Ryan Shoots First: The Mandalorian (S2 Ep7) “Chapter 15: The Believer”
It has been a heck of a week for us Star Wars nuts. Last week we got the return of Boba Fett and just yesterday, on my birthday, we got the announcement of 10 new live action/animated movies and series coming. Including an Ashoka spinoff and Obi-Wan series which will see Hayden Christianson return to the saga as Darth Vader. So it has been a good week, let’s see how it rolls on with this week’s episode of the show that saved Star Wars, The Mandalorian.
We start on a junker planet where old crashed Ties are being salvaged, we see Mayfeld from last season in a New Republic work camp. Cara comes to relieve him for a mission and he joins the squad on Slave 1. Boba is even sporting a fresh coat of paint. They head to a mining planet where Mayfeld will need access to an imperial console to locate Gideon. Everyone in the crew is too hot on the Empire’s radar to go with him so Mando has to steal an Imperial outfit and ditch the Beskar to accompany Mayfeld.
Mayfeld in his fast talking style questions Mandos devotions and idealoligies and points out the universe is really just rulers and those being ruled whether New Republic or Empire, or even Mandalore. Just then pirates begin attacking the convoy. The transport can only go so fast due to the very unstable rydonium. Mando fights off the pirates but learns trooper armor isn’t quite up to his Beskar.
Once they get to the base Mando is faced with a tough choice. Mayfeld isn’t ok with showing his face as his former commanding officer is in the hall. Mando is forced to remove his helmet so he can scan into the Imperial system. Which why he’s in the system is a question for later. The CO becomes skeptical of Mando and Mayfeld and forces them to have a drink. We learn Mayfeld served during Operation Cinder when after the fall of the second Death Star the empire went scorched earth on planets, even their own troops. This is when Mayfeld left the empire we learn and he loses his cool and shoots the officer and begins the escape. Mayfeld hands Mando his helmet and tells him he never saw his face. As they escape Mayfeld on the way out delivers a precision shot to the exposed rydonium destroying the entire base. Cara, never being one to not appreciate some destruction of Imperial property, decides Mayfeld died in the blast and lets him go. As they speed off Mando sends a threatening Space SnapChat to Gideon letting him know he’s coming for the child.
Somewhat back to a filler side story but this season has done a great job of slipping in some form of progression of both the story and the characters in these episodes. This week it was Mando slowly letting go of what he thinks is Mandolarian code. After meeting Mandos who freely remove their helmets he first reconciles with wearing the Stormtrooper armor then eventually revealing his face to people for the first time in years. This shows him furthering his understanding of what exactly it means to be a Mandolarian and erasing some of the dogma that was instilled in him. We also saw some work done with Mayfeld, we learned just why he left the Empire and some of his views on the greater political climate going on in the galaxy. Whether we will see him pop up again in this or any of the other many series coming remains to be seen but it’s wise for Disney to leave their options open. We know Ashoka and Rangers of the New Republic are shows taking place directly at the same time as Mando. So I believe next week is the season finale as Mando and his crew head to take the fight to Gideon. Can’t wait.
Observations
- Boba with that clean cut
- How are we just supposed to get used to Mando casually talking to Fett?
- How are we just supposed to get used to just casually seeing Fett?
- This is the “Mando learns it is not the armor that makes a Mando a Mando” episode isn’t it
- The irony of the Empire saluting Mando and saving him was a nice touch
- The basement bar scene from Inglorious Basterds broke out.
- Mayfeld name drops Operation Cinder from Battlefront 2.
- How are we supposed to get used to seeing Slave 1 just fly around.
- The cool sound grenades from Episode 2!
- Odd for Mando to send that message but I’m sure it’s part of the plan.
