#for the record i HAVE watched mando season 3 and some of 2

[jewishcissiekj]

Started Mando season 1 today. Finishing it rn.

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

After proessing this episode and seeing people's reactions over these past few hours...

Am I the only one who actually feels hopeful after that finale?

Yes, of course Din letting Grogu go broke my heart into a million little pieces and of course I'd want them to stay together. But this was the ending most of us expected, even if we didn't want this to happen. Din's mission for this season was to reunite the child with its kind and that's exactly what he has done.

Luke showing up, as awesome as it was, threw me off guard mostly because I thought a character like Luke Skywalker is simply too huge to put in this show. Nearly untouchable at this point. The appearances of Ahsoka Tano and Boba Fett already felt like Din was being overshadowed, so I didn't think they would do this. Until the moment he revealed his face I thought it's gonna be Ezra, Cal Ketsis or some new character - a person who got Grogu out of the Temple when the Jedi Order fell and somehow survived all these years.

The reason I'm feeling hopeful is because I see some kind of a pattern in how the story goes, following a path of character development. Because as important as the plot is, this story doesn't feel plot-driven to me, it's character-driven.

Season 1 told the story of how father and son, two lonely souls, found each other and formed a bond.

Season 2 made them realize what they mean to each other and what are they willing to do for one another - Din breaking the Creed and revealing his face so he can save his son and Grogu deciding to leave with Luke and train, so he can make sure his growing but uncontrolled abilities mixed with his strong attachment to his father won't be the reason Din gets hurt. Remember what Ahsoka said? "Grogu will choose his own path." It didn't happen at that seeing stone. It happened in the finale. Grogu made his choice and Din let him.

And I believe season 3 will focus of their separate character growth, both of them coming to terms with their own identites. Grogu will learn the ways of the Jedi and how to master his power in the right way. Din, now being crowned the ruler of Mandalore despite not wanting it in the first place will have to come to terms with his identity as a Mandalorian, how he feels about it and about himself, how his upbringing as The Child of The Watch fits into all of this and maybe consider the posibility to live outside of it. Once they both deal with that, they will reunite - either on purpose or because the fate will bring them together again when they least expect it. Who knows? Maybe we'll even get a parallel to the pilot episode?

As for the behind-the-scenes stuff, I'm not worried either.

Boba Fett SPIN OFF (because this is a spin off guys, chill) was announced this way to avoid spoilers (although I admit the way it was done brought out a good amount of confusion in me). It is NOT season 3. It's its own thing.

Grogu is NOT OFF THE SHOW. You really think those greedy bastards at Disney will let go of the one thing that brings them the most money right now, not just from streaming views and ratings but from toys and merchandise, stuff they harvest the most money from? BABY YODA IS EVERYWHERE, EVEN IN THE COUNTRIES THAT DON'T HAVE DISNEY+ YET (*waves my hand from Poland where Disney+ is basically nothing but a myth but Baby Yoda plushies are at every fucking supermarket and they are expensive af*) You really think they are just gonna put a high-tech puppet worth MILLIONS of dollars into a box and stash it somewhere in a warehouse? NOPE.

I also don't think we're gonna see Luke around that much. Why? I think money, again. It looks like they used the same technology that brought us young Leia and Tarkin in Rogue One. The Mandalorian's budget is already huge, but I feel this is something they needed to put some extra money out for. And didn't Mark Hamill said after TRoS that he's basically done with Luke? So how did they got him here? Was he on set? Was it just a body double while Mark recorded his lines and they mixed it so he could sound younger? Or maybe they went through his works, took voice samples and put his lines together this way? Who knows. I hope they reveal it in the making-of special on 25th.

Plus, with all those new live action and animated series recently announced, Disney won't be pumping all its money into Mando.

Now it all depends on the writing. There are some things I would add or extend this season. It wasn't perfect but nothing ever is.

All we gotta do now is wait (and not waste our energy on overthinking)

[sunshinelikesstarwars]

Paths of Life 9

AO3 - FanFiction.net

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 -  9 - ?

The new trailer is out! I gotta finish this before the new season!! Again, @plainrea and @bellehillary, your comments kept me motivated to write, so thank you so much!

They came out of hyperspace and the Mandalorian began flying them towards the open hangar.

Omera took a deep breath. They had a plan. Everything would be fine.

They landed and she, for a brief second, imagined that they decided to fly away immediately. Maybe they could start homesteading in the Unknown Regions. No one would look for them in that wild part of the galaxy, right? Surely that would be safer than this?

But no, it was time to focus—she was no longer Omera the farmer, but Mer the bounty hunter. The new clothes they had traded her woven items for felt strange, but she tried to relax and settle into them. Calm and detached. She was a killer, a trick-shot, her rifle strapped to her back and her pistol an increasingly normal weight on her hip. She was merciless and unflinching. Aloof and unaffected. And it was just an act—this would not be what she would become. This was a cloak, to be worn in disguise and then set aside.

For she may be any or all of those things at times—merciless, a killer—but they were not parts of herself that she liked.

She checked the children, tucked away in the berth. “Alright. Remember, be very quiet. You’ll be just fine. Winta, you have the headphones?” Her daughter held up the two sets they had picked up. “Good. You guys can listen to some quiet stories, like we talked about. No making noises, though. We’ll be done with this soon, and then we’ll go somewhere nice for tonight, okay?” Winta’s wide eyes showed how unconvinced she was of the sanity and safety of this whole event and Omera wanted to sigh.

This was risky. It was, as the Mandalorian had so gracefully put it a few nights before, a bad idea. But without guild work, bounty hunting was harder than ever, with clients either not paying in full or at all unless threatened. Omera’s weaving had gotten them the clothes she was currently wearing, yes, but it had taken an obscene amount of time to make all the belts she had with the scant resources available to her. Winta could help her, but had limited patience, and the baby needed to be watched most of the time so he didn’t run off into mischief.

She turned as the Mandalorian hopped down the last few rungs of the ladder and the kids both looked at him as he came over. “You two all set?” he asked, coming over to gently pat the baby’s head. Winta nodded, smiling wide, and Omera bit back a laugh. When the Mandalorian asked if she was alright, Winta would happily say yes, but not for her own mother? So that’s how it was going to be for a while. Omera would have to take the Mandalorian aside and talk to him about that—but not now. (There seemed to be a lot of those “not now” conversations, actually.) Now, it was time to play her part to keep her kids fed for possibly the next couple of weeks.

“Be good, and remember: stay quiet,” Omera added, kissing both children’s foreheads before the Mandalorian shut the berth door.

The two parents looked at each other in the quiet. Omera felt her heart racing, her palms sweating. There were so many ways this plan could go wrong. After a bit, the Mandalorian tipped his head towards the exit and Omera took a deep breath, then nodded. Time to get going.

The hangar was busier than she had anticipated, although it was a fairly good-sized space station, so maybe it wasn’t too strange. People paused when they saw them: a Mandalorian, rare, and a Mandalorian’s partner, even rarer.

They approached a man with wild gray hair, who laughed and called the Mandalorian “Mando,” a nickname that had never sat well with Omera. She wondered what the Mandalorian thought of it. “Mando” was being especially quiet and restrained--for all that this man pretended camaraderie with the Mandalorian, she didn’t think the feelings were genuine on either side.

The man was called Ran, and she noticed his sharp eyes linger on her. “And who’s this you’ve brought along?”

“My partner, Mer,” the Mandalorian replied. “She’s a crack-shot. Good for any job.”

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t pay her for this one. With you and your ship, we’ve got everyone we need.”

They’d discussed the possibility that Ran wouldn’t hire her on. What they hadn’t discussed was the possibility that he’d want to use the Razor Crest. Omera felt the start of a mild panic. She took deep breaths to disperse it and attempted to look mildly disappointed by not getting the job instead.

“The Razor Crest? That wasn’t part of the deal. What do you need my ship for?”

Ran talked about it being off-the-grid, something Omera didn’t really understand. Surely there were other unregistered ships? He seemed to have decided, though, and she felt the Mandalorian’s reluctance to push too hard against him. Ran might decide not to give them the job, or simply have the two of them shot and take the ship, kids and all.

She stepped up next to the Mandalorian, who turned to look at her. She really wished she could see his eyes, but she tried her best to communicate with hers. “I can go get the ship ready, if you want,” she said. Warn the kids. Hide any evidence of anyone besides “Mando” and “Mer.”

He turned back to Ran. “How long of a job is it?”

Ran, who was watching them with interest, shrugged. “An hour or two, three tops. In and out. Your, ah, lady friend here—” Omera frowned at him. She had a name, thank you— “can even wait in the ship, if she doesn’t mess with anything or slow you down. Might be a bit crowded, but like I said, it’s not a long job.”

Omera was still breathing deep, as slow as she could without drawing attention to herself. She needed to be calm. If they took the job, she would have to explain the change in plans to the kids quickly. Oh, it hurt her heart to leave them in the berth for so long, but it was the safest place on the ship—out of the way of prying eyes.

She wondered if this low-level panic would become the new normal for her. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

It took another long moment, but the Mandalorian eventually nodded. Ran smiled and smacked his pauldron. “Excellent! I’ll introduce you to the crew.”

As the other man turned away, Omera leaned towards the Mandalorian. “Like I said, I’ll get the ship ready.” He nodded again, so distant, even from her, and she wondered what he wanted to say. There wasn’t time, though—she had to hurry.

She set off at not-quite-a-jog to the ship. Once inside, she glanced to see if anyone was watching from outside and saw a few mechanics moving parts, so she focused on cleaning up any toys or other things that would give away the game. After that was done, she looked out again. She was worried someone would be coming up the ramp already—but she had to risk it.

She opened the berth door to see two surprised little faces. Winta started to smile and pulled off her headphones, but Omera shook her head. “New plan. Stay very quiet. More people will be on the ship for a while.” Then she shut the door and checked to see if anyone was watching. None—they were safe. Her shoulders relaxed (she hadn’t even realized they had tensed up) and she felt her heart racing.

If the Mandalorian suggested they do something like this again, she was going to have a very long talk with him.

A droid was the first to board the ship. It (he?) looked at her, then proceeded to look around the ship. “I am Zero. I am the pilot for this job. I must run a diagnostic of the ship.” He then climbed up the ladder to the cockpit before waiting for any response. A quick glance out the door showed that the Mandalorian was standing with a group of people around a holo-deck and that no one else was likely to board anytime soon, so Omera climbed up after the droid.

He was running a diagnostic, like he said, but when he checked the comms, a recorded message started to play. When the droid didn’t immediately stop the recording, Omera walked over and turned it off. “If you don’t mind,” she said in a hard voice. He looked at her for only a moment before turning back to his work. She frowned. The droids back on Sorgan had been very polite—this one seemed nothing like them. She supposed he wouldn’t be if he was a bounty hunter or something similar.

She waited until he was done, then followed him down. He left the ship without saying anything and Omera wasn’t sure if she was annoyed or relieved.

A Twi'lek boarded next. She glanced around lazily. “Just like I remember it. He certainly hasn’t changed much.” Her gaze landed on Omera and she smiled a sharp, unkind sort of smile, twirling what looked like a dagger in her fingers and looking Omera up and down. “And you must be Mer. I’m surprised to see him with a...partner. Especially with...well, I’m sure you already know.”

Omera did not like this woman, she knew that.

The purple-skinned woman continued, “I guess that makes me, well, the ex, in this situation.” Another smile and a horrendous giggle. “How awkward for you. I’m Xi’an, if you were wondering. Maybe he mentioned me?” Omera let no reaction show. This woman was trying to get a rise out of her, and she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. And she highly doubted the Mandalorian had consented to anything but a working relationship with this Xi’an. “I always knew he’d come back,” the woman went on, strolling around, taking in the stored luggage and bedroll before setting down on the bench and starting to balance one of her daggers on a finger. “It was just a matter of time.”

Sweet stars above, did this woman think she was a holostar or something? Did real people say things like that?

But Xi’an’s words reminded Omera of what the Mandalorian had said, about how coming back here felt like crawling back to an abusive master. Oh, she was liking this job less and less.

Two men boarded the ship, one a pale-skinned human and the other a red-skinned alien she didn’t know the species of.

The human waved. “Hi, I’m Mayfeld. The big guy’s Burg.” Burg grunted.

Omera nodded back at them, arms crossed. “Mer.” She wanted this job to be over with already.

Both the droid and the Mandalorian returned, and it was suddenly a bit claustrophobic in the small area. The two of them both went to the cockpit and they were soon underway.

Not too long into the journey, Burg began pacing and growling. Omera moved in between him and the closed door of the berth, just in case. He punched the ceiling and she winced, but it didn’t leave any dents, thank goodness.

Xi’an snapped at him, to which he just growled again.

Normally when things around her were this tense, she’d try to diffuse the situation with some soft words. Maybe ask about interests or planets they’d visited. Easy conversation, mostly pointless, but calming.

Something told her that wouldn’t work too well with this group.

Still, she was considering striking up a conversation with Mayfeld, who seemed polite enough when he’d introduced himself, when Burg started pressing buttons and activated the small armory.

Startled, Omera quickly left her post by the berth to close the doors that had swung open. “Those are private.”

Burg growled and looked about ready to punch her.

“Hey, hey, we all have stuff we don’t want people getting into,” Mayfeld said. He had risen to his feet and held out his hands in a placating gesture. “We’re good, right, Burg? Mer?” Omera wanted to raise an eyebrow. Was he suggesting she was somehow at fault here? She kept her face neutral, though, and nodded once. Burg just growled again, but paced off to the other end of the ship.

It was then that the Mandalorian hopped down from the upper level. Omera hoped that now, maybe, tensions would ease.

Oh, she hoped in vain.

What followed could only be described as taunting, possibly discrimination, and definitely out of line.

Omera wanted to scream at them, kick them off their ship, and fly far, far away. But the Mandalorian did nothing. Was this what his life had been like with this crew? Offensive innuendos from “ladies” and whoever else, outright hostility and mockery of his way of life? How could he bear it in silence?

When Burg looked like he was about to grab the Mandalorian’s helmet and rip it off, Omera did something very foolish. She stepped in between them and put her hand on her pistol. Summoning every bit of righteous bravery (and possibly stupidity) she could find, she said, “I think it’s time for you to take a seat, Burg. I think I hear the ship getting ready to exit hyperspace.”

If she had thought Burg looked angry before, he looked furious now.

“Hey, it’s just a bit of fun,” Mayfeld said with a sneer as Xi’an cackled. “Just a joke. Nothing Mando can’t handle, right? Maybe not, though, if you need some woman to fight your battles for you.” Omera couldn’t believe she’d ever thought he was polite.

“All the same,” she replied, willing herself not to tremble as Burg growled lowly, “it’s time to sit down.”

The ship did exit hyperspace then, immediately beginning to spin and jerk around. As she fell to the ground, she heard her daughter shriek before stifling it. Her blood ran cold. These...these monsters could not find her children. She’d fight them all off first, bare-handed if she had to.

The noise seemed to have been lost in the chaos, though, and while Mayfeld gave the closed berth door an odd look, he turned to the business of getting into whatever ship they’d docked on to.

She felt a hand rest on her back as the Mandalorian stood from where he’d fallen next to her and she relaxed the smallest bit. She wasn’t alone, and she wasn’t leaving the kids. They just had to finish the job and they’d have the ship back to themselves.

The crew were soon dropping out of sight, and when Zero stayed up in the cockpit, Omera risked knocking on the berth door. “Are you alright in there?” she whispered.

There was a bit of shuffling, then a tense, “Yeah, we’re okay.”

Omera sighed. “We’ll be okay, sweetheart. We just have to wait now, okay?”

A pause, then, “How long?”

“I don’t know. Maybe an hour or so. Why don’t you keep listening to your books, alright?”

There was a sniff. “Mom, I...I want to go home.”

Oh. Omera leaned her forehead against the door. “I know, sweetie. We...we’ll talk later, okay? Now’s not a good time. There’s still someone in the cockpit.”

There was no response, and Omera closed her eyes. Home? Where was home? They’d left the village behind. Omera’s family was all dead. Home...this ship was their home. They’d let those people into their home, and Omera would count it a blessing if she never saw their faces ever again.

Unwilling to leave the children alone, even to check on what Zero was doing, she paced around. Was it worth getting out the new belt she was working on, just for something to do? Ran had said the job would take an hour or two, but she wasn’t sure if that meant the job itself or with travel time included. She needed the distraction, though. Her hands were shaking, and she didn’t know if it was from fear or anger or both.

As she brought out her next project, her mind wandered. The others might come back in bad shape, for whatever reason, and she resolved to have at least the very basics of first aid available. Just if they were in danger of bleeding out, though. She put down her work and started to sort through their things. It didn’t take long to gather some supplies, and then she was back to the belt.

Zero came down the ladder after a while. He looked slowly around the small space before saying, “I’ve lost contact with the team. Standard procedure is to wait at least an hour before leaving unless the situation is too dangerous.”

Her breath caught as she stared at the droid. Leave? Leave?

“If they have not returned in that time frame, or if we are in danger, I will come down assist with detaching from the ship.” He then turned and went up the ladder.

No. No, Omera would not let that happen. She’d shoot the droid, climb down to the other ship, and scour the place herself before she left the Mandalorian behind.

The shaking in her hands was even worse now, and she put the project aside and tried to breathe deeply and calmly.

Later, much later, although that might have just been her perception of time, the Mandalorian called up to her from below the docking port. Something in her chest eased and she stood with a sigh of relief.

Omera helped the Mandalorian get a new Twi’lek man up the ladder and safely secured him. The Mandalorian went up to the cockpit, and after a few minutes, they were off again.

She wondered what terrible thing had happened that most of the crew hadn’t made it out of this so-called “easy job.” It wasn’t hard not to dwell on it, though, and she instead kept an eye on their captive. He, thankfully, was not talkative.

They were soon back to the station, and Omera watched Zero escort the imprisoned man down to where Ran was waiting. To her surprise, the two men hugged. So...not a prisoner? Bounty hunting was even more baffling than she’d thought.

“No questions asked, right?” the Mandalorian said in response to Ran’s query about the rest of the crew. The man shrugged and tossed them a pouch of credits. The Mandalorian didn’t even count the credits, but rather hurried to pull up the ramp and close the exit.

“Get ready to jump as soon as we clear the station,” he said, tossing the bag of credits to the side before hurrying up to the cockpit. Startled, stood staring for a moment after him. Surely they weren’t in too much danger now that the job was over?

Regardless, the kids were safe to come out now, and she opened the berth door to see a silently crying Winta cuddling a sleeping little boy. With a heavy heart, she helped them out, then wrapped them in a blanket and had them sit with her on the bedrolla spread on the floor. Winta kept crying, soundless, and Omera hated this even more than she’d hated having that…crew on the ship.

The Mandalorian rejoined them after she felt the ship jolt into hyperspace, lowering himself to the floor with an almost inaudible grunt of pain. He just looked at the children for a moment before looking down at his hands

“Yeah,” he said, sounding weary in a way she hadn’t heard from him before, “that was a bad idea.”

[aion-rsa]

How The Mandalorian Season 2 Finale Could Give Us the Ezra Bridger Moment We’ve Been Waiting For

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Star Wars: The Mandalorian article contains spoilers.

The Mandalorian season 2 finale is poised to be the series’ biggest episode yet. Mando and the cruel Moff Gideon are set up for a rematch, and this time, the stakes are higher than ever before, with little Grogu’s life hanging in the balance.

Fortunately, Mando won’t be taking on the Empire on his own. He’ll have help from Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, and Cara Dune, but is that enough? Gideon not only commands a brigade of stormtroopers but also has the fearsome dark troopers at his disposal as well as the Darksaber. Even for the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters, those odds may be too great. That’s why some fans believe the stage is set for one last big cameo that could turn things in Mando’s favor.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

Ever since Grogu used the Force on Tython to contact any Jedi who might be listening, fans have been speculating about which Jedi might answer the call. There are plenty of theories. The most obvious Jedi who might be coming to Grogu’s rescue is Luke Skywalker since he’s the only Jedi besides Ahsoka Tano who we know for sure is out there. Fans of more recent Jedi characters have put their hopes on Cal Kestis, the young hero from the Jedi: Fallen Order video game. A more far-fetched candidate is Mace Windu, the Jedi Master from the Prequel Trilogy who met his end in Revenge of the Sith but who some believe is still alive somewhere.

While any of these Jedi could potentially break the internet on Friday, there is one other beloved Star Wars character who many fans hope will make his live-action debut in Chapter 16: Ezra Bridger, a hero who not only could still be alive during the time of The Mandalorian but who also has direct ties to other cameo characters like Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze. In fact, ever since the latter two animated characters were confirmed for the live-action series, many have wondered if they were paving the way for this third major guest appearance.

For those who missed Rebels during its original run or haven’t binged it on Disney+ yet (shame on you), Ezra is the main protagonist of the animated series, a young, Force-sensitive freedom fighter who joins a band of rebels known as the Spectres in the years before the official start of the Galactic Civil War. He’s one of the earliest rebels and a key player in the formation of the Rebel Alliance, and even brushes shoulders with many of its leaders, such as Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Princess Leia.

In the years just prior to A New Hope, Ezra also becomes one of the few Jedi left in the galaxy when former-Jedi-turned-Spectre Kanan Jarrus decides to train him in the ways of the Force. Together, the master and apprentice delve deeper into the secrets of the Force, the Jedi, and the Sith than any of the characters in the movies have. But while Ezra’s connection to the Force and his life as a Jedi padawan are integral to his role on the show, his storyline always goes back to being a rebel on his home planet of Lothal, which he tries to free from the Empire throughout the series.

Finally, in the series finale, “Family Reunion — Farewell,” Ezra gets his chance to liberate Lothal once and for all. But it comes at a cost. While fighting Grand Admiral Thrawn’s forces, he and the Chiss Imperial are zapped into hyperspace to parts unknown, leaving the fate of both the hero and the villain unresolved. Two years since the Rebels finale, we still don’t know where Ezra is.

Fans of Rebels undoubtedly perked up when considering the implications of Ahsoka’s return on The Mandalorian and how it might open the door for Ezra to come back, too. After all, the last time we saw Ahsoka (chronologically) was on Lothal, where she reunited with Sabine Wren (another Mandalorian) before heading out on an adventure together to find their missing comrade.

Ahsoka and Sabine’s reunion is actually an epilogue to the show set a year after the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire. That’s 5 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). Meanwhile, The Mandalorian is set in 9 ABY, four years after that epilogue and not too long after Ahsoka and Sabine set out to find Ezra.

When Mando finally meets Ahsoka in “The Jedi,” we learn that she’s a step closer to finding Thrawn. In fact, she’s on Corvus because the tyrannical Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth knows where the Imperial villain is. While the very mention of Thrawn on The Mandalorian could suggest that Disney is interested in retelling one of the most beloved post-Return of the Jedi stories from the old Legends continuity, it’s just as likely that Ahsoka needs to find the villain because he might know where Ezra is.

Fans who have been following executive producer Dave Filoni’s Star Wars work from The Clone Wars to The Mandalorian know that he loves to follow story threads from one series to the next. With so few years having passed between the Rebels epilogue and the start of The Mandalorian, the live-action series provides a very easy way to explore what happened next to Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, Ezra, Thrawn, and other characters he used for the animated series. But due to the toy box mystery nature of the show, it’s unclear just what chapter of Ahsoka’s journey we’re seeing in “The Jedi.” Has she already found Ezra and is now out to end Thrawn’s reign of terror for good or is the Rebels hero stil missing?

Whether already back in action by the time of The Mandalorian or miraculously guided home by Grogu’s call through the Force, the Ezra we’d meet in live-action would be a bit different from the young hero we last saw on Rebels. For one thing, he would be a bit older in 9 ABY. Born in 19 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), Ezra would be about 28 if he were to appear on The Mandalorian, paving the way for Disney to cast an older actor in the role. This would allow showrunner Jon Favreau and Filoni to reintroduce the character but in a slightly different way. And how have Ezra’s adventures after Rebels changed him? We could very well meet an Ezra who is much stronger in the Force than the last time we saw him.

Or, if Star Wars follows its long tradition of sending light side characters to parts unknown and bringing them back corrupted and evil, we could meet an Ezra who’s given in to the dark side. Rebels season 3 teased that Ezra had a dark side, and bringing him back to Star Wars as a villain would really add some complexity and stakes to Ahsoka’s own story on The Mandalorian.

Regardless of what Ezra would be like in his late 20s, a story of this magnitude really deserves its own space to breathe instead of being shoved in as a sub-plot in Mando and Baby Yoda’s adventure. This might be where the newly-announced Ahsoka spinoff series might come in. A show focusing solely on Ahsoka’s search for Ezra, as well as her further adventures, seems like a more appropriate place for the young Jedi’s return.

But that’s not stopped people from hoping for Ezra’s return on The Mandalorian or from fancasting the character. Who is the front runner? The Haunting of Bly Manor‘s Rahul Kohli, who has been the subject of many rumors over the past few months, chiefly that he’s been cast as Ezra in secret and is set to make his debut in Chapter 16.

While Kohli has denied being involved in any way with Star Wars, the actor has not been shy about his interest in playing Ezra. In September, he sparked a new round of rumors when he tweeted, “I’ve gotten into that Lothal orphan, force sensitive, trained by Kanan Jarrus kind of shape. For no particular reason.” The tweet excited such a furor among fans that Kohli had to walk back the post, explaining that he’d made it in jest on his way to the gym.

Seriously, for no particular reason.

— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) September 24, 2020

But since then, Kohli has joined in on the fancasting, often retweeting fan art imagining himself as an older Ezra.

I got Bosslogic’d! 👀 https://t.co/XcznVUU8B8

— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) November 29, 2020

At first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East. https://t.co/b2W7T59Uyf

— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) December 12, 2020

This hasn’t helped dissipate the rumors, of course. Commenting on why he’s encouraged fans who want him to be in Star Wars, Kohli put it simply: “Lemme set the record straight real quick, why do I fancast or engage with fancasting? Because unless it’s rammed down people’s throats, ain’t nobody thinking of casting an Indian guy in iconic roles. If I keep pushing, maybe one of us gets through.”

Lemme set the record straight real quick, why do I fancast or engage with fancasting? Because unless it’s rammed down people’s throats, ain’t nobody thinking of casting an Indian guy in iconic roles. If I keep pushing, maybe one of us gets through 💕

— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) December 12, 2020

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Personally, as a Latino who has enjoyed watching actors like Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac play major characters in Star Wars projects, I’m absolutely here for what Kohli is saying. I do hope he gets cast as Ezra.

Whether this has already happened in time for Kohli to thrash his way through Gideon‘s forces in The Mandalorian season 2 finale remains to be seen. And what would happen next? Would Ezra decide to train Grogu? The two Jedi have at least one captivating connection: both of their lives have been devastated by the Empire (Ezra’s parents were killed by the evil government), and while Ezra grew up after the fall of the Jedi, his master was a padawan during Order 66. We watch Kanan pass on that history and many of the traditions of the old Jedi Order to Ezra throughout Rebels, so Ezra would understand where Grogu comes from and why he’s afraid to be a Jedi even after the fall of the Empire. In many ways, it would make sense for Ezra to become Grogu’s master.

But even if Ezra is about to hit The Mandalorian, it seems very unlikely that he’d actually take Grogu away to train him. After all, Mando and Grogu’s relationship is the core of the show. Why would Disney want to break away from the formula that has made the live-action series such a success?

Still, seeing Ezra in live-action for the first time would pack one final punch in a season full of exciting guest appearances. Star Wars has always strived to be one long, cohesive story, and The Mandalorian has truly excelled at connecting its gritty post-Return of the Jedi corner of the galaxy to the animated universe inspired by the Prequel Trilogy. And if Ezra isn’t the final guest character of the season, there’s a chance it could be Sabine?

Keep up with all of The Mandalorian season 2 news here.

The post How The Mandalorian Season 2 Finale Could Give Us the Ezra Bridger Moment We’ve Been Waiting For appeared first on Den of Geek.

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UTEP to Take on Pac-12’s Arizona in 53rd Meeting Saturday

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP will face its second consecutive Power Five opponent when the Miners travel to Tucson to take on Arizona and former UTEP WR Jacob Cowing on Saturday afternoon. The Miners and Wildcats are set to kick off at 9:00 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network while the game will be broadcasted on 95.5 KLAQ

UTEP and Arizona are playing for the first time since the 2017 season, while the former Border Conference and Western Athletic Conference foes will meet for the 53rd time.

UTEP (1-2) is coming off a 38-7 loss at Northwestern on Sept. 9. The Wildcats outscored the Miners 31-0 in the second half after going into the halftime tied 7-7. Tyrice Knight, the nations’ leading tackler, racked up 14 more tackles including 11 solo stops and a half sack. Offensively, Jeremiah Ballard was the highlight as he tallied a career-best 92 yards on four receptions, while Zach Fryar snagged his first career touchdown on a four-yard leaping catch in the end zone. McKel Broussard added a career-high seven tackles, while Josiah Allen tallied his first career sack (half sack with Knight). Maurice Westmoreland recorded his first career sack along with a pass breakup. Gavin Hardison struggled in the second half. After starting the day 7-of-8 with a touchdown pass, finishing 17-of-25 for 192 yards and two interceptions.

Knight, following his performance at NU, was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11, his first career weekly award.

Arizona (1-1) is coming off a 31-24 overtime loss at Mississippi State on Sept. 9. The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs 10-3 in the fourth quarter to push the extra period. UA QB Jayden de Laura threw for 342 yards on 32-of-46 passing with two touchdown tosses but four interceptions. Former Miner Jacob Cowing caught seven balls for 31 yards including a 17-yard TD in the third quarter after being down 21-7. Cowing added three yards on a rush attempt and completed a pass for -2 yards. Arizona opened the ’23 season on Sept. 2 with a victory over NAU, 38-3. De Laura passed for 285 yards and three scores, including a four-yard TD toss to Cowing for the Wildcats’ first points of the season. Overall, de Laura has thrown for 627 yards, ranking 13th in FBS. He ranks eighth in passing yards per game (313.5). Arizona’s passing offense ranks 17th nationally, while its redzone defense ranks ninth in FBS.

“Arizona is our biggest test of the year and for one reason alone is that they're a very, very, very talented team. Start with their offensive line, a big physical athletic offensive line. (They have) a really deep backfield with running backs, good tight ends and then some good size at wide receiver. Then obviously they got Jacob (Cowing), who's just a tremendous player for them,” UTEP Head Coach Dana Dimel said. “So, they got really a group of very, very talented receivers and a quarterback that's very athletic and makes a lot of plays. So offensively, they're a big, big test for us and they're very versatile with what they do offensively. Defensively they've gotten a lot better. They've recruited well, they've got more talented defensive players on their team now. They're very deep up front. They got some solid depth at linebacker, and they're very deep in the secondary. So, they have the size and the speed on defense. I think they're much improved this year defensively from what they were last season with the things they're doing, as everybody expected them to be. They're going to be a tough test force for sure, as we try to attack them offensively and then try to stop them defensively.”

UTEP (1-2, 0-1) at Arizona (1-1, 0-1)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16

Time: 9:00 p.m. MT/8:00 PT

Location: Tucson, Ariz.

Venue: Arizona Stadium (57,400)

X Updates: @UTEPFB

TV: Pac-12 Network

PxP: Jordan Kent

Analyst: Bob Davie

Radio: 95.5 KLAQ

PxP: Jon Teicher

Analyst: Cole Freytag

Sideline: Mando Medina

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN

The contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network with Jordan Kent (play-by-play) and Bob  Davie (analysis) calling the action. Fans can tune into 95.5 KLAQ with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher calling play-by-play in his 43rd season. ‘Teich’ is joined by former UTEP WR Cole Freytag (2012, 2014-16) in the booth providing analysis in his second season and Mando Medina reporting from the sidelines. The action can also be heard on the UTEP Miners app.

SERIES VS. ARIZONA

Arizona leads the series 39-11-2. The last meeting came on Sept. 15, 2017 as the Wildcats ran past the Miners 63-16 on a Friday night matchup in the Sun Bowl. Arizona has won the last 13 meetings. The Miners’ last victory over the Wildcats came on Nov. 14, 1970 in El Paso, 33-17. UTEP is 6-21-1 in Tucson and last won there on Nov. 16, 1957 when the Miners beat the Wildcats 51-14. Arizona joined the Border Conference in 1931, while UTEP joined in 1935. The two programs then joined the WAC – the Wildcats in 1962 and the Miners in 1967. Arizona exited the WAC after the 1978 season to join the Pac-10, while UTEP entered CUSA in 2005.

PLAYING THE PAC-12

UTEP is 0-13 vs. Pac-12 schools since 1978 with five of those contests coming against Arizona.

THE BCS ERA

UTEP is 0-37 all-time versus BCS Power Five schools (0-27 on the road) since its inception in 1998. Overall, UTEP is 1-58 against programs in Power Five Conferences with its lone victory coming against Ole Miss (14-7) in the 1967 Sun Bowl.

ABOUT ARIZONA

The Wildcats won in their season opener, 38-3, over NAU on Sept. 2. Arizona followed with an overtime loss at Mississippi State, 31-24. Arizona QB Jayden de Laura has thrown for 627 yards, ranking 13th in FBS. He ranks eighth in passing yards per game (313.5). De Laura leads the team in rushing (91 yards) and rushing scores (two). Arizona’s passing offense ranks 17th nationally, while its redzone defense ranks ninth in FBS. De Laura is coming off a 342-yard performance on 32-of-46 passing with two touchdown tosses but four interceptions against the Bulldogs. Former Miner Jacob Cowing caught seven balls for 31 yards including a 17-yard TD at Mississippi State. Cowing has 10 receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns this season. WR Tetairoa McMillan has hauled in 11 catches with a team-leading 226 yards and two TDs. RB Michael Wiley leads the team with 14 receptions for 117 yards, while ranking second with 85 yards on the ground. LB Jacob Manu leads the Pac-12 with 21 total tackles, while averaging 10.5 per game. Manu also had 1.5 sacks. S Dalton Johnson ranks second on the team with 14 stops.

CONNECTIONS

Current Arizona WR Jacob Cowing played at UTEP from 2019-2021. Cowing’s final season as a Miner was a successful one, gaining 1,354 yards on 69 receptions and eight total touchdowns. His ’21 receiving yards rank second-best all-time during a single season in program history. Cowing ranks eighth on the program’s reception’s list with 141, while his 2,595 yards rank fifth all time.

UTEP offensive coordinator Scotty Ohara graduated from the University of Arizona in 2008 with a degree in molecular and biological biology. Ohara was a volunteer assistant coach during the 2007 and 2008 seasons under then-head coach Mike Stoops.

Eight current Miners on the roster are from the state of Arizona. They included CB Amier Boyd-Matthews (Tempe), S Josiah Dye and RB Joshua Dye (Gilbert), CB Ilijah Johnson (Maricopa), OL Julian Laborin (El Mirage), CB Brandon Shivers (Scottsdale), DE Osaiasi Taueli (Mesa), and Sione Tonga’uiha (Tempe).

TYRICE TEARING THROUGH OFFENSES

LB Tyrice Knight leads the nation with 43 total tackles and 28 solo stops, while he ranks no. 2 nationally at 14.3 tackles per game. Knight ranks tied seventh nationally with 4.5 tackles for loss. 

KNIGHT TIME

LB Tyrice Knight racked up another 14 tackles, this time at Big Ten program Northwestern. He opened campaign with 13 tackles at Jax State and followed with a career-high 16 tackles in a win over UIW. The redshirt senior now has 15 double-digit tackle performances in his career. Knight tallied 14 at UTSA and 11 against North Texas in 2020. In 2021, he recorded double-digits six times, highlighted by his career-high 15 against Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Also, that season he tallied 12 against UNM, 11 at UNT, 10 against UTSA and 10 more at UAB. In 2022, he added four more with 14 stops at UNM, 12 at Rice, 11 against UNT and 10 versus Middle Tennessee.

3 IN A ROW

LB Tyrice Knight has posted three consecutive games of double-digit tackles for the second time in his career. Knight concluded the 2021 season with double-digit tackles, while opening the 2022 campaign with double-digit performances.

CAREER HIGH FOR MCKEL

S McKel Broussard tallied a career-high seven tackles at Northwestern. His previous high was six stops in the season opener.

FIRST SACKS

DE Maurice Westmoreland registered his first career sack, while CB Josiah Allen recorded his first, a half sack at Northwestern.

CAREER BEST FOR BALLARD

WR Jeremiah Ballard tallied a career-high 92 yards on four receptions at Northwestern. Ballard added a long catch of 36 yards. His previous best was 64 yards against Boise State last year. Ballard has 110 yards on seven receptions (15.7 avg.) this season. Last season, Ballard tallied 118 yards on 10 receptions and a TD.

FIRST FOR FRYAR

TE Zach Fryar hauled in his first career touchdown on a four-yard leaping reception in the end zone during the first quarter at Northwestern.

CUSA LEADER

RB Deion Hankins leads Conference USA and ranks eighth nationally with 255 yards rushing. Hankins tallied a career-high 174 yards against UIW a few weeks back.

VINSON GETTING IN ON THE ACTION

Transfer TE Marcus Vinson caught his first pass in a UTEP uniform, an eight-yard grab in the fourth quarter at Northwestern.

FIRST ACTION FOR FRESHMEN & TRANSFERS

True freshmen RB Ezell Jolly, andWR Caden Harris, and redshirt freshmen QB Jake McNamara and FB Zachary Essih saw their first collegiate action at Northwestern. Jolly carried the ball five time for 10 yards and was targeted two times, while McNamara threw for 23 yards on 2-of-5 passing and an INT. Harris returned a kickoff 28 yards, and Essih played in special teams kickoff coverage.

CONSECUTIVE STARTS ON THE O-LINE

Senior RG Elijah Klein has started the last 41 games in a row on the offensive line. The string of consecutive contests started on Nov. 2, 2019 at North Texas.

MOVING THE CHAINS

UTEP ranks sixth in FBS and first in CUSA with 65 first downs in 2023.

UP NEXT

UTEP returns to the 915 to face Mountain West program UNLV on Sept. 23. The Miners and Rebels are set to kick off at 7 p.m. in Sun Bowl Stadium. The contest will be streamed on an ESPN Platform and can be heard on 95.5 KLAQ and the UTEP Miners App.

(Drew Bonney)