030: Rabbit Recaps- The Mandalorian Season One

Star Wars has undeniably been growing in popularity since its introduction to movie screens in 1977. For years plans had circulated about bringing Star Wars to television in a live-action format. The first two attempts, the Star Wars Holiday Special and Ewok Adventure (along with its sequel) were not entirely popular, but have their fans. (In fact, Cocoashade is trying to convince me to do a post covering the Ewok movies. Anyone know where I can find a copy?) Over the decades many animated series have aired, to varying results. The first two of these, Ewoks and Droids, have long since been stricken from canon. With The Clone Wars (which I have covered before) the idea of Star Wars on the small screen took firm hold. Where the first two cartoons felt like thinly-veiled cash grabs to sell plushies and other merchandise, the Clone Wars weaved both self-contained and ongoing stories together with colorful characters, complex continuity, and the Star Wars spirit. Still, fans wanted a live action small screen take. That’s where the Mandalorian comes in.

A note before we get started. I have reviewed shows before on this blog, but you may notice that this post does not have the “SoraRabbit Watches” designation in the title. That’s because I’m experimenting with something a little different this time around. Instead of going episode by episode, this will be an overview of the season: the characters and relationships, a plot summary, and key points that will come back as the series goes on. It is meant to be a refresher for those who need a reminder of what happened in Season One.

The reason for this is that as I watch a long-running series, it sometimes takes me some time to get through it all. (I’ve established in previous posts that I’m easily distracted. For instance, this post took me a year to get around to writing.) When plot elements or characters come back seasons later, I may not always remember who they are or why the other characters are reacting to them the way they do. A great example of this is Agents of SHIELD. In Season 5 they brought back a character from Season 4, which I had watched over two years before. (Sometimes I get VERY distracted.) The show offered no explanation of the character or the SHIELD agent’s history with him. (Not even a clumsy “Hey, you’re that evil guy who was beheaded by the LMD.“) They didn’t even bother to say his name. Agent Coulson just gaped at him, muttering, “You.“ I had to pause the show and cruise the internet until I found the information I needed to remind myself of who the hell this guy was and why exactly I should care. (His name was Anton Ivanov, by the way, and he was indeed beheaded by the LMD Aida.) Sure, awkward comic book exposition doesn’t feel natural in television, but I knew there had to be a better way than following multiple links in a lengthy internet research session that runs the risk of distracting me even further from the show.

And so the concept was born for Rabbit Recaps, a feature that will sum up a season in an easy to locate and easily digestible way. If this works out I will, of course, continue to do the Mandalorian and I may move on to other shows. (Agents of SHIELD, Orphan Black… hey maybe X-Files? Let me know what you would like to see in this feature. Keep in mind it may cross over to my upcoming YouTube channel, so it could work better in that format. That will be a different experiment.)

A stranger enters the cantina. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Background

The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ in 2019 and has quickly become the streaming service’s most popular original series. (At least as of the writing of this.) The first season consisted of eight episodes which varied in length from 32 to 54 minutes. First I’ll give an overview of terms, then discuss the characters and their relationships to each other, and then summarize the plot of the season, finishing with some continuity notes and my thoughts. As always, heavy spoilers follow, so read on with caution if you’re concerned with spoilers. Also note that I have painstakingly avoided including any spoilers for Season Two, so you don’t have to worry there.

The Mandalorian is a series set in the Star Wars universe five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The galaxy is in disarray following the fall of the Galactic Empire. The Rebels have become the New Republic and are desperately trying to unite the worlds under a form of law and order. The First Order depicted in the Sequel Trilogy has not yet risen. (According to my research, they form 20 years after this series.) Many worlds outside of the reach of the New Republic and those who counted on Imperial rule, have fallen into chaos and lawlessness. It’s both a good and bad time to be a Bounty Hunter. Good because there’s no shortage of work hauling in criminals and fugitives. Bad because the pay is low and Imperial Credits are pretty much worthless now.

Glossary

If you’re not familiar with the Star Wars universe much of this probably won’t make sense, but if you’re reading this, then it’s likely you just want a refresher. Still, here are some of the key concepts in brief.

Mandalorians are a loose clan of people based on the creed and culture of Mandalore, a planet that was conquered by the Seperatists in the days of the Clone Wars. To be a Mandalorian you don’t necessarily need to be from the planet Mandalore. They take in orphans, or foundlings, from various worlds and if the foundlings find meaning in the creed and follow the practices, they are considered Mandalorians from then on, until they break the creed. Mandalorians never remove their helmet in the company of living beings. They refer to the edicts of their creed with the saying “This is the way.”

Beskar Steel is a very rare, very strong material that makes up Mandalorian armor. Most of it was harvested by the Empire after they conquered Mandalore in what is known as the Siege of Mandalore and the Great Purge. (Events depicted in the final season of the Clone Wars.) It is highly sought after. It is impervious to lightsabers, but can be damaged by explosions. (A fact shown on a Season 2 episode of the Clone Wars.)

An artifact of Mandalore, the Darksaber, was created as a type of lightsaber designed to battle the Jedi, who were traditionally enemies of the Mandalorians. (The Darksaber features in both the Clone Wars and Rebels series.)

Bounty Hunters are those who hunt bounties. (I know, obvious.) They take jobs from the Bounty Hunter Guild and bring in marks for pay. The reasons for the jobs vary, but one of the most important rules of the Guild is to not ask questions. The bounties could be specified to be brought in dead or alive, depending on the needs of the client. Bounty Hunters range in motivation from just looking to make a living in a difficult time to wanting adventure, fame, and recognition. The Guild is stationed on the planet Nevarro. The jobs are generally given on Bounty Pucks, which are holographic data devices showing the bounty’s information and occasionally their location.

The Outer Rim is the area of space outside of New Republic territory. These are the first worlds that escaped the Empire’s grasp. During the time of the Clone Wars, many of these worlds were unaligned and attempted to stay out of the conflict.

The other terms are pretty common Star Wars fare: Jedi, the Force, the Empire, droids, et cetera. Those that are less common I’ll explain as I go.

The Mandalorian. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Characters

The Mandalorian is the main character and focus of the series. He is referred to as Mando by some. His real name (as revealed in Chapter 8) is Din Djarin. Mando is a quiet, solitary bounty hunter who throws himself into his work and is very effective at it. He often comes across as composed and clinical, his emotions usually kept in check. As the series continues, his worn-out armor is upgraded along with his weapons. At the start of the series Mando is stationed on planet Nevarro where he helps to support an underground (literally) tribe of Mandalorians. His ship is the Razor Crest, an ancient ship from before the time of the Empire. His weapons include a standard blaster, a knife, a flame thrower, wrist harpoons, rare Whistling Bird missiles, and later the Rising Phoenix, his jet pack. His go-to weapon is a rifle with a binocular scope, an electric prod, and a disintegration ray.

Mando generally keeps to himself, but shows that he cares about the other Mandalorians. At the start of the series, he has not yet found his signet, which is a symbol generally obtained through battle, which depicts his clan. One of his defining characteristics is his hatred and mistrust of droids, which stems from his planet’s conquering by Battle Droids. He parents were killed in the invasion and he became a foundling, taken in by Mandalorians. He is still haunted by this event, but over the course of his adventures he is able to mostly set aside his bias against droids.

He worked with a team of other mercenaries before the start of the series, but left them behind to strike out on his own. One of the main focuses of the series is his father-like relationship with the Child.

The Child is a 50ish-year old alien toddler who is the same mysterious unnamed race as Jedi Master Yoda. Most fans of the show refer to him as Baby Yoda, but at this time his name is not known. He is nonverbal, only making small sounds. Mando was tasked with capturing him from imprisonment in the first episode by The Client for unspecified reasons. It’s shown early on that the Child is force-sensitive, but does not yet know how to control his abilities. It takes great concentration and energy, generally leaving him unconscious after use. He shows a variety of interesting powers— the ability to levitate, force heal, and even force choke like Darth Vader. (Force choking indicates that either he is strong in the Dark Side of the Force or that he has not aligned himself yet. The only other light-side Jedi that I have seen use this power was Anakin in Clone Wars, and we all know what happened with him.)

Intellectually and emotionally, the Child is still a toddler. He gets into trouble from his curiosity, sticks things in his mouth that he shouldn’t, and wanders away to explore. He is brave and curious, not afraid of strangers. He shows an affinity for Mando, but is not affectionate. The two of them bond due to the fact that they were both foundlings. By the end of the season, the two of them are officially a clan of two.

The Client makes a holo-call. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The Client is the mysterious man who gave Mando the job to procure “the package” which turns out to be the Child. (He actually hired every Bounty Hunter on Nevarro.) From first meeting it’s clear the Client has ties to the fallen Empire… the Stormtroopers that guard him… his access to great quantities of Beskar Steel that had been refined in Empire forges… and the medallion around his neck clearly in the familiar shape of the Empire’s symbol. He strongly believes in the Empire’s ideals, but also shows respect towards Mandalorians and their legacy. (However that respect could be tinged with mockery… it’s hard to tell with him.) Every word he speaks comes with a certain imposing gravity and deliberateness, (most likely due to the fact that he’s played by Werner Herzog).

Tense moments follow Mando around. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Greef Karga is the magistrate of the outpost town on Nevarro and the leader of the Bounty Hunter Guild. He is friendly, but stern. He has a sense of honor when it comes to the Guild Code, but is also willing to turn on others for his own purposes. Although he put a hit out on Mando and then attempted to betray him, the two left on good terms after liberating Nevarro, their differences set aside. After a near-fatal injury, the Child saved Greef’s life through the use of Force Healing.

Ugh, this show is so dimly lit. I had to lighten every single screenshot. Anyway, here’s Cara. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Cara Dune (full name Carasynthia Dune) is a former Rebel shock trooper. She assisted the New Republic in hunting down the remnants of the Empire after the Battle of Endor. Not agreeing with the Republic’s politics, she “retired” and became a mercenary. When Mando met her on planet Sorgan, she was seemingly in hiding, although exactly why was not made clear. (I assume her retirement was actually her going AWOL.) Cara is skilled in many forms of weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Although she doesn’t like to commit to causes, she has joined Mando twice, putting her life at risk both times without hesitation. Currently Cara is residing on Nevarro.

“I have spoken.” (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Kuiil was an ugnaught moisture farmer on Arvala-7. (If you don’t remember who ugnaughts are, they are the little pig-men that worked on Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back. They took C-3PO apart. I had an action figure of an ugnaught when I was a kid. It was one of my favorites alongside Greedo, Boba Fett, and Walrus Man.) (And before you rush to the comment section to roast me, I know his name is not Walrus Man, but that was the name on the package and what I will always know him as.) Kuiil was a former slave for the Empire, but earned his freedom and steadfastly protected it afterwards. He proved himself to be trustworthy, loyal, and a bit gruff. He believed in fairness and his speaking was direct and brief. Alongside being a farmer and raising blurrgs (large lizard creatures) he was also a skilled mechanic and programmer. He negotiated with the Jawas on behalf of Mando, and reprogrammed a salvaged IG-11. Sadly, Kuiil was killed while protecting the Child during the battle to retake Nevarro.

IG-11 in action. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

IG-11 was a Bounty Hunter, and later a nursemaid droid. This style of tall, lanky gray droid was very common in the Star Wars universe, shown in movies and TV. (IG-86s were shown often in the Clone Wars and IG-88 was a Bounty Hunter shown briefly in The Empire Strikes Back.) IG-11 was tasked with hunting down and killing the Child on Arvala-7. He was seemingly destroyed by Mando in Episode 1 but returned later, reprogrammed by Kuiil to be a nursemaid droid and babysitter to the Child. He began as a killer and then became a protector and healer. As with all droids, IG-11 runs strictly along the lines of his programming, yet displays clear signs of personality. He is also quick to self-destruct, stating that his programming dictates he must never be captured. IG-11 ultimately sacrificed himself to save Mando and his crew.

Evilevilevilevil. (If you get that reference, you’re officially awesome.) (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Moff Gideon is the big bad of the series so far. A Moff is a high-ranking member of the Empire. (Similar to a Governer.) Gideon seemingly has many resources at his disposal, including a squadron of troopers, weaponry, and a modified TIE fighter. In the past, Gideon was an officer of the Empire’s secret police during the Siege of Mandalore. He has a lot of information, even knowing Mando’s real name and Cara’s identity. He is fiercely ruthless and even killed his own troopers when they failed to carry out his orders, and the Client when he failed Gideon. The Client was working for him to acquire the Child, but not much else is known about Gideon or his plans as of Season One. He wields the Darksaber, although it is a mystery so far as to how he acquired it.

Omera almost gets the helmet off. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney) — Omera **almost** gets the helmet off. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Minor characters, but still important: The Armorer: A Mandalorian blacksmith who crafts the armor for the warriors. She gives Mando his signet at the end of the season. Dr. Pershing: A scientist working for the Client. He shows great curiosity for the Child and does not want to see him hurt or killed. (He has no qualms about harvesting his DNA, however.) He survived the season. Toro Calican: A rookie Bounty Hunter on Tatooine trying to get into the Bounty Hunter Guild. Killed by Mando. Fennec Shand: An assassin on the run from the law. Once worked for the Hutts. (Gangster slugs, most famous among them was named Jabba.) (Side note: She was portrayed by the always badass Ming-Na Wen.) She was seemingly killed by Toro, but her body was approached by a Mysterious Figure. (Boba Fett? Maybe…) Peli Motto: A sassy mechanic on Tatooine. She is sarcastic and rough around the edges, but shows a soft spot for the Child, serving as his babysitter briefly. (For extra money, of course.) She has a friendly rapport with her team of droid helpers. Omera: A widowed mother living in a farming village on the planet Sorgan. She showed proficiency with a grenade launcher. She is a possible romantic interest for Mando, showing clear chemistry with the quiet Bounty Hunter. Her daughter, Winta, became fast friends with the Child and was sad to see him go. Mando briefly considered leaving the Child on the planet so the little one could have a peaceful life.

(Note: One of the issues I ran into with this recap is the fact that this show is still going on. I wasn’t entirely sure who I should mention and who I shouldn’t, seeing as how there is no way for me to know who will come back later and who won’t. After thinking about it I decided to include the characters who made a impact this season, regardless of their future potential. I did the best I could with the above passage. Anyone who comes back in a later season who was not mentioned here will be brought up in the respective season recap.)

I love the paintings at the end of the episodes. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Plot Summary

The series begins by showing what an effective Bounty Hunter Mando is. He takes any job that comes up without question or hesitation. In his search for a high-paying job, Greef Karga gives him a high-priority bounty set by somebody known only as The Client. It seems risky, working with someone who may be aligned with the Empire, but the reward is Beskar Steel. The Client gives little details about the job, just that Mando is to acquire an asset and the coordinates are 50 years old. Taking the job sends the Mandalorian off to the distant planet of Aravala-7 where he meets Kuiil and learns about a camp of mercenaries causing trouble for the farmer. This camp happens to be where the asset is being guarded.

After a shoot out in which Mando is assisted by rival Bounty Hunter IG-11, the two locate the asset. It turns out to be a Child, a young alien of unknown species. IG-11 plans to exterminate him, but Mando shoots the droid in the head to prevent this.

Meeting the Child. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

On the way back to the Razor Crest, Mando and the Child run afoul of some Jawa. (Well-known scavengers of the Star Wars universe.) They have stripped his ship. Kuiil helps translate and the Jawa will return his parts in exchange for the egg of a Mudhorn. (A large rhino-like creature.) In the battle Mando seems to be losing, but the Child uses mysterious powers to levitate the beast long enough for Mando to gain the upper hand and slay the beast.

Don’t mess with Jawas. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

After the Jawas happily eat the Mudhorn’s egg, they return his ship parts. Kuiil and Mando work together to get the Razor Crest back into working order. Mando and the Child return to Nevarro to complete the job.

Fantastic imagery. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Back on Nevarro, Mando turns the Child over to the Client and Dr Pershing. The Client refuses to reveal what they want him for, reminding him that Bounty Hunters ask no questions. After completing this transaction, Mando visits the underground clan of Mandalorians he helps to support. With his shiny new Beskar Steel, the Armorer crafts him new armor. The Mandalorians are upset that Mando took a job from the Empire, seeing as how they attempted to commit genocide against the Mandalorians. We learn that only one of them can be above ground at a time in order to maintain their secret society under Nevarro. We also learn that a portion of whatever they make goes towards supporting the foundlings among them. It is the way.

Although Greef tries to convince Mando to take a vacation, Mando immediately takes up another job and sets off again. However, he doesn’t manage to leave the planet, having second thoughts about turning over the Child to the Empire without knowing what his fate will be. Mando decides to storm their headquarters and liberate the young foundling.

Mando in action. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Mando takes out several Stormtroopers and finds a frightened Dr Pershing, who insists that he didn’t want to hurt the Child. Mando grabs the unconscious kid and vacates the premises. Taking the Child out of the lab could not go unpunished, of course, and all the Bounty Hunters are immediately alerted to a new bounty: Mando himself. Mando is outnumbered and outgunned, but then the Mandalorians come to his rescue, helping him to escape. Despite their quarrel with his choice of jobs and the risk of outing themselves, they look out for their own. It is the way.

The Mandalorians attack. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Greef waits for Mando on his ship, and Mando has to shoot him to get away. Luckily for Greef, the Beskar Steel he earned as his commission saves his life, absorbing the blaster bolt.

Mando and the Child head off, avoiding Bounty Hunters and looking for a safe place to let the heat die down. They stop off at planet Sorgan, where they meet Cara Dune and a village of peaceful farmers. The farmers have a problem… a group of bandits regularly raid their village. Bandits with their own salvaged AT-ST. (A dangerous Imperial walker shown in several of the movies. Basically a tank on legs.) The villagers convince Mando to help, and Mando asks Cara to assist him. They teach the villagers to defend themselves and hatch a plan to draw the bandits to the village for an ambush.

The AT-ST attacks the village. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

After the dust settles and the AT-ST is felled, the villagers are finally safe. Mando decides to leave the Child behind so he can have a normal life, and briefly seems to consider giving up his Mandalorian ways to settle down himself with Omera. But the peace is shattered when a Bounty Hunter has tracked them down. Cara stops him from assassinating the Child, and Mando realizes they’re still in danger. They have to keep moving. Cara remains on the planet and the Bounty Hunter and Child move on.

After a space fight with a pursuing Bounty Hunter, the Razor Crest is damaged. Mando stops on the desert planet of Tatooine (famous from many of the movies) to get his ship fixed. He meets Peli Motto, a mechanic and all-around sassy character. The repairs don’t come cheap and will take some time, so while he’s waiting, Mando heads off to look for work, leaving the Child behind in the ship. Peli comes across him and decides to babysit so she can charge more.

In the famous Cantina where Greedo definitely shot first (Hehe, I should’ve put a trigger warning there… I’m bad.) Mando meets up with hopeful Bounty Hunter Toro Calican. Toro wants to break into the Bounty Huntering lifestyle, and believes that capturing notorious assassin Fennec Shand would be just the trick to get him there. Mando agrees to help him in exchange for the bounty. (Toro doesn’t care about the money, he just wants the credit.) On their trip out into the desert wastes, they come across Tusken Raiders (nomadic aliens who lives on Tatooine and are known for being merciless and dangerous). Mando shows an ability to communicate with them using a form of space sign language, and convinces them to allow the two passage through the desert without being harmed.

The two of them hunt down Fennec together, but while Mando’s back is turned, Fennec reveals what happened on Nevarro to Toro. She tries to get him to let her go so she can help him kill Mando, because taking out the Mandalorian would make the young man into a legend. Instead Toro shoots Fennec and rushes off to ambush Mando. Toro holds Peli and the Child hostage but Mando blinds and kills the young scoundrel. Mando pays Peli and heads off world. As they leave, we see a mysterious figure wearing boots and a cloak (or cape) approach Fennec’s body.

The Razor Crest. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Mando’s next stop is a small space outpost where he meets up with his old friend Ran Malk, from back in his mercenary days. Ran is getting together a crew to infiltrate a Republic prison ship. The crew consists of Migs Mayfeld, a former Imperial sharpshooter, Burg, a horned Devronian, Xi’an, a Twi’lek (a common race in Star Wars lore), and Q9-0 (otherwise known as Zero) who is a droid pilot. The prisoner they are saving is Xi’an’s brother Qin. Xi’an and Mando have a history together, and she is bitter with him for leaving the mercenary life behind.

The crew completes the job (with Mando showing off his brutality towards droids), but the lone New Republic soldier on the prison ship triggers a beacon, which alerts the Republic of the break in. The others turn on Mando, leaving him in a cell, which he quickly escapes from. He takes out the other members of the crew, leaving them to be captured, but takes Qin into custody, since he was the job.

The Child attempts to use the force. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Back on the ship, Zero has discovered a transmission from Greef Karga and attempts to kill the Child. The Child tries to use the force on the droid, but before he can, Mando arrives, shooting Zero. He returns Qin to Ran, who had also planned to betray Mando. Before he gets the chance, the beacon Mando left on Qin draws Republic X-Wings to the station and they open fire on Ran and Qin.

That’s a lot of troops. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Greef contacts Mando to let him know the town on Navarro has been overrun by Imperial troopers. He asks Mando to return and kill the Client so the bounty on his head can be lifted and the town freed. Mando agrees, but brings his own crew along, consisting of Cara, Kuiil, and surprisingly, IG-11. Kuiil had salvaged and rebuild the droid, programming him to be a nurse droid. On the trip to Nevarro, Mando and Cara are arm wrestling and the Child mistakes it for Cara attacking his friend. He begins to force choke her before Mando stops him. Kuiil explains the force to them, stating that this is the most likely explanation for the Child’s powers.

The team meets up with Greef and his two bodyguards and head for the town. The plan is to use the Child as bait so the Client can be killed. Secretly, though, Greef is planning to double-cross Mando and turn the Child over to the Client to free his town.

Mando makes IG-11 remain on board the Razor Crest, still not trusting droids. On the way there, they are attacked by winged creatures called mynocks. They injure Greef before being chased away. The Child uses the force to heal Greef, which makes him abandon his treacherous plan. Greef shoots his bodyguards and promises to help Mando.

Moff Gideon’s ride. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The team sends Kuiil back to the ship with the Child and the others play the old “pretending to be captured” trick in order to visit the Client. They convince him that the Child is with them. The Client has a hologram call with his boss Moff Gideon, who has sent his Stormtroopers and Deathtroopers to surround the building. The troopers open fire, killing the Client and his troopers inside. As Moff Gideon lands in his modified TIE fighter, Kuiil is tracked by two Scout Troopers who kill him and capture the Child.

The cavalry arrives. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

IG-11 exits the ship and kills the Scouts to save the Child. The droid takes one of the trooper’s speeder bikes and rushes to town, carrying the Child in his space fanny pack. Moff Gideon threatens the others as they’re holed up in the building, searching for a way out. He seems to know everything about them, and reveals Mando’s name is Din Djarin. Mando realizes that Gideon was a member of the Empire’s secret police during the Mandalore invasion. That’s the only way he could know his name, which would be in the Mandalore Archives.

IG-11 arrives, guns blazing, starting a firefight, which Greef, Cara, and Mando join. They make headway against the troopers before Gideon manages to injure Mando. They retreat back into the building. A Flame Trooper arrives, but the Child uses the force to reflect the flames back at the trooper, burning him alive. They remove the vent to the sewers, but Mando is too injured to join them. He makes them promise to watch after the Child, stating he is going to remain behind. IG-11 stays with him and begins treating his wounds. In order to apply Bacta spray (a common medicinal element in Star Wars) he convinces Mando to remove his helmet. Although it is forbidden for Mandalorians to remove their helmets in front of living beings, IG-11 reminds him that he is a droid, not alive. (Loophole!)

Din Djarin’s face. Also pictured: serious helmet-hair. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

On the path to recovery, Mando is able to put his helmet back on and join the others in the sewers. It isn’t long before they discover that the Mandalorians are no longer beneath Nevarro.

The devastation of the clan. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The only remaining member is the Armorer, who stayed behind to salvage the discarded armor. She explains that after the Mandalorians helped Mando escape, the Imperial troopers invaded, killing many of the Mandalorians. Some may have escaped, but she doesn’t know for sure. She talked about the Jedi and gives Mando the quest to return the Child to the Jedi. Because the Child is a foundling and Mando saved him, he is essentially the Child’s father, according to the Creed. She finally grants Mando his sigal, the symbol of the Mudhorn that Mando and the Child worked together to defeat. She declares them a clan of two. She also gives Mando more weapons and a jet pack— the Rising Phoenix.

After they leave, the Armorer takes out five Stormtroopers all by herself, leaving her fate unknown but her survival likely. The others travel to a lava river to escape the underground, but before they can get out, they see Stormtroopers lying in wait. IG-11 sacrifices himself to save them, despite Mando’s protests. He self-destructs, killing the troopers and giving the others a chance to escape.

Outside they are attacked by Gideon in his TIE fighter. Mando dons his jetpack and hitches a ride on the fighter. He drops an explosive (a thermal detonator?) into Gideon’s ship, causing it to crash.

With the Empire seemingly taken care of, Greef offers Mando a place back in the Guild. Mando turns it down in favor of his quest to deliver the Child to the Jedi. Cara stays behind to help Greef rebuild. Mando buries Kuiil and sets off on his quest.

Shortly after he leaves Nevarro, Gideon cuts his way out of the wreckage of the TIE fighter, using the Darksaber.

Continuity

This section will be bigger in subsequent seasons, but it’s worth mentioning that many of the elements introduced in the season come back in the final two episodes. This includes Mando’s new friends Cara Dune and Kuiil, the Child’s use of the force, Greef’s conflict with Mando, IG-11’s self destruct protocol, and Mando’s prejudice of droids. It’s clear the characters and events of this season will impact the upcoming seasons in many ways, but exactly how that will play out remains to be seen.

Moff Gideon and the Darksaber. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Thoughts

The first season of the Mandalorian served as a great starting point for an epic story. The show is very cinematic, feeling more like mini movies than a television show. The music and direction are on point on every episode. The designs are fantastic— especially the Mandalorian’s armor. It takes the classic armor of Boba Fett and combines it with the shininess of Captain Phasma. This creates a blend of old and new that advances the show beyond what has come before while still keeping it rooted in the familiar. The show is full of references and easter eggs for those willing to look for them. Familiar droids and alien species, obscure references. (I got a big laugh out of the mention in Episode One of Life Day. If you’ve never seen the Star Wars Holiday Special, you should. This series officially makes the Star Wars version of Christmas canon.) Not all references will be appreciated by all fans… I noticed that the scorch mark from Greedo’s shot was clearly not above Han’s seat at the Cantina. (From George Lucas’s controversial edit.) It could be that it was repainted, but it doesn’t look they paint often in that place. I appreciated that we never got to see what the Jawas or Tuskens look like… some things must always remain a mystery.

Star Wars is, at its heart, a Space Western. The Mandalorian is the closest that the science fiction setting of Star Wars has ever gotten to the spirit of the Western. And they blend the two genres very well. Common Western themes such as lawlessness, fighting corruption, and protecting those that cannot protect themselves, are all prevalent in this series. A lone gunman for hire wandering into villages to right wrongs and face danger, only to leave to continue his endless wandering. Villages that are in danger from very bad men are saved by a man who’s not all good himself. Other themes that runs throughout the show are parenthood and family. (At times the similarities to Lone Wolf and Cub show through… this was a classic manga about a Shogun travelling the countryside with his young son.)

The characters and world-building were all done deliberately and organically as the season went on. Everything appears to be in place to be expanded and continued in Season Two. Every episode in Season One built off the last to create a layered and full story with a lot of payoff in the final two episodes.

The pacing may be slow for some, but I feel it takes the time it needs to in order to tell its story. Each episode is self-contained and yet part of the whole. One of the qualities I appreciated the most was the length. They don’t force everything into a traditional 22 or 48 minutes. The episodes are however long they need to be, ranging from 32 minutes at the shortest to 48 at the longest. I’ve long thought shows should do this— especially when created for a streaming service and not meant to be syndicated on network television, forced to fit around commercial blocks. This kind of strict format damages a work, forcing things to become diluted with padding or stripped by cuts. Time constraints are, and should be, obsolete at this point in entertainment.

The characterization is a strong point of this show… it does not suffer, as some shows do, of characters acting in ways contrary to themselves to further the plot or create conflict. Everyone acts with their own motivations and psychology. I also liked that the Mandalorian kept his helmet on for much of the show (only having it removed for about a minute of screen time.) The helmet, as I see it, is part of his character. Commonly helmeted or masked characters these days remove the face covering at every possible moment. (Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2 were horrible examples of this trend.) In the future, Mando’s character may change to the point where the helmet is not as much needed, but at this stage in his story, it remains in place. (Personally I feel it shouldn’t have been removed at all, but I understand story-wise why they felt the need.)

The inclusion of the Child (or Baby Yoda as many call him) could be seen as a gimmick, but I see it as a tantalizing mystery to base the series on and act as the catalyst to move the story forward. When I saw the first episode I had avoided all spoilers and had no idea what to expect. (My jaw dropped and I’m pretty sure I shouted “WHAT?!”) That kind of a hook powered the show on and got the attention of viewers who may not have stuck with it. The character of Master Yoda is one of the more mysterious characters in all of Star Wars mythos. Little is known of his history. His race has never been named. (Note that I am talking strictly canon, not Expanded Universe. I am a canon nut.) Before now, only one other of Yoda’s race has even been shown, and that is the equally mysterious Yaddle who appeared in Episode I and was never seen or referenced again. (Hashtag Yaddle Lives.)

Lingering Questions

The big one is why exactly did they want the Child? They were doing some sort of experiment with genetic material, but more was not revealed. Is Moff Gideon really the big bad, or is he taking orders from someone higher up? If they needed the Child alive, why was IG-11 told to kill him? Are the Mandalorians all truly dead, or did some escape Nevarro? Who was the mysterious figure on Tatooine who approached Fennek Shand’s body and is he Boba Fett? Is Fennek really dead? Where did the Child come from and will we finally learn the name of his race? Will his first word be “Mando”?

Clearly there is a lot left to explore in future seasons of The Mandalorian. Season One did a great job setting a firm foundation for the rest of the story on which the rest of the story can be organically built.

The Mythosaur, symbol of the Mandalorians. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

I hope you enjoyed my Rabbit Recap for the first season of The Mandalorian! As of the writing of this, the second season is still airing. Most of the way through compiling this post I did break down and start watching the new episodes, but I deliberately kept that season separate from this one to avoid spoilers and cross contamination. (This was meant to be solely first season, after all.) I plan to get the next Rabbit Recap done prior to Season Three so everyone can refresh themselves before the new episodes air.

Let me know if you enjoyed this new format and found it at all helpful, entertaining, anything like that. Until next time, remember to always keep your helmets on. It is the way.