After establishing a new standard for Star Wars, The Mandalorian builds upon what was established in the previous season, as it further integrates itself in the Star Wars canon. More memorable characters are added to the mix while the main cast continues to venture into new territory. This season increases the action and character development for a larger impact despite the basic storytelling.
CREDIT: Lucasfilm/Disney+
The titular character has definitely shown major progress throughout the season, and it’s interesting to see his viewpoints challenged, especially with Mando discovering the variety in Mandalorian culture based on each respective faction. His father-son relationship with Grogu (a.k.a. The Child/Baby Yoda) continues to develop for the better and showcases how much Mando is willing to go through just to keep him safe, as it creates some of the most emotional moments of the series. I also applaud Pedro Pascal for being able to create emotion and engagement under the helmet and still being amazing for the couple of instances where his face is seen.
Grogu, after taking the world by storm, continues his dominance of cuteness as he learns more about his force abilities. Cara Dune continues to be an action-heavy heroine who is still trying to overcome the emotions of her past. Greef Karga is still memorable despite having a reduce role for this season, while Moff Gideon became a lot more menacing and cunning as he’s shown to be a character that loves being evil. Other characters such as the unnamed Mythrol, Fennec Shand, Mayfeld are welcomed returns with more time to shine during individual episodes.
One of the best aspects of this season is the return of previous Star Wars characters, with some of them making their live-action debuts. In the case of Bo Katan and Ahsoka Tano, both of them have changed to some extent since they were last seen in Star Wars Rebels, and it makes The Mandalorian feel a lot more significant to the larger Star Wars experience. Boba Fett’s comeback redeems his character after his disappointing defeat in Return of the Jedi, with his appearances in the show finally living up to his legendary status. For fans of these legacy characters such as myself, the fanboy levels of excitement are through the roof, as there’s a sense of excitement and reward that comes from having in-depth knowledge of the current Star Wars canon. The returns of these characters will seemingly lead to more legacy characters while filling in the gap between the original and sequel trilogies.
The action and production values continue to be impressive (even with the blunder of the “Jeans Guy” that has since been removed), as it creates an immersive experience like no other through the innovative StageCraft technology. For a live-action Star Wars production, the action feels intimate and fast-paced, while being among the most grounded battles for the franchise. The show-off between Mando and Moff Gideon in the season finale was emotionally impressive with amazing choreography while Ahsoka’s battle with the Magistrate is simple but captivating. The planets in this season feel so diverse while also sharing some similarities to other planets in the Star Wars universe, while Tatooine continues being a planet with plenty of sand and danger.
Despite storylines and episodes that vary in significance and scope, all episodes had enough emotion, complexity, and heart to be worthwhile (though some episodes are better than others). As the series progresses, there’s more integration of certain elements from the non-canon slate of media known as “Star Wars Legends”, as they make their way into the current canon. Episodes such as “The Siege” and “The Marshal” had plenty of fun action while episodes such as “The Jedi”, “The Tragedy”, and “The Rescue” were ambitious and executed impressively with emotional and exciting moments.
CREDIT: Lucasfilm/Disney+
The two major plot threads unfolded in a good way, while also leaving room to build upon Mandalorian culture and the status of the Jedi post-Order 66. Mando interacting with other Mandalorians outside his faction continues to flesh out the diversity in Mandalorian culture and opens the door for even more Mandalorians (old and new) to show up in the future. Meanwhile, Grogu discovering his force abilities was done in a fun manner while creating importance for his future and how best to use his gift.
Overall, this season managed to top its predecessor, despite the high bar that was set for the first season. Mando and Grogu’s relationship has never been stronger, as their father-son dynamic makes for some emotional moments. Meanwhile, the return of characters such as Bo Katan and Ahsoka Tano work well in establishing the importance of the series in the Star Wars canon. The action continues to be thrilling even with the relatively simple storytelling. With new live-action Star Wars shows on the horizon, hopefully they’ll be able to replicate the quality established by this series so far.
EPISODE RANKINGS FOR SEASON 2 (FROM WORST TO BEST)
- The Passenger (Chapter 10)
- The Heiress (Chapter 11)
- The Siege (Chapter 12)
- The Marshal (Chapter 9)
- The Tragedy (Chapter 14)
- The Believer (Chapter 15)
- The Jedi (Chapter 13)
- The Rescue (Chapter 16)
SCORE: 10/10
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