#mare's mando recaps

[intrepidmare]

MARE'S RECAPS ~ THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTER 9 "THE MARSHALL"

Oh wow! It's been a while since I've done something like this. Last year, I caught up with season 1 about 2 days before the finale, so I didn't have the opportunity to write reviews/recaps. This season, though, I'm going to 😀 so here it is the first one! 

For the folks that haven't seen the premiere and don't want spoilers, scroll past this, fast and furious, because it's full of them. If you want to blacklist tags to avoid spoilers from me, I suggest that you add #mando spoilers, #the mandalorian season 2 spoilers, and #mare's mando recaps to the list.

I've seen the episode a few times (yeah, I'm that obsessed with the show) so some of my reactions are more visceral than others since I was too excited the few first times I watched it and I missed a lot of details (another reason to rewatch the episode more than once). This recap is loooooong, which is an indication of how amazing it was.

So this my final warning to those avoiding spoilers. Stop reading, right now. The rest of you… enjoy and let me know if you share some of my opinions. I'm always open to chat 😊

Chapter 9 ~ The Marshall

So it begins! It's so exciting!

I knew that Mando and baby Yoda walking in the street at night was going to be the opening scene. I started to think about it after watching the second trailer, and I'm glad that I was right.

It turns out that the red-eyed creatures were not jawas as I saw some people saying.

Baby Yoda was not happy with the little excursion to the fighting arena. Not walking on the streets nor inside watching the fight. I still laughed when he locked himself up in the pram, even if I've watched the trailer like a gazillion times by now and I knew he was going to do it.

And talking about the baby, he's getting more vocal I think. He's making a few new noises, whimpering more, which I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing. That he complains more means that he feels safe with his buir and isn't afraid of retaliation for it as he probably was with others in the past and the reason he didn't cry much in season 1. But it breaks my heart that he is stressed. And that child is anxious, I can tell you that much.

The fight with Gor Koresh's thugs was awesome! The gamorrean flying to squash Mando and failing had me cracking up. And omg! Din'd moves! Using his helmet as a weapon and throwing his vibroblade. And leaving Gor Koresh to be eaten! Man of his word, he didn't kill the guy.

On a side note, I would've never guessed it was John Leguizamo who gave voice to Koresh until I saw the credits. Of all the actors who could play the part, I never thought of him.

Umm, I'm curious about the time Mando has spent in Tatooine, which according to him it's been a lot and it makes sense since he knows so much about the Tuskens, their language and culture. I'm guessing he spent a while among them. He had to learn all that somehow. 

When I speculated that Mando was going back to Tatooine after watching the trailers, I said that I was going to riot if he didn't visit his favorite mechanic. Thankfully, I didn't need to worry. I loved Peli in episode 5 of season 1 and I loved her even more now remarking on Din's dislike of droids and trying to keep the baby for herself. Not to mention she complaining about not getting good help these days 🤣

And I ADORE the (improvised?) Birikad Din got for the baby. Of course, the baby is safer in the pram, right (guessing that's why he used it when he met Gor Koresh), but there's something sweet watching him carrying his son so close to him.

And I tell you, Mando has been spending credits lately in baby stuff. I mean, he got a new pram (which I initially thought it was the original that he had somehow retrieved from the garbage in Nevarro, but no, it's not the same, and neither it's the one that Kuiil made) and he also got the bag/birikad thing, which looks brand-new. I wonder what else he bought.

Watching the droids doing maintenance of the Razor Crest makes me think it's all for nothing, knowing that in a few episodes (it might be even in the next one) Mando is going to crash the ship. More than once perhaps.

😆 The baby still loves speed! I think riding on the speeder bike was the only moment that he truly enjoyed in this episode. Look at that happy face 

When they arrived at Mos Pelgo and Din went into the cantina, leaving the baby outside, I was like: Din! That's not responsible. How can you leave your son out in the inclement sun, alone! Then baby Yoda peeked in and I went: never mind. I take back what I said.

Oooh. Cobb Vanth! I love him! For a moment, I thought it could actually be Boba but it seemed illogical and that's what Mr. Feloni and Mr. Favreau wanted us to think. I was correct.

My gawd! Din's shock when Vanth took the helmet off. I just knew he would freak out the moment Cobb asked for drinks and I said to drink they need to remove their helmets and Mando is going to lose it when this guy does. And the standoff! Was so good! "Take it off or I will" is going to become a quite popular phrase in fics from now on, not in the same context, but yeah…

The krayt dragon… oh shit! Or rather Dank farrik! We can't see Mando's face or expression but I can imagine which one was when he saw the dragon eating the bantha the first time.

Oh my goodness. The baby hiding in the pot! Too adorable! 

I know every hardcore SW fan lost it watching Vanth modified speeder because is a callback to the Phantom Menace and Anakin but my first thought was: is he compensating for something? Sorry, I couldn't help it 

The dog-lizard creatures were kinda scary at first but then became adorable. Almost as much as baby Yoda getting out of hiding

Baby Yoda doesn't like dog-lizards things. He looked afraid to be eaten I think. Poor little guy.

And look at that! Din showing such growth! To think he was the one incensing others in negotiation 😆 this is a total callback to the jawas in Arvala-7. And I gotta tell you, Din freaking loves his flamethrower. He doesn't waste the opportunity to use it.

The krayt dragon eating the Tusken raider instead of the bantha was quite of a plot twist 😆

When they were planning the attack on the dragon, Cobb Vanth's face when Din told him that the bones and pebbles were to scale, and then when he had volunteered the villagers to help… priceless! 

I like the fact of banding together with others for a greater good, relying on others to accomplish something is going to continue being the theme of this season. It started last season but I think it's going to be stronger this time around along all of the episodes.

😳😲😳😲 this thing vomits acid?! What. The. FUCK?!!!

Cobb: I don't think it's dead

Mando: me neither

Me, at the same time as Din: yeah, nope it's not dead

Oh yeah! Teaming up with jetpacks!

When they showed the bantha with the remaining explosives my first thought was why didn't they use all those before?! That's why they didn't kill it!! Of course, it was just an excuse to grant Din a more grand win in the end, but you know, it's stupid not to use everything you have to kill the monster on the first try. Just saying

Wait, what? Din! What are you going to do? No! Taking care of the child is your responsibility, not Cobb Vanth's! I hate this plan of yours, Din Djarin!! Whichever it is!

Oh! Nice callback to the flaw on that jetpack. But makes me wonder, do all the rising Phoenixes have the same flaw? Cuz unless Din knows Boba in person and that it's his armor with that particular flaw, it means it's a common problem for all and I don't like it.

Get away, Din! Get away, Din!! FLY AWAY!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH! NOOOOOO! 

There he is! Damn, Mando! Don't scare me like that! Altho, it was a nice move.

Okay, but now I want someone to explain something to me. If the dragon's acid melted people at contact before, how the hell is Din so whole? I mean, sure for argument' sake let's say his beskar armor provides some protection, but he's not entirely covered in it. His cape and undersuit seem just fine, albeit sticky. Where's the logic in that?

The tuskens getting the pearl reminded me of the jawas and the mudhorn's egg, chanting zukka, zukka (or however egg is spelled in Jawa).

That's quite a piece of meat. The baby is going to be happy eating off it for days🤣

😮😮😳😳 BOBA FETT!!!!! Yesssssss!!

Okay, I've seen other people's thoughts and some think that Boba was after Cobb Vanth because he had the armor, but I don't know. If that was true then why he hadn't gone to Mos Pelgo and got it? It seems to me that it's more likely that Boba is following Din somehow because it's the second time in as many Mando's visits to the planet that they sort of cross paths. Could they know each other? Have some score to settle? It's possible. Din has spent much time on Tatooine -his words, not mine- so it wouldn't be so out of consideration that they actually know each other. That if Mando knows Boba is (fake?) Mando, I don't know. Probably not, but who knows?

Extra thoughts

I gotta say that Ludwig Göransson is killing it with the score music! Oh. My. God! So so so so good! I could tell from the trailers that it was going to be awesome this season but it astounded me in chapter 9. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! My favorite piece is when they're going to the dragon's cave to kill it. The orchestral sound of the already familiar music blew my mind!

[intrepidmare]

MARE'S RECAPS ~ THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTER 11 "THE HEIRESS"

This week's episode was (too) short, but packed in action. Damn! It was great! My main reactions went back and forth between 😳Dank ferrik!😱 🤣cackling up like mad😂 and 😍awwww!😊 That's it. I spent the 30 min that it lasted that way. Between the rough landing, the crate scene, and meeting with old/new people it was a roller coaster ride of emotions.

I'm sharing my full thoughts about it below, so quick reminder to those avoiding spoilers —which might be useless at this point, tbh— to skip this and add the tags #mare's mando recaps, #the mandalorian season 2 spoilers, and #mando spoilers to your blacklist so you don't see spoilers from me. You've been warned.

Let's get to the fun.

At this point, I'm questioning if the Razor Crest will survive the season. I mean, since I saw the first trailer I suspected that Din would crash the Crest more than once and I was super worried about its destiny, but after the last episode, I felt a bit less concerned about it. Obviously, the ship survives enough to take the clan of 2 back to Nevarro —which they'll visit in chapter 13? 14? 15? 16?—, so my theory that it'd sink into the bottom of the sea in what now we know is Trask was put back. I convinced myself that Mando was going to land in it without incident. Watching the Crest falling into the water in the port was both shocking and hilarious. Seriously?! Can anything else can happen to that ship until it's absolutely beyond repair?

And the debatable repair that the mon calamari did? OMG! How is the Crest holding itself together, I don't know. I know traveling fast is safer for Din and the baby but going in hyperdrive doesn't seem very safe with the ship in those conditions. Just saying!

The frog folks were adorable in this episode! Can we have more wholesome things like that, please? So loving and just cute how the couple was reunited. I need more of that. A question though. I'm far from being a biologist or anything close to that but should fertilized frog eggs and tadpoles develop that fast? The whole episode timeline was what… 48 hours, 72 tops? The egg was fertilized, developed, tadpole hatched and grown in less than 3 days?! Or even a week! Seems a little far-fetched.

The frog lady was just stellar accepting to take care of the baby while Mando assaulted the freighter, but my question this: how the hell Mando knew where she and her husband live? The last we knew they went separate ways at the cantina, so how did he find them?

Can we talk about how great is baby Yoda having a friend now? It was beyond adorable watching him happy when the tadpole hatched, then playing with it. He didn't want to leave! And Din's "You're going to stay here, so I want you to be respectful and mind your manners. You know what I'm talking about" and "No, I have enough pets." 😂😂😂 Hilarious and such a dad things to say.

Talking about pets, the baby was referred to as such 2 or 3 times in the episode. And Din calling the baby his "friend" what was that?! I was like…. No, Din. He is your SON! Not to mention that he's under the impression that he'll give him up soon. Such a fool in denial. His words never match with his actions where the baby is concerned. I think if that popular fan theory that (possibly) Moff Gideon will kidnap the baby comes true, that's what going to make Din realize fully that leaving the child for good with the Jedis is going to be excruciating.   

There were so many parallels in this episode to Chapter 3. So, so many! Especially when it came to Mandalorian culture. Last season, we learned about the Nevarro covert and their views, now we see the view of other Mandos. The identity crisis coming in Din's way is MONUMENTAL! That poor boy is going to suffer so much. Bo-Katan telling him that the Child of the Watch is a cult, damn! That was brutal. In a way, I understand why she thinks that (certainly, there are some aspects of the Nevarro covert ways that could indicate that) but I think we're not seeing the whole picture yet and I'd rather reserve my definitive opinion for later. I have a theory that I'll share in a separate post later.

Other parallels were:

Also to chapter 3: Both Paz and Bo-Katan remarking on Mandalorians are stronger together and in numbers. Also, the standoff of Din against the Quarren/Guild Hunters and being helped by Mandos.

(A bit) Chapter 6: Din against Droids/Troopers and taking the brunt of their assault before eliminating them.

To chapter 7: both the Mandalorian who rescued Din as a child and Bo-Katan stretching out their hands to draw him out of a bunker/pool.

Just like the Razor Crest, Din needs to be more careful with the prams! This is THIRD that is lost or broken! But thankfully it kept the baby safe from the mamacore. And Din can't swim. I don't think he knows how which makes throwing himself after the baby really brave AND stupid. Of course, he would go after his son, but he didn't think what he was doing! The whole thing had me suspicious since the cantina. That Quarren chuckling while negotiating with Mando boded nothing good. Much less the insistence to watch the mamacore. When I saw the crate, I freaked out so bad. I knew what was coming and none of my screams did nothing to stop it.

Predictions

So the next chapter: Ahsoka! 

I have the feeling that Chapter 12 will have a lot of parallels to chapter 4. Not in terms of helping villagers (like in chapter 9) but more in Mando's foolish desire to leave baby Yoda in what he thinks are more capable hands. Last season was fierce motherly Omera, who he knew would take care of the baby as her own, and now, it'll be Ahsoka, who understand the force and could train him. But just as happened before, at the end of the episode, Din and baby will continue their journey together.

[intrepidmare]

MARE'S RECAPS ~ THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTER 12 "THE SIEGE"

As always, I remind you that these recaps of mine are full of spoilers, so read at your own risk if you haven't seen Chapter 12 yet. You have been warned.

There were so many great things in this episode that I don't know where to begin! I guess with the best: Din and his parental skills. 

Mando and baby doing repairs to the ship!!! It makes sense that Din put the baby on to it (especially after the comment Mando made in chapter 10 and considering the child's size and the space he crawled into) but seriously Din? You're letting a toddler, who granted, seems more cognizant than a human baby would but he's still a child, to play with electrical things?! The scene is totally adorable and funny, but not his best parental moment IMHO.

But GAWD! Eating together!!! We see the man eat at last in the baby's presence. Or even eating at all! When was the last time we saw Din eat? I think it was an exact season ago in chapter 4. I have to praise Jon Favreau and his writing for confirming canon so many theories and speculations that the fandom came up with after season 1. I mean, the list of things that we thought Din does with the kid while traveling had been checked, one by one. And it's so great. I don't know if it is fan service or not, don't care. If I had a say in it, I'd say keep them coming!

Putting the baby with the wires might have been not the best dad move, but cleaning the baby's sick with his cape was. 100%!!!! That's such a parent thing. And don't get me started on the separation anxiety for leaving the baby on his first day of school. OMG! That fool! He can't even leave the baby there for a few hours without worrying and he thinks he'll be able to leave him with the Jedi?! Fool, the biggest of all. Although, I have to praise his stable growth. Not only Din left the kid in the school but at the care of an UNKNOWN DROID. He didn't freak out about that.

Best second thing: grandpa Greef! The way he takes the kid and starts a "conversation" with him, the way he carries him in his arms. It was so wonderful. I bet you anything that Karga is of those that in other circumstances would keep cookies and snacks in the drawer of his desk to give them to the baby, even at Mando's back.

Yay! Mythrol is back! So funny with the reaction at Mando's return and in the Imperial base. I'm glad that he's sticking around, which means we could see him again in the future.

So, Cara is Nevarro's marshal. Good that she cleared out the Mando covert of the thieves, but I have a question. Were they stealing things that the armorer left behind or were they using the covert as a hideout and the stolen items belonged to Nevarro's citizens? Because if it's the former, she didn't return those things to Din, which is the only one to whom she could give them, right? Unless… Unless she knows where the armorer is and gave -or plans to give- them to her. Possible or farfetched?

*Le sigh* Ugh! I knew it! I knew the moment that mechanic looked back at Mando that it meant nothing good. Dank farrik! Now, Gideon can track the 'Crest! *screams* Does that mean that next episode we'll have a Din/Gideon showdown? Or will Din make it to Corvus and find Ahsoka? Because I have this feeling for a few days that we won't see her until chapter 15 or 16. Jon and Dave said they want to break the Internet with her appearance, so that makes me think they're saving it for the finale. Do something like they did in season 1 with Moff Gideon that showed up at the end of chapter 7.

I'm (weirdly) satisfied to see Dr. Pershing. He's still working for Gideon (which takes down a headcanon of mine 🙁 where I thought he escaped and hid in a backwater world) but I always wondered what had happened to him for real after Din rescued the baby. The fact that he's experimenting with Midi-chlorians doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, validates the theory I had. But now, I'm wondering what the hell are those in Gideon's ship? What kind of trooper? My knowledge of canon is pitiful and honestly don't know what to expect.

Other thoughts

The baby using the force to steal the cookies. The best thing ever! I'm not exactly complaining, but they could have extended that more. Like the other kid taking the cookies back and baby Yoda stealing them back again or doing another mischief. The possibilities there are endless.

Din's superhero landing was a little sloppy. I expected more to be honest, especially since he did so well when fighting the krayt dragon. What happened, Din?

Trooper: We have them!

Me, snorting: pluh-lease!

~

Carson (talking about Alderaan): Did you lose anyone?

Me, deadpanning: are you stupid? What kind of question is that? she lost everybody.

Cara: I lost everyone.

~

Din (looking at the tanks in the lab): I don't like this

Me: Yeah, me either 

Next week

I have NO kriffing idea. Do you guys realize that we haven't seen single footage from the second half of the season? Not in both trailers, nor in the tv spots. I know because I've seen them all and all the teases they gave us are up to chapter 12. There's nothing, not a single frame from here forward. It's awesome because no spoilers but it makes me nervous 😥 anything can happen