Robert Rodriguez delivers this week’s chapter of The Mandalorian, and in Robert Rodriguez fashion, it’s loaded with visceral action. As Joonas Suotamo pointed out on Twitter, you can’t hint at anything without entering spoiler territory. So let’s go there.
Spoilery Things
The first big surprise: We’ve made it to Tython. Given the season’s pace so far, a side-quest before Tython seemed inevitable. But within the first 10 minutes, Grogu is sitting on the Seeing Stone.
Tython delivers on all the ancient Jedi vibes. It feels exactly like something from Jedi: Fallen Order. As the climax of Mando’s search for the Jedi, it’s satisfying to see something so ancient and mystic pop up in the context of this gritty gunslinger show. That’s really the classic appeal of Star Wars. It’s not just space cowboys, it’s not just space wizards: it’s the somehow perfect mixture of both.
And then Slave I arrives. Every Star Wars fan knew exactly what was coming when that ship appeared in the sky. To paraphrase Poe Dameron from The Rise of Skywalker: Somehow, Boba Fett has returned.
Boba Fett stands out as the highlight of this chapter. The show makes a smart choice by leaving him in his Tatooine robes for the first half of the chapter-long battle. It reads as a direct response to the “Boba Fett is overrated crowd.” Guess what? He’s more than a cool suit. He’s fighting with nothing but some old robes and a gaffi stick, and he’s still freaking awesome. And when he finally dons the classic armor—it’s hard to think of a better geek-out moment in the entire show.
But it goes deeper than just plain cool. This is a Boba Fett with history. We hear more about his father Jango and their relationship to Mandalorian culture. We even, perhaps, learn that Boba’s apparent resurrection has become an opportunity for his redemption. When he first appeared in Chapter 9, I assumed he would return as a foe. Instead, we meet him as a friend.
Speaking of bounty hunters finding redemption: Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand has also returned, this time on Mando’s side. So we can officially put to rest the “who is that mysterious pair of boots from the end of Chapter 5?” question.
And we haven’t even mentioned Ludwig Göransson’s new Boba Fett theme, which I think we can call an instant classic. The music particularly shines in this episode, with extended action sequences really giving Göransson some space to play.
And if that wasn’t enough for one episode, we also see the Dark Troopers take flight. Unfortunately, that flight is also the kidnapping of little Grogu.
That’s what takes this episode to another level. The chapter’s title, “The Tragedy,” cast a tone of dread over the whole episode. Sure enough, we end with Grogu captured and the Razor Crest destroyed.
It was surprisingly emotional to see the Razor Crest explode. It’s more than Mando’s ship; it’s his home. We’ve spent so much time with the Crest through these two seasons. We’ve watched it nearly destroyed and repaired again. And now, it’s gone for good.
Be Mindful of the Future (But Not at the Expense of the Moment)
So what comes next?
One thing’s for sure: The time for side adventures is over. We can assume that the rest of this season will be Mando rescuing Grogu.
First, however, he needs to spring Mayfeld from New Republic prison—perhaps a dubious choice of ally. With all the friends Mando has made throughout this season, it’s hard to imagine that Mayfeld is really his best option.
Another big question: Did a Jedi answer Grogu’s call on the Seeing Stone? It wouldn’t be surprising if the season ends with a Jedi answering the call and coming to the rescue.
But which Jedi? With Ahsoka off the table, fan speculation has been circling around three names: Cal Kestis, Ezra Bridger, and, of course, Luke Skywalker.
Each one of those cameos would come with practical complications. But this season has given us everything from Cobb Vanth to Grand Admiral Thrawn, so nothing is off the table.
Merch We Need
Maybe this stretches the definition of “merch,” but this episode would make a killer Battlefront DLC. Let me play as Boba, Fenneck, or Mando fighting off waves of Stormtroopers and Darktroopers on the hillside.
And of course, a new Boba Fett figure is in order. Maybe a Black Series with removable armor and a gaffi stick.
Things aren’t looking great for Mando, but he has some powerful allies. The next two episodes are sure to be quite a ride.
