"Chapter 7: The Reckoning"
This week's episode of The Mandalorian may actually be my favorite entry of the series so far. It was great getting to see several of our beloved side characters that we've met along the way return and unite for one particular high risk mission. The camaraderie was immediately felt between our heroes which shows just how important these "tale of the week" episodes have been introducing and building these relationships to save for later use. What I also really enjoyed about this episode, and the entire series come to think of it, is the emphasis on the constant dangers lurking around each corner. Once our team gets tangled up with Greed Karga and his security detail, the tension begins to slowly rise as a potential betrayal hangs over throughout a large portion of the episode while other hazardous elements are later introduced.
During a waiting period before the previously planned meeting with the client, the Mandalorian's team camps out with Greef and his men to wait out the night. While everyone goes over the plan, we get treated to a pretty solid "creature feature" sequence as the band gets ambushed by giant pterodactyl-like animals in the area. This little horror-action scene completely took me off guard, and again, perfectly highlighted how dangerous this world can be to anyone despite their background and allegiance. The visuals of the creatures were awesome as they swooped in from the darkness surrounding the campfire causing a chaotic frenzy amongst the group while raising the tension around the child's safety. Having one of Greef's men and Kuiil's blurrg's get taken during this random encounter greatly solidifies the idea that nowhere is safe whether from bounty hunters, Imperials, or even nature itself.
This eventually leads to Greef getting severely damaged via one of the animal's venomous strikes resulting in our first official look at the child's healing power. I find it pretty admirable how the writers have showed restraint for 6-7 episodes in utilizing it's force powers reserving it only for key moments of story progression. Having him heal Greef to the surprise of everyone pushes the stakes of his worth to the Empire while also setting up Greef's eventual allegiance shift all in one scene. Well done, writers. Instead of having "baby Yoda" constantly move objects and heal people in every episode, you save the force for where it would count the most. A commendable feat for a series that could have easily opted out for the cheaper fan service drawing option of constantly showing force using for the sake of spectacle and excitement.
Moving into Nevarro now, we get some of my favorite imagery on the show so far (which is saying a lot since The Mandalorian boasts some of the greatest visual direction of any live action series in my opinion). Greeting our characters and the audience is a now Imperial dominating town filled with Stormtroopers and two scout troopers guarding the entrance. What the episode does brilliantly from here on out is capitalize on the previously set up idea that there should only be few troopers around as stated by Greef by subtly then drastically increasing their numbers as we progress through the Nevarro scenes. With visual storytelling, both our heroes and the audience begins to feel a sense of claustrophobia to the situation as if being cornered by the Empire before such a moment actually takes place. Despite their pre-established plans to take out the the client, the "I have a bad feeling about this" thought immediately begins creeping in.
Speaking of the client, when we finally do reunite with him at the Cantina, we're given some pretty interesting lore expansion during his meeting scene as he speaks about the Empire's failed expansion on Mandalore in addition to how consequential it was to the galaxy's peace once the revolt against the Empire happened. I loved this brief remark about how secured and organized the Empire made everything under their rule compared to the chaotic and death smothering state of things now. Perspective is one of the crucial points in Star Wars history, so it's great to see The Mandalorian adopt this sensibility for their story via an Imperial remnant's claim on their so-called "perfect way of doing things".
Fast forward through an already intense situation with the client asking to see the child, which the audience is anticipating Mando's plan to trick him and take him down, to what I'll officially label as one of the best villain introductions in the Star Wars franchise yet. As Moff Gideon shows up via hologram to ask the client about the child's whereabouts, the client foolishly states that it's sleeping in his care despite not actually seeing it to which Gideon sarcastically proclaims to re-check. The Cantina then becomes engulfed with gunfire from outside leading to the client and everyone but our scattering heroes being gunned from an unseen outside force. It's a set up hero twist (the child decoy plan) being dominated by the villain's twist (the reveal that the client isn't the big boss after all) perfectly laying the groundwork for Gideon's threat level and epic entrance.
I spoke earlier about the powerful imagery of increasing Stormtrooper numbers, but it's during this scene specifically where that concept gets fully realized. First, we start with showing a few Death Troopers outside which already raises the stakes considering their elite ranking. Then, a troop transport holding an army of storm troopers appears hammering the point of the power and resources that the mysterious Gideon possesses. My favorite visual however comes where Gideon's TIE fighter shows up and elegantly lands behind a perfect formation of Imperial troopers outside of the Cantina. I have a personal love for awesome villain introductions in stories, so it brings me great joy to state that The Mandalorian offered a new one to add to the list. This is also one of those "poster worthy" shots that I live for in properties like Star Wars, and this episode delivers it beautifully here.
With our heroes completely pinned down, our villain furthers his epic entrance by stating how important the child is to him while also confidently claiming that it would be in his possession very soon. Here enters the most dramatically powerful scene of the series thus far as we see Kuiil's desperate escape to the Razor Crest get thwarted by the two scout troopers that we saw earlier in the episode. My jaw dropped to the floor once the shot of the child laying helplessly on the floor was shown while the scout trooper drove by and picked it up. Mando's constant calling out to Kuiil to respond only to be met with silence masterfully drove this scene to a heart sinking final shot of the Ugnaught's revealed death. It's a truly impactful scene as the episode artistically presents his tragic death through brilliant editing of specifically chosen shots invoking a certain impending doom as opposed to just showing the troopers shoot him down.
With such a chilling shot to leave us on, The Mandalorian cements its earlier pitch as being a much more edgier Star Wars property in its bleakness and boldness towards its world and characters. If anyone was beginning to think that the "Baby Yoda cuteness" was beginning to take the series into a child friendly toy selling focused route, this episode perfectly shut those ideas down. Everything that I felt the series was building up to was executed here in its seventh chapter through excellent direction and storytelling. Although I've been enjoying the recent side filler-like stories, it's nice to see the core arc of the show finally spotlighted once more with the stakes surrounding the Empire and the mysterious force sensitive child. With so many different ways to take the story now, consider me hyped to see what comes next.
Bonus Thoughts
1. Force Choking From A Different Perspective
Something that I wasn't expecting to see was the adorable "Baby Yoda" using a force maneuver that has been popularly established as being a darker use of the power via Darth Vader. Even when Luke utilized it in Return of the Jedi, the visuals of him being garbed in all black as with that particular film's story of his potential shift to the Dark Side highlighted the ability's more Sith-like background. However, seeing the child use it in the Mandalorian with an innocent thought process of helping his caregiver during what he thought was a battle was refreshing. It shows how terrifyingly powerful the child already is but also how dangerous it is considering that he doesn't entirely understand the world around him and how to show restraint. To immediately jump to this ability teases both the Empire's presence in wanting him as well as the Jedi's absence in helping him.
The child in this sense is presented as a potential dangerous tool and treasure in the wrong hands, a possible blessing in the right hands, and an innocent youngling being trapped in a conflict that is currently above its comprehension. Whoever or whatever the child actually is, it's definitely one of the more compelling characters introduced in new canon considering its potential worth.
"Shot of the Week"
Aside from the epic shot of Gideon's TIE fighter and personal army waiting outside of the Cantina, there's also a beautiful shot much earlier in the episode where Mando and Greef's team walks through a volcanic tundra as a random alien creature is shown in the foreground eating some of the molten rock. The series has so far established itself as boasting incredible visual direction all around in practically every episode. Chapter 7 continues this during some of the scenes within the volcanic portion of Nevarro.
Episode Rating: 10/10
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