by Tanner Kocher
Chapter 3: The Sin
While the show does get back on track pretty quickly into the episode, the Mandalorian feels more concerned with proving that it exists in the Star Wars universe than keeping the story interesting. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the episode, but between heavy-handed references to the movies, and the standard action and western movie tropes, I am beginning to lose my interest in the show.
[Spoiler warning ahead]
The episode has a lot to unpack, and it does so in a very short amount of time, so I’m just going to pick out my highlights:
The relationship between members of the “covert” and Mando is interesting. As we learn more about Mandalorians, I’m sure this scene will make more sense, but until then, I will have to believe that Mando is the nerd of the covert. It appears that he isn’t very well trusted or believed in, even though he obviously has combat skills and hunter prowess. After his entrance, he uncovers his Beskar steel, and he fights with one of his companions. The rest of the covert watch until the Blacksmith intervenes. I’m wondering what the relationships between these people are, aside from just being from the same planet. They all seem to know each other, but no one seems close; Mando has conversations with the Blacksmith, but other than that, all the Mandalorians seem to be solitary. This could be due to the collective trauma of losing their homeworld, or possibly their relationships are shown in different ways we have yet to be shown.
The other important scene in this episode I wanted to talk about involves Mando retaking the Child. This was the only scene in the episode that is keeping me interested in the show, ignoring the clunky fight choreography. Dr. Pershing is doing everything in his power to keep Baby Yoda alive, against the wishes of the Client; for what reason, we don’t know. Could this Child be a clone? Are they trying to clone him? We don’t know a lot about this species, except that it is very sensitive to the Force. And to connect to my previous point, Mando appears to be forming a real relationship with Baby Yoda. He can’t explain why he feels this way, but it seems obvious that this comes from the coldness and lack of companionship in the covert.
The episode concludes with an extended battle sequence between Mando and the other members of the bounty hunters guild. All seems lost for our unlikely duo until the covert arrives to save the day. Hopefully, the next episode will better explain what family means to the Mandalorians, but until then, the whole fight just seems like a deus ex machina designed to separate Mando from the Guild, and from his covert.
I’m going to give this one a 7 out of 10. It’s definitely better than the last episode, but it’s still failing from the same problems the last one was; namely, it’s boring. Using the classic feel of the Original Trilogy helps the Mandalorian feel enjoyable, but as soon as the credits roll, I forget what I enjoyed about it. I am ready for my questions to be answered. I just hope that I don’t lose interest before that happens.