the beast up.

Mando clearly watched Pinocchio and channeled Pinocchio's strategy for escaping Monstro (check out that Disney synergy). I did have to ask my 5 year old nephew who to person at the end of the episode was, but I'm very excited to see where this is going

Review:

Ekta - 9/10 because of the nostalgia, plot, and character development. I'm excited that we'll be venturing down a journey of self exploration (what makes mando a mando) and we're going to visit hopefully new towns if not worlds.

Sidra: 10/10 The Mandalorian is my favorite show right now, and I am loving that we're just world building on Mando's journey. Plus baby Yoda is growing up and is so freaking cute.