The Mandalorian

[ChrisIII]

So the Purgill cameo seems to be kind of a little tease for ASHOKA.

We see some of Babu Frik's species but not Babu himself, not sure if the trailers showed him. It's possible maybe he'll show up later and succeed where the others have failed.

The creature at the beginning reminded me a lot of the extinct reptiles Thechodonts, which were basically proto-Dinosaurs.

[Tofali]

I loved everything about the episode and It felt like where are they now news update

They showed the development in Nevarro I'm sure to completely destroy it in the end as a parallel to a possibility of rebuilding Mandalore.

A new covert for the Armorer and Din Djarin's Clan

Bo-Katan blaming Death Watch for the destruction of Mandalore was laughable. I can't stand her

[godisawesome]

I think this is probably the first episode they were entirely addressing the larger narrative in a serialized format without it being a season climax; we didn't have any one-episode side-quest, we didn't kill off the week's primary antagonist, we introduced multiple still-open plot-threads, and the whole episode is clearly more "prologue" or "part one" than a "micro-adventure in a macro-adventure" as was previously the case. That's actually a bit of a similarity to Andor's first episode in narrative construction, with the biggest differences being Din and Grogu can be the protagonists of all the plot vs the ensemble-in-subplots approach of that show, and the way Andor was about four major subplots all from closely related genres, and this one reflects a more "Star Wars-y" fusion of different genres in its subplots.

Did it wow the way Season Two's premiere did? No. Did it have more plot hooks than the Season One premiere? Yes. Did it have the ability to stand-alone the way those episodes did? No. Do I have have a lot more observations and excited questions than I did for those premieres? Yes.

- Am I the only one who thinks the Watch's interrupted Initiation Ceremony was partially meant to show how their current status quo is untenable, and that they lack wise military and political leadership? They have religious and cultural leadership, obviously, but when faced with a threat larger than their current set-up, they completely fail to either strategically withdraw or escalate sufficiently for the monster's skill; they're too proud to know when to just get out of the way and come back later, and too decentralized and disorganized to formulate a strong plan of attack. It sort of explains why the first Nevarro Covert of multiple Mandos was so devastated by Gideon, even though Din was capable of taking him and his forces on with a smaller team - The Children of the Watch are more religious order than military, and too much warrior and not enough soldier.

- A significant chunk of the episode's subplots went to setting up Mandalore's status quo and clarifying what is supposed to be keeping them from it - that it's a glassed, radioactive planet, albeit one that some traveler's explored without apparently disproving its dangerous status, making the mystery more clear. We also now see that, with the appearance of Kalevala, that the Mandalorians *do* still have at least one planet under their control, which bodes well for those hoping the Mandos are more than just a few hundred warriors, and may be a sign of an even larger playing field of Mando factions and populations... and in general, they're hyping up Din's quest to Mandalore as being more complicated than a simple pilgrimage, with mysteries that even Bo and the Amorer are in the dark about.

- The Nevarro and pirate plotline is sort of fascinating because it seems to be the first large-scale non-Imperial conflict of the show; I think we can safely say that A) it's likely the big battle from the trailers will be a multi-episode climax for "Part 1" of the season, and B) that means the trailers likely only cover stuff from this first arc. They're going out of their way to give Pirate King Swamp Thing formidable conventional forces and at least one notable lieutenant; while Gideon's forces were of course larger and more formidable, Cap'n Weed-Face can apparently afford to lose five men and five starfighters, which is more than you can say for any other villainous gang in the show thus far. Plus, Greef and the city becoming more prosperous is a fun subplot we've had going on, and the fact that IG-11 only had a rumored leak about his role further clarifies that we haven't seen what the rest of the season is going to be like.

- Bo Katan has arguably the most fascinating subplot and scene, simply because we've seen this character over a literal decade of stuff now, yet this is the first time we've seen her reduced to only herself, without a faction. I did not expect to see that she had no more followers, and I'm loving the way she's still treading a line where neither Din nor the audience no entirely how to take her. She's now a bit of a foil and warning for Din as to what can happen if you fail a personal quest, and an embittered and despairing veteran seemingly on the sidelines without hope... but along with the bitterness she sends Din and his faction's way, she still offers him the knowledge of where to look for a mine shaft in the city. I made this comparison in her own thread, but I think she might be set up for something like King Uryens role in Excalibur; a noble if obstinate rival to Din, for whom the key is not conquest in combat, but trust and faith that she's really as good as she wants to be.

- Finally, there's Din himself. To call back to my first observation and point, I think his rescue of the new Covert was meant to reinforce that Din has grown beyond them, even if he now stands apart from them. He has a greater sense of purpose, wisdom, and determination when it comes to seemingly impossible quests than they do even just defending themselves form comparatively mundane threats in this crazy Galaxy. I also really felt there was a strong undercurrent of Din quietly analyzing himself and his situation, and the actions and attitudes of the other Mandalorians, and while he clearly has some anxiety and tension over his current status and loneliness, I also think that for the first time he's thinking some critical thoughts about these other Mandos. Din's in a transition period; he's about to become something in the mines of Mandalore...

[ChrisIII]

Kind of wondering if the Purgill cameo has a deeper purpose, like maybe Grogu is able to communicate with them and give Ashoka a vital clue to finding Ezra & Thrawn.

[Deathstroke]

I have a feeling that all the improvements on Nevarro were shown because they are going to come to naught because of Mando defying the pirate. The line from the movie Serenity came to mind for me when Mando hit the quick hyperspace jump. "When your enemy goes to ground, leave no ground to run to."

Bo-Katan didn't have an especially good scene. She came off as a whiny little crybaby who didn't get her way and is now sulking about it instead of looking for another way.

It was interesting that the other Mandalorians were relatively ineffective at fighting off the sea creature and had to be bailed out by The Apostate or they likely would've ended up as the monster's meal.

It was a nice table setting episode for sure, but it only hooks you it doesn't give you a full helping.

[j9ac9k]

My biggest gripe with the episode was the whole IG-11 stuff:
-- Why does Mando need a droid to accompany him? We don't know - he just says he does.
-- Why does it have to be IG-11? Mando has shown that he's grown enough to trust other droids.
-- IG being salvaged after being shot in the head is one thing, but what the frak is the point of a self-destruct if he can be recovered? IG specifically said that was the point of him having a self-destruct.
-- Why did Karga bother letting Mando try to fix it himself when he knew there was those ... little droid repairing peeps?
-- So not only do they walk back the effectiveness of his self-destruct, we're also walking back the effectiveness of Kuill's reprogramming?
-- Remember when Mando shot IG-11 in the head in one shot? So suddenly, when a barely functioning IG droid is crawling on the floor, he can't take it out?
-- Did Mando say he'll just get a new memory unit for him? So.... what's the point?? This is a whole "ship of Theseus" scenario.

So yeah, almost every second of that section of the show left me baffled. (I will leave my other gripes at the door for now)

[Godzilla2099]

It was a fun premiere, but some of the writing left me scratching my head.

Good:

Mando and Karga: Never a bad scene when these two are together. I know Mando is supposed to be a nomad but Karga's Offer makes too much sense to refuse. Place to live, steady income, safety for the child, freedom to take jobs, etc. But I guess with all the enemies you rack up, probably settling down in one spot probably isn't the best idea either.

Dogfight: A little corny but overall fun to watch

Mando's Ship: Not exactly ideal for cargo, but I love how Mando's Customizations made the ship so fast and maneuverable

Bad:

Watch Clan Opening: This whole scene left me shaking my head. I get the writers are trying to give Mando this heroic entrance but these supposed greatest warriors fought like amateurs. I get it, evacuate the younglings and get those to safety (It was a ceremony so most weren't armed) but wouldn't it make more sense for a few to do the distracting, get the creature to follow you, then fly to safety after the majority of the group haul ass out of there? (Especially when you see that detonators aren't taking this thing down)

Armorer: My respect for this character went from 1 to 0. Not even a thank you to Mando from saving your entire clan from the Sea Creature. Also, if you're so religious, shouldn't you be doing what Mando says now since he owns the Darksaber?

IG-11: I liked the character in Season 1 but come on, this guy should he dead. He was holding a thermal detonator at point blank range. Also, you reactivate him and he attacks the baby...but you still want to reactivate him again? What's left of him, you shoot into swiss cheese and drop a statue on him...but he's still salvageable?

[Gray Lensman]

A world called Kalevela? Thats also the name of the Finnish mythological epic, so when I watch I will have to see if any references are there or if it is just a name someone pulled out of a hat.

Flying back home from my work trip today so I haven't had a chance to watch yet.

[thwhtGuardian]

Not the greatest opening, but I really enjoyed the scenes with Greef, and I liked the pirate plot(especially the design of the captain) and I'm definitely hooked on where it's all going this season.

[j9ac9k]

I get that Favreau was having fun, but I rolled my eyes when that pirate said "Avast!"

Also, I'm going to walk back my previous statement that the opening scene was a waste - I get that it's relevant to the show in general, but as a big CG action scene to open the season, I found it underwhelming.

[BeastieRunner]

Decent enough opening.

Felt like Star Wars, so that is a good thing IMHO.

[Ascended]

A world called Kalevela? Thats also the name of the Finnish mythological epic

I didn't know that. Gave it a Google and from a quick look, it sounds like it has a lot in common with the old Norse eddas, so I'm gonna have to track this thing down. Love a good epic poem!

Enjoyed the episode, it was a lot of fun even if some of it didn't make any sense. You always worry with a new season if they'll be able to keep the magic alive, but I feel like season 3 is starting off strong.

Gonna be spoilers here. Fair warning.

First off, I like how they handled Cara Dune. I assumed they'd just say she was off-world at best, or at worst say she met some shameful, sad ending. Given the way the actress left the role I didn't think the character would get much love. Happy to be wrong about that, and it even ties in to the ongoing subplot (seen through x-wing pilot Blue) of Republic forces trying to get a handle on the outer rim. Actress said something stupid (don't recall what, something anti-vax?) but the character wasn't made to suffer for it, and I appreciate that.

Notice how Gideon's fate wasn't confirmed? He stood in front of a war tribunal....but we don't find out what their verdict was.

The stuff with the new Covert sets up a lot of intriguing possibilities. I think the scene did a great job of showing how badass the mandalorians are while highlighting their desperate need for unifying leadership and the flaws in their dogma. These guys are warriors, not soldiers. You'll be hard pressed to find better fighters in a one-on-one or small skirmish scenario, but on a battlefield where tactics (not firepower) are what win the day, these guys come up short. Makes them poorly suited to deal with larger scale issues, which is what our giant crocodile monster illustrates. It's a hole in the mando institution, and looking back I think you can see it throughout the shows and cartoons, in different ways.

I'm enjoying Nevarro's evolution and how the show has built that up over the seasons. I like Greef's goals and plans for the planet and the pirate subplot. And it's telling that these pirates seem to have a stronger presence than either the Republic or the Imperial remnants. We've been told how unregulated and lawless the outer rim has been, and now maybe we're starting to see where the power consolidated in that vacuum with this pirate king. I wonder if we'll see Hondo's live-action debut here? I'm not generally a big fan of the character, too comedic for my tastes, but I think he'd be a interesting character for Din to run across for an episode.

The dog fight in the asteroid belt was a lot of fun. Good way to show off Din's new ship and I don't know if we've seen that kind of "hide and seek" tactic in the franchise before?

And I find myself wondering, Greef wants Nevarro to be a independent system, basically the same thing the Separatists wanted right? Is that the direction the franchise will go, post-sequels? Mando is set years before the sequels I know, but does Greef foreshadow the franchise moving towards a more feudal system of some kind after the New Republic fails? A network of self-governing systems held together by trade and mutual-defense agreements? Is Greef hinting at the future here, or will his ambition and desire for independence blow up in his face and prove that the Separatists were wrong after all and independent systems are too soft a target without the support and protection of a wide-spread government?

The thing with IG is.....a choice. Seems a little wonky but I get where they're coming from with it. It's not that Din trusts IG so much as he trusted Kuiil, and heading into the unknown dangers of an irradiated Mandalore, I can see why Din is determined to get IG back on its feet; it's a proven asset and the most dangerous ally Din has had. All that said, the idea that there was anything left of the droid in the first place is more than just a stretch. And the idea that a new memory bank will somehow reset Kuiil's programming doesn't make any sense to me at all either. Plus, if Kuiil's programming can be recovered, why not just slot that into a new IG unit? But I'm willing to set all the questionable logic here aside; I liked IG as a badass nurse droid and Din hasn't always made the best choices anyway. And I'm not bothered by how hard it was the kill the thing here. Look at what that droid was capable of; what doesn't make sense is how Din was able to kill it so easily in season 1, not that it was a challenge to kill here.

I think the show did a great job bringing Mandalore architecture to live-action. And I'm surprised by where they have Bo Katan here. It makes perfect sense that her forces would trickle away after she failed to secure the darksaber though. She's got two strikes against her already so why would anyone stick around after she failed again? But I didn't expect this. And I don't believe for a second that she's as finished with her plans to rule as she appears. Maybe she had given up, but then Din walks in and tells her exactly where he's going, that he'll be (basically) alone on an abandoned world, and that he still has the darksaber....what better place for Bo to get it back than the ruins of her homeworld? Seems like both her and Din will be trying to find redemption below Mandalore. I expect to see a lot of her this season, and I noticed in the credits that Sackhoff's name was right after Pascal's, not part of the "in order of appearance" list.

The thing with Grogu and the hyperspace whales...that's obviously setting up Ashoka, but it works really well on its own here too. Din's talk about navigating the galaxy and never knowing what you'll find dovetails nicely with this little scene of Grogu watching the whales. Foreshadowing for Ashoka's show yes, but also a nice little "how strange and wondrous the galaxy is" moment for our favorite Child.

I think his rescue of the new Covert was meant to reinforce that Din has grown beyond them, even if he now stands apart from them. also really felt there was a strong undercurrent of Din quietly analyzing himself and his situation, and the actions and attitudes of the other Mandalorians, and while he clearly has some anxiety and tension over his current status and loneliness, I also think that for the first time he's thinking some critical thoughts about these other Mandos. Din's in a transition period; he's about to become something in the mines of Mandalore...

Agreed that he's gonna become something below Mandalore....but I remain unsold on the idea that he'll take the throne. Not only does that put an end to his adventuring, and hence the show, but I don't think it's something he wants nor would be particularly good at. I think if anything, Grogu will end up the one to rule (someday). Maybe he'll be the one to "defeat twenty" and carry the darksaber, but Din will serve as regent until Grogu comes of age?

Will have to watch the episode again but I don't know if I picked up on the same "analyzing and questioning his situation and the other mandos" undercurrent here. What makes you think so?

[Frontier]

I wonder if anyone thought this was a flashback to Din getting his first helmet. Baby's first Mando Helmet!

Mandalorian's fighting a giant alien alligator feels very...Mandalorian. Minus them practically dropping like flies.

"This is the Way" -> "I can live with that."

Well, Grogu has mastered using the Force to push and lift stuff. I guess that was the entire point of leaving him with Luke for barely a season.

This show feels as much about Din's journey as it is showing the evolution of Navarro and the impact that has on the wider galaxy.

Does Carl Weathers know no other way to shake a mans' hand? Granted, it is the most epic handshake in cinematic history.

I wonder if that's the last we'll ever hear of Cara.

I feel a little bad for those Droids constantly carrying Greef's cape around.

Din can repair a Droid? This anti-Droid guy? Although I guess it's like fixing a ship or a tool. But you'd think buying a scout Droid would be more efficient.

The best part of being in a star fighter is that you get a better view of Hyperspace. And Purgills. Just a reminder that Grand Admiral Thrawn was defeated by Space Whales.

Man, Bo-Katan's really lost it. Just stewing in her castle (where is that from? Did she have that built? Is that the Kryze family summer home?) because all her troops have basically abandoned her because she has no power and is pretty much useless. All those attempts to restore Mandalore, all those failures, and she's reduced to...this.

[Immortal Weapon]

My biggest gripe with the episode was the whole IG-11 stuff:
-- Why does Mando need a droid to accompany him? We don't know - he just says he does.
-- Why does it have to be IG-11? Mando has shown that he's grown enough to trust other droids.
-- IG being salvaged after being shot in the head is one thing, but what the frak is the point of a self-destruct if he can be recovered? IG specifically said that was the point of him having a self-destruct.
-- Why did Karga bother letting Mando try to fix it himself when he knew there was those ... little droid repairing peeps?
-- So not only do they walk back the effectiveness of his self-destruct, we're also walking back the effectiveness of Kuill's reprogramming?
-- Remember when Mando shot IG-11 in the head in one shot? So suddenly, when a barely functioning IG droid is crawling on the floor, he can't take it out?
-- Did Mando say he'll just get a new memory unit for him? So.... what's the point?? This is a whole "ship of Theseus" scenario.

So yeah, almost every second of that section of the show left me baffled. (I will leave my other gripes at the door for now)

1) from what we understand about the current state of Mandalore is the planet is uninhabitable. A droid won't be affected by environmental changes so he will need one to scout the planet to ensure what he wants to do is even possible.

2) Dinn himself answered that question. He trusted IG-11 so he wants him. I doubt he will want the droids from the shop mechanic for this job.

3) All Dinn really did was restore power to IG to see if it would be worth his time to fix.

I absolutely love the parts of the episode where Dinn teachs Grogu how to live as an Mandalorian. I really hope that ends with Grogu getting his own armor and helmet once Dinn redeems himself

[ChrisIII]

According to Wookiepedia,There's a bounty hunter book released late last year which hints at the current IG-11 storyline.

As for other droids of his type, it used to be in the EU that the IG droids were extremely rare, but with IG droids showing up everywhere in Clone Wars (and the magnaguards also being IG droids) the Disney retcon is that only the exact IG-88 type is rare (Although IG-11 is almost identical).