BO-KATAN!
This was the episode I was waiting for from this season. Finally, we progress a little bit of the season's overarching goal, and we get everyone's suspicions confirmed. Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano are coming to the Mandalorian!
Not only this, but we finally get an explanation as to why Mando acts so different compared to those in other Star Wars media (e.g. Star Wars: The Clone Wars). He's apart of a Mandalorian clan (cult) who wants to restore the original way of the Mandalore. It all makes sense now.
Seeing him interact with Bo-Katan and think they're fake Mandalorians at first was pretty amusing. It's quite a "fish out of water" moment.
I love this show.
IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 7/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 8/10
Fantastic episode, having Katie Sackhoff play as Bo-Katan was a fantastic casting choice. Cannot wait for next episode, seeing the live action version of Ahsoka Tano is going to be sweet as!
[8.2/10] There’s a big part of me that wonders what it’d be like to watch this episode if you’re not as steeped in the Star Wars Universe, particularly the animated corners of it. My suspicion is that “The Heiress” would still work just as well.
If all you’ve watched is the movies and other episodes of The Mandalorian, then presumably, this is just a story of Mando running into another sect of Mandalorians who have their own code and their own mission, who team up together to take on one of Grand Moff Gideon’s lieutenants. The episode absolutely works on those terms.
It works because even if you don’t know her history, Bo Katan is a total badass here. What a boon it is to have Katee Sackhoff in the role (hello, fellow Battlestar Galactica fans). She brings the right combination of dry sarcasm, determination, and nobility to make this character work. Bo Katan has a presence in this episode that matches Mando’s, which makes her stand as an equal and worthy compatriot here.
It also works on pure action. I don’t know if I’d call it a secret weapon exactly, but one of The Mandalorian’s best features is the fact that its action is really well staged and choreographed. So much action, both on television and even big budget movies, is so bland and samey and static. But here, the directors and other creatives know how to stage a skirmish with some shady fishermen followed by a Mandalorian rescue, or four Mandos taking an Imperial transport ship, for ultimate tension, dynamism, and above all else a sense of fistpump-worthy awesomeness.
These fights have movements. We get the spark of fear when The Child is kicked into the sea creature’s mouth. We have the moment of confidence when Mando dives in after him, because he’s gotten out of tougher scrapes than this (including being swallowed by a beast in the season premiere). We get the sense of desperation when he swims to the top of the cage for oxygen only to face the fishermen’s spears. We get the glimpse of hope when we see and hear snippets of what seem to be other Mandalorians coming to the rescue. And then we get the cathartic confirmation that, yes, Mando’s countrymen are here, more than capable in a fight, and ready to save the day. It seems simple, and it should be, but so many other shows and movies drop the ball on this type of thing.
The same goes for the fight on the Imperial Transport. Not only is there a clarity of action, with fewer cuts and longer sequences so that the audience can actually process what’s happening, but there’s a nice array of turns and surprises as the sequences build on one another. We get the reactions of the Imperial Captain to help communicate the threat as perceived by the other side. We get some great hallway fights with solid tactics that sell how formidable and sharp these Mandalorians are together. We get the cool twist of the Imperials thinking they’ve trapped the Mandos, only for the good guys to eject their foes. And we get a final challenge with the Imperial Captain trying to go down with the ship rather than let the Mandos have it. There’s all a progression to this that adds excitement and a sense of momentum to the proceedings, rather than just slapping a bunch of action together and calling it a day.
Likewise, it’s cute to see Mando essentially dropping off Baby Yoda at a neighbor’s house to be babysat. The reunion between the Frog People is really heartening, and I like the subtle story of The Child learning that those eggs are alive, that other lives exist in a way that surprises and amazes him. Again, the puppeteering and effects work here is really good and makes not only Baby Yoda but his small journeys and experiences really endearing.
There’s also plenty of world-building and lore for the uninitiated here. We learn that Bo Katan is trying to take back her home planet. We learn that the Empire has put out misinformation suggesting that Mandalore is cursed and anyone who goes there will die. We see that there’s other sects of Mandalorians who don’t necessarily buy into “The Way.” We learn that Bo’s after the darksaber we saw at the end of last season in the possession of Moff Gideon. And we learn that she knows the location of a Jedi, who might help Mando on his quest. Even if you’re not familiar with other Mandalorian events from other Star Wars shows, those details and moments help fill in the bigger picture.
But if you are, holy hell is this episode catnip for the longtime Star Wars nerd! I can’t tell you how cool it is to see Katee Sackhoff make the jump from animation to live action, playing Bo Katan in both mediums and adding a sense of continuity between them. It has such extra resonance when she refers to Mando as “a child of The Watch”, knowing that she herself was once a member of Death Watch, a group that presumably has connections to the sect Mando follows. Her hunt for Gideon and the darksaber carries so much more meaning when you know not only what the darksaber signifies in Mandalorian culture, but how Bo Katan obtained it before and who she received it from. This builds so much on previous continuity in a way that adds richness to what we get here.
That’s all before the mention of motherfucking Ahsoka Tano! It’s not a big shock, considering the casting announcements for this season, but it’s still incredibly cool to hear her name spoken in live action for the first time, by someone who fought alongside her at the Siege of Mandalore no less. We know, from prior shows, what Bo Katan’s very personal history with The Watch is, what she’s fighting for, and whom she’s fought with, which gives so much weight to these hints and interactions. It honestly makes me want to rewatch every Mandalorian-relevant episode of The Clone Wars and Rebels all over again.
Overall, this is another real winner of an episode. It works well on its own as a cool dose of worldbuilding that expands the scope of Mandalorian culture and honor, and as a badass action tale of some quasi-superheroes taking over an enemy ship. But at the same time, it invokes and gestures toward other events in the Star Wars Galaxy that create even more resonance to Mando running into other major figures in the Mandalorian mythos. A series of thrills, both action-packed and nerdy, to be sure.
No, I have enough pets. :joy:
I thought it was great to see Ming-Na Wen on the show, too bad it was so brief, but SEEING Katee was spectacular. She was made for sci-fi. Hope she has a definate recurring roll.
Wow, I really like season 2 so far. I cannot get enough of those space ship flight scenes. Poor Razor Crest though... :o
Seeing three real(?) Mandalorians was a nice surprise and I got a feeling that the story will get pretty interesting and this isn't the last we've seen of them.
The most exciting surprise though was that we'll see Ahsoka Tano (not sure if I'll like her live action version or not but let's hope for the best).
Mando: "Am I the only Mandalorian who keeps their dang helmet on??"
Seeing a group of Mandalorians do their thing is better than I thought it would be. What a fun episode! (But seriously, I was legit terrified for the Child in that moment)
Is it just me or does the Mandalorian's ship look like 'Serenity'? The ship from Firefly.
The end of this episode even ends the same way the film 'Serenity' finished.
Could have been much better. The theme of incompetent imperials sadly continues here as well...
I love that we're moving through the mainstory one sidestory at a time. Like a video game. It's a absolutely fantastic way to feel like you're a part of this universe. Especially when you add that stellar soundtrack.
Friggin excellent from top to bottom. Bryce Dallas Howard absolutely kills it from a directing perspective, and after this episode and her strong showing last season I'm really hoping she takes on a movie job at some point cause she has some real talent behind the camera. The visually gorgeous episode might have some of the most striking imagery of the show yet, and some of the camerawork is the closest since The Last Jedi in recapturing that magic of the original trilogy.
And while I was worried this season would be simply using EU characters as nothing more then fanservice, the way the show uses Bo-Katan is genuinely inspired and clever. And having Katee Sackhoff reprise her role in live action only adds to that, and seeing her in a sci-fi show again brings back memories of watching the excellent Battlestar Galactica. And anything that reminds me of that isn't a bad thing.
Katie Sackhoff's character gave me all the renegade Femshep vibes. She even sounded like Jennifer Hale at times.
Really enjoyed this episode.
Visually this show was already through the roof. Now they bring in characters like Bo Katan and soon Ahsoka, weave everything deeper into Star Wars lore.
This is the way.
Took this episode to realize how much I'd missed Katee Sackhoff as a sci-fi badass.
Very nice episode. Feel like a short movie. Hoping for more like this one in the coming episodes
So now we are entering Mandalorian politics, and Mando spaceship now became a legit pirate/Mandalorian spaceship.
Bravo to Bryce Dallas Howard for 2nd time directing an episode in this series.
Pretty cool to start seeing animated series characters in live action
another very explosive episode this episode was a great fan servers for people that have seen the clone wars cartoon
this episode did a great job of showing us a few different aspects of Star wars I love the first half of the episode with the whole fisherman boat story that was just a really cool visuals But I'm not used to seeing in Star wars
The second half was much more explosive and had a great actor appearance
Exceptional episode directed by the brilliant Bryce Dallas Howard. I‘m even more excited now to see new episodes of The Mandalorian after this episode. I am a big fan of the animated shows The Clone Wars and Rebels and I think it‘s just amazing that they are bringing some beloved fan favorite characters to real life in the show now. It was so cool to actually see Katee Sackhoff in the role of Bo Katan after she voiced her in The Clone Wars and Rebels. And I can‘t wait to see Ahsoka Tano hopefully in this season.
Finally some action this season. Don't get me wrong, i've enjoyed it. But, its been a slow pace season. I'm hoping we come into the back half with blasters a-blazin
A wonderful directed episode balanced on emotion and action continues to incorporate more elements of the Star Wars universe into this show. It seems like we've reached a critical point in the season's story arc that will bring us closer to reuniting the Child with its kind. By now everyone should be obsessed with Baby Yoda. Following last week's commentary attempting to say Baby Yoda is a killer, hopefully those people will be happy with seeing him starve throughout most of this episode. I thought it was rather funny to show him indulging on the eggs.
Another fine episode. The appearances in this season have been flawless. Such good casting. Bryce Dallas Howard was the director by the way. Not Peyton Reed again.
Love it. This one episode is better than the whole Disney serial trilogy :joy::joy::joy:
This show is fucking amazing, totally one of the best shows in 20s! That amazing CGI and storytelling!
BO-KATAN HOLY JSNNANSNAKJEBSBW YESSS I LOVE HER SO MUCH
I can't get over how good modern Star Wars is when someone competent like Filoni and Favreau is in charge instead of a hack like JJ fucking Abrams
This series is making and will continue to make history I have no doubt. It is brutal.
On top of that you add the soundtrack which is really incredible.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE NEXT EPISODE
A H S O K A !!!
Okay, fine. So we haven't actually seen her again yet, but she gets a mention here. And we DO meet Bo-Katan again -- Bo-Katee? -- and get a mention of the Darksaber. And we get a healthy dose of humor, with The Child being on the other end of a meal or two and a certain ship taking a beating and a dunk. All of which means that this is the best episode of the season so far by a HUGE margin.
Grade: A-
"No, I have enough pets."
Love it. This one episode is better than the whole Disney serial trilogy :joy::joy::joy:
8.5/10
Sensational
What an Absolute Awesome
episode and I get
Sasha Banks in it from
The WWE
The Boss herself,
Wow just Wow,
I hope we have many
more episodes this season
and the next with
Mercedes aka Sasha Banks
The Legit Boss
with her in them,
(She's also Snoop Dogs
Cousin in real life,
Talk about star power).
Mando and the kid
ended up in a real sketchy
town this episode, just
glad Mando had some
Backup.
This Show is amazing
and never fails to
Impress.
Speaking of The Boss
Mando was
The Boss taking all
them shots, why does
nobody honour their
agreement when it comes to
Mando, he seems the only
one (still alive) with any
Honour.
Mandalorian has a rough landing on the frog's planet, followed by the frog finally reuniting with her husband, how romantic ;) The port city they ended up with is teeming with creatures which look like Doctor Who's ood, one of them claims he would take Mando to other Mandalorians on his ship, but it turns out he was after Mandos's armour as he throws the baby to an octopus creature and when Mandalorian jumps into the basin to save the baby, they lock him in. He almost get killed but is saved by a group of three Mandalorians, they are two women and a man and they are rather original as they do not believe in keeping their helmets on all the time (it looks like they wear them only in combat). It seems that Mando is offended by their calling his beliefs about the helmet a radical sect and parts company with them. However, they help him again as he is attacked by a group of these ood-like creatures and they make a deal, he would help them with a heist for weapons (which they need to rebuild their homeland, the leading lady is aiming to attain the throne of their country) and they would tell him when he can find the Jedi in return. I don't know why it is suddenly about the Jedi and not about the baby's people, the little one definitely has magical abilities but I thought that Mando is going to find a planet inhabited by the baby's race, so we could see the place where Yoda came from and other representatives of this people. The heist makes for a very fun and action-packed sequence, with the Mandalorians finally getting the control of the spaceship. They attack a ship filled with Stormtroopers and people in imperial uniforms, but wasn't the empire a goner? The leading lady of the Mandalorians wants to find out where an artefact called dark sabre is and after he gets the information he wanted, Mando leaves them and goes back to collect the baby (whom he left with the frog family, which was on one hand a good decision since he would not put the baby in danger anymore, but on the other hand I was a bit worried that the baby would try to eat more of the eggs and the frog would skin him alive; from the final scenes it looks like he befriended the little frogs a bit). According to what the Mandalorian lady said, we are going to visit a planet with more dense vegetation, I am looking forward to it since what I really miss in space shows like Star Wars are beautiful landscapes and nature which is often shown in fantasy but rarely in sci-fi type of productions. Especially as beautiful landscapes can really save a poor story, at least there is something to look at.
My name is Iñigo Montoya, you killed my brother Davy Jones, now prepare to die!
Finally an actual episode; Hopefully the filler is over now -_-
I think it's incredibly hilarious how much better this show has gotten past the first four episodes. Not even in terms of writing, but just in terms of how entertaining it is.
But I think it's really funny how the fanbase is branding this as much more Star Wars than the sequel trilogy, because theming and narrative-wise, this feels so different from the mainline series. It feels like A Star Wars Story and I'm in no way upset about that. But what this series doesn't have that the mainline episodes do is a larger sense of scale and grandiosity. What it sounds like the fans missed from the sequel trilogy was smaller, character focused interactions which, granted, are not really in the sequel trilogy but they are in another trilogy: the prequel trilogy.
As far as this episode goes, there's a lot to like. But there's a trend this series has that I'm not a fan of: the compositions during action-centric scenes. They're brought in a strong taste of very modern sounding hip hop and, truth be told, it's not one of Goransson's best. Whereas the combination of hip hop beats and classical instrumentation combined really well on Black Panther (which may have been because of Kendrick), here it feels kind of like a fish out of water. I understand the impulse and I think it's a good idea, but I think it will ultimately date the sound of the show in about ten or fifteen years not necessarily because of the quality of the score itself (even though it's not his best, it's still pretty good), but because it sounds so incredibly different from the rest of the franchise. That's an incredibly nit-picky thing to say, I know, but every time that influence hits on these episodes, it crosses my mind.
Acting/Directing: 6
Action Sequence Directing/Performances: 9.5
Lore Treatment: Ehhh...
Script: Ehhh....
Nutshell: It was like watching the clearly Frankenstein'd Saw Gurrera scene from Rogue One, directly followed by the Darth Vader scene from Rogue One, except the Rebels are The Imperial Remnant, and they're all incompetent bafoons like they were in the kiddie cartoon, Rebels.
I'm guessing they had to scrap previous drafts and maybe even whole episode plans due to COVID-19, but the thin manner of the plot has left me feeling like I'm starving but all I've been fed is broth.
The acting in this is also highly suspect. I know Katie Sackoff is a competent actress, but she and the other Mandalorians with her were just spouting pure exposition, and she sounded like she'd been handed only her lines right before shooting. The stark contrast between the mediocre to bad line delivery juxtaposed against the fantastic action sequence makes me think either Deborah Chow actually ghost-directed the sequences, or the stunt coordinator and John Favreau did it but they just let Howard take full credit. Either way, it was uneven and ultimately unsatisfying outside the extremely well-choreographed and performed action sequence (I went back and watched it slowed down, and frame-by-frame-- piracy wins again!)
I don't care if this is Disney's last gasp at keeping their network alive and to keep from digging further into the red day by day, I'm fucking tired of seeing Western film trope character voices with drastically non-mammalian faces. There is no way a Quarren (squid heads) sounds remotely like a human, and they likely can't even produce the same sounds, and crude goons are just awful characters. Why is a Mon Calamari wearing a fucking Norwegian cable-knit sweater from a fucking St. John's Bay catalogue?! This isn't a fucking cartoon, Favreau. Even Filoni kept that shit to a minimum, and always kept to lore appropriate fantasy clothing.
The Mandalorian armor was surprisingly well designed and even looked practical, with a special nod to the female armor, which the designers should be congratulated for treading a fine line of form and function by actually designing the armor to fit and complement the female form instead of just resizing it awkwardly to fit a smaller and differently shaped frame, while also making it look subtle, natural, and aesthetically pleasing, and lore-appropriate. The performers in the armor, likewise, deserve praise for their simultaneously realistic and stylish performances, and that goes for the ones playing stormtroopers, too.
Unfortunately, the same praise can not be applied to the makeup department and directorial team. We're expected to believe that the female Mandalorians are hardened warriors who would dive into the maw of a space kraken without a moment's hesitation as if Mando' had just asked them to boil some water to warm up the baby's bottle, yet when they take their helmets off we get very obvious and not very subtle makeup. You put on spirit gum scars and then applied grocery store makeup like they're some ladies going to chrurch on a Wednesday night. It took me right out of it after seeing the realistically worn armor. The alien prosthetics/makeup have also been disappointing up to this point, and it leaves me more waiting for cold disappointment than anticipation for when they will inevitably debut a decidedly mediocre live action Ahsoka Tano.
Shout by JamesVIP 5BlockedParentSpoilers2020-11-15T11:26:34Z
The Frog people are so adorable.