Connor Macgregor Reviws...Star Wars Television

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The Star Wars franchise has spawned multiple films and television series. In this thread, I will review various animation and live action series that are set in the Star Wars universe. No specific order required, but it will be a dumping place for many shows.

So, let me man my keyboard and may the force be with me.





Connor Macgregor Reviews…The Mandalorian
Chapter One: The Mandalorian


INTRO: The Mandalorian was the first signature series for Disney+, and with launching this new Star Wars thread, I thought this series would be a good starting point. It’s one of mystery, adventure and tension throughout.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
Five years after the fall of the Empire, a Mandalorian bounty hunter collects a bounty after a scuffle exchange in a bar on Maldo Kreis and returns to a bounty hunting guildhall on Nevarro in his ship, the Razor Crest. He meets with his guild's leader, Greef Karga, who mostly has low-paying bounties that will not cover travel expenses. Looking to get a bigger bounty, the Mandalorian accepts a mysterious commission for which Karga can only provide an address to meet the Client, who wants the details of the job to be private.

The Client, who uses Imperial stormtroopers as bodyguards, gives the Mandalorian a vague target to bring back alive. The only information he is allowed to give is an age—50 years old—and last known location. In exchange, The Client promises to reward the bounty hunter with a container full of beskar, a rare metal used by Mandalorians to forge impenetrable armor. Receiving a single bar of beskar as a down payment, the Mandalorian meets with the Armorer at an enclave housing fellow Mandalorians. The Armorer, who melts the metal into a pauldron reserved for the Mandalorian, says the metal was gathered in The Great Purge and the excess will sponsor foundlings, as the Mandalorian once was.

The Mandalorian travels to the desert planet Arvala-7—native home of the Ugnaughts—and meets a native named Kuiil who wants to be rid of the criminals and mercenaries who now inhabit the area. Kuiil teaches the Mandalorian to ride a Blurrg, as there are no land speed vehicles to traverse the area, and sends him to where his bounty is located. Upon reaching the hideout, the Mandalorian grudgingly teams up with bounty droid IG-11. They manage to clear the entire facility of its Nikto guards and discover that the bounty is a green, big-eared infant creature. IG-11 plans to kill it, but the Mandalorian blasts the droid to protect the baby and bounty.


THOUGHTS: The debut episode is an excellent set up to the world ahead. One after Return Of The Jedi, the series departs quickly from the fairy taleesque that the original series set up so clearly. There is a more eerie, lawless feeling about the way this series is set up. The mysterious lead of The Mandalorian draws you in quite quickly, due to the iconography of the helmet, and the lore of the Mandalorians which has been built for hardcore Star Wars fans for various years. His face is not seen, yet emotion is all over him in this episode. The episode leads to an ending which turns The Mandalorian’s world upside down, with the introduction of Baby Yoda, a character destined to be the breakout character in this series.

RATING: 87% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 2: The Child


INTRO: Continuing from the strong opener, Episode 2 (or Chapter 2) literally picks up from the last episode and takes the story further as The Mandalorian's entire world begins to change forever.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
While returning to his ship on foot with the Child in tow, the Mandalorian is ambushed by a trio of Trandoshan warriors. He disintegrates one attempting to rush and kill the Child, revealing a tracking fob. Upon returning to his ship, he finds a team of Jawas scavenging it for parts. After a short battle, they retreat in their Sandcrawler and stun the Mandalorian unconscious with ion blasts. He returns to his ship, finding it stripped bare and all of his weaponry stolen. With the assistance of Kuiil, he grudgingly bargains with the Jawas to return his ship's parts in return for retrieving the egg of a Mud Horn, a large horned beast.

The Mandalorian locates and gets thrown around and battered by one such Mud Horn at its den. As the beast charges to finish the Mandalorian, his weapons failing and his armor heavily damaged, the Child uses the Force to lift it, allowing the Mandalorian to go for the kill. He returns with the Egg, and the Jawas cut it open and eat its contents. He and Kuiil repair his ship, after which Kuiil turns down the Mandalorian's offer of reward and crewing his ship. After parting as friends, the Mandalorian takes to space and the Child wakes for the first time after exhausting itself using the Force.


THOUGHTS: Continuing from Episode One, Mando is now in a position where allies need to be built in order for him to escape the planet and end his mission. Baby Yoda is automatically now something of value for Mando to now protect, and this will be the case going forward in the series. Regarding Baby Yoda, we begin to see him grow his ability and the mystery around him continues to deepen. this episode is also a more action packed and fun episode than before, and makes us more eager and anticipating the next episode.

RATING: 88% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 3: The Sin


INTRO: The fallout of the first two episodes takes the story of The Mandalorian on an adventure that will change him completely.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian delivers the Child to the Client. He asks about the plans for the Child, but is given no answer. When the Mandalorian returns to the secret Mandalorian enclave, his damaged armor is replaced by the Armorer with a new set forged from some of the beskar reward. Another Mandalorian berates him for working with former agents of the Galactic Empire, who are responsible for their predicament; the Armorer defuses the situation by reminding them of the Way of Mandalore. Returning to the guild, the Mandalorian learns from Greef Karga that everyone in the guild had a tracking fob for the child. Greef implores him to take some time to rest, but the Mandalorian insists on taking on another job. He asks Greef if he has any idea what The Client has planned for the child, but Greef says he did not ask as it would be against the guild code, telling him he should forget about it. Despite accepting a new assignment and starting to prepare his ship to depart, the Mandalorian has a change of heart at the last moment, unable to bring himself to leave an innocent baby in the hands of dangerous Imperials, and instead turns back to infiltrate The Client's base of operations.

Killing many Imperial stormtroopers, he rescues the Child from a laboratory. On the way back to his ship, the Mandalorian is ambushed by the other bounty hunters and Greef, who demand he hand the Child over. After he refuses, a firefight breaks out, leaving the Mandalorian heavily outnumbered and cornered, but warriors from the Mandalorian enclave unexpectedly arrive, attacking the bounty hunters and giving the Mandalorian cover to escape. Ambushing the Mandalorian on his ship, Greef gives him one last chance to surrender, but the Mandalorian outsmarts him and shoots him, ejecting him from the spacecraft. The Child's hand appears, reaching up to the console from below; the Mandalorian unscrews a control knob that he had earlier berated the Child for playing with, and drops it into its hand.


THOUGHTS: A conscious comes to The Mandalorian and as a result, he takes himself on a path he never thought he would be on. By double-crossing his clients, he puts himself and the guild at huge risk. I really like the twist and sets up the story ahead and the huge conflict that is about to go down. Pedro Pascal does so much with his voice here, and really creates a character in which the armor does as much character work than what is under it. Shout out also to Werner Herzog who is in a rare acting role here, and does very well at being someone quite villainous and uneasy to be around.

RATING: 89% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 4: Sanctuary


INTRO: Following the mission of the first three episodes, Episode Four moves the story forward and allows Mando to offer his services for other missions, in a bid to keep his wellbeing up and healthy.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
On Sorgan, a sparsely populated forested swamp planet, a village of farmers is pillaged by raiders. The Mandalorian soon lands on Sorgan looking to hide from the Guild with the Child. In a local restaurant, they come across a suspicious mercenary who identifies herself as Cara Dune (Gina Carano), a former Rebel shocktrooper who had left her position and is hiding on the planet, which she asks the Mandalorian to leave. Back at the Razor Crest, the Mandalorian is approached by two of the villagers hoping to hire him to drive off the raiders. He accepts in return for lodging in the isolated village and uses their payment to hire Dune for extra help. Once at the village, a widowed mother named Omera (Julia Jones) takes them in and offers them food. Dune and the Mandalorian find a set of tracks in the mud outside the village and identify that the raiders have a powerful Imperial All-Terrain Scout Transport. Dune insists the villagers leave and make their home elsewhere, but they refuse and decide to fight, which the Mandalorian accepts.

The Mandalorian and Dune show the farmers how to defend themselves and then set up traps in the krill ponds for the AT-ST. The Mandalorian and Dune infiltrate the raiders' camp to provoke them into attacking. The AT-ST then chases them back to the village but stops short of the krill ponds. The Klatooinian raiders then attack the villagers, while the AT-ST shoots the village with artillery fire. Dune then gets beneath the AT-ST, shooting into one of the viewports. The AT-ST takes the bait and steps into the pond, sinks, and then falls over. The Mandalorian then throws a thermal detonator into the walker, blowing it up, and the raiders flee back into the forest. With peace having returned, the Child plays happily with the other children. The Mandalorian tells Dune and Omera that he plans to leave the Child there as he feels it would be a better life. However, a Kubazi bounty hunter from the Guild takes aim at the Child from the trees. Before he can fire, Dune shoots him from behind. The Mandalorian realizes the Child has to stay under his protection. He bids farewell to Omera and Dune, and leaves the village.


THOUGHTS: Episode Four is a standalone story and a good one at that. The community is under siege and The Mandalorian’s arrival is a turning point of their troubles. Devising a plan with another gunslinger, they empower the villagers to fight back against the oppressive forces that have put them down for so long. The episode is wonderfully directed, and Bryce Dallas Howard has inherited the talents of her father with ease. The darkness, the poverty, the angst, the bravery. All of it intertwines together nicely and adds to the ongoing troubles that The Star Wars Galaxy builds. What could have been a new home for Baby Yoda is quickly refuted by the end of the episode, and thus the ongoing story continues on for The Mandalorian, as his future begins to build more question marks than ever.

RATING: 93% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 5: The Gunslinger


INTRO: This is a one off story for The Mandalorian, but ultimately one that keeps the pressure on the central character going forward onto the next episodes.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian defeats a pursuing bounty hunter in a dogfight, but the Razor Crest is damaged and he lands at a repair facility run by Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) in Mos Eisley on Tatooine. While seeking work to pay for the repairs in a local cantina, he meets Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale), a young bounty hunter looking to join the Bounty Hunter's Guild by capturing Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), a well-trained mercenary. Despite having misgivings, the Mandalorian agrees to help him for the bounty, while Calican will take credit for the capture. Peli, meanwhile, has come across the Child and begins to take care of it while working on the ship, growing slightly attached to it.

The Mandalorian and Calican travel into the Dune Sea on speeder bikes, looking for Shand. They come upon Tusken Raiders; the Mandalorian barters with them for safe passage. They eventually come across a Dewback with a dead bounty hunter attached to it, which turns out to be bait laid out by Shand to attract anyone looking for her. The two manage to avoid her attacks and capture her but she manages to destroy one of their speeder bikes in the fight.

The Mandalorian goes to get the Dewback to replace the destroyed speeder, while Calican watches Shand. She tells him that the Mandalorian is a traitor to the guild and that the bounty on the Mandalorian and the Child are worth a great deal more than her bounty. Calican is unconcerned with the bounty, but Shand points out that taking out a Mandalorian would make him a legend. She offers to help Calican capture the Mandalorian if he sets her free. However, Calican shoots her, assuming that she would betray him, and heads to the repair facility on the speeder bike, where he captures Motto and the Child. The Mandalorian arrives, uses a flash grenade to disorient Calican, and kills him. The Mandalorian then gives Calican's money to Motto to pay for the repairs on his ship and he leaves Tatooine. Out in the desert, a mysterious figure is seen approaching Shand's body.


THOUGHTS: This episode is a one off but still a very good one. I like how The Mandalorian is still having to take up tasks to keep himself a float, given how most of the guild and empire are after him. We also return to Tattooine which is much more quieter than we have seen it before, and allows us to be introduced to a new character called Peli who is a mechanic. She is quite a fun nice character to know for an episode, and perhaps someone we may see again. The guest roles are good and I liked the swerve twist also where the ally of The Mandalorian then turns on him. It goes to show that this show is tougher and meaner and how you really cannot trust anyone in the wider realms of the galaxy. The final scene of the episode is very ominous and one to be left with interpretation. Perhaps it will be reexplored in the future.

RATING: 84% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 6: The Prisoner


INTRO: Episode 6 is a fun episode in The Mandalorian, which puts him in a very tricky situation which turns on him in spectacular fashion.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian contacts his old friend Ran. Ran has hired a crew consisting of ex-Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfeld, the Devaronian strongman Burg, the droid pilot Zero, and the knife-wielding Twi'lek woman Xi'an to rescue her brother Qin, a prisoner of the New Republic. Upon arrival on the prison ship, they fight through security droids and make it to the control room where an inadvertent escalation causes a New Republic soldier to trigger a beacon alerting the New Republic. The crew rescues Qin, but double-crosses the Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian escapes, isolates and defeats each crew member, then captures Qin, whom he delivers to Ran in exchange for the money. Ran attempts to send a gunship after the Mandalorian to kill him, but the New Republic beacon had been placed on Qin, leading a trio of X-wings to Ran's station. The X-wings open fire on the hangar. Lastly, Mayfeld, Burg, and Xi'an are shown in a cell on the prison transport, nursing their wounds, having been spared.


THOUGHTS: This is quite the fun episode to watch. It takes place mostly on a prison ship, and sees The Mandalorian team up with some people that are edgy and hard to trust, in order to complete this mission. As expected, it does not go to plan and The Mandalorian has to use his wit to survive this unexpected situation. I found the episode fun to engage with, and at times really suspenseful, especially near the end where the situation becomes very splinter cell esque and everything is very heightened.

RATING: 95% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 7: The Reckoning


INTRO: The two part finale in this first season of The Mandalorian really rounds up everything we have experienced this season with The Mandalorian, and puts him against an extreme test.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian receives a message from Greef Karga. Karga's town has been overrun by Imperial troops led by the Client, who is desperate to recover the Child. Karga proposes that the Mandalorian use the Child as bait in order to kill the Client and free the town in return for allowing the Mandalorian and the Child to live in peace; Karga secretly plans to kill the Mandalorian and take the Child to the Client. Sensing this trap, the Mandalorian recruits Cara Dune and Kuiil the Ugnaught to assist him; Kuill also brings a rebuilt IG-11, reprogrammed to act as a nurse droid instead of a bounty hunter despite the Mandalorian's apprehension. Upon arrival on Nevarro they meet Karga and his associates, but en route to the town are attacked by large flying reptiles winged creatures. Karga is injured but the Child uses the Force to heal his wound; in return, Karga shoots his associates, unable to go through with his trap.

The group formulates a new plan: Karga will pretend that Dune captured the Mandalorian, and all three will enter the town to meet the Client while Kuiil returns the Child to the ship, where IG-11 is waiting. During the meeting, the Client receives a call from Moff Gideon, whose stormtroopers and deathtroopers surround the building and open fire, killing the Client. Gideon arrives and boasts that the Child will soon be in his possession. In the desert outside town, two scout troopers track and capture the Child, and leave Kuiil dead on the ground.


THOUGHTS: This is as I wrote a finale of two parts. This mainly builds up the anticipated battle between The Mandalorian and The Empire over The Child. I like how they play off the characters against one another. The Mandalorian has caused a lot of chaos thus far in the story, and now the opportunity for him to be taken out. But yet, morality and choice for some of these characters makes everything hang in the balance. The climax of this episode is really nailbiting, and the cliffhanger at the end of the episode is very good and makes you eager to jump into the second part.

RATING: 92%





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian
Chapter 8: Redemption


INTRO: The Finale Of The Mandalorian is a fun, thrilling and wonderful conclusion to Season One of the series. With teases to Season Two set up carefully.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
While the Mandalorian, Cara Dune, and Greef Karga are trapped, IG-11 rescues "the Child". The Mandalorian finds a vent into the sewers, where he hopes to find his people's hidden stronghold. Moff Gideon gives them until nightfall to surrender, or he will order his troops to fire. The Mandalorian recognizes Gideon: Gideon had been an officer of the Empire's secret police when the Empire took over Mandalore. IG-11 arrives on a scout trooper's bike with the Child, blasting through the stormtroopers. The Mandalorian takes down several more but is almost killed by Gideon. As they take cover inside, Gideon orders a trooper with a flamethrower to burn them out; the Child uses the Force to reflect the flames back and immolate the trooper. The Mandalorian and IG-11 remain behind while Dune and Karga take the Child into the sewers. IG-11 removes the Mandalorian's helmet to treat his injuries before they join the others in the sewers.

Arriving at the Mandalorian enclave, they find it abandoned except for the Armorer, who explains that the Imperials found the enclave when the Mandalorians revealed themselves. Upon seeing the Child who saved the Mandalorian from the Mudhorn on Arvala-7, the Armorer is reminded of the Jedi, who Mandalorians see as their ancient enemies. She instructs the Mandalorian to take the Child to the Jedi, wherever they might be; she also carves a Mudhorn signet into his pauldron and gives him a jetpack. While the Armorer remains behind, the Mandalorian, Dune, Karga, IG-11, and the Child escape down an underground lava river. IG-11 decides to sacrifice himself by walking into an ambush and activating his self-destruct. After they emerge from the tunnel, Gideon attacks in the TIE fighter he arrived in. Using his jetpack the Mandalorian plants explosives on Gideon's fighter, which brings down the craft. With the Imperials seemingly dealt with, Karga invites the Mandalorian to return to the Guild, but he refuses as he must take care of the Child. Dune elects to remain behind to work as Karga's enforcer. The Mandalorian buries Kuiil beneath a cairn of stones and departs Nevarro. Meanwhile, Gideon cuts himself out of the crashed fighter with the Darksaber.


REVIEW: The finale of the first season of The Mandalorian is quite a ride. Intense, thrilling, fun and action packed. Disputes are tossed aside as The Mandalorian and Greef Karga ally togehter to fight Moff Gideon and his stormtrooper army. It is wild, fiery and very tense to watch. There is a wonderful moment where the mask of The Mandalorian comes off and we see his face for the first time. It is lovely and emotional but ultimately satisfying. I love also how many twists and obstacles appear that the trio have to overcome. Makes again for quite gripping viewing and a finale that is very exciting to watch. Then there is IG-11 voiced wonderfully by Taika Waititi who goes through a gorgeous little arc in this episode which is admirable and poignant. The final scene is also interesting to watch, with a crucial piece of Star Wars Mythology being introuduced which may set the stage for Season 2 perhaps.

RATING: 98% - A





The Mandalorian
Season 1 Review


Season One of the Mandalorian is a magnificent and captivating series that breaths new life into Star Wars. With a central protagonist that is mysterious yet inviting, the show is introduced to a new eerieness yet to be tested before with this franchise. Strip away the fantasy and family friendly feel, and suddenly you are presented with a more lawless take on Star Wars, with characters that aren't as trustworthy as you believe. Pedro Pascal is great as The Mandalorian, maintaing his mystery from start to finish. Accompanied is Baby Yoda, a fascinating new character which was likely set up to sell merchandise, and boy did that succeed. But also he is a great value that is constantly at risk from various enemies of The Mandalorian. From there a chase endures, and The Mandalorian finds his world upside down and constantly in danger. The supporting cast is also strong, with Carl Weathers and Gina Carano standing out really well and providing good support to The Mandalorian. Werner Herzog in a rare acting role here does very well even if its brief and only for a few episodes. Taika Waititi also has a voice role as a droid which has its own little cute arc throughout the season. Yet overall, I think Season One of the Mandalorian is a strong start, very strong start. I recommend it highly and am looking forward to Season Two.

RATING: 91% - A



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.


The Mandalorian
Season 1 Review


Season One of the Mandalorian is a magnificent and captivating series that breaths new life into Star Wars. With a central protagonist that is mysterious yet inviting, the show is introduced to a new eerieness yet to be tested before with this franchise. Strip away the fantasy and family friendly feel, and suddenly you are presented with a more lawless take on Star Wars, with characters that aren't as trustworthy as you believe. Pedro Pascal is great as The Mandalorian, maintaing his mystery from start to finish. Accompanied is Baby Yoda, a fascinating new character which was likely set up to sell merchandise, and boy did that succeed. But also he is a great value that is constantly at risk from various enemies of The Mandalorian. From there a chase endures, and The Mandalorian finds his world upside down and constantly in danger. The supporting cast is also strong, with Carl Weathers and Gina Carano standing out really well and providing good support to The Mandalorian. Werner Herzog in a rare acting role here does very well even if its brief and only for a few episodes. Taika Waititi also has a voice role as a droid which has its own little cute arc throughout the season. Yet overall, I think Season One of the Mandalorian is a strong start, very strong start. I recommend it highly and am looking forward to Season Two.

RATING: 91% - A

They succeeded so well that I've only seen two episodes so far, and I already bought these:

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OPEN FLOOR.





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 9: The Marshal

INTRO: A new season of The Mandalorian with new characters, arcs as well as some returning favourites.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
Seeking other Mandalorians to help him reunite the Child with its kind, the Mandalorian approaches gangster Gor Koresh, who attempts to kill him for his beskar armor but fails. Under interrogation, he reveals that a Mandalorian has been seen in the town of Mos Pelgo on Tatooine. Returning to Tatooine, the Mandalorian is reunited with mechanic Peli Motto. Although she thought that Mos Pelgo had been destroyed, her droid R5-D4 shows them an old map.

The Mandalorian finds Mos Pelgo, and confronts the town's marshal, Cobb Vanth, who is wearing dark green Mandalorian armor. Vanth reveals that he is not a Mandalorian but bought the armor from Jawas then used it to fight off the Mining Collective that overtook the town after the collapse of the Empire. After Vanth and the Mandalorian witness a Greater Krayt Dragon eating the town's livestock, Vanth agrees to give up the armor, if the Mandalorian helps kill the dragon.

On the way to the dragon's lair, Vanth and the Mandalorian encounter a tribe of Tusken Raiders, who agree to help them kill the dragon. The Mandalorian volunteers the Mos Pelgo townspeople as reinforcements. Vanth and the Mandalorian convince the townsfolk to work with the Tuskens, who agree not to attack the town in exchange for the dragon's carcass.

Together, the Tuskens and the townsfolk bury explosives in front of the cave, planning to lure the dragon out and detonate them beneath its vulnerable belly. The dragon survives the explosion and spews acid at them, inflicting heavy casualties. The Mandalorian baits the dragon into swallowing him and a bantha loaded with explosives. He escapes from inside the dragon and detonates the explosives, successfully killing it.

The Tuskens butcher the carcass and recover a valuable pearl. Vanth relinquishes the armor as promised, and the Mandalorian leaves on friendly terms. Meanwhile, a heavily scarred Boba Fett watches from afar.


REVIEW: The Mandalorian returns to Tattoine in this episode which is cool to see as the planet has become very familiar in Star Wars lore. Whilst there, he ecounters a man wearing Mandalorian armour, mainly that of Boba Fett. They form an alliance to take on a monster which is terrorising the town. It also terrorises tusken raiders, and there, the two hunters form an alliance with the species to ultimately slay the beast. It is there that the finale of the episde occurs, which is a lot of fun to watch and makes for a good first episode of the season. There is also a mysterious man in the final scene at the end, which will tease things to come for the future of this season.

RATING: 82% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 10: The Passenger

INTRO: The Mandalorian becomes a refugee transporter in this episode, but it ultimately makes this one of the weakest.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
Returning from Mos Pelgo, the Mandalorian subdues bandits who attempt to capture the Child. His speeder bike destroyed, the Mandalorian walks back to Mos Eisley, finding Peli Motto playing cards with Dr. Mandible, who has information about Mandalorians.

The Mandalorian must transport a passenger, the Frog Lady, to an estuary moon called Trask where her husband will fertilize her eggs, and has information about other Mandalorians. Her spawn are fragile and must be transported at sub-light speeds, despite the risk of being attacked by pirates. The Child surreptitiously eats some of the eggs. They encounter a New Republic patrol and the Razor Crest is forced to flee to a nearby planet and hide in an ice canyon. The ship crashes through the ice and is severely damaged. The Mandalorian wants to wait until morning to make repairs, due to the extreme cold.

The Frog Lady uses the severed head of the droid Q9-0 to translate and says they cannot wait, admonishing the Mandalorian for breaking his word, and he reluctantly begins repairs. Later they find the Frog Lady in a nearby hot water pool, bathing with her eggs. The Mandalorian warns her that it is not safe and collects the eggs. The Child explores the ice cave, finding another kind of egg, which he eats. Nearby eggs hatch, and soon the cave is filled with white spiders, of various sizes. They are chased by a cluster of spiders, and a giant spider attacks. The spiders surround them from all sides, but they make it to the ship's cockpit. A spider climbs onto the Child but the Frog Lady vaporizes it with a tiny blaster.

As they take-off, the giant spider attacks the ship, trapping them. They are saved by the X-wing pilots, who kill the spiders with blaster fire. There is an arrest warrant on the Mandalorian for freeing a dangerous prisoner.[b] They also note that the Mandalorian confined three other criminals and defended the prison guard, and so they are willing to overlook the incident. The Mandalorian asks for their help, but they leave, warning that next time they might vaporize his ship. He finishes the repairs, and the severely damaged ship continues the journey. The passenger and the Mandalorian fall asleep; the Child has somehow sneaked another egg which he happily gulps down.


REVIEW: Whilst a very enjoyable episode, I felt that this episode was more filler than anything else. I did enjoy the plot with the refugee frog and her eggs, which is a fun allegory of immigration, particularly today with the recent Migrant crisis a few years back. However, I felt that the episode dwelled too long in one setting and ultimately didn't really feel like a very exciting episode overall. Just slow, sluggish and a tad bit dull.

RATING: 65% - B





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 11: The Heiress

INTRO: We're introduced to a big character that has built quite a nice history in recent Star Wars history, and one that now finally finds her way into live action.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Razor Crest, severely damaged, crash lands on the moon of Trask. The Frog Lady is reunited with her husband, who directs The Mandalorian to an inn, where he learns three Mandalorians have been seen, and the captain of a trawler of Quarren offers passage to find the Mandalorians.

Out at sea, the Captain shows them a Mamacore they are transporting. As he suddenly throws the Child's carrier into the beast's cage, the Mandalorian dives in after and is trapped inside. The captain promises to kill him for his armor. Mandalorians come to their rescue, killing the entire crew. The leader (Bo-Katan Kryze) and her teammates (Koska Reeves and Axe Woves) supposedly break taboo by taking off their helmets. The Mandalorian immediately distrusts them, but she explains her Mandalorian heritage and that he is a Child of the Watch,a group consisting of zealots who follow "the (ancient) Way (of the Mandalore)", which mainstream Mandalorian society does not. The Mandalorian leaves, stubbornly refusing Bo-Katan's help.

The Mandalorian is attacked by the brother of the dead trawler captain. Again, Bo-Katan comes to his aid. She later explains that Imperial remnants still plunder Mandalore and her team is raiding cargo ships to steal weapons to retake their homeworld. She promises the information he needs in return for his help in their next raid. The Child stays with the Frog Lady.

The team make short work of the stormtroopers on board the freighter and take control of the cargo. Bo-Katan alters the mission, deciding to take the whole ship. She also reveals she seeks a Mandalorian relic which had been stolen from her: the Darksaber. The Mandalorian is reluctant. Bo-Katan mocks him saying, "This is the Way." The Captain alerts Moff Gideon, but it is too late for help. Gideon tells the Captain to sacrifice the ship to kill them all. The Mandalorian makes a dangerous charge at a group of stormtroopers, allowing the rest of the group to take control of the ship in time. She presses the Captain to tell her the location of the Darksaber, but he tells her she must already know and commits suicide.

Bo-Katan thanks the Mandalorian and invites him to join them in future missions, saying his bravery will be remembered. He declines, saying he must continue his own quest. While stating that the offer still stands, Bo-Katan directs him to the city of Calodan on the forest planet of Corvus, where he will find a Jedi called Ahsoka Tano.


REVIEW: We arrive on a new planet and there we conclude the last reminents of the last episode by having the Frog Mother reunite with her partner and give her eggs a new home. With that, we are then introduces to more Mandalorians who invite The Mandalorian to help on a task to take a cargo owned by The Empire in return for information on the Jedi. Once agreed, they undergo the mission and it is there that lots and lots of gun battles take place through this episode. It is very fun and makes the episode stand out better and more eventful. We also get a good Moff Gideon cameo as well as learning new information of The Mandalorian. I found the episode better than the previous, and sets up a really exciting next episode to come.

RATING: 73% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 12: The Siege

INTRO: We have the return of some fan favourites from Season One, as we go on a fun mission involveing speeder bikes and storm troopers.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian and the Child head to Nevarro after the Mon Calamari repairs to the ship proved inadequate. They reunite with Greef Karga and Cara Dune there, who have since turned the planet around. Cara has become the local marshal, while Greef has taken on the role of magistrate, assisted by the unnamed Mythrol taken by the Mandalorian in Chapter 1. In return for the repairs, The Mandalorian agrees to help destroy an old Imperial base on the other side of the planet. The Child is placed in a school, where he uses The Force to steal blue macaron treats from another student.

The base turns out to have more than just a skeleton crew and stormtroopers patrol the corridors. They deactivate the lava cooling system, so that the natural lava flows will destroy the base. During their escape, they find scientists and vats of what appear to be cloned bodies. The scientists attempt to destroy the evidence. Mythrol uncovers a recording from Dr. Pershing that reveals he had been transfusing the blood of the Child, which has a high 'M-count', into test subjects. Stormtroopers soon swarm the team and they are forced to escape before the lava overheats and destroys the base.

The Mandalorian flies from the base to retrieve his ship, using his jetpack, whilst Karga, Dune, and Mythrol steal a stormtrooper transport. A chase ensues between the transport, driven by Dune, and scout troopers riding speeder bikes. Greef Karga kills the last scout trooper, but TIE fighters launched from the base chase after them, disabling the transport's cannon. The base soon explodes due to the overheating of the lava. As the TIE fighters close in on Dune, Karga and Mythrol, the Razor Crest appears and destroys the Imperials.

With his ship repaired and Nevarro secured, Mando heads for Corvus to track down Ahsoka Tano. The New Republic visits Karga to investigate the incident, with Captain Carson Teva noting "something is brewing and we need to put a stop to it". Teva speaks with Dune and tries asking for her help in fighting remnants of the Empire. When Alderaan, Dune's homeworld, is mentioned, she tells Teva that she lost everything after its destruction.

An Imperial officer receives confirmation from one of the mechanics working for Greef Karga that a tracking beacon has been placed on the Razor Crest. Moff Gideon is informed and declares that they will be ready. The episode ends with Gideon looking over a line of Dark Troopers awaiting activation.


REVIEW: Well, I thought this was a great great episode. We see the return of old characters from the first season, mainly Gina Carano and Carl Weathers. They have established a much better environment than what they were left with in the last season, and thus they feel a lot more lighter and fun to watch on screen. As for the mission itself, it's a lot of fun and I think very comedic and exciting at times. There are twists and turns throughout, as well as new reveals about characters, as well as new clues to the overall state of the galaxy. You also have Baby Yoda in a fun new environment - A Star Wars Classroom. Take of that what you will.

RATING: 92% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 13: The Jedi

INTRO: Ahsoka Tano debuts in live action for the first time as The Mandalorian meets a Jedi for the first time, learning more about Baby Yoda in the process.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
On the forest planet of Corvus, Ahsoka Tano confronts Imperial Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, ruler of the city of Calodan, and her lieutenant Lang. Ahsoka gives Elsbeth one day to surrender and divulge her master's location.

The Mandalorian and "The Child" arrive at Calodan in search of Ahsoka, as directed by Bo-Katan Kryze. They are taken directly to Elsbeth, who offers the Mandalorian a beskar spear in exchange for killing Ahsoka.

The Mandalorian finds Ahsoka and she communicates with the Child using The Force. She learns that his name is Grogu and he was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. After the Jedi Order fell, Grogu was rescued and has been suppressing his powers to survive.

Ahsoka refuses to train Grogu, wary of the path he could take due to his attachment to the Mandalorian and the fear and anger inside him. The Mandalorian asks if she will help get Grogu training in exchange for him helping Ahsoka confront Elsbeth.

Ahsoka and the Mandalorian storm the city, killing all the guards and freeing the citizens. The Mandalorian kills Lang, while Ahsoka engages in a duel with Elsbeth. Ahsoka defeats Elsbeth and demands she divulge the location of her master, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Ahsoka gives the beskar spear to the Mandalorian and directs him to the ruins of a Jedi temple on Tython, where Grogu may be able to contact another Jedi through the Force.


REVIEW: We get here the live action debut of Ahsoko Tano, after building her reputation in the animated series for some years. The setting is a forest planet, though unlike Endor, it has a different feel. Neglected, abandoned, rampant, not a friendlier setting than in Return Of The Jedi. Ahsoko develops a nice friendship with Mando and manages to have a mind link with Baby Yoda, whose real name is revealed to be Grogu. We also have Michael Bhein as the villain and its lovely to see this actor again who has been in so many memorable roles over the years. We also get a long-overdue fight scene with a lightsaber and a spear. It's fun and nice to see hand-to-hand combat in Star Wars again. A nice break from the guns. Ahsoko Tano also guides the two characters on their pathway throughout the rest of the series, in which the next episode the major payoff comes through. I thought this episode was really good. It felt much more longer, like a feature film almost, and had a much more cinematic feel to it.

RATING: 90% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 14: The Tragedy

INTRO: Boba Fett makes a return to Star Wars in this episode, teaming up with The Mandalorian for a particular type of task.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian arrives with Grogu on Tython, and finds the ancient temple on top of a mountain. He seats Grogu at the center so that he may choose his path. Grogu meditates, and a protective Force field appears around him. Boba Fett arrives with the mercenary Fennec Shand, whose life he saved on Tatooine, and demands the return of his Mandalorian armor.[a] Following a tense confrontation, the Mandalorian agrees to trade the armor for the safety of Grogu. Two Imperial troop carriers arrive, carrying stormtroopers who attempt to capture Grogu. Honoring their agreement, Fett, Shand, and the Mandalorian join forces to fend off the advancing stormtroopers, inflicting heavy casualties. Boba Fett retrieves his armor and uses it to wipe out many stormtroopers before firing a rocket that destroys the fleeing troop ships. As the Force field surrounding him disappears, Grogu collapses from exhaustion.

Moff Gideon arrives in an Imperial light cruiser and destroys the Mandalorian's ship Razor Crest from high overhead. Gideon sends out four Dark Troopers, who capture Grogu and take him back to the cruiser. Fett and Shand agree to help the Mandalorian save Grogu to honor their debt. The Mandalorian seeks the now New Republic Marshal Cara Dune's help in breaking out the criminal Mayfeld to help track Gideon and rescue Grogu. Impressed with the Force powers Grogu exhibits against stormtroopers, Moff Gideon shows Grogu the Darksaber and has a stormtrooper stun and shackle him. After, Gideon informs Dr. Pershing that they have the donor.


REVIEW: The Mandalorian and Grogu arrive at the old temple and its there that Grogu's powers become more apparant and stronger, which startles The Mandalorian somewhat. This episode also sees the return of Boba Feet and Sanad from before. A standoff takes place before a truce between the parties occurs when The Empire intervene. An epic gun fight occurs, with dozens of Stormtroopers having a showdown in the desert. It is so fun and very action packed throughout the episode. However the episode ends with Grogu being taken by powerful Dark Troopers. This ultimately sets up a strong alliance between The Mandalorian, Shand and Boba Fett which leads into the next episode.

RATING: 86% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 15: The Believer

INTRO: The calm before the storm as Bill Burr is back to team up with The Mandalorian once again.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
Prisoner Migs Mayfeld is working on the Karthon Chop Fields, and is remanded into the custody of Marshal Cara Dune. The Mandalorian needs Mayfeld, a former Imperial soldier, in order to acquire the coordinates to Moff Gideon's ship. Mayfeld directs them to a hidden Imperial rhydonium refinery on Morak. As all the others are known to Imperial security, the Mandalorian must accompany Mayfeld into the refinery to access a terminal and steal the coordinates. Mayfeld and the Mandalorian hijack one of the transports and disguise themselves as soldiers. The highly explosive rhydonium shipments are attacked by pirates, and the Mandalorian is almost overwhelmed fighting them off. Two Imperial TIE fighters swoop in and kill the pirates as they reach the facility, the only transport to survive.

The terminal Mayfeld needs is in the officer's mess hall, but Mayfeld sees his former commanding officer, Valin Hess, and fears being recognized. The Mandalorian goes instead but the terminal requires a facial scan, forcing him to remove his helmet and break the "Way of the Mandalorian" creed that he lives by in order to acquire the codes. He is confronted by Hess, but Mayfeld intervenes. After a tense drink where Hess callously dismisses the Imperial soldiers and civilians who died in Operation Cinder,an angered Mayfeld shoots Hess dead. Mayfeld and the Mandalorian fight their way to the roof, while Fennec Shand and Dune provide covering fire, and Boba Fett arrives aboard Slave I. Mayfeld destroys the refinery with a well-placed sniper shot. The ship is pursued by two TIE fighters, but Fett obliterates them using a seismic charge. Dune lets Mayfeld go free as thanks for his aid, and the Mandalorian sends Moff Gideon a threatening message, vowing to rescue Grogu.


REVIEW: We have the return of Mayfield in this episode, played by Bill Burr who has a golden performance in this episode. The mission here is to retrieve coordinates to get to the ship holding Grogu, in which Moff Gideon is on board. But before that, Mando and Mayfield have to battle pirates on board a freight train of sorts. Not the most intense battle scene in Star Ward, but still passable fun. You also get a rare moment where The Mandalorian takes off his mask for quite some time in the episode. You then have a shootout that follows but its quite dull to be honest and doesn't really build the thrill of the episode. Yet the ending does well to tease the finale to come, even if at times its not intense. That's kind of the problem with this episode in a nutshell: A lack of intensity and thus makes the episode somewhat lacking compared to others in this season.

RATING: 78% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Mandalorian

Season Two

Chapter 16: The Rescue

INTRO: We now come to the Season 2 finale where The Mandalorian attempts a rescue for Grogu. The final sequence is in itself a fan favourite for many reasons.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Summary" spoilers below
The Mandalorian boards an Imperial shuttle with Cara Dune and captures Dr. Pershing. He and Boba Fett then visit Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves, who clash with Fett over the purity of his Mandalorian lineage. Bo-Katan agrees to help rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon in exchange for the Darksaber, which Gideon is in possession of. Having learnt from Dr. Pershing that the cruiser is defended by Dark Trooper droids, Fett deceives the Imperials into allowing the others to crash-land in the cruiser's fighter launch tube. Bo-Katan, Reeves, Fennec, and Dune fight through stormtroopers to the ship's bridge, while the Mandalorian attempts to seal off the Dark Troopers. Although one breaks through, he manages to defeat it after a prolonged struggle using his beskar spear, and ejects the others out of the airlock.

Gideon, who is guarding Grogu, tries to bargain with the Mandalorian when confronted, but immediately reneges and attacks the Mandalorian with the Darksaber. The Mandalorian overpowers the Moff and brings him and Grogu to the others on the bridge. Gideon attempts to goad Bo-Katan into attacking the Mandalorian for possession of the Darksaber and a better claim on Mandalore, since he won the right to own the weapon in combat. The Dark Troopers return and begin to slowly cut through the bridge's defences.

A single X-wing lands, piloted by a Jedi Knight who engages and destroys all of the Dark Troopers. Gideon seizes his opportunity and shoots Bo-Katan with a hidden blaster, but the Mandalorian protects Grogu by blocking the shot meant for him; refusing to surrender, Gideon tries to shoot himself but is disarmed by Dune. The Mandalorian, overruling the others' objections, opens the blast doors to the Jedi, who is revealed to be Luke Skywalker. Grogu hesitates to leave with Skywalker, until the Mandalorian gives him permission to go with the Jedi to complete his training. The Mandalorian removes his helmet to allow Grogu to bid a proper goodbye and tearfully looks on as Skywalker, accompanied by R2-D2, departs with him.

In a post-credits scene, Fett and Fennec invade Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine, and kill Bib Fortuna and his guards.


REVIEW: A plan is formulated, with The Mandalorian recruiting familiar faces in an attempt to rescue Grogu, which includes the two female bounty hunters we saw previously (one of which is WWE superstar Sasha Banks). Their plan is simple: Crashing into the star destroyer-esque ship and shooting their way to Grogu and Moff Gideon. The shootout itself is ok, though it lacks any real suspence or excitement. With that, we do indeed get a showdown between The Mandalorian & Moff Gideon all over the posession of The Dark Saber, a legendary weapon The Mandalorian people long believe to be theirs. The fight itself is again ok, but really could have been better. However, we do have The Dark Troopers who are terrific. Hard to beat, intimidating and at times quite scary. Then of course is The Luke Skywalker cameo. A lovely end to the season, though the CG could be better. I did get a kick of the R2D2 cameo also, always enjoy R2D2 in Star Wars. The final scene between Grogu & Mando was nice, though it left the season at a bit of an anticlimatic ending. Nothing really resolved or a comforting climax like the first season.

RATING: 87% - A-





The Mandalorian

Season Two Retrospective

It's not as good as Season One.

Sorry to say. Despite the great cameos at the end, Season 2 of The Mandalorian lacks the sense of excitement and tension that the first season did. Perhaps it was the fact that we were excited and in awe of the new direction the Star Wars universe was heading, and the fact that the central character appealed to that edgy dark side that many fans longed for.

Yet these episodes felt a bit more watered down, more safer. No real sense of The Mandalorian being on the run, uneasy to trust people, having to use his wits to survive. Instead he was more at ease and in a parental position which meant he lost a slight touch of his coolness as a result. Sure cool episodes with Ahsoka Tano was strong, but no new worlds were explored and a real sense of mystery was missing here in this season.

The second episode with the refugee frog was the weakest of the season. Not terrible but lacking I think compared to the other episodes. It lacked suspense when the episode had the story to bring in that element, and it felt slightly boring at times. Yet the series also did well in world building, in particularly setting up spin off projects like tha Ahsoka Tano series, and Boba Fett's spin off which is coming next.

Overall, The Mandalorian Season Two whilst good lacked a lot of elements of Season One, yet continued to build a new area of the Star Wars world, establishing new recurring characters, and building the story first established in Series One.

In other words, This is The Iron Man 2 of The Mandalorian series.

RATING: 82% - A-