Summary
While some installments have been rightly criticized as unnecessary filler, some episodes ofThe Mandaloriannever get old. Ahead of theAhsokapremiere, manyStar Warsfans went back and watched “Chapter 13: The Jedi,”The Mandalorianepisode that introduced the live-action Ahsoka Tano played by Rosario Dawson and set up her search for Grand Admiral Thrawn for her spin-off series. “The Jedi” was written and directed by Dave Filoni, the co-creator of the Ahsoka character who has spearheaded her spin-off with a single authorial vision. Mando’s action-packed team-up with Ahsoka made this one ofThe Mandalorian’s most rewatchable episodes. But it’s not the only episode that holds up to rewatches.
Mando’s penchant for embarking on side quests before continuing with his main journey has been the subject of some criticism. But this narrative format isone ofThe Mandalorian’s greatest strengths. In an age of serialized television,The Mandalorianharks back to the old adventure-of-the-week series that inspired George Lucas to createStar Warsin the first place. The fact that mostMandalorianepisodes tell their own standalone stories means that fans can go back and revisit them at random without having to rewatch the entire series in order. “The Jedi” is a ronin storyline, “Chapter 9: The Marshal” is a slay-the-dragon storyline, and “Chapter 22: Guns for Hire” is a police procedural storyline.
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Chapter 1: The Mandalorian
The very first episode ofThe Mandalorian, “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian,” remains one of the show’s best installments. Its breathtaking opening scene introduces Mando perfectly as he strolls into a bar, identifies his bounty, effortlessly incapacitates his backup, and ominously tells him, “I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.” These western-inspired bounty-hunting adventures continue as Greef Karga sends Mando to collect a high-profile 50-year-old target. This storyline builds to the moment that has kept audiences hooked by this show ever since: the revelation that the 50-year-old target in question isan adorable baby of Yoda’s species. The pilot episode ofThe Mandalorianis endlessly rewatchable, because it sets up its premise at a nice, brisk pace and has plenty of action along the way.
Chapter 3: The Sin
Mando’s heartwarming father-son dynamic with Grogu was solidified inThe Mandalorian’s third episode, “Chapter 3: The Sin,” in which Mando boldly breaks the bounty hunter code to rescue Grogu from the Client.“The Sin” is a masterclass in visual storytelling, making beautiful use of the recurring motif of Mando’s gear-shift knob. Before Mando dropped him off with the Client, Grogu incessantly played with that gear-shift knob, so when Mando returns to his ship and finds the gear-shift knob, no words need to be spoken – the audience knows straight away that he’s become emotionally attached to that kid and he’s not leaving without him. The rescue sequence is one ofThe Mandalorian’s greatest action set-pieces, and since it’s driven by the palpable emotion of a father figure’s love for his young ward, it never gets old.
Chapter 6: The Prisoner
The sixth episode ofThe Mandalorian, “Chapter 6: The Prisoner,” has everything a great action-oriented narrative needs: a well-defined objective, a series of unexpected complications, and a ticking clock to create a nail-biting sense of tension. Mando is hired to join a crew infiltrating a New Republic prison ship to break out an inmate. However, along the way, the crew double-crosses Mando and leaves him stranded on the ship, which he needs to escape before it makes the jump to hyperspace. “The Prisoner” marked the first appearance ofMigs Mayfeld, played by Bill Burr, who quickly became a fan favorite due to his acidic wit and sharpshooting skills.
Chapter 14: The Tragedy
Star Warsfans had to wait 40 years to see Boba Fett in action. The character was introduced as one of the most formidable warriors in a galaxy far, far away inThe Empire Strikes Back, but it wasn’t untilThe Mandalorianepisode “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” that fans wouldfinally get to see Boba in full badass mode– and it didn’t disappoint. When a legion of Stormtroopers arrive to abduct Grogu, Boba uses his entire arsenal of weapons to wipe them out. “The Tragedy” gets off to sort of a slow start as Mando brings Grogu to an ancient Jedi temple to get in touch with fellow Jedi via the Force. But once Boba and the Stormtroopers have shown up, it’s non-stop action to the end credits.
Chapter 16: The Rescue
The season 2 finale ofThe Mandalorian, “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” was so mind-blowing that the entire third season struggled to live up to it. It’s an all-action episode in which Mando assembles a crack team to break into the Imperial Remnants’ mothership and save Grogufrom Moff Gideon’s grasp. ButStar Warsfans ended up getting a lot more than they bargained for when a legendary Jedi Knight finally answered Grogu’s call for help. Just when Mando and his team are losing hope, with a platoon of Dark Troopers bearing down on them, Luke Skywalker himself arrives to annihilate the androids. Mando’s tearful farewell to Grogu never fails to tug on the heartstrings. If this season finale had been the finale of the whole series, it would’ve been a satisfying conclusion to this chapter of theStar Warssaga.
