Original Air Date: December 4, 2020
Writer: Jon Favreau
Director: Robert Rodriguez
“I’m just a simple man making my way through the galaxy…”
I thought this was a terrific episode. It features the long-awaited crossover between Din Djarin and Boba Fett, though admittedly I am less impressed by the elaborate kung-fu choreography in Star Wars fight scenes than other fans. The episode begins with the Razor Crest arriving on the planet called Tython (which was suggested to him by Ahsoka Tano in the previous episode). He takes Grogu to a hilltop temple which will hopefully garner the attention of another Jedi somewhere out in the galaxy. While Grogu meditates on a “seeing stone,” a forcefield appears around him. Suddenly, Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) land nearby claiming they have been following Mando in an effort to reclaim Fett’s armor which Mando.
However, two ships carrying stormtroopers land and begin advancing on the temple. Din, Boba, and Fennec all engage in a brutal face-off with the stormtroopers with Boba Fett donning his old armor once again. When the stormtroopers fail to take the hill, Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) sends down a band of dark troopers from his light cruiser to claim Grogu, and at the same time Din’s ship, the Razor Crest, is alarmingly destroyed –why would Moff Gideon destroy Mando’s ship? Wouldn’t he like to continue tracking him?
At any rate, this episode ends as Mando teams up with Boba Fett and Fennec Shand to enlist the help of Cara Dune (Gina Carano). Meanwhile, Grogu is stunned and detained aboard Moff Gideon’s Imperial light cruiser. It is an ominous ending that sets up a forthcoming conflict.
The Mandalorian Trivia:
- The “tragedy” in this episode is a reference to Grogu being kidnapped and the Razor Crest being destroyed (after already being repaired several times so far this season).
- Most of this episode was shot in Southern California.
- There is an amusing nod to Raiders of the Lost Ark in this episode when Fennec Shand sends a boulder tumbling down a hill to crush the stormtroopers.
- Only six of the stormtroopers in the fight sequence were real, the others were digitally added.
- Ludwig Göransson crafted a new theme song for Boba Fett in this episode.
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