*Includes Spoilers
Television has been a saving grace in these times of quarantine. Billions of people have been in lockdown, and tuning in or binging our favorite shows has made it somewhat bearable. That’s why back in October, I was incredibly excited for “The Mandalorian” Season 2 to start. The first season was an absolute blast (see my review for season 1) and no words could describe how hyped I was. Season 2 definitely met my expectations, but I’m not totally sure if it exceeded them.
It became clear at the end of the last season that The Mandalorian’s next mission was to return Baby Yoda to a Jedi so he can get his proper training. I was a little worried that the next season would ignore the main plot and instead focus on many side quests, but I’m happy to say that there were only a few detours. I felt a big weakness of the previous season was the occasional filler. I love the monster-of-the-week style, but I feel that it should have somewhat to do with the main story.
Nevertheless, probably my favorite episode of the season was the one that was the least connected to Din’s mission. “Episode 2, The Passenger,” was easily the most amazingly crafted of the season. When The Mandalorian has to go to a water planet to find someone who knows a Jedi, he has to bring a Frog Lady and her eggs along for the ride. They must be hasty, as if they don’t reach the Frog Lady’s husband in time, her eggs and last chance at a family will die.
Obviously, things don’t go as planned, and they crash land on a harsh snow planet with horrifying spider-creatures. A relatively simple plot, but the ticking-clock packs such an emotional punch and has us truly feel for the Frog Lady. Baby Yoda also shows a bit of the dark side when he eats a number of her eggs, and it’s hilarious yet horrifying.
Much like the first season, the middle episodes didn’t do it for me. “Episode 4, The Siege,” had me falling asleep in the first couple of minutes, mostly full of bland action and speeder chases.
I was incredibly excited for “Episode 5, The Jedi,” because it would introduce fan-favorite Clone Wars character Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka was played by Rosario Dawson, and while her performance was very good, the episode as a whole felt extremely underwhelming. It’s a shame too, because many thought that Ahsoka’s appearance would be the highlight of the series. It was great to hear Baby Yoda’s real name (Grogu!), however.
Episodes 6, 7, and 8 put the show back on track. Boba Fett returned in Episode 6, and Temeura Morrison’s performance was truly captivating. Giancarlo Esposito also returned as the big bad Moff Gideon, and he’s always a joy to see on screen. I have yet to see an actor so consistently good at being the bad guy as Esposito.
“Episode 7,” The Believer, was a close second favorite to Episode 2. Bill Burr returned as Migs Mayfeld, and I would not expect such a comedic actor to go to such depths in a character. His character development in a single episode exceeded most other Star Wars characters. I really hope they capitalize on his character more in the future.
Finally, there’s “Episode 8, The Rescue.” The finale. It was an amazing and extremely climactic episode, with Din taking the Darksaber from Moff Gideon (therefore being able to rule Mandalore) and Luke Skywalker making a cameo to take and train Grogu. It was an incredible send-off for our favorite green puppet, and I’m very excited to see how the show fairs without him. The tease of the Boba Fett show at the end had me very excited, too.
Visually, “The Mandalorian” improved tenfold from the already spectacular looking first season. Some of the planets, especially the ice one in “Episode 2,” looked absolutely breathtaking. I really hope other shows will catch on and start to use the same type of technology.
A thing that Season 1 did so well was it’s originality. Sure, long time fans of the franchise were completely satisfied with the little references and Easter Eggs, but even someone who hasn’t seen a Star Wars film could enjoy the action-packed space western. This is where Season 2 falls short. Although the cameos of Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker were entertaining, I don’t want “The Mandalorian” to turn into a series of fan service. It’s getting to the point where if I haven’t watched all the trilogies, spin-offs, and animated shows, I would be completely lost. Not to mention that with all of these new characters, Mando himself hardly got any character development. Sure, his relationship with Grogu grew, and him taking off his helmet was a big step, but that was about it.
I think Season 2 also heavily relied on the reappearance of previous characters like Cara Dune and Greef Karga. While entertaining characters, The Mandalorian kept coming back to them whenever he needed help with a mission. A show like this is meant to be pushing forward, instead of being stuck in the past and recycling old characters.
I know I can’t have it both ways. I can’t say that they were too reliant on past characters while still complaining about the cameos. But I think there needs to be a balance between brand new characters, cameos, and past characters. Whenever they lean into one too much, it becomes way less impactful.
I’m thrilled for Season 3, and I bet the retaking of Mandalore will be amazing, but I can’t help but worry that “The Mandalorian” will stop being a small-scale original adventure and start to become an excuse for increasingly large amounts of fan service.
All in all, Season 2 was a total blast, although some episodes didn’t live up to the hype. While the content proved to be just as good as its predecessor, it’s the underlying tones of what’s to come that worries me. Although knowing the creators of this complete powerhouse of a show, I’m sure they will find a way to perfect it.
