Well, if episode 1 gave us confidence that Star Wars could work as a series, then episode 2 solidifies that feeling. Sadly for Mando, he spends much of the time getting his butt kicked. This was a stark contrast to episode 1 in which he was dealing out the beating!
More of the child, more of Kuiil the Ugnaught, more great writing and directing, as well as Jawas and another intriguing ending, make this episode even better than the first!
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN EPISODE 1, WE RECOMMEND TURNING BACK NOW, AS SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 1 AND POSSIBLY THE REST OF THE SERIES FOLLOW.
The Child
Oh my! What an ending to episode 1 that was, as it introduced us to ‘ The Child,’ or what the internet has affectionately named baby Yoda! Now I don’t mean to bring in last episode to this review, but I did not want to spoil that reveal until readers had a chance to see the first episode.
Since Mando elected to keep baby Yoda alive (remember the payout was higher if the bounty was brought in alive), it appears he’ll be taking the adorable little guy along with him. Episode 2 begins with our companions making their way across the desert back to The Mando’s Razor Crest ship.
There are Other Hunters
We open this episode in a canyon like area of the desert where the two companions are travelling peacefully, until they are attacked by a group of Trandoshan Bounty Hunters. After dispatching the first two attackers, the final attacker is running directly at the child when Mando pulls out his rifle and disintegrates him. This is when we see a tracker lying on the ground, and realize many other bounty hunters have trackers for the child.
After the battle, Mando sits near a camp fire attempting to fix his wounds, when an adorable “baby yoda” wanders up, reaches toward the Mando’s wound and… Mando picks up the child and puts him back in his basinet. This happens twice, making us believe the child is going to help in a remarkable way, only to have Mando interrupt and pick up the child.
The next shot we see is a spectacular shot that looks like it came straight out of a Western, or Kung Fu, with our companions walking toward the camera, up the desert, between rocks, with the sunrise at their back.
Razor Crest is Stripped and Robbed of Parts
After our gorgeous sunrise shot the next thing we see is Mando’s ship being raided by Jawas! Now if you thought this was Tatooine, you would be forgiven, as there are Jawas, transports, moisture vaporators, and the like. However, starwars.com says Kuiil’s moisture farm is on Arvala-7.
This is a fun scene in that it is somewhat funny, but at the same time very brutal, as the Mandalorian sits on the top of a bluff and uses his blaster to disintegrate unsuspecting Jawas. Jawas start panicking and scattering with some running straight back to their transport, while others look around in confusion shooting their weapons, and getting disintegrated.
At this point our anti-hero (?) chases down the Jawa transport, which is a huge armored station rolling on treads. He fights his way through numerous Jawas, while performing a death defying climb all the way to the top of the transport. As soon as he can get stable footing atop the transport, he is electrocuted by a group of Jawas and tossed to the ground.
After a bit of time has passed, Mando wakes to the child still by his side, sitting in his floating bassinet. At this point Mando gives up his chase of the Jawas and his stolen parts, and he and the child head back to Mando’s ship. When they arrive it becomes clear that the Razor Crest is in disarray with missing pieces and parts, panels, and wiring. Mando makes a skeptical attempt at starting his ship and is not surprised when it will not.
Back to See a New Friend
In a shot that echoes the sunrise scene from earlier our companions are walking along the desert, this time with the sunset at their backs. Mando and the child are heading back to the one possible friend the pair have on this planet, Kuiil.
Our hero lets Kuiil know that the Jawas have destroyed his ship beyond repair, to which Kuiil informs him that Jawas steal, they do not destroy. Kuiil then tells him you can trade with the Jawas to get your parts back, to which Mando responds with an “are you crazy?”
Kuiil takes Mando to see the Jawas, and when they arrive he tells Mando he must get rid of his rifle and blaster, if he wants to sit and talk with the Jawas in peace. Jawas are willing to trade parts back for beskar, to which Mando says he’s not trading anything, as these are his parts that were stolen from him.
There is a funny part here, while they all appear to be sitting in peaceful conversation, the Jawas mock Mando for speaking “terrible Jawa,” to which Mando quickly blasts his flame thrower at them asking, “if they understand this?” Kuiil intervenes again and asks the Jawas if there is something else they are willing to trade for. Mando can understand the answer given by the Jawas and responds, “what egg?”
The Egg!
The Jawas then lead Kuiil and Mando in their transport to where he can get the egg. The Jawas remind me of Minions during this scene, and episode, as they laugh and joke and seem a bit accident prone. Mando, with the child in tow, heads off the transport to what looks to be an animal cave of some sort. He leaves the child just outside the cave and begins searching the dark until he can hear breathing and an eye opens.
Mando is thrown out of the cave like a rag doll and stepping out of the darkness is some type of woolly mammoth, rhinoceros mix ready to protect its egg at all cost. A quick search on Wookieepedia tells me this animal is called a Mudhorn. Mando is not much competition for the beast. Down to his last bit of energy Mando finds the strength to get to his knees and hold his knife in front of him as the Mudhorn is making its final charge.
Just before the beast reaches the Mandalorian it is suddenly stopped and can not proceed any further. The monster than begins to slowly lift in the air. The Mandalorian looks around in wonder and sees that through some great force the child appears to be doing this! The child then appears to faint from exhaustion.
Mando delivers the egg (a hairy one at that) to the Jawas, and all the fuss was because they wanted to eat it!! The Jawas are elated and Mando gets his parts back.
The Razor Crest Revisited
Mando and Kuiil head back to the Razor Crest. Along the way Kuiil asks “was [the child] injured?” To which the Mando replies, “I don’t think so, not physically.” “Explain it to me again,” says Kuiil, “I still don’t understand what happened…” All that Mando can offer in response is, “neither do I.”
Arriving back at the Razor Crest Mando believes there is no way they can fix his ship without a full maintenance facility. Kuiil tells him if he cares to help it may go faster. Queue cool montage of Mando and Kuiil fixing ship parts, panels, wires, as well as shots of the “Sleeping” child. Finally, everything appears to be in working order and the Mandalorian is ready to head off.
Kuiil would not accept a portion of the Mando’s’ reward, as he tells Mando he is the guest and he is therefore in his service. He also turns down a job offer as he has “worked a lifetime, to finally be free of servitude.” He offers his thanks for bringing “peace to my valley.”
And the last words of the episode are, “I have spoken.” Fitting last words for an episode, and I for one love it! Now there are a couple of scenes after these final words, where Mando and the child take off in the newly fixed Razor Crest. Mando looks at the sleeping child from his captain’s chair, even shaking it a bit to see if the child will wake. Finally, the child wakes but it appears as though Mando does not notice.
Final Thoughts
This was a great episode that carried on the excellent start from Episode 1. As each episode is being helmed by different directors, they do feel different, but the overall aesthetic and story stays true between the episodes. Part of that is because the writing and producing is done by the amazing Jon Favreau! I am excited to see where this goes, and what other directors may bring to the table.
What did everyone think of Episode 2? How about that great art during the credits? They look inspired by Ralph McQuarrie and appear like they are old oil paintings. This is one of my wife’s favorite parts of every episode.
If you haven’t found out already, you can catch new episodes of The Mandalorian every Friday over at Disney+.
