At this point, you’re officially missing out if you’re not watching The Mandalorian. I had high praise for the first episode of the Disney Plus series, but I had concerns that the team behind the new show wouldn’t be able to maintain its quality. The second episode obliterates those concerns.
Baby Yoda was introduced in the first episode. And yes, I know it’s very unlikely that it really is the Yoda from A New Hope, but for now that’s what we’re calling it. While we just got a glimpse of it in the previous chapter, the little tyke takes on a much larger role in this follow-up episode.
Heads up, there will be spoilers below.
After a skirmish with some Trandoshan warriors, the Mandalorian suffers an injury to his arm. Shortly after, we get some foreshadowing that Baby Yoda might already be able to use the Force as he seemingly attempts to heal the Mandalorian’s injuries with his powers.
The Mandalorian has no idea of the power Baby Yoda possesses. He’s far too distracted by the fact his ship has been stripped bare by Jawas. Speaking of which, it’s delightful to see the Jawas make a proper return to the screen. There is a nicely choreographed chase scene involving the Mandalorian and a group of Jawas that just hits all the right notes.
The alien farmer Kuiil makes a welcome return to this episode and is just as effective as he was in the first. He helps the Mandalorian bargain with the Jawas to return the parts of his ship, but it comes at a hefty price. The Mandalorian must bring them an egg from the den of an aggressive (and large) space rhino monster thing.
And this is where things get really good. Just when you think the Mandalorian is about to be trampled to death by the beast, its entire giant body is frozen and levitating in the air. That’s right, Baby Yoda comes to the defense of the man who saved his life and uses some serious Force skills on the space rhino.
I don’t care who you are, this showstopper of a scene is exactly what Star Wars fans have been wanting since it was first announced that Disney would be buying Star Wars from George Lucas. This kind of kinetic and surprising energy is exactly what made the original trilogy so timeless. This is the stuff that never gets old no matter how many times you watch it. It’s just a very satisfying scene.
The episode ends on a further satisfying note by seeing the Mandalorian deliver the furry-looking egg to the Jawas and having a brief but semi-poignant interaction with Kuiil.
It solidifies the kind of character the Mandalorian is while giving Baby Yoda an actual purpose to the story rather than just being a cute marketing tool. And while Baby Yoda steals the show, he never feels overused, nor do other character feel neglected. The episode moves at an enjoyable pace that gives everybody room to breathe between each engaging scene after the next.
If it wasn’t already, The Mandalorian is now mandatory viewing.
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