Ryan Shoots First: The Mandalorian (S2 Ep8) “Chapter 16: The Rescue”
Here we go, it’s all come to this in the season finale of The Mandalorian and Mando is on the trail of Moff Gideon. We got a full year till Season 3 so let’s go out with a bang!
The episode starts with Slave 1 chasing down an Imperial Transport Shuttle that is carrying Doctor Pershing. One of the pilots is SUPER down with the Empire and provokes Cara by talking down Alderan. She shoots him in the face promptly.
After the opening title we see Slave 1 land on a planet and see a Mandolarian transport! Mando and Boba meet up with Bo. Boba and Sasha Banks get into it a bit and Mando informs Bo he knows where Gideon is. We get a spat between Bo and Boba as she clearly knows he is a clone and doesn’t recognize him as a true Mandalorian. Cool moment with all these Bad-asses spatting a bit. The team forms a plan to take the shuttle. Boba stages an assault on the Imp shuttle from the Slave 1 to fool Gideon who dispatches Ties and allows the shuttle to land…kind of. With the landing team on Boba heads off into hyperspace. Gideon recognizing what’s going on activates the Dark Troopers. Mando, late to the party, comes strolling out the shuttle with his Beskar Spear. Mando doesn’t make it in time and one Dark Trooper gets through. These guys are intense as the trooper starts mercilessly beating Mando as the other units slowly bust through the closed blast door. Mando unloads his arsenal but the only thing that seems to work is the Beskar spear. He manages to air lock the entire room of Dark Troopers. Mando pushes his way to Grogu’s cell where Gideon is standing with the Dark Saber drawn on Grogu.
Moff tells Mando he knows everything and tells Mando he is always in the know. He tells him all about the Dark Saber but Mando doesn’t care he just wants the Kid. Gideon abliges as he already has Grogu’s blood so he makes a deal. Take the kid and go, before he can grab Grogu Gideon pulls the blade on Mando. The two fight and Mando takes down Gideon. There is a problem though as he returns to the bridge with Gideon its revealed since he beat Gideon Mando is now the owner of the Dark Saber, if Bo wants it she will need to beat Mando for it. Mando of course offers it to Bo but she cannot take it as the story of it has more power than the blade itself. It’s a very “master wand” situation, but before they can resolve it the dark troopers are back and boarding the ship. They are busting through when all of a sudden a X-Wing that looks very familiar boards the ship. Grogu seems to be drawn to the ship… Holy Shit. The Dark Troopers all stop and a Jedi destroys all the dark troopers, it’s freaking Luke Skywalker! Moff knowing the battle is over tries to off himself after his last gasp plan doesn’t work. Mando opens the doors after Grogu is drawn to Luke. Luke removes his hood and the de aging effects are amazing. Luke tells Mando Grogu wants his permission to go and needs this training. Mando removes his helmet and Grogu see’s his face for the first time. Teary eyed Din sits Grogu down and tells him not to be afraid. R2 shows up as well to help ease Grogu who agrees to go with Luke. The credits roll as Luke, Grogu and R2 leave the bridge.
But wait we have a Star Wars post credits scene! Back on Tatooine at Jabba’s palace Bib Fortuna has taken on running the show. Fennec shoots her way into the throne room as Boba comes down the stairs. Bib tries to play it cool but Boba shoots him dead and takes his seat on the throne. There is a new warlord running the Hutt empire and the words The Book of Boba Fett Coming December 2021 comes on screen! Boba spin off baby!!!
What a season… you can call it fan service if you want but that’s kind of what Star Wars is, from Bo to Ahsoka to Boba to Luke this show delivers and is a fan boy like me’s wet dream. I will be watching this season over and over for a long time. Seeing Luke get to be the Jedi Master we unfortunately never got to see was awesome and while the CGI was a little more noticeable for the longer talking scenes I didn’t care give me it all, this is a new age we can tell stories never thought possible with this new tech. Star Wars is in a pretty great place right now and movies are great but this new era of smaller series telling various stories is perfect. I can’t wait for more to come.
Observations
- Man watching Slave 1 fly around and do it’s thing is amazing.
- They said “Death Wish”… Chris the Brain will love that.
- Amazing opening scene
- Oh man that Mando shuttle in live action!
- Man this is a hell of a team.
- That EDM Dark Trooper theme was lit.
- Lots of Bad Ass women on this show.
- Man the boot up sequence for the Dark Troopers is long.
- Maybe don’t have the Dark Trooper room have an air lock?
- Kinda weird since Sabine gave the Dark Saber to Bo in Rebels, didn’t seem to bother her then.
- No freaking way, no freaking way that is Luke.
- This show… it gave us Luke being a straight Jedi Master!
- I’m shaking…
- Deaging looks better than in Rouge One
- I can’t with Grogu touching Mandos helmet.
- Yea I cried…
- Shut up I don’t care.
- Book of Boba… inject it straight into my veins.
