Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore

Getting up early & turning on Disney + to watch this show in the hour it releases is a ritual I've missed. After last weeks episode nicely setting the scene for the series ahead we are back with another great episode. This episode encapsulates the relationship between Grogu & Mando perfectly with some nice cameos and some of my favourite character development I've seen from Bo Katan. The last half of this episode and watching the hard walls that she has put up slowly start to melt away because of her interactions with the protagonists is so enjoyable to watch and I look forward to seeing how this progresses.

The final scene of this episode is what makes me so excited for things to come as the reveal is such a pivotal moment for one of our characters it changes my entire predictions for where this season is going. You've done it again John Faverou! Bravo :D.

I was rather disappointed with the fan service-laden first episode of this season. In hindsight I understand how it served to set the stage for this masterpiece by reintroducing a certain familiar character.

We're once again treated to a lot of fan service and easter eggs, but this time it all feels very plot-relevant and had me on the edge of my seat for the better part of 40 minutes. Which felt a lot longer to me, almost as if a feature film plot had been condensed into this brief runtime.

PS: I loved the new addition to Din's party who goes all the way back to A New Hope. Here's to hoping he'll be a permanent addition from here on in.

Din and Grogu visit Mandalore.

This is a good episode with some excellent visual spectacle.

I enjoyed this episode, mainly for the great cinematography, action scenes, and beautiful art design that bring more of the Star Wars universe to life. Plus there is a healthy focus on Grogu, which is always good.

There is a distinct middle third of the story that is full of intriguing exploration and creepy moments and this for me is the strongest part. The final third feels a bit repetitive in certain moments and makes the plot feel a bit stretched to me.

The fan service is great as always, especially the use of the R5 droid and Jawas.

With a few changes this could have been a brilliant 2nd episode. I'll talk about what I liked first, all of the stuff with Mando teaching grogu about the workings of the ship and different things about being a Mandalorian was adorable and the highlight of the episode for me. The director Rachel Morrison is mainly a cinematographer most notably known for black panther, and it shows. The episode mostly takes place in this underground ruin area and it all looks wonderful. However... much like the previous episode it suffers from some mediocre writing and action scenes. But I believe the biggest issue was bo-katan, now I love the character, but the Mandalorian gets a couple things off about her. Firstly, she would be way older, we're talking late 50's at the earliest, and while she is an awesome Mandalorian I doubt she would be able to block too many electric spear thrusts or roll under too many giant mechanical behemoths. Secondly, there is one part where she is implied to want to kill Mando, but then when she sees it's grogu she risks her life to save him, twice! Nice writing guys! Lastly, why does she not believe in any of that weird mysticism surrounding mandalore, when she met obi-wan, Ahsoka, and maul multiple times! She would be one of the first people to believe in it!

I hope I don't sound too negative in this review, there were plenty of things I really enjoyed, I just think that with some better writing and fight choreography, as well as some reworked character consistencies, it could of been something really special.

7.5/10 definitely an improvement over last episode.

This week goes straight into Mando + Grogu heading to Mandalore to explore the mines and attempt to bath on the "living waters." After last weeks misstep of an opening I was concerned how much they were going to drag this out. However this episode made last weeks look like child's play. I feel like if the Book of Boba Fett wasnt a giant mistake than this probably would've opened the season with a 20 minute prologue to establish everything episode one did. However it wasn't perfect, the need for nostalgia still creeps around and feels a little forced given the circumstances of things. Like how "R5-D4" the same exact one from a New Hope that blew a fuse before the Lars were able to buy them is now Mandos new astromech. It was cute seeing him in previous seasons as a subtle nod. However having him be directly apart of the story just feels too much of a coincidence, as well as serving essentially no real purpose. Besides that, seeing Mandalore in live action and destroyed was a sight to behold. The landscapes are beautiful and the translation between what we've seen in the animated series of Clone Wars and Rebels goes perfectly into this series. As you can easily imagine the flashbacks of the Siege of Mandalore in the now desolate underground city. I still am a little shaky on where exactly this story aims to go, especially since I know that there's a heavy chance this is going to work in Ahsokas TV show into it somehow. On top of the fact that every trailer released has a scene with Jedi from Order 66 presumably, which I hope doesn't feel forced. For a second episode it was great, and definitely left me wanting more for next week.