The First Season Wraps up in spectacular style!
In my last review, I speculated on how this first season would end. Would it build to a crescendo bringing back the characters from earlier in the season? Or would it continue in the more stand-alone vein that characterised the middle episodes? Thankfully it’s the former with what amounts to a two-part episode that pays off a lot of the world-building and sets things up nicely for season two.
Chapter 7: The Reckoning brings back Kuiil (Nick Nolte) Karga (Carl Weathers) and Cara (Gina Carano), the latter of whom gets a lot more to do this time around. Thrown into the mix is IG11 (Taika Waititi) and a new villain in the form of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Esposito plays Gideon much like an intergalactic version of his most famous role, the villainous Gus from Breaking Bad. Fans of that show will not be disappointed as he brings the same level of malice to this role.
The plot is largely a set up for the finale but does continue the show’s trend of presenting a Star Wars take on other genres. Here we begin with what amounts to a prisoner exchange with double-crosses before becoming a base under siege tale. It’s enjoyable but the best is yet to come.
Chapter 8: Redemption is directed by Taika Waititi and his influence shines through from the opening scene. Rather than diving into the action, we get a comedic sequence with two scout troopers that nods to a well known Star Wars in-joke. It’s a fun scene that shows how well this show is able to juggle its tones, something I was concerned about back in the pilot. The scene also includes what may go down as the most heinous act ever committed in the franchise, once you see it you’ll know what I mean.
The action picks right back up where it left off with Mando and his team fighting off overwhelming odds and from that point, the episode barely pauses for breath. It delivers some spectacular action scenes including a finale that is astonishing for a TV show. Along the way, we get an emotional end to one characters arc and our first glimpse of Pedro Pascal in the flesh. Albeit without his trademark moustache. The ending coda brings back an iconic Star Wars artefact that anyone who has not seen The Clone Wars or Rebels may well find confusing. Thankfully both will be available on Disney + when it launches in the UK in March. Also on that service will be this fantastic debut season of The Mandalorian.
The First Season Wraps up in spectacular style!
Name: The Mandalorian (Episodes 7 & 8)
Description: The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
Jim King is a lifelong geek who enjoys talking about anything and everything out of the ordinary. He co-hosts a Star Trek podcast and is pretty good at Street Fighter 2.
