Ryan Shoots First: The Mandalorian (S1 Ep3) “Chapter 3: The Sin”

Welcome back you nerf herders for “Chapter 3” of The Mandalorian and since we left you last week apparently now “fans” like to flip on you if you call Baby Yoda, Baby Yoda. So Let’s see what Baby Yoda and Mando are up to this week. 

Carl Weathers informs Mando The Client is very eager to get his prize and as you would guess the Mando is starting to question just what is up. He shows up in the port and as he is lead in he is not happy with how the Stormtroopers are treating Baby Yodes. The Client and the doctor do some scans and seem very happy with the reward. Mando asks him about how many fobs he handed out and the client tells him he couldn’t take any chances. He gives him the Beskar Steel haul and Mando asks what his plans are. The Client tells him this is very unlikely and the troopers begin to gather around as the scene gets tense. 

Mando decides to leave and takes the steel to the Mando Blacksmith. She tells him he has some options and that much steel draws the attention of the other Mandos including a bulked-up Mando who is not happy about the Imperial source of his steel. After they cool their heads he is given the whistling birds sigil and his new armor is forged. While it is being beaten into shape we get some more flashbacks to the purge.

Mando strolls back into the cantina with some shiny new armor and has a talk with Carl Weathers. He immediately asks for his next job and Weathers tries to talk him into taking a break. He says the further the better as he tries to escape the Baby Yoda haunting his mind. Back in the ship as he reaches for the knob Yoda was playing with he has a small moment of reflection. Not being able to shake what the Empire is up to he powers down and heads back into town. He finds the pod in a dumpster out behind the drop off location. He overhears that they plan to extract the material and be done with it. After drawing out the troopers he takes them down one by one and heads into the hideout. He asks the Kamino Doctor what he did to him and takes him away. On his way out he is surrounded by troopers which allows him to use his new finishing move the Whistling Birds. 

Back in the cantina everyone’s fobs go off as there is a rather large bounty now on Mando’s head. As he is surrounded on his way out he is confronted by Weathers and the guild. Mando tells him the kids coming with him. He, of course, decides the hard way and tries to blast his way out of the camp. Mando starts going full disintegration on fools. He runs out of flames and in a quiet moment Yoda wakes up as the walls are closing around him the other Mandos roll in to help. Mando tells them they will need to relocate now and Heavy Mando says “This is the way”. On his way off Weathers meets him on his ship but that leads to him getting blasted in the chest and off the ship. Luckily his Baskar Steel saves him. On his way off the planet, one of the mandos flies alongside with his jetpack and Mando delivers the line of the episode, “I’ve got to get me one of those” and then hands Yoda the shift knob he had been playing with earlier in a very sweet moment. And cue Bad Ass concept art credit screens. 

Man, this show is just so very very cool. I’m repeating myself every week but the pace and execution is just so on point and feels so Filoni. What continues to impress is Pedro Pascal’s ability to deliver a deep performance and deliver great character moments without ever showing his face. A subtle movement here a deep breathe there along with some witty one-liners used sparingly has given us all we need to know about what makes this man tick. That in this day and age when everything is so loud and subtlety is dead is so amazing. Now that the turn has happened and Mando is the wanted man it will be interesting to see where the story goes next. I think anyone who’s seen Westerns or Samurai films could see this moment happening but what is intriguing is what happens next. Does Mando just go on the defensive as we see one Bounty Hunter after the next come at him or will he investigate what the Empire was up to further? Whatever happens, be sure to keep coming back to see where we go and if Cara Dune will ever make an appearance on the show.   

OBSERVATIONS

• Every frame of this show is a wallpaper.
• Baby Yoda knowing something is up is heartbreaking.
• Small package joke? 
• Hey The Cloud City ice cream jug! Willrow Hood cosplayers rejoice!
• Iron man Mk 1 Mando.
• I’m getting that Armored Mando figure when it comes out. 
• Mando calling Yoda his enemy is sad and you can hear the disdain for himself in the way he says it. 
• Mando babies called Foundlings is cute.
• It makes you wonder when the whole “no one sees our face” thing changed since Mandalore in the Clone Wars was not ashamed to remove their helmets and had a robust society of non-warriors. I assume part of being in hiding after the purge is the answer. 
• The scream from the Ring droid made me laugh. 
• Metal Gear Mando.
• Seriously, only time I can remember seeing stealth in Star Wars. Unless you count Anakin Padme “sneaking” to Naboo as commoners. 
• Holly roasted stormtroop-marshmallow!
• The hunter becomes the hunted. 
• Help me Carl Weathers… You’re my only hope. 
• SO. MANY. MANDOS.
• Was that Jodo Kast?
• I think we all agree you need one of those. 
• As he casually just hands him the shift knob as they fly off… such an awesome moment!
• I just found out not only did Favreau play Heavy Mando but it was Paz Vizla… the ancestor of his character Prie Vizla from The Clone Wars! 

PREDICTIONS

• It’s somewhat hard to make a ton of predictions since the show really only follows one plot thread but let’s try some.
• Mando will meet up with the early stages of the Resistance soon, for those unaware after the Empire fell Leia was still all “their still out there!” but the Republic was all “Naaah we good” so she started the Resistance. My guess Mando meets up with some of those folks eventually as he gets deeper down the Imperial/ possible First Order plot. 
• Weathers will end up back on Mando’s side at some point since Bounty Hunters just kinda try to kill each other all the time.  Mando knew what he was doing when he didn’t take him out. 
• Not the last we see of other Mandos and hopefully eventually Sabine Wren.