– Spoiler Review –
The Mandalorian‘s “Chapter 3 – The Sin” is the show’s best so far, wrapping up some threads and opening up the show right up to many intriguing possibilities, while it has the distinction of being the first ever live-action Star Wars directed by a woman, Deborah Chow, who absolutely is at fault for how good this episode is!
By the end of “Chapter 2 – The Child,” I already felt like we were finally getting to know the Mandalorian via his actions towards Baby Yoda, and “Chapter 3 – The Sin” both solidifies the show’s way of building his character and proves its effectiveness. The Mandalorian is devout to his clan, made clear from his reverence to the Armorer, their leader, how eager he is to share part of his bounties with the foundlings (their children), and his strict adherence to their code and ways. Though as he watches his new armor be forged, which looks fantastic when done, he once again sees flashbacks to his past, his home attacked by Separatist forces, and how his parents hide him away in a little shelter only for them to die moments later in explosion (off camera, so maybe not), with a Super Battle Droid opening up the doors and taking aim…but then the flashback ends. Who saves the young Mandalorian? Could it be someone in his current clan, considering he wasn’t in helmet as a child but the clan’s foundlings are by that age? Regardless of who his rescuer turns out to be, though I imagine it’ll be surprise we’ll all be talking about for a while, the way the Mandalorian was rescued as a child weighs on his mind to this day…hence why after giving up Baby Yoda, albeit with some reluctance and concerns about what will happen to him, he goes back to rescue him from the Imperial Remnant! What seems to be the final straw to make him commit such a sin (get it?!) against the bounty hunters’ guild? Remembering Baby Yoda’s earlier cuteness in the ship, trying to take apart one his levers so it could have a toy; only cold, heartless Imperials can resist cuteness of that magnitude! The only wrinkle to his rescue his how he calls Baby Yoda an enemy when discussing the matter with the Armorer; does he and the clan consider him an enemy because he’s a Force-user or because he was a bounty? I imagine it has to do with the child being a Force-user, with their distaste for them coming from the “Great Purge” they talk about considering the Jedi helped Mandalore previously (as seen in Star Wars Rebels‘ S4 premiere). Enemy or not, the Mandalorian rescues the child and is later rescued by his clan in spectacularly epic fashion, so it seems the clan’s honor extends even to the lives of enemies, especially if they’re children. The Mandalorian’s name still isn’t officially out there, but Pedro Pascal dropped it and it’s Din Jarrin, but I’m growing more eager to learn about him as the series progresses, especially with his lack of connections to anyone who’s come before.
After turning in Baby Yoda (aka the large part of the episode where I was low key freaking out), the Mandalorian returns to Greef Carga (Carl Weathers) to find more work, potentially as a way to help him forget about the child. Carga is rather boastful about the Mando getting the job done, as it seems everyone under the unidentified planet’s sun had a tracking fob at one point, hence the Trandoshan attack in “Chapter 2,” and he got his own stash of Beskar as reward, sitting close to his heart (more on that in a moment). His boastfulness almost sounds like he knows certain ears are listening, potentially those that work for the Imperial Remnant, hence his insistence that the Empire is dead. Once the Mando gets away with Baby Yoda, and all the tracking fobs light up once again, there’s hesitation and reluctance on his face. When he takes aim to bring down the droid sled the Mando hides on, it’s purposeful and thought out, but when he joins everyone ganging up on the Mando’s position before the big rescue from his clan, Carga doesn’t take such careful aim. As the big group is confronting the Mando, Carga is loud and menacing about getting back the child, but when he sneaks on the Razor Crest to confront him, you can tell he’s more bark than bite. The Mandalorian shoots him anyways after distracting him, but when we pan back to Carga’s body as the Razor Crest flies away, he awakes, saved by the Beskar close to his heart, which begs the question: did he get lucky or did the Mandalorian shoot there on purpose? I believe it’s the latter, but why is the far more interesting question anyways.
Once again, the Client (Werner Herzog) is almost as menacing as the Mandalorian simply with his demeanor and words, and I really loved their interactions as he warns the Mando off from asking further questions regarding Baby Yoda’s fate. He claims the Child is important to him, but later on Dr. Pershing says a “he” ordered them to bring it to him alive; is this referring to Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon character? And is the Client likely to be hurt or harmed if he can’t produce the child for the Moff? Regardless, the Client will be in trouble with whomever he’s reporting to after the Mandalorian single-handedly invades their compound and secures Baby Yoda (or Yoddle, as some of the Star Wars internet has begun to call him), though it seems the Doctor potentially extracted whatever they needed from the Child so maybe he’ll be in less trouble. The Mando sparing Dr. Pershing is another moment building up his character, and showing some of the honor he and his tribe have, and I honestly believed the doctor as well regarding his attempts to protect the Child.
While I was expecting the big rescue of the Mando at the end, seeing a group of Mandalorians wreck havoc together in live-action, after years of seeing it in The Clone Wars or Rebels, was nothing short of spectacular. I feel like we won’t see that again for a while on the show, so drink it in and enjoy it for now, as who knows how/when the Mando will find his way back to his tribe. This episode has the distinction of being the first live-action Star Wars content directed by a woman, Deborah Chow, and she had the series’ biggest, most dynamic action sequences yet, from the Mando’s infiltration of the compound to the final battle, and they were shot exceptionally well; it’s no small wonder why they gave her directing duties for the entirety of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show. “Chapter 3 – The Sin” is easily the show’s best so far, in no small part to the big action moments, but also how it seems to wrap up a little three episode story arc and is left rather wide open from where it can go from here. Where is the Mando going to go with Baby Yoda? Considering the tracking fobs still work for Baby Yoda, will the “he” the Client refers to come looking for his prize? How will things ever be safe for the Mando going forward, after the decision he made here? And how many more parts of his ship can he spare as toys for Baby Yoda, because if you ask me, he should donate every bit he can since it was so damn cute reaching for the bulb at the end.
As much as I’ve come to love the show, it’s impossible to talk about it without acknowledging its biggest, glaring fault, one it could do so much better on without much effort at all: gender disparity. The Armorer (who doesn’t get a name beyond that, but the character Jon Favreau voices does*) so far is the show’s only female character, and a leader of a group of dudes at that, but having one or two of the stormtroopers and/or other Mandos voiced by women would’ve simply alleviated the problem; it’s canon and established both stormtroopers and Mandos have more than just men within their ranks, so having someone come in and read a line or two is not difficult or much trouble to go through to fix this. Rogue One, an absolutely great Star Wars film, also had a glaring gender disparity problem, but one can still enjoy the film and talk about its faults (many of which make it such a great film to begin with). It’s important to talk about these things because it’s nearly 2020 and this isn’t something that should be happening anymore, is very easy to fix, and holding the show accountable can help call attention to the problem so the creators know to do better. I’m really loving The Mandalorian, don’t get me wrong, but I’m being critical because I enjoy it and want it to be even better, and it’s a shame that many people have brought up this problem on Twitter and have been attacked for it due to the minor, but vocal subsection of toxic fandom. There are female characters coming as the show progresses, but like I said, a few more voices or speaking roles in these first three episodes would’ve been easy and simple to do.
Here are a few other things:
- The safe full of Beskar the Client hands to the Mandalorian? A background character in The Empire Strikes Back has gained a cult following for carrying a similar device, but only because it was a real world ice cream maker and he deemed it so vital when told to evacuate Cloud City. His cult status goes so far as the “Running of the Willrow Hoods” at any Star Wars Celebration, where dozens of cosplayers run through the floor; I got to experience a few over the past couple of years and it’s a blast and hilarious to witness.
- Try to stay calm and don’t freak out: THE BABY YODA MERCHANDISE IS COMING.
- Since the knife the Mandalorian wields vibrates…is that our first live-action vibro-knife?!
- Getting to see Super Battle Droids in live-action again was a real treat, especially this effect/design, as it felt/looked less animated.
- *The Mando Jon Favreau voices in the episode, the giant one with the heavy repeating blaster, was named in the credits as Paz Vizla. Favreau voiced Pre Vizsla in The Clone Wars, but notice the distinction in spelling: Vizla vs Vizsla. Could this simply be a typo? If not, Clan Vizla is part of The Old Republic MMO, so potentially this is a descendant of that Clan, but why Favreau had to voice him and therefore make people think Vizsla, is a bit of a head scratcher. It would’ve been weird if all the Vizslas sounded the same though, so here’s hoping this was simply creator insert and definitely a Vizla.
- Between “I have spoken” and “This is the way,” The Mandalorian is really giving Star Wars some unforgettable catch-phrases! Though their chat of “This is the way” has a little cult-y vibe to it.
The Mandalorian “Chapter 3 – The Sin” propels the show towards places we can only begin to guess!
+ Getting to know the Mando more
+ Where does it go from here?!?
+ Welcome Deborah Chow, first female SW director!
+ Spectacular action sequences
– Gender disparity and how easy it would be to avoid
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
THE MANDALORIAN REVIEWS
Season One: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 – The Child | Chapter 4 – The Sanctuary | Chapter 5 – The Gunslinger | Chapter 6 – The Prisoner | Chapter 7 – The Reckoning | Chapter 8 – Redemption