I've come to accept that the general formula for "The Mandalorian" is this: Stuff happens. The Mandalorian deals with it. More stuff happens. He deals with it again. These things are not always necessarily interconnected, and I suppose they don't really have to be. But if you're looking for a running storyline, that's not exactly how this show has been laid out. It's almost as if the series is set up as an anthology, though we do get two recurring characters in each episode.
In this week's escapades, The Mandalorian is recruited (mostly for the size of his ship, the Razor Crest) to help break somebody out of prison. Somewhat reluctantly, Mando agrees. He squads up with a ragtag group of misfit mercenaries, comprised of a loudmouth named Mayfeld, a robot called Zero, a Twi'lek named Xi'an, and the literal spawn of Satan - a horned brute named Burg. They're not a friendly bunch, but The Mandalorian wants to get paid.
Fun fact: I just discovered that Burg, who I hated in the episode, was played by Clancy Brown, who I love.
Fun fact: I just discovered that Burg, who I hated in the episode, was played by Clancy Brown, who I love.
Once they reach the galactic penitentiary, they hurry to break out their target without being spotted by security droids. There were a couple fun sequences showing us how the team made their way throughout the ship - and struggled to co-exist - that felt like it could have been a movie-quality jailbreak film. I was digging it. Some kind of "Suicide Squad in Space" or something. Ultimately, they reached a control room with one poor, unfortunate human being inside of it. You see, there weren't supposed to be any humans on this ship, so this was a surprise to our friend Mando. The team disagreed on what to do with the ol' chum, and he ended up biting the big one, but not before setting off an alarm that would alert New Republic fighters of the problem.
Quickly, the team needed to reach their mark. They finally bust the guy out of his cell; he's a Twi'lek named Qin, and he's not friendly, either. At this point, Mayfeld and his pals decide to turn on The Mandalorian. They lock him in a cell and make their way for the Razor Crest.
In the meantime, the robot pilot, Zero, goes Baby Yoda hunting back on the ship, and that, quite frankly, was not something I wanted to see. You leave that little guy alone!
It's not long before Mando breaks out of his cell and starts tracking down his deserters. There were some really great sequences here, including the strobe-light stalking scene, where TM incrementally gained ground on an unsuspecting would-be assailant. That was just great. The scene where he slams a pair of mechanical doors on Burg was terrific, too. The second set of doors got an audible reaction out of me. Loved it.
One by one, The Mandalorian takes down the team, culminating in his saving of Baby Yoda, eliminating Zero just before The Child was able to use, presumably, The Force to protect himself. I have a feeling we're going to get some awesome Force usage in the final two episodes of this season. Can't wait.
Mando returns to his bounty giver, Ranzar Malk, with prisoner in tow, explaining that the rest of the crew "got what they deserved." Upon his departure, "Ran" orders his cronies to shoot the Razor Crest out of the sky. However, Qin realizes that something on him is beeping - it's the alarm trigger from the prison. The Razor Crest zips into hyperspace just as a squadron of X-Wings arrives to blast Ran's ship. Good stuff.
Elsewhere, we see that The Mandalorian didn't kill Mayfeld's crew; he simply locked them up.
Instant Analysis: The Space Heist
I'm all for a good heist flick, and this played out to be just that, with twists and turns all along the way. This instantly became a Top-Three episode for me, out of the six episodes thus far into Season 1. Episode 1 was a pleasant Surprise. Episode 3 was incredible. This, Episode 6, was a blast, despite not feeling terribly consequential, as far as the long-term story is concerned. But it certainly was some quality entertainment, and definitely an episode I'd have no problem re-watching.
Here, again, we see that The Mandalorian really is a good guy, despite a perhaps troubling past. In the end, he's not really out to kill anybody if he doesn't have to. He's just out to score some nice bounties, and he's taking pretty decent care of a very special kid all the while. I've said this before and I'll repeat it here: The Mandalorian has quickly become one of my favorite Star Wars characters.
Questions:
- Can we be certain that this is the last we'll see of Mayfeld's crew?
Qualms:
- THEY DROPPED BABY YODA ON THE FLOOR!!!
Quotes
- "Is that why yousa don't wanna show your face?" - Mayfeld, insinuating that The Mandalorian doesn't want to take off his helmet because he is Gungan
- "I told you that was a bad idea." - The Mandalorian to Baby Yoda, after handing The Child the metal knob from the cockpit
***
That's it for this week. Did you guys love this episode like I did? Have any predictions for the remainder of the season? Let me know in the comments below, follow me on Twitter (@atownmania and @sottunderground) or find me on Facebook.
Quick note: I was just informed that this week's episode of "The Mandalorian" will go live on Disney+ on WEDNESDAY, not Friday, and there will be a sneak peak of "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" after the credits.
Happy Star Wars week to you all.
Until next time,
I have spoken.
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