The latest chapter of The Mandalorian served up a thing or two – most notably, three memorable cameos. And an ending set to divide opinion. For me, a sense of unease is beginning to set in.
Welcome to my latest episode analysis. Let’s get one thing straight before we start. This is an episode analysis with spoilers included!. So make sure you watch The Mandalorian – Chapter 22: Guns for Hire before reading on.
What’s behind all of this?
Over the last week, there’s been frenzied speculation from fans. Did someone set Gideon free? Was the Beskar intended to throw New Republic authorities off the scent? Or were the perpetrators actually Mandalorian warriors who’ve not forgotten who was responsible for the near extinction of their people? If it’s the latter, they’d probably want to bring the Moff to justice themselves.
And if there’s one thing to be said up front, the new episode leaves these questions unanswered. It does, however, give us an interesting new development on the Darksaber.
The mercenaries
It’s a Mandalorian one.
A missed opportunity.
The royals
In the meantime, Jack Black explains the situation. Plazir-15 is a system that was once controlled by the Empire. Captain Bombardier, a former (now pardoned) Empire planning officer, was tasked with establishing a democratically elected government as part of his rehabilitation. The fact that he and his Duchess of all people won the vote can’t be a coincidence, but the episode makes no effort to question that in any way.
Apparently, Plazir-15 has well and truly blossomed under their reign. This, Bombardier says, is down to reprogrammed separatist battle droids, which do all the grunt work for the residents, ensuring neither humans nor aliens have to work. What’s more, the former battle droids don’t need to be scrapped. It’s a win-win.
The problem
But it’s not quite that simple after all. Otherwise, the episode would end there and then. Jack Black ahem Captain Bombardier explains that there have been an increasing number of mysterious malfunctions lately, with the occasional battle droid lapsing into its original programming, resulting in accidents and injuries. Whoopsie.
But Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze aren’t exactly offering their assistance for free. In return for their help, Plazir-15 is to officially recognise Mandalore as an independent system and request that the New Republic follow suit. A sort of quid pro quo situation.
The Thriller
As simple as that. Honestly, though? At this point, I wish The Mandalorian season 3 wasn’t all so kid-friendly and «all’s well that ends well». Not after watching Andor and seeing how much more gripping a serious, grown-up Star Wars universe can be.
The saber
Then comes the big turning point.
Ah well. There are still two episodes to go. I hope Din Djarin and Grogu get to do more in them than just «be there» for Bo-Katan’s rise as the new Mandalorian leader.
What did you think of this episode? Are there any more Easter eggs I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments! I’ll be back with an episode analysis of Chapter 23 next Thursday.
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
Background information
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The previous episode ended with a bang. Evil imperial Moff Gideon, who led the Great Purge of Mandalore before his showdown with Din Djarin years later, probably never made it to the New Republic Tribunal due to decide his fate. The prison transport he’d been travelling on was hijacked by Mandalorians. That’s what New Republic captain Carson Teva concludes after finding Mandalorian Beskar in the Lambda shuttle after the attack.
Background information
The Mandalorian, Chapter 21: The Pirate
by Luca Fontana
The episode opens with a peculiarity all too typical of Star Wars – a Quarren freighter captain floating in a mobile tank. Quarren are, after all, water dwellers. To be precise, they’re descended from Mon Cala, as is Star Wars’ other famous aquatic species, the Mon Calamari. The two species used to coexist in peace. Then came the Seperatists, led by Count Dooku, who used the Clone Wars to turn both sides against each other, draw them into conflict and thus, weaken them.
Although the conflict was resolved thanks to intervention from Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala, the truce between the Quarren and Mon Cala in the years since has been shaky. So a prince of the Mon Calamari (who’s almost certainly a descendant of Lee-Char) falling in love with a simple Quarren captain and wanting to run away with her is unthinkable. Subsequently, the royal family hires a mercenary squad to bring the prince home. But it’s not just any mercenary squad.
The Quarren captain falls silent at the sight of the Mandalorians. Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
Anyone who remembers Chapter 11: The Heiress will immediately recognise the squad’s leader. It’s Axe Woves, Bo-Katan Kryze’s former right-hand man and member of the elite Nite Owls. Bo-Katan believes her followers left her because of her failure to reclaim the Darksaber. Without the saber, an important symbol within Mandalorian culture, she wouldn’t have the right to take back and rebuild Mandalore. As a result, the remaining Nite Owls turned their backs on Bo-Katan and have been hiring themselves out as mercenaries around the galaxy ever since.
And they seem to be doing their new job pretty well, managing to board the freighter and take the prince with them without much hassle. So that puts an end to that storyline. What a shame. I’d have expected a little more resistance from Romeo and Juliet. Or co-creators and writers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni could’ve come up with a scenario that’d allow us to see the Nite Owls’ fighting skills. An abduction, for example, that’d be done and dusted impressively quickly. After all, the Nite Owls are the galaxy’s most fearsome warriors, armed to the teeth and strong as an entire army (alright, I might be exaggerating a little). We saw this before in Chapter 11: The Heiress, the episode I mentioned earlier. It wouldn’t have hurt to re-establish that precedent in the third season.
Different time, different place. Plazir-15, to be precise. The planet was created specially for this episode. It’s where Din Djarin and Bo-Katan have picked up the trail of the Nite Owls, who’re camped out with their battleships – the majority of which they commandeered from the Empire. Bo-Katan wants to merge her old gang with Din Djarin’s clan, the Children of the Watch. Her rationale? Decades after the destruction of Mandalore, Mandalorians shouldn’t have to be scattered like stars throughout the galaxy any more – they should finally reunite.
Their arrival doesn’t seem to come as a surprise. In fact, instead of seeing the Nite Owls, they’re summoned by the rulers of Plazir-15, Captain Bombardier and his Duchess, played by none other than film and rock icon Jack Black and singer Lizzo. Now that’s what I call an unexpected cameo. But it gets even better. Later.
Lizzo and Jack Black in Star Wars: even Grogu isn’t quite sure if this is really happening. Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
The Bombadiers are unable to resolve the issue themselves, as their charter with the New Republic forbids them from having their own military. This is partly due to their imperial past, and partly because Mon Mothma, the first elected chancellor of the New Republic and last seen as a rebellious senator in Andor, is against it. Indeed, we know from the novel trilogy Star Wars: Aftermath that Mon Mothma is a proponent of demilitarising the galaxy. She believes maintaining a permanent military presence is dangerous and unhelpful. After all, as the chancellor puts it, the days of the Galactic Empire ruling with an iron fist are over.
We last saw political leader Mon Mothma fighting for decency and justice for the galaxy in Andor. Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
In fact, the charter goes even further. Although Mercenaries hired by the Bombardiers are permitted to pitch up outside the city to protect the planet, they’re not allowed to enter it. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze are the only exceptions to this rule. As weapons are part of Mandalorian culture, they can’t be confiscated. What’s more, as long as the two haven’t been officially hired, they don’t count as military or a defence force, which would otherwise prevent them from entering the city.
«You had me at battle droid,» Din Djarin says when Bo-Katan asks if they should take up the offer. I have to smile, although the backstory to this is actually tragic. Din Djarin is a foundling of the Mandalorians; his parents were murdered right in front of him by separatist battle droids on the Mandalore moon of Concordia during the Clone Wars. If the Children of the Watch hadn’t intervened, Din Djarin would’ve met the same fate. Rescued just in the nick of time, he was sworn into the Way of Mand’alor. Since then, Din Djarin has had a deep distrust of all droids, only trusting IG-11 because the bounty hunter droid saved his life in season one.
Clone War battle droids? Nice one! Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
What happens next is a buddy cop crime drama in Star Wars clothing. First, their journey takes them to Head of Security Commissioner Helgait, played by legendary Doc Brown actor Christopher Lloyd (the «even better» cameo I mentioned before). With his help, Din and Bo-Katan make it underground to meet the Ugnaughts. Considered to be some of the best droid engineers in the galaxy, even during the days of the Empire, if there’s anyone with knowledge of the malfunctions, it’s them. And if anyone can get more detailed information from them, it’s Din Djarin. After all, he’s been familiar with the conceited Ugnaughts’ customs since his encounter with Kuiil. «I have spoken», right?
The Ugnaughts send our neo-detectives to the docks, where there’s suspected to be a rogue battle droid. And indeed, after an intense chase, Din and Bo-Katan are able to narrow down the source of the malfunctions to a droid-only cantina serving Nepanthé, which is essentially a drink for droids. However, it’s not the drink itself that’s bad. In fact, it’s a batch that’s been infused with nano-droids that’s causing the malfunctions. The nano-droids can then be traced back to a man we already know: Commissioner Helgait.
Great Scott! Doc Brown to be court-martialled! Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
After Helgait is turned over to the authorities and summoned to Captain Bombardier and his Duchess, the security chief confesses all. He’d never given up the ideals he’d taken on as a supporter of Count Dooku. Just like Dooku, he’s convinced that the Galactic Republic, then the Empire, and now the New Republic were and are all corrupt and should be fought. Fortunately, it only takes a short speech from the Duchess to make him regret his actions and renounce the beliefs he’s held for decades.
Side quest completed, it’s time to move on to the main one. Bo-Katan comes face-to-face with her former followers and challenges Axe Woves to a duel for the leadership of the Nite Owls. After a pretty cool, choreographed fight, Bo-Katan emerges as the winner. Even so, the Nite Owls aren’t convinced. Not while Bo-Katan doesn’t have the Darksaber, which, as we know, is still in the hands of Din Djarin. He won the weapon in a duel with imperial villain Moff Gideon, who seized it during the Great Purge. Djarin would’ve given the saber to Bo-Katan long ago, but tradition states that the Darksaber can only be passed on after a duel to the death. So unless Bo-Katan stabs Djarin – her brother in arms – in the back, the other Mandalorians won’t follow her.
Technically speaking, Din Djarin lost the saber to Bo-Katan ages ago. In Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore, as a matter of fact. Din lost it in a fight with an ugly, half-organic, half-mechanical creature. When Din was subsequently taken prisoner, it was Bo-Katan who took the saber and used it to strike down his captors. So since she defeated the creature that defeated Din Djarin, she’s now technically the rightful bearer of the Darksaber. Tan-tara! Bo-Katan gets the Darksaber! The Nite Owls join her! Hurray!
Could Bo-Katan Kryze be the next Mand’alor? Source: Disney/Lucasfilm
Putting cynicism to one side for a second, it seems to me like Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni don’t quite know what to do with Din Djarin and Grogu in this third season. The first two seasons fed off of the mystery of Grogu’s origins and his return to the Jedi. Now that’s been revealed, Din and Grogu’s stories have stalled. Instead, the torch has been passed to other characters, primarily Bo-Katan Kryze. I actually think that’s great – she’s been one of my favourite characters since The Clone Wars. But isn’t this series called The Mandalorian? Shouldn’t it mainly be about Din Djarin? Don’t get me wrong, go ahead and give me more Bo-Katan. I’ve got no problem with that. But do it in «The Book of Bo-Katan Kryze»!
