Warning: This article contains spoilers of The Mandalorian season 2, episode 8
Will Mando defeat Moff Gideon? Will Grogu be saved? And Will Bo-Katan earn back the Dark Saber?
The previous episode left us with so many burning questions that we were all excited to be answered. As sad as it is to say, this season of The Mandalorian has come to an end and this finale was definitely something else. In this episode we watched Mando and his new team come to Grogu’s rescue as they battle with Moff Gideon.
This episode was very aesthetically pleasing to watch. Starting off with music, I loved how Ludwig Goransson used a combination of his own musical voice and John William‘s style in order to create the ultimate Star Wars feel to the episode. Furthermore, I loved the episode’s use of dark shades of reds, blacks and greys in the color palette. I found that this variation of colors served well to reflect the typical colours associated with the Empire, again doing well to imitate the typical aesthetics associated with the Star Wars universe.
In the final scenes, we all felt a lot of anxiety. From trying to save Baby Yoda to the team being trapped in a single room awaiting a potential fate by Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers, to being saved by a mystery Jedi. I quite enjoyed the addition of having Dark troopers. They were definitely exciting to watch, being undefeatable robots- unlike the regular stormtroopers that have a well-known history of being pretty much useless.
Favreau and Filoni definitely like to give their all to the fans. Turns out their saviour was in fact the fan’s beloved Luke Skywalker. I was extremely torn at this surprise. Part of me was excited that Luke made an appearance, but then the other half of me felt this was super cliche. I felt that the CGI didn’t look great, making it feel less realistic than it could have. I quite liked how The Mandalorian has been introducing and exploring new characters or underrated characters. However, in bringing a well-known Star Wars character I felt it overpowered the show a bit. Despite this, I was very happy that R2D2 made an appearance!
With Luke coming to their rescue, it also meant that he is the Jedi that will train Grogu. This moment was quite emotional. First and foremost, it linked back to Yoda training Luke in the past. Secondly, it meant that Mando would be separated from Baby Yoda, which was extremely sad to see. Unlike when Ahsoka Tano was going to train Grogu, Luke did not think once to return Grogu to Mando, but happily set off with the child. As much as it is needed, it was sad to see for Mando’s character.
I think out of all of the episodes, this episode was one that definitely felt the most like a Star Wars movie- from cinematography, iconography to music. Despite the episode being well-made, I did struggle with the fact that the fight between Mando’s team and Moff Gideon was extremely anti-climactic. I found that Luke’s appearance overshadowed the plot, resulting in the battle with Moff Gideon was rushed hugely. Nonetheless, the episode left us with a lot of questions that I am excited to be answered in the upcoming seasons including:
- What will happen to Moff Gideon?
- Will we see Baby Yoda again?
- What is next in store for Mando?
For one thing, we know that Mando will definitely be facing some challenges with Bo Katan now that he has the Dark Saber. Will she fight him in order to earn the Dark Saber?
Moreover, with Disney’s recent announcement, it seems that Filoni and Favreau definitely have a lot in store for us all in the coming years! Starting off with The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, The Rangers of the New Republic and lots more. Most of these new TV shows are to be set within the timeline of The Mandalorian. Hopefully, this means we will be seeing a lot of crossovers as Favreau and Filoni further expands the Star Wars universe! The Mandalorian definitely left us with a few questions regarding each character including:
- What is next for Ahsoka Tano and will she find Thrawn?
- Where did Boba Fett go after helping the team get inside Moff Gideon’s ship?
Featured Image via YouTube.
