The Mandalorian - Season 2 (SPOILERS possible)

[Matt_Fury]

We're past the 24 hours so I think it's ok to discuss it now.



Holy ****!  We have ******* Dark Troopers!!!!!!!!  I'm going to replay Dark Forces now just for the fun of it!

Also glad to see that we won't need an update to the Razor Crest with super battle damaged version! 

[Nicklab]

As always there seems to be a lot to unpack with each episode.

You had to love Mando trying to walk the Child through repairing the Razor Crest!  It was much appreciated comic relief.  But it was also pretty remarkable that when they were eating in the cargo hold, Mando was comfortable enough to lift his helmet and revealing his chin to the Child.  I think his conversation with Bo-Katan in the previous episode made it more clear to him that there's more to being Mandalorian than what the Armorer had taught him.  Plus his bond with the Child is that much deeper that he felt comfortable showing some of his face.  Between this change in Din Djarin's behavior and what seemed like foreshadowing about the Armorer (the abandoned covert, along with her forge), it seems like this situation might get more complicated.

Going back to Nevarro seemed like the right move.  The Mon Cal on Trask barely got the Razor Crest flying, and the repairs were much needed.  I was amazed at how quickly the ship got repaired in the overall context of the episode.  "Marshal Dune" seemed to be kicking some Aqualish ass, along with saving the space ferret.  And it's seeming to me like Aqualish don't like ANYBODY.  But on the subject of Nevarro.... does it seem like the production is re-using a number of costumes and masks from previous movies in the Nevarro scenes?  In this episode alone there's the Mimbanese mechanic, and there was at least one alien in the marketplace that was also in the Cloud Rider gang.  I'm fairly certain there's another droid that was also recycled from SOLO that has popped up there, too.

The Imperial base proved to be a more significant site than I think anyone realized.  One of the "volunteers" in the lab bore a striking resemblance to a certain sequel trilogy character.  And a plot point about the Child seems to be becoming increasingly clear.  Dr. Pershing made a reference to the Child's "M count" for all of you Episode 1 fans!  And the experimentation by the Imperials is making them look even more like the Germans in WW2, which was one of George Lucas's conscious decisions about the Empire in the OT.

All in all I think there's plenty in this episode that could inspire future toy releases.  Another appearance for the Frontier TIE Fighters was very welcome.  The beefed up Imperial troop transport with the gun turret was thoroughly awesome.  I could go for a couple of the Aqualish crooks.
 Heck, I'd even like a figure of the school teacher protocol droid! 

As for the big reveal at the end?  WHOA.  I was so not expecting them to go there.  I'm interested to see how they realize the Dark Troopers, if that is indeed what Moff Gideon was inspecting.

[P-Siddy]

In this episode alone there's the Mimbanese mechanic,

I was actually surprised by the Mimbanese's allegiance after the homeworld had been occupied.  Perhaps he had some Imperial doctrination/reeducation in his youth?  Or money.

[Matt_Fury]

It's been kind of established in the Show that the Outer Rim territories look at the New Republic with a lot of skepticism.  The mechanic is promised favors in the restored Empire when they return to power.  The New Republic at large isn't really believing any of the reports of Moff Gideon building power out in the outer rim...hell, most think he's dead!

Looking at it from that point of view can help see why he was motivated to help the Imperial remnant.

[Nicklab]

The situation in the Outer Rim harkens back to something we heard in Episode 1.  When Padme heard about slavery on Tatooine and mentioned the Republic's anti-slavery laws, Shmi Skywalker set her straight by saying "The Republic doesn't exist out here".  40 years later it seems like that's still the case in the Outer Rim.

[P-Siddy]

True.  I suppose we can look at it as third-world planets.  Not much usefulness to the Core Planets.

[Matt_Fury]

I look at it more like the wild West.  The Mandalorian is such a Man-with-no-name vibe to it already!

[JediJman]

You had to love Mando trying to walk the Child through repairing the Razor Crest!  It was much appreciated comic relief.  But it was also pretty remarkable that when they were eating in the cargo hold, Mando was comfortable enough to lift his helmet and revealing his chin to the Child.  I think his conversation with Bo-Katan in the previous episode made it more clear to him that there's more to being Mandalorian than what the Armorer had taught him.  Plus his bond with the Child is that much deeper that he felt comfortable showing some of his face.  Between this change in Din Djarin's behavior and what seemed like foreshadowing about the Armorer (the abandoned covert, along with her forge), it seems like this situation might get more complicated.

I always love the different interpretations of what we get with Star Wars.  I didn't see this as a change at all.  He has to remove the helmet at times to eat, or at least adjust it.  Similar to Spiderman lifting his mask over his mouth to kiss Mary Jane.  Not at all the same as taking the whole thing off.  If he really was reconsidering that rule or comfortable with the Child seeing his face, I think he would have removed the helmet all together.  Didn't he take it off for a scene when he was along in the farming community in Season 1?  The fact that he only lifted it a little tells me he's not at all comfortable showing his face, despite just being in the company of the child.  He's probably rolling what BK said around in his head, but I don't think he's made any changes as of yet. 

[Nicklab]

To me, tilting the helmet up seemed like Din Djarin was sticking his toe in the water.  He had that very heated exchange with Paz Viszla and the Armorer after he got the Beskar from the Client, where the Armorer asked him if he had ever shown his face to another living being.  And then there were multiple scenes where he got food for the Child but never ate in his presence.  The only time we even got the hint of him removing his helmet was when he was finally alone on Sorgun, the young widow had left him with some food and the Child was off playing with the children.  It made me think that the price of him keeping the helmet on at all times led to him being deprived and hungry.

He threatened to destroy IG-11 (again) over the prospect of removing the helmet when the droid was trying to treat his wounds in chapter 8.  On Tatooine he reacted very strongly when Cobb Vanth took off his helmet.  And he initially fled from Bo-Katan when she took off her helmet.  I think her revelation about him being a Child of the Watch, her struggle to reunite the Mandalorians and take back their homeworld, and what it truly means to be Mandalorian has stirred something up in him.  It seems like this subplot might be going somewhere later in the series.

[Dave]

To me, tilting the helmet up seemed like Din Djarin was sticking his toe in the water.  He had that very heated exchange with Paz Viszla and the Armorer after he got the Beskar from the Client, where the Armorer asked him if he had ever shown his face to another living being.  And then there were multiple scenes where he got food for the Child but never ate in his presence.  The only time we even got the hint of him removing his helmet was when he was finally alone on Sorgun, the young widow had left him with some food and the Child was off playing with the children.  It made me think that the price of him keeping the helmet on at all times led to him being deprived and hungry.

He threatened to destroy IG-11 (again) over the prospect of removing the helmet when the droid was trying to treat his wounds in chapter 8.  On Tatooine he reacted very strongly when Cobb Vanth took off his helmet.  And he initially fled from Bo-Katan when she took off her helmet.  I think her revelation about him being a Child of the Watch, her struggle to reunite the Mandalorians and take back their homeworld, and what it truly means to be Mandalorian has stirred something up in him.  It seems like this subplot might be going somewhere later in the series.

+1

Very well said and exactly what I was thinking.  I really hope he interacts with Bo Katan and "real" Mandalorians more to help him expand his character's horizons.

[Jesse James]

I didn’t notice it at first but the town erected a statue to IG11 lol.  It’s tough to spot but that’s a fun detail.

[Jedi Idej]

To me, tilting the helmet up seemed like Din Djarin was sticking his toe in the water.

Sam feeling I got. And for emphasis, Baby Yoda stared at him to suggest this was out of the ordinary in their time together.

You figure he was jarred by Bo Katan's explanation and had to be kicking himself for missing out on space mom. And that's not meant to be a crude, sexual innuendo.

[JediJman]

Just watched "The Jedi" this afternoon and thought it was just okay compared to the previous four episodes from Season 2.  I don't want to give out any spoilers, but the whole episode just felt a little flat to me.  Cool plot advances and characters, but some of the fighting scenes were flat and the dialogue felt really bland to me.  Every sequence was super easy to predict as well - I felt like I could have been narrating the whole thing without even having seen it before.  Excellent visuals as always - just wish this one had a little something more to it.  I felt like previous episodes had a little more life to them. 

We watched the SW Lego Life Day afterwards and I started to fall asleep. Twice.  At least it made the Mandalorian episode seem 10x better!

[Rob]

I thought this was the best episode so far.  Not only because of who, but because of who they’re teasing is coming into the series eventually. 

The cartoon watching, book reading nerd in me was extremely into this.

[GrandMoffNick]

I thought this was the best episode so far.  Not only because of who, but if who they’re teasing is coming into the series eventually. 

The cartoon watching, book reading nerd in me was extremely into this.

I think Rob nailed it. So many years of books and cartoons and then the realization of and the possibility of even more characters to come....... It's hard to say more without spoilers but man I'm excited.