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Going in to Chapter 15, I was hesitant that Disney would take Baby Yoda's separation as an excuse to conduct a season wide scavenger hunt, which at the highest surface level, this episode may seem to become, however through some of the most well shot action sequences in modern history, an immaculate attention to character development, and a genuine purpose for each character to fulfill, Episode 15: The Believer, is one of the best pieces of Star Wars content in recent memory, period. From the start, character motivations are clear and concise, with no actions seeming out of place or unjustified in relation to the plot, of which occurs much more than I prefer on this show due to story holes and an unwillingness to allow the series to be carried by it's characters as opposed to its cameos. For instance, Boba Fett is not portrayed as a mythic figure here, but is given a believable reason for assisting the team, and is competent without feeling invincible because of it. Bill Burr's character is given some fantastic subtle backstory as well, that ends up showing actual impact on the narrative as a whole. The Empire also sees itself as very subjective in terms of how pure or evil they really may be. Characters are glad to see them in situations that benefit them, yet show an intense hatred toward those very personnel when their true colors are shown. This is screenwriting as it was always meant to be. Plot facilitated by character with both given equal attention to affect one another. Rick Famuyiwa marvels in his ability to balance solid coverage of a scene so the audience is aware of the geography, but allows for tight shots and action beats to carry a scene, creating noticeable tension and elimination the possibility of a easy out. Morals are questioned, the sides between right and wrong blur, and The Mandalorian is truly depicted and determined to save his child, no matter how many bodies will be spilled along the way. Cinema at its best is able to immerse an audience through intelligent cinematography and plot beats, while allowing them to connect with character's whose motives genuinely challenge their own beliefs. I hereby give this episode my full stamp of approval, and simply hope that Disney understands just how vital this progression and weight truly is. As the most professionally written and directed episode in the series thus far, I can now go to sleep at night.

Subtlety Strikes! Once again the rapidly loyal Star Wars fan base has been greeted again with yet another weekly installment that feels all too unimportant and irrelevant to the larger storyline as a whole. With some plot points that are presented assuming the audience is already aware of them, to some unfortunately forgettable and unmotivated direction, I genuinely felt as though Episode 12 had hit a narrative dead end. However, with some much needed levity and a massively satisfying revelation, this installment may prove to be one of the most seemingly useless but vital in the entire series as we know it. Without risking the occurrence of spoilers, I cannot delve into this revelation any further, but as it nicely gratifies and answers questions from all the back in season one, fans are sure to appreciate the attention to continuity, whether it was planned from the beginning or not. Unfortunately however, apart from the exciting hint at a master plot point that has been completely absent, yet existent in the entire series, the substance of the episode genuinely ceases to exist as well. The score for this episode despite its weak script, I felt included some fantastic subtle pieces of instrumentation that really helped improve the weight of many weightless scenes. Onto the Meat of the story- Potential Spoilers ahead: Other than that massive revelation I mentioned earlier, which I won't mention unless someone is accidentally reading this far; the episode itself sees Mando on yet another fetch quest to exterminate very easily disposable stormtroopers in a even more disposable base. Audiences have seen this story more times than I can count on one hand, and this is not to extend for a high five. Infiltrating a base for "reasons" does not constitute as engaging cinema, at least for myself. I simply wish that these filmmakers who have been proven effective as creating emotion and genuine stakes, would apply those same talents here. However, we are simply left with Mando and friends running around corridors in one of the most visually disappointing episodes of the series. I genuinely root for the writers of this series, to simply find the confidence to end hinting at exciting things, and just show them instead. They have the budget, and they have the talent, it's time for the real story to begin. It's time for hope, a new hope.