– Spoiler Review –
The title about says it all, doesn’t it?! I mean, it doesn’t completely cover everything that goes down, but when it appeared in the episode, it was an effective way to set the stage for what was about to happen. The Mandalorian “Chapter 14 – The Tragedy,” drenched in visceral action director Robert Rodriguez is known for, brings several big threads to a head and sets the stage for the story to come in the final two episodes.
Despite being one of the shortest episodes of the season, “Chapter 14 – The Tragedy” is packed to the brim with big moments, so we have a lot to cover. I’ll start with the little things: its length is both its biggest asset and detriment, as the brevity makes the action hit harder, because prolonging the scenes would likely feel exhausting to viewers, but the density of the story/character moments in such a short episode prevents some of them from landing more effectively. Also, most of the problems I had were the small, nitpicky stuff that don’t amount to much but were noticeable regardless: For starters, why doesn’t Din grab the jetpack instead of running off when stormtroopers first arrive? Then, it seems Din’s only as fast as the episode wants him to be, as one time he’s back up to Grogu in a flash but when it really matters he can’t get there in time magically. Also, did Din really think he’d break through that Force shield around Grogu despite failing a few times before? All in all, nothing major, but these things still stood out in a rather great, memorable episode.
Alright, where to begin?! I’ll start with one of my favorite aspects of the episode: the return of Fennec Shand!! Her ‘death’ in “Chapter 5 – The Gunslinger” was one of many egregious choices in the episode from Dave Filoni, and while I still can’t believe they let it happen, the coda with the mysterious spur-wearing stranger approaching her body finally paid off, thus my hopes and dreams this past year came true!! One simply does not get Ming-Na Wen in Star Wars and kills her off after a single episode! Blasphemy! Well, blasphemy no more, as Fennec is back and more badass than ever, showing off her impressive sharpshooting skills and (literally) kicking off one of the best moments of the episode, rolling a boulder on hapless stormtroopers. How and why Boba Fett saved her doesn’t get explained, but I’m not worried about it at the moment because at least she’s back and the previous episode’s sin with her is mostly forgiven. The part I didn’t like was how Fennec refers to herself being in Boba’s ‘service,’ a cringe-worthy way to phrase it, and I’d rather it had been something along the lines of owing him a debt, but maybe we’ll get more details on their arrangements going forward. Either way, so freaking happy Fennec is back!!
Speaking of Boba Fett, put down your “but maybe he’s playing a different clone” theories, as the arrival of the Slave 1 puts it all to rest: Boba Fett is the latest simple man trying to make his way through the galaxy. From the sound design ripped right from the Slave 1’s appearance in Attack of the Clones as it blasts onto Tython here, alongside Boba’s quote of Jango’s famous line to Obi-Wan and the gun twirl, the prequel love was strong with the character’s return. As for how I feel about his overall return, story/character-wise, I’m a little torn. The idea behind Boba’s reluctance to take his armor back from Cobb Vanth for the past 5 years was maybe he didn’t feel like he deserved the armor, was atoning for his past, and/or had changed to some degree from the rather heartless hunter we’ve seen in some current comics. Did he finally feel he was worth it because he’d have to win it back from another Mandalorian? Was that really all he was waiting for during the past 5 years? Or did he not think he had anything worthwhile to barter Vanth for it, but putting Grogu in Fennec’s sights would be his best bet to get it returned? His anger, and merciless attack of the stormtroopers was both impressive but also a reminder of his less nuanced past as cold-blooded killer, which might appeal to some but is why I found myself less and less enamored with the character (and more and more with his father, Jango). The fact he nursed Fennec back to health and is willing to uphold the deal to keep Grogu safe even after he’s gained the armor does show progress for Boba, so maybe we’ll get a little bit of both with his return, which would make me more excited to have him around longer.
Another big moment from Boba’s return was confirmation Jango, and therefore Boba, are actually Mandalorians, which wasn’t always the (clear) case in Legends or Canon (as Almec said the Fetts weren’t in a The Clone Wars episode) but is now for sure in canon, as Jango’s past in the Mandalorian Civil War is cemented here; Jango was a foundling, like Din, so likely adopted, but still technically a Mandalorian. If this confirmation will somehow tie into the larger thread of Bo-Katan’s quest to reclaim Mandalore remains to be seen, but maybe he’ll come around to the idea after spending some time with Din. And if Boba helped Fennec with some mechanical fixes to her health problems, could how/where he got that for her explain his scarring and survival as well? Lots of questions still left for Boba’s return, and if rumors are true, we might see the answers in a short little miniseries sometime next year.
Oh Din, sweet, innocent, dad-Din. He got just a little too comfortable with Grogu and leaving him, not always taking him wherever he goes, which means you can and cannot blame him for feeling comfortable leaving Grogu alone on the seeing stone here. The opening is a cute moment between the two, as he seems to enjoy that he and Grogu have formed such a strong bond, meaning he has the respect of such a small and powerful creature and can make him use his tremendous powers. He’s still not very excited about shipping his kid off to Jedi camp, but he knows he needs to let Grogu make his own choice, hence his awkwardness with the child when he leaves him on the seeing stone on Tython. With the arrival of Boba and Fennec, Din feels comfortable enough to leave Grogu, but when the stormtroopers appear he’s eager to get him back under his wing, but whatever Baby Yoda is doing on the stone has wrapped a very protective force-shield around him. Din’s first attempt at breaking through leaves him out cold, conveniently giving Boba and Fennec their chance to shine in the action part of the episode, and after repeated failures to break through he feels rather confident to leave the little one behind. Fennec and Boba hold their own against the stormies, and Din offers a great assist, but once Boba grabs his armor it’s all over, with his line after shooting down the fleeing troop carriers probably the funniest of the episode. And then that’s when “The Tragedy” strikes…and strikes hard. For starters, Gideon’s cruiser blasts the Razor Crest to dust! I mean, the poor ship received zero respect from Din, who broke it more than Han Solo ever did the Falcon, so it deserved to finally rest, just not like this! And then Moff Gideon deploys his latest project: the Dark Troopers, glimpsed in “Chapter 12 – The Siege”! Legends ideas break into canon again, as the intimidating droid troopers jet down to Grogu, finally finished with whatever he was doing on the stone and thus too weak to fight/the force-shield around him is down…and they steal Grogu and bring him right to Gideon!!!! Now you know why Din suddenly forgetting he ever had a jetpack (and the convenience of Boba asking him to take it off this episode) bugs me a bit, as he probably could’ve tried something instead of watching his little kid jet off into space, straight into the hands of the enemy. It might be a really down moment for Din, but he at least still has the beskar staff and two new allies, Boba and Fennec, to help him get Grogu back.
Grogu seems nervous on their approach to Tython, his strong sense of attachment shown through his desire to hold onto the ball and apprehension from him not using the Force to grab it back from Din, plus his noises when Din reminds him he has to make a choice seem to hint at his less than excited attitude; yes, I think I’ve become somewhat of a Baby Yoda whisperer like Ahsoka. As for what goes down with Grogu on the seeing stone of Tython, we’re not offered much in the way of explanation, but damn was it not one of the more intriguing moments of the show and episode. Was he connecting and unlocking his memories of his training? Did a Jedi sense him? I believe he remembered more of his training at least, as he’s throwing around stormtroopers in Gideon’s cell like ragdolls, but the effort still takes a lot out of him. It was interesting seeing him use the Force that way, as it was both self-defense but also lots of the anger Ahsoka talked about, as it was more to harm the troopers for taking him away than to free himself, something Moff Gideon gleefully smiles at, as only Giancarlo Esposito can, to lets us know this behavior is not good. As Gideon taunts the very sleepy Grogu (nice A Chrismas Story reference!), which was somewhat comical given the size difference, they bind up the little guy and Gideon has his Comms Officer (please give this woman a name!) call in Dr. Pershing…it’s time to continue the experiments!! Yikes!! Yes, I’m terrified for Baby Yoda, even though I was sure Din would lose him to Gideon at some point this season, but I’ve got some faith Din and his new allies might be able to pull off a rescue, though it’ll likely be too late, and whatever experiments they’re working on will be completed; but let’s not think about the negative…instead, let’s take a step back to the seeing stone: If whatever Grogu did on it works, I guarantee we won’t know until the season finale, and if it’s a Jedi who comes after him, I don’t even think they’ll assist in the final battle to secure Grogu! Instead, that’ll be a season finale closing moment, someone approaching them and gently saying, “Grogu, I’m here to train you.” Who would it be? I’m sticking with my guess of Luke Skywalker, because imagine seeing that as the final shot of the season and boom, fade to credits, a cliffhanger hinging on so many questions of what comes next now the two have met; the way that would ripple out in fandom, nerdom, and the entertainment world would be huge! Obviously, that’s what I hope happens and I have no guarantee it will, but we’ll know in two weeks.
So where do Din, Boba, and Fennec start to find Grogu? Looks like they’re going to free Migs Mayfield (Bill Burr), the human involved with the prison break episode last season, to help them track down Gideon.
Here are a few other things:
- Robert Rodriguez was the perfect choice for the action-heavy focus of the episode, as it really brought a cohesive, easy to follow set of scenes, while allowing for impressive showcases from each character. Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard have matched his energy in their episodes before, but he certainly has just an extra flair to it that’s easy to distinguish.
- I found the design of the Dark Troopers to be both intimidating, as likely intended, and much more feasible than their Legends counterparts, which basically looked like the Juggernaut from X-Men comics but in giant stormtrooper armor, which was comical more than anything else. They didn’t get to do much besides grab a baby and jet around, so I’m excited to see them in action in the coming episodes.
- If you don’t want to read my lengthy looks at the episodes, this wonderfully funny short video just about sums up every episode of The Mandalorian.
- The return of Cara Dune might be the real tragedy (the tweet is Rot13 encrypted) because it means more Gina Carano (whose actions I’ve gone over in length before) so now is a good time to remind you to donate to this fundraiser for the Transgender Law Center instead of bothering to recount her many transgressions. Trans rights are human rights, full stop.
Who placed bets on the show visiting Tython being the least memorable thing about the episode?! The Mandalorian’s “Chapter 14 – The Tragedy” is stuffed with big, memorable moments and intense, dazzling action, setting us on a crash course for the final two episodes of the season.
+ Fennec Shand is back!!
+ Hints of a nuanced Boba
+ Epic action sequences
+ Tragedy indeed!
– More Cara….great…
– Brevity hinders some aspects
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
THE MANDALORIAN REVIEWS
Season Two: Chapter 9 – The Marshal | Chapter 10 – The Passenger | Chapter 11 – The Heiress | Chapter 12 – The Siege | Chapter 13 – The Jedi
Season One: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 – The Child | Chapter 3 – The Sin | Chapter 4 – The Sanctuary | Chapter 5 – The Gunslinger | Chapter 6 – The Prisoner | Chapter 7 – The Reckoning | Chapter 8 – Redemption