What are you telling him?
The same thing I’m telling you.
If we fight amongst ourselves, the monster will kill us all.
As a long time fan of the original Star Wars trilogy, who never much cared for the prequels
or the sequels, I thought Season 1 of The Mandalorian was the best Star Wars content
since Return of the Jedi.
With the recent release of the Season 2 premiere - The Marshal - I continue to believe this
to be true.
Dare I say, The Marshal was the perhaps the best episode of the show to date.
Even without some of the terrific characters that made the debut Season so enjoyable.
The chapter began with Mando seeking information from Gor Koresh.
They’re watching a couple of entertaining Gamorreans battling it out, and Gor
turned out to be a scumbag looking to rob poor Mando of his armor.
But his scheming ways were quickly derailed when Mando started kicking ass.
Mando expertly neutralized a slew of henchmen before receiving the information he desired,
that Gor Koresh knew of a Mandalorian on Tatooine.
Mando arrives and reunites with his old pal Peli, and Mando is now fond of droids.
She shows him the way, loans him a speeder, and Mando arrives at Mos Pelgo looking for
a fellow Mandalorian.
Holy shit!
It’s Boba Fett!
Nope!
Just some guy wearing his old worn out armor.
The fella’s name is Cobb Vanth, and Mando is none too happy to see some lowlife donning
Mandalorian armor.
Before a showdown between the two transpires, there is a disturbance in the terrain.
It’s a Krayt Dragon, and it’s wreaking havoc.
Vanth and Mando strike a deal.
Mando will help them kill the dragon, and in return Vanth will hand over the armor.
Always the good sport when it comes to risking his neck for others, Mando gladly agrees to
the terms.
Violence averted.
The rest of the episode follows the quest to kill the Krayt Dragon, which despite some
unexpected setbacks along the way, Mando ultimately seals the deal by cleverly improvising in
a most resourceful manner.
Mando is quick on his feet, and has a proven ability to effectively adapt on the fly whenever
Plan A goes to shit.
The 5 big takeaways for me in The Marshal all surround Mando’s character.
#1 Mando’s dedication to the Child has been reaffirmed, and perhaps doubled down.
Wherever I go, he goes.
The orphan turned father has a unique bond with the Child, and his main quest is directly
tied to the Child.
#2 Mando is uncompromisingly committed to his creed.
He still ain’t willing to remove that damn helmet for anyone, and any who have tried removing
it by force have soon rued the day.
#3 Mando is still an excellent judge of character.
We saw evidence of this last season, particularly with Cara Dune, but we saw it again here with
Vanth and again with Peli.
Out of necessity he often enters into shady dealings with those he cannot trust, but he
seems to have uncanny instincts when it comes to recognizing wholesome traits in others.
We were originally led to believe that Vanth was a degenerate scumbag, but he turned out
to be a decent lad with the caring heart of a protector.
#4 Mando has shown potential for personal growth.
He has shown a willingness to be open-minded, and we now have concrete evidence that Mando
is willing to change his mind when proven wrong.
The wisdom bestowed upon him by Kuiil has taken hold, and he realizes his apparent childhood
fear and distrust of droids was unfounded.
Kuiil taught him that a droid is merely an imprint, an extension of his programmer.
His Season 1 experience with Kuiil’s nurse droid showed him the way.
And finally #5 Mando is a uniter.
In order to defeat the Krayt Dragon, Mando needed to help create an alliance between the feuding
factions.
There was no love lost between the Tusken Raiders and the local settlers, but Mando
found a way for them to unite behind a common enemy.
And in the end a peace agreement was formed, and a common enemy was destroyed.
Holy shit!
Is that Boba Fett?
The real McCoy?
I thought it was a fun and excellent Season 2 premiere.
The creators of The Mandalorian seem to understand the working elements that made the original
trilogy so awesome.
The subtle charm is all there, and while the main story might be a slow burner that is
often interrupted by side quests, the endeavors of Mando and the mystery behind the Child
help drive the story, and further amplifying this is the fact that the characters are both interesting
and likeable - something that was grossly lacking in the Lucas prequels and the Disney
sequels.
The creators of The Mandalorian get it, and I for one am looking forward to the next chapter.
This is the way!
Thanks for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night.
You know this is no place for a child.
Wherever I go, he goes.
They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them.
I’ve seen otherwise.
You damage one of my droids, you’ll pay for it.
Just keep them away from my ship.
Alright.
Hey, hey, hey.
Sorry gang!
Come on!
You know he doesn’t like droids.
Do you trust me?
From what I can tell, yes.
Then you will trust my work.
Victory through combat is impossible.
We will be captured.
The Child will be lost.
Sadly there is no scenario where the Child is saved in which I survive.
I must be destroyed.
You may as well let them have at it.
The Crest needs a good once over.
Oh!
So he likes droids now!
Take it off.
Or I will.
We gonna do this in front of the kid?
What are you telling him?
The same thing I’m telling you.
If we fight amongst ourselves, the monster will kill us all.
This was well earned.
It was my pleasure.
I hope our paths cross again.
As do I.
If I can locate another of my kind, I can chart a path through my network of coverts.