SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The front runner of Disney+ has returned for its second season. So far, the first three episodes have gone off without a hitch with many call backs to nearly every form of Star Wars content in existence. The Mandalorian Season 2 is heading down a very intriguing path.
The first episode, The Gunslinger, included many call backs to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the rest of the original trilogy. It gives the perspective of those who were alive during the destruction of the second Death Star and revealed that the series will include a plot line focusing on a very mysterious character. I won’t give it away, I’ll just say his iconic armor has made its impression.
The first episode gave the first on screen appearance to a Star Wars creature known as a Krayt Dragon.
The left is a picture of the beastly creature from episode one and the right is a skeleton of the same species from Episode IV: A New Hope. This is something I appreciate about Dave Filoni’s writing; he’s a true Star Wars fan. With the content he’s released giving a nod to other aspects of the Star Wars universe, the viewers get a sense of continuity that the franchise is often criticized for lacking.
Continuing on with many other little call backs to the original and prequel trilogies, Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) is the first Star Wars character to be fluent in Tusken Raider. A speeder bike that looks all too familiar and a few very iconic words opened the second season of the Mandalorian with a bang.
In the second episode, Mando was tasked with bringing a lizard person to their planet to meet the father of its children. I am unfamiliar with the lizard’s species, but they proved to be unique in Star Wars.
An incubator carrying the next generation of her offspring was at risk and if Mando wasn’t able to bring her back to her significant other, her lineage would end. But this didn’t stop baby Yoda from taking his eggs slightly rare and over easy, if you know what I mean…
But hey! He’s a baby. He doesn’t know any better. There is also a twist to this venture; the incubator prevents Mando from entering hyperspace to reach the system they had to travel to. This leads to the Razor Crest having a run in with a rebel patrol, now called the New Republic, and they didn’t take very kindly Mando’s undocumented ship.
This led to an epic ship chase that resulted in Mando having to crash land on a hostile, frozen moon. Once the ship fell through the ice things went from bad to worse. After some time, Mando tries to fix his ship and baby Yoda makes attempts to fill his stomach with the unborn lizard babies. Meanwhile, it’s revealed that the Razor Crest has fallen right into a spider’s nest.
Mando and the rest quickly get attacked by thousands of spiders, but the swarm isn’t the most frightening of the bunch. Suddenly, the mother of the spiders appears and she is standing at an absolutely staggering size. When the crew try to make their escape, the mother cuts them off by jumping on the freighter ship, pinning it down into the icy cavern.
But the day is saved by some likely unlikely heroes. The Rebel/New Republic fighter craft that were chasing Mando in the first place arrive and defeat the giant ice spider. A quick exchange of words ensues and the pilots allow Mando to go on his way, ending the second episode.
After the first two episodes of Monster Mash Star Wars edition, episode three provided some of the content I have been waiting for. Finally, some of the characters from the animated series make an appearance.
After parting ways with the lizard momma, Mando sets out to find the members of his kind the he was told would be nearby. This leads to conflict because the armor he wears, known as Beskar Steel, is valued very high on the black market and has been nothing but trouble for Mando since he acquired it. While traversing across an open sea, the people kidnapping Mando and baby Yoda turn on them, leading to the arrival of a familiar face.
Or a familiar set of armor I should say…
Lady Bo Katan made her debut in the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In The Mandalorian, she is portrayed by Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica).
The action that ensues does not disappoint!
Mandalorians are flying with jetpacks like a flock of blue angels, a raid on a former Imperial cruiser carrying precious cargo takes place and Giancarlo Esposito’s character briefly returns through a hologram. Not only that, but the name of a Star Wars fan favorite was confirmed and hopefully lives up to the hype.
Although it was the shortest episode of the season so far. Chapter 11: The Heiress left me very pleased as a Star Wars fan.
After the sequel trilogy, Disney lost my confidence but the first half of Season 2 of the Mandalorian has them redeeming themselves. Dave Filoni and John Favreau continue to impress.
