I guess I got somewhat spoiled by the excellent quality of Andor, but these initial Mandalorian episodes are really coming off as pretty - as the kids say - mid.
Rambling scripts that seem filled with video-game quests and questionable decision-making. Lots of moments that seem to happen because they’re scripted, not because of logic. Mando coming off as somewhat buffoonish - sure, why not enter dangerous situations with blaster in hand, bassinet floating nearby? Bo-Katan lounging around despairingly in her empty castle (whatever) like she’s in an Edward Gorey book on a Victorian fainting couch. We need this droid! Naw, wait, this other one’s fine. Wait, why’s this droid even here? Whatever.
Maybe there’s some grand plan that they’re setting up and all this will make sense soon. But as it is, the whole thing is coming off as somewhat amateurish.
For what it’s worth, this review has it as ‘dragged down’, without giving any consideration to the idea that he might’ve just sunk:
Watching this, though, the whole droid-side quest just seems even stranger to me. I mean, first it’s all ‘only IG-11 can help me get to the mines’, then it’s ‘OK fine this random R5-unit will do’, and then all the droid does is roll over a couple of meters to take an atmosphere reading. But then, that reading clearly is taken to indicate that the atmosphere is fine everywhere, so why’d he have to do the reading at that specific spot, rather than directly from the ship? Why did it even need a droid at all? Shouldn’t whatever sensors the ship has be capable of deciding whether you can breathe the air? Seems like kind of a basis functionality.
Unless the real payoff is that the ship now has its droid-port reinstalled, which is going to be important at some point… Otherwise, that would be a strangely impactful change for five minutes of atmosphere-sampling, robbing Grogu of his viewing dome, and making the ship even more cramped.
Narratively, introducing R5 justifies Grogu riding in the cockpit so tbat Din can better teach him the Way of the Mandalore. If this episode was any indication, we’re going to see him start to mature, especially since he’s progressed to baby-talk now.
Seems like a lot of effort just to get to that point, though. I mean, an off-hand line of dialogue wouldn’t have sufficed? “Hey Grogu, get down here, I wanna show you something.” Plus, just having him ride in the cockpit more frequently would also have been a good way to show their strengthening bond… As it is, it just makes you wonder why they bothered with the glass dome in the first place, if they could’ve just as easily gone without.
, first it’s all ‘only IG-11 can help me get to the mines’, then it’s ‘OK fine this random R5-unit will do’,
Mando said in the previous episode he wanted a droid he could trust, a known quantity, and in this universe where there are quite a few hostile or deceitful droids that seems a fair point. In the end apparently he was as fed up with the thought of a long fetch quest as anyone and when the best droid techs he was told about plus the best droid tech he had an established relationship with both told him “no can do!”, that’s when he settled for the R5 rather than keep mucking about on a hope and a prayer.
And as we saw taking the IG-11 was the best call - the cave monsters would’ve been toast, Mando could’ve been quickly freed from the cyborg’s scorpion-cage and together they would’ve blasted it to bits. No need for a Grogu and Bo-Katan rescue.
But then you don’t easily get Bo-Katan to where she apparently needs to be for the story, questionably the legitimate owner of the Darksaber now (taken in combat from Mando to Cyborg to Bo-Katan) and now with personally confirmed knowledge of a living Mythosaur.
why’d he have to do the reading at that specific spot, rather than directly from the ship?
I’m going to WAG it as the canary in the coal mine. Just because it might be safe on the surface doesn’t mean the enclosed spaces are equally safe. Many harmful gases are heavier than oxygen/breathable air, a droid with appropriate sensors should be monitoring for safe atmosphere all the way down.
Now as to why his armor/helmet can be ‘pressurized’ and presumably have oxygen recycling tech built into it yet lack the simple function of external atmosphere sensors, you got me. Could be a matter of sophistication in ‘will this atmosphere kill me within minutes’ versus ‘will five minutes exposure poison me to die within a year’.
Unless the real payoff is that the ship now has its droid-port reinstalled, which is going to be important at some point
It could be very useful, such as if Mando is pinned down in the terrain and needs a distraction/flanking maneuver… one hopes the R5 will be less of a coward in its element; repairing/piloting a space fighter as opposed to wandering out alone on a potentially hostile planet without even a blaster to defend itself.
I wonder if R2-D2 and Chopper are considered insane among the other astromechs for their fearless/gung-ho willingness to enter dangerous situations alone.
This is an excellent point. He wanted to go in properly prepared, but in the end that wasn’t practical.However, the compromises were a poor move, and resulted in multiple near-death encounters. I will arm myself with this knowledge in future arguments against these episodes.
I don’t think it was a reasonable precaution, it was just his own trauma that did not let him “trust” other droids but that one. He didn’t actually need IG 11, he is just weird about droids.
Where do they store Grogu’s hoverpram on the starfighter?
Speaking of, in 3x02 Grogu leaps out of his hoverpram into the starfighter, closes the hatch, and flies to Bo-Katan. Who files back to Mandalore with Grogu–who is in his hoverpram.
All the pram action in this episode made me notice that Mando doesn’t remotely control the pram anymore; Grogu does. I wonder if the thing even works anymore. Maybe Grogu moves it around with the Force.
The only thing that bothered me is how they showed Mando struggling to use the dark saber, then losing it in combat with the cyborg guy, then Bo Katan taking it back and using it masterfully… then mando just grabs it again like none of that happened. Bo Katan won it in combat, the way it was meant to be, why was that not acknowledged at all?
Bo Katan won it in combat, the way it was meant to be, why was that not acknowledged at all?
my take … Mando was running ragged (apparently the cyborg was draining his blood?) and while doggedly attempting to carry out his creed obligation just retrieved his stuff without thinking about that … whereas Bo Katan was in full “F— it, whatever” mode.
It’s entirely possible that once they’ve had some time to process what they’ve experienced one of them will realize Bo Katan has a fairer claim on it now.
I also like the observations made by other viewers here or elsewhere that both Mando and Bo Katan are trapped in their own Ways. Bo Katan doesn’t respect the helmet/Water bathing ritual and was disrespected by others of her creed for not winning the Darksaber in combat; Mando risking his life for a cave bath because he faced up in a sticky situation but is fine turning over the saber. Now perhaps they can both move forward with a Mythosaur into the bargain to reach or create a new Way of Mandalore.
If I recall right, Mando did hit a button on his wrist to close the pram-shell in one of these season 3 episodes and it almost seemed like Grogu was pushing buttons during his retreat… unless for some reason it has foot controls. (which seems like a bad idea for a pram but perhaps it was designed for small sentient beings in general?)
[QUOTE]Bo-Katan lounging around despairingly in her empty castle (whatever) like she’s in an Edward Gorey book on a Victorian fainting couch.[\QUOTE]
Bo-Katan is a hard one to figure. Does she just sit in her brutalist castle on a throne all day waiting for people to show up? Or is it just like weekdays ?
And when Grogu comes back she ( thinking it’s Din returning) says something like "now let’s get rid of him ", but then decides to go to a ruined planet and risk her life to rescue him?
?