Summary: Kane is a spy and informs Gideon that the Mandalorians are going to retake Mandalore. Gideon gets reinforcements from his allies. Bo Katan unites the Mandalorians and they leave for Mandalore. On Mandalore, the group meets up with another clan that has survived on Mandalore. They are loyal to Bo Katan and follow her. Bo Katan admits that she surrendered the darksaber to Moff Gideon, who betrayed her. The group get attacked by a monster and go underground to the great forge. However, it's a trap as Gideon is waiting for them. He has new troopers with Beskar that attack. Mando is captured, and Paz Vizsla is killed. The others escape.
The Good: Gideon's return is welcome for the show. He comes back and brings the plot some much needed urgency and tension as he works to stop the Mandalorians from reclaiming Mandalore to further his own agenda. It's interesting and exciting to see Gideon interacting with other Empire loyalists, showing that there is a growing threat right underneath the New Republic's nose. There's also a neat reveal showing us that Kane is still working for Moff Gideon. The opening sequence works so well at providing urgency, and it's helped greatly by Giancarlo Esposito's electric performance. I liked most of the set-up done in this episode. Mando and Bo Katan's relationship continues to develop in a nice way. They have developed a mutual respect with the journeys they have been through together, and Mando telling Bo Katan that he will be loyal to her was a good moment to conclude the tensions they have had against each other. I also quite like that the show is examining Bo Katan's anxiety of being a leader combined with the guilt of her letting down her people during the Purge when she surrendered to Moff Gideon. This is good additional depth for the character, and I like it a lot. The highlight of this episode is the action sequence at the end. This is a lengthy sequence that is packed with suspense because it felt like anything could happen. The action is beautifully choreographed, the situation is easy to follow, and Gideon's presence and interactions with Mando and Bo Katan are immensely fun to watch. It's always good to see the villain behaving competently, and Gideon is quite ruthless in his approach here, which I appreciate. I really liked the introduction to the Praetorian guards. They were strong and intimidating with how easily they disposed of Paz Vizsla, and I hope that they will be a major threat in future seasons. The Bad: Paz Vizsla's sacrifice falls a bit flat because it feels unnecessary and it feels like familiar territory for "Star Wars". How often in "The Clone Wars" did we see this exact same type of heroic sacrifice from characters who were one-dimensional and not fully fleshed out? It works better there in a children's animated story, but in a more mature live-action show it feels cheesy. It's also quite amusing that Paz Vizsla claims that there are too many men to kill, and yet he somehow manages to kill every single one himself. Every Mandalorian could have just stayed and they would have been fine! The fight over the chess game was stupid. It's melodramatic and predictable enough as is, but I'm baffled by the Mandalorian culture indicating that nobody can step in and stop this fight. Why?? This is infighting, and immature infighting over a stupid debate. Why on Earth should this not be stopped, and why wouldn't Bo Katan, the leader, do something about this? Perhaps even stupider is when Grogu stops the fight and everyone applauds him for it, with Bo Katan telling Mando that he taught him well. WHAT?? So nobody is supposed to stop this fight for some unknown reason, yet when somebody does interfere they get praised for stopping it? What the hell is this? I can't make heads or tails of what is supposed to be happening in this scene. It's very sloppily executed. Of course a random monster attack happens and forces the Mandalorians away. I bet we will never see this thing again for the rest of the series. It's disappointing because I love seeing world-building in this universe, and I would love to know what this monster was and why it was there. Instead, we get no details about it and limited reactions questioning what it was. It will ultimately go down as just another meaningless spectacle. The Unknown: Is Thrawn going to come back? Will he play a role in this show, or will he only be in the Ahsoka show? What is Project Necromancer? My best guess is that it's the plan to bring Palpatine back from the dead. Why did Gideon take Mando to the debriefing room? Does he have a plan for Mando? Or is this just the villain doing something dumb for the convenience of the story? Is the Mandalorian fleet going to get wiped out? Will their reinforcements help Bo Katan and the other Mandalorians escape? Best Moment: The action sequence at the end of the episode was exciting and intense with great direction. It had me at the edge of my seat at times. Character of the Episode: Moff Gideon. Conclusion: A good episode that gets the season moving again in time for the finale. This was the most important and high-stakes episode of the season, and it delivers an action-packed and adventurous episode with some good moments. There is still some stupid writing and cheesiness, but overall this is entertaining. Score: 66
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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