The Mandalorian S03:E06
Apr. 6th, 2023 12:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brigidThis is about a recent episode of "The Mandalorian," which I'm going to put behind a fold because Spoilers.
I do want to note that it has 3 great guest stars: Lizzo, Jack Black, and Christopher Lloyd, all of whom are EXCELLENT.
This season of "The Mandalorian" has felt thin and rushed, shallow, in the same way that "The Book of Boba Fett" felt. I want to like both. There's elements that I not just like but LOVE about both. But they are... off. Something is wrong with them and it's hard to pin down exactly what.
I do think I figured out one issue with "The Mandalorian." In Season One, Din Djarin and Cara Dune find themselves in a small village where the people farm blue shrimp. They have to save them from marauders. It's a little adventure that also reveals a lot about the world they're on, and the larger universe.
Din, Grogu, and Cara live amongst the people there. They stay in homes. They talk to people. Grogu plays with other children.The farmers talk about how long they've been there, how hard it will be to leave. One of them has some military training, perhaps fought amongst the Rebels. She is attracted to Din, and she and the little community are a bit of a temptation to him. This could be a home.
But of course it isn't.
In season Three we get another "community threatened with violence by outside forces" story. The set up for this one involves Greef Karga asking for help and a former-Rebel pilot/Ranger responding and going to the Mandalorian Covert to ask them to help. They do. We see the pirates blasting houses apart and people running around. The various Mandalorians fly in and fight the pirates and they win and they're granted a plot of land to settle on.
We don't see Din, or anyone else, really interacting with the people they save. What are in those buildings? How long have they been there? What are they like? How have things changed since it was an Imperial Base, tightly ruled by the remnants of The Empire? I had a better sense of Nevarro in the first season than I have of current Nevarro.
Karga states that there have been changes. But... words don't paint as much of a picture as actual interaction. It leaves viewers disconnected from the community. There's no immersion, no intimacy.
The show feels like there's a bunch of actions or fetch quests that need to be ticked off in order to get to something specific, to a big ending. The characters bounce from one to another in a rush.
This is all on display in the most recent episode, "Guns for Hire."
1. The episode opens with a display of a group of Mandalorians being hired muscle as they retrieve a young Mon Calamari who ran off for love. It establishes their background and role pretty firmly. Good job.
2. Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan travel to an outer rim world, Plazir-15, which claims to be "A Direct Democracy" where every citizen votes on everything. They just happened to vote in, as leaders, a former member of the Royal Family and a former Imperial Officer. Funny, huh? They are seized by a tractor beam and pulled in, shuffled to a train car, and their destination is altered despite their wishes. It's a nice commentary, actually.
3. They are ushered into an opulent dining room full of a variety of aliens, all sitting at a banquet table. We don't really spend any time with them, though. What are people eating? Who are they talking to? What are they talking about? The Duchess and Captain Bombardier do some info dumping and send Din Djarin and Bo-Katan on a quest: to determine why droids are malfunctioning and getting violent. They can't just stop using droids, the obvious and simple solution to the problem. Oh, no! The citizens are too used to NOT WORKING!! This kind of feels like a dig at socialism or something, "nobody wants to work anymore!" Is that ACTUALLY what the citizens want? It's not really gone in to, because we only hear from the people in charge.
4. Oh, those droids? They are former Imperial droids who have been reprogrammed. But some of them are reverting to original violent programming. There's a violent chase scene when Din Djarin manages to trigger such a reversion. (He did so by kicking a bunch of them until one responded, it felt like a Boston Dynamics video). The actual chase scene was good but I didn't feel like the run through the city actually revealed much of the city's character. None of the citizens really have anything to say about the violent droid tearing shit up and endangering them. Nobody shrugs and says oh well that's the price you pay, nobody talks about how they're tired of this and the free labor isn't worth it. It's just a thing that happens in the show that doesn't seem to impact anyone.
5. Time to solve a mystery! One that Din Djarin and Bo-Katan start solving by visiting a droid bar, at which point it's revealed why droids go to bars specifically. I mean, they don't drink alcohol! Why not hang out at droid libraries or droid coffee shops or droid skateparks? While at bars they hang out, socialize, and drink something called Nepenthé - a lubricant that also has sub-particles that helps "refresh programming." Defragging, maybe? The droids apparently are not pals of L3-37 and don't wish for liberation, they are eager to serve the organics who created them.
6. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan discover that all the violent droids had imbibed the same batch of Nepenthé and were basically reprogrammed. But the reprogramming clumsily revealed its source code so they bounced up to confront the main security guy who, it turns out, is a loyal separatist. Why? Why would he do this? The planet isn't under control of The Empire or The New Republic? Am I missing something? His little speech and threat are interrupted by Bo-Katan tazing him. His employees kind of lean forward in their chairs a little to watch. As an office worker I found this extremely relatable. HOWEVER. None of them say anything. None of them are surprised by his actions. None of them comment on his little spiel. There are no murmurs of shock. They are just... there, a background, part of the set.
7. That subplot dealt with the pair return to The Duchess and The Captain who give them the key to the city and... knight Grogu? Who's been showing off his Force abilities right there in front of everyone. Nobody comments on it. The Duchess and The Captain are playing a Alice in Wonderland feeling game of not-croquet with pill bugs instead of hedgehogs. It's surreal and decadent but again... they aren't interacting with anyone from the Court.
8. The trio can finally meet up with the other Mandalorians, who are dicks to Din Djarin as usual. Bo-Katan challenges their leader to a fight and wins. Din Djarin surrenders the Dark Saber to her (he was captured, he lost the saber, she defeated his captor, thus the saber belongs to her) which I'm a little disappointed by because I'd love to see him in charge of things. We don't really see how those Mandalorians are living, though. We don't see the reactions of anyone else in the group to this change in power. It just kind of happens.
That's a lot to put in one episode, actually, and the sheer amount of Action Things crammed in there means the show has no room to breathe.
In "Andor" a character has been fired (with cause) and moves back in with his mom, who is a shitty person.
At one point he gets a box of cereal and pours cereal into a bowl and then adds milk.
He eats cereal and milk from a bowl with a spoon.
It isn't space food. He's not in space pajamas. His mom isn't a space mom. This is a long time ago in a galaxy far away and it's one where you sit around eating cereal and milk and listening to your mom berate you while you crunch as loudly and passive aggressively as you can.
And he didn't need to be eating cereal. We didn't need to see him preparing his breakfast. We didn't need to establish that people in his world eat cereal from a box with milk just like we do. This little detail, this little thing that adds maybe a minute and a half to the show's run time, grounds everything in reality. They eat cereal. They probably eat sandwiches too. What else do they do that's mundane and like us? And what do the people who DON'T eat cereal eat?
There's no real ground or sense of reality in Season 3. Nobody is eating cereal. Nobody is wearing what is obviously an anorak. Nobody is darning socks or gossiping or preparing for a festival (a festival is mentioned in a previous episode but no details are given).
If I were writing for The Mandalorian, which I very obviously am not, and I had to portray all of this I would have split the episode up into two episodes.
1) Their ship is tractor beamed in and they arrive at a gleaming white city that looks like it was made by Apple. They are greeted by two former Imperial droids. Yes, yes, good. They are brought before the duly-elected Royal Court and find out their deal. Someone mutters an aside about how ironic it is that the people in power are somehow still in power. The people at the banquet table eat food and gossip and the trio sits and eats with them, enjoying hospitality. Din Djarin doesn't remove his helmet and it's kind of awkward that he's not eating with everyone else. We SEE that awkwardness, and his commitment to his religious practices. Someone mentions the droids, citing a personal issue. Someone else chimes in. A third person agrees that it's a problem, but what are you gonna do? Those baskets won't weave themselves underwater, SOMEONE has to do it, and they can't do it without the droids who scrub the toilets and keep the streets clean and cook lunch. How can you Live Your Truth when you have to mop the floor and do laundry and take the car in for an oil change? The Duchess then states it's why she wants The Mandalorians to do the thing, and why she wants Mandalorians specifically.
The meet with Helgaite, who subtly talks shit about the current regime and tries to shift blame to the Ugnaughts. Helgaite is very professional, composed, and proper and also obviously has polite, socially acceptable bigotry toward Ugnaughts.
The scene with them basically goes as it did on the show BUT someone asks about Kuill and establishes that they had a relationship with him. He was part of a community once. He had family and friends. They would reminisce about literally being slaves and how difficult it was to buy freedom, and would maybe compare that life to the life they have now. This can later be paralleled with the droids as automatons/servants/slaves.
Remember, "nobody wants to work," right, which is why there's all these droids running amuck that can't be turned off. But here's Ugnaughts working. There's people working in the security office. People are working.
Anyway, I'd end the episode with the Ugnaughts stressing that the issue is NOT on their end, but check out the droid works. The Mandalorians part from them as friends.
2. The episode starts with Din Djarin and Bo-Katan talking, maybe while getting something to drink. They formulate a plan, maybe a good cop bad cop thing. Maybe Bo-Katan expresses frustration at having to deal with this irritating thing before they can move on to talking with the other Mandalorians. If there's an issue of payment Din Djarin can remind her what they can use the money for, and the fact that this will spread good will or something. Reinforce the ruling class of this planet as allies of the Mandalorians and THEIR planet.
So they go to the droid works, talk with the foreman (foredroid?), are reassured that they've all been reprogrammed fully. Din Djarin kicks a bunch of droids and I feel really bad for them because I'm a huge weenie and don't like people being mean to droids. One of them snaps and goes at him and there's a big killer droid chase through the town. I would absolutely have it involve wherever they got their drink or whatever from, have cyclists or something be knocked over, there would be upended fruit carts. Would there be two people carrying a large pane of glass and/or huge fancy cake? YOU KNOW IT. AND the people in the area? Would be gasping and shouting and talking. The droid gets away and someone yells "it went that way!" Someone says "oh no not again!" After the droid is neutralized people gather around and mutter, make commentary. NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO KEEP THE DROIDS ACTIVE. In fact, this would be a good time to underscore that there is a ruling class that wants to keep the droids active and working so they don't have to do anything while there's an underclass who can't afford droids/don't want droids. Heck, maybe there's some other people like Din Djarin who are traumatized by droids and hate being around them.
They find the droid bar business card or track its recent locations with GPS or see where it checked in on droid facebook or whatever and head to the droid bar where they learn about Nepenthé. Now, the bar as pictured looked pretty cool and the variety of droids there was awesome. Aesthetically? Great. The conversation about serving organics, the beings who made them? An interesting one. Buuuuut maybe a few glances at each other or a droid newspaper or flyer with L3-37 barely visible would be interesting. I'd do something about how when they were programmed killer droids they didn't have any option but do that. They didn't have a choice in the matter. They have more options now, they can make choices now, they have free time to hang out at bars and chat with each other. They have more freedom. Star Wars' attitude toward droids, the treatment of droids, is really all over the place as to whether they're programmed machines or beings with free will who should be respected.
Anyway, after finding out about the "bad" batch of Nepenthé they go and get it analyzed. The worker (mortician? droidtician? droidtician doesn't work because "mort" means "death" but it sounds kind of cool so I'll allow it.) should be the one who finds the chain code or serial number or whatever, not an outsider with no training in the matter... unless said worker is also in on the plan. Anyway, they figure it out, solve the mystery, and go and confront Helgaite. Helgaite gets increasingly agitated and loud and gets to have a whole over the top rant about WHY he did what he did and what SHOULD happen and mid-word... Bo-Katan rolls her eyes and tazes him.
During his rant employees scurry away from him, take cover, etc. but also peek at what's going on. After the tazing they kind of stand up and lean over, curious, but don't come close. Din Djarin tells two people to collect Helgaite and help carry him, while Bo-Katan randomly tells someone else they're in charge for the time being.
Back with the Duchess and Captain, they're wearing different clothing and Lizzo has completely different hair as well. It's all still ornate, etc. Maybe they're wearing their weird croquet version of tennis whites or something. Many of the people who were at the banquet before are there again, dressed similarly. Whatever they're wearing is highly impractical, of course. Someone botches a shot on purpose, losing to the Captain. The Duchess makes her move with Grogu's assistance. Everyone applauds fawningly.
Blah blah blah Helgaite is banished, it's an unsatisfying slap on the wrist, the audience murmurs approval that they have their droid workforce back safely. The Mandalorians are given the Key To The City and the fact that Grogu is knighted is treated as awkward and kind of weird. Maybe she states that she's knighting him for being so cute or something.
As they walk to their ship Din Djarin and Bo-Katan discuss what to do with the physical key. Like, do you put it in display someplace? Are they going to wind up with a hall full of Keys To Various Cities? Din Djarin tells Grogu not to get too full of himself now that he's a knight. They reach the other Mandalorians.
As before, people talk shit about Din Djarin being a big weirdo. Bo-Katan makes a speech about coming together and having a home world. She's challenged, she fights, she wins. Various Mandalorians place bets on who will win, have side conversations, etc, etc. Bo-Katan wins but is taunted about not having the Black Saber. There's an awkward moment when she admits that yes she doesn't have it, Din Djarin has it. He approaches her and then bows and offers it to her, thanking her for saving him. He was captured and the Dark Saber was taken from him. She saved him, defeating his captor and claiming the Dark Saber for her own. It is hers. He goes into a bit of detail including mentioning that this was ON MANDALORE and that they're going from a world that was destroyed to a world they are building... that they can build together.
IDK maybe they bring an Ughnaught with them as they leave.
I do want to note that it has 3 great guest stars: Lizzo, Jack Black, and Christopher Lloyd, all of whom are EXCELLENT.
This season of "The Mandalorian" has felt thin and rushed, shallow, in the same way that "The Book of Boba Fett" felt. I want to like both. There's elements that I not just like but LOVE about both. But they are... off. Something is wrong with them and it's hard to pin down exactly what.
I do think I figured out one issue with "The Mandalorian." In Season One, Din Djarin and Cara Dune find themselves in a small village where the people farm blue shrimp. They have to save them from marauders. It's a little adventure that also reveals a lot about the world they're on, and the larger universe.
Din, Grogu, and Cara live amongst the people there. They stay in homes. They talk to people. Grogu plays with other children.The farmers talk about how long they've been there, how hard it will be to leave. One of them has some military training, perhaps fought amongst the Rebels. She is attracted to Din, and she and the little community are a bit of a temptation to him. This could be a home.
But of course it isn't.
In season Three we get another "community threatened with violence by outside forces" story. The set up for this one involves Greef Karga asking for help and a former-Rebel pilot/Ranger responding and going to the Mandalorian Covert to ask them to help. They do. We see the pirates blasting houses apart and people running around. The various Mandalorians fly in and fight the pirates and they win and they're granted a plot of land to settle on.
We don't see Din, or anyone else, really interacting with the people they save. What are in those buildings? How long have they been there? What are they like? How have things changed since it was an Imperial Base, tightly ruled by the remnants of The Empire? I had a better sense of Nevarro in the first season than I have of current Nevarro.
Karga states that there have been changes. But... words don't paint as much of a picture as actual interaction. It leaves viewers disconnected from the community. There's no immersion, no intimacy.
The show feels like there's a bunch of actions or fetch quests that need to be ticked off in order to get to something specific, to a big ending. The characters bounce from one to another in a rush.
This is all on display in the most recent episode, "Guns for Hire."
1. The episode opens with a display of a group of Mandalorians being hired muscle as they retrieve a young Mon Calamari who ran off for love. It establishes their background and role pretty firmly. Good job.
2. Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan travel to an outer rim world, Plazir-15, which claims to be "A Direct Democracy" where every citizen votes on everything. They just happened to vote in, as leaders, a former member of the Royal Family and a former Imperial Officer. Funny, huh? They are seized by a tractor beam and pulled in, shuffled to a train car, and their destination is altered despite their wishes. It's a nice commentary, actually.
3. They are ushered into an opulent dining room full of a variety of aliens, all sitting at a banquet table. We don't really spend any time with them, though. What are people eating? Who are they talking to? What are they talking about? The Duchess and Captain Bombardier do some info dumping and send Din Djarin and Bo-Katan on a quest: to determine why droids are malfunctioning and getting violent. They can't just stop using droids, the obvious and simple solution to the problem. Oh, no! The citizens are too used to NOT WORKING!! This kind of feels like a dig at socialism or something, "nobody wants to work anymore!" Is that ACTUALLY what the citizens want? It's not really gone in to, because we only hear from the people in charge.
4. Oh, those droids? They are former Imperial droids who have been reprogrammed. But some of them are reverting to original violent programming. There's a violent chase scene when Din Djarin manages to trigger such a reversion. (He did so by kicking a bunch of them until one responded, it felt like a Boston Dynamics video). The actual chase scene was good but I didn't feel like the run through the city actually revealed much of the city's character. None of the citizens really have anything to say about the violent droid tearing shit up and endangering them. Nobody shrugs and says oh well that's the price you pay, nobody talks about how they're tired of this and the free labor isn't worth it. It's just a thing that happens in the show that doesn't seem to impact anyone.
5. Time to solve a mystery! One that Din Djarin and Bo-Katan start solving by visiting a droid bar, at which point it's revealed why droids go to bars specifically. I mean, they don't drink alcohol! Why not hang out at droid libraries or droid coffee shops or droid skateparks? While at bars they hang out, socialize, and drink something called Nepenthé - a lubricant that also has sub-particles that helps "refresh programming." Defragging, maybe? The droids apparently are not pals of L3-37 and don't wish for liberation, they are eager to serve the organics who created them.
6. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan discover that all the violent droids had imbibed the same batch of Nepenthé and were basically reprogrammed. But the reprogramming clumsily revealed its source code so they bounced up to confront the main security guy who, it turns out, is a loyal separatist. Why? Why would he do this? The planet isn't under control of The Empire or The New Republic? Am I missing something? His little speech and threat are interrupted by Bo-Katan tazing him. His employees kind of lean forward in their chairs a little to watch. As an office worker I found this extremely relatable. HOWEVER. None of them say anything. None of them are surprised by his actions. None of them comment on his little spiel. There are no murmurs of shock. They are just... there, a background, part of the set.
7. That subplot dealt with the pair return to The Duchess and The Captain who give them the key to the city and... knight Grogu? Who's been showing off his Force abilities right there in front of everyone. Nobody comments on it. The Duchess and The Captain are playing a Alice in Wonderland feeling game of not-croquet with pill bugs instead of hedgehogs. It's surreal and decadent but again... they aren't interacting with anyone from the Court.
8. The trio can finally meet up with the other Mandalorians, who are dicks to Din Djarin as usual. Bo-Katan challenges their leader to a fight and wins. Din Djarin surrenders the Dark Saber to her (he was captured, he lost the saber, she defeated his captor, thus the saber belongs to her) which I'm a little disappointed by because I'd love to see him in charge of things. We don't really see how those Mandalorians are living, though. We don't see the reactions of anyone else in the group to this change in power. It just kind of happens.
That's a lot to put in one episode, actually, and the sheer amount of Action Things crammed in there means the show has no room to breathe.
In "Andor" a character has been fired (with cause) and moves back in with his mom, who is a shitty person.
At one point he gets a box of cereal and pours cereal into a bowl and then adds milk.
He eats cereal and milk from a bowl with a spoon.
It isn't space food. He's not in space pajamas. His mom isn't a space mom. This is a long time ago in a galaxy far away and it's one where you sit around eating cereal and milk and listening to your mom berate you while you crunch as loudly and passive aggressively as you can.
And he didn't need to be eating cereal. We didn't need to see him preparing his breakfast. We didn't need to establish that people in his world eat cereal from a box with milk just like we do. This little detail, this little thing that adds maybe a minute and a half to the show's run time, grounds everything in reality. They eat cereal. They probably eat sandwiches too. What else do they do that's mundane and like us? And what do the people who DON'T eat cereal eat?
There's no real ground or sense of reality in Season 3. Nobody is eating cereal. Nobody is wearing what is obviously an anorak. Nobody is darning socks or gossiping or preparing for a festival (a festival is mentioned in a previous episode but no details are given).
If I were writing for The Mandalorian, which I very obviously am not, and I had to portray all of this I would have split the episode up into two episodes.
1) Their ship is tractor beamed in and they arrive at a gleaming white city that looks like it was made by Apple. They are greeted by two former Imperial droids. Yes, yes, good. They are brought before the duly-elected Royal Court and find out their deal. Someone mutters an aside about how ironic it is that the people in power are somehow still in power. The people at the banquet table eat food and gossip and the trio sits and eats with them, enjoying hospitality. Din Djarin doesn't remove his helmet and it's kind of awkward that he's not eating with everyone else. We SEE that awkwardness, and his commitment to his religious practices. Someone mentions the droids, citing a personal issue. Someone else chimes in. A third person agrees that it's a problem, but what are you gonna do? Those baskets won't weave themselves underwater, SOMEONE has to do it, and they can't do it without the droids who scrub the toilets and keep the streets clean and cook lunch. How can you Live Your Truth when you have to mop the floor and do laundry and take the car in for an oil change? The Duchess then states it's why she wants The Mandalorians to do the thing, and why she wants Mandalorians specifically.
The meet with Helgaite, who subtly talks shit about the current regime and tries to shift blame to the Ugnaughts. Helgaite is very professional, composed, and proper and also obviously has polite, socially acceptable bigotry toward Ugnaughts.
The scene with them basically goes as it did on the show BUT someone asks about Kuill and establishes that they had a relationship with him. He was part of a community once. He had family and friends. They would reminisce about literally being slaves and how difficult it was to buy freedom, and would maybe compare that life to the life they have now. This can later be paralleled with the droids as automatons/servants/slaves.
Remember, "nobody wants to work," right, which is why there's all these droids running amuck that can't be turned off. But here's Ugnaughts working. There's people working in the security office. People are working.
Anyway, I'd end the episode with the Ugnaughts stressing that the issue is NOT on their end, but check out the droid works. The Mandalorians part from them as friends.
2. The episode starts with Din Djarin and Bo-Katan talking, maybe while getting something to drink. They formulate a plan, maybe a good cop bad cop thing. Maybe Bo-Katan expresses frustration at having to deal with this irritating thing before they can move on to talking with the other Mandalorians. If there's an issue of payment Din Djarin can remind her what they can use the money for, and the fact that this will spread good will or something. Reinforce the ruling class of this planet as allies of the Mandalorians and THEIR planet.
So they go to the droid works, talk with the foreman (foredroid?), are reassured that they've all been reprogrammed fully. Din Djarin kicks a bunch of droids and I feel really bad for them because I'm a huge weenie and don't like people being mean to droids. One of them snaps and goes at him and there's a big killer droid chase through the town. I would absolutely have it involve wherever they got their drink or whatever from, have cyclists or something be knocked over, there would be upended fruit carts. Would there be two people carrying a large pane of glass and/or huge fancy cake? YOU KNOW IT. AND the people in the area? Would be gasping and shouting and talking. The droid gets away and someone yells "it went that way!" Someone says "oh no not again!" After the droid is neutralized people gather around and mutter, make commentary. NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO KEEP THE DROIDS ACTIVE. In fact, this would be a good time to underscore that there is a ruling class that wants to keep the droids active and working so they don't have to do anything while there's an underclass who can't afford droids/don't want droids. Heck, maybe there's some other people like Din Djarin who are traumatized by droids and hate being around them.
They find the droid bar business card or track its recent locations with GPS or see where it checked in on droid facebook or whatever and head to the droid bar where they learn about Nepenthé. Now, the bar as pictured looked pretty cool and the variety of droids there was awesome. Aesthetically? Great. The conversation about serving organics, the beings who made them? An interesting one. Buuuuut maybe a few glances at each other or a droid newspaper or flyer with L3-37 barely visible would be interesting. I'd do something about how when they were programmed killer droids they didn't have any option but do that. They didn't have a choice in the matter. They have more options now, they can make choices now, they have free time to hang out at bars and chat with each other. They have more freedom. Star Wars' attitude toward droids, the treatment of droids, is really all over the place as to whether they're programmed machines or beings with free will who should be respected.
Anyway, after finding out about the "bad" batch of Nepenthé they go and get it analyzed. The worker (mortician? droidtician? droidtician doesn't work because "mort" means "death" but it sounds kind of cool so I'll allow it.) should be the one who finds the chain code or serial number or whatever, not an outsider with no training in the matter... unless said worker is also in on the plan. Anyway, they figure it out, solve the mystery, and go and confront Helgaite. Helgaite gets increasingly agitated and loud and gets to have a whole over the top rant about WHY he did what he did and what SHOULD happen and mid-word... Bo-Katan rolls her eyes and tazes him.
During his rant employees scurry away from him, take cover, etc. but also peek at what's going on. After the tazing they kind of stand up and lean over, curious, but don't come close. Din Djarin tells two people to collect Helgaite and help carry him, while Bo-Katan randomly tells someone else they're in charge for the time being.
Back with the Duchess and Captain, they're wearing different clothing and Lizzo has completely different hair as well. It's all still ornate, etc. Maybe they're wearing their weird croquet version of tennis whites or something. Many of the people who were at the banquet before are there again, dressed similarly. Whatever they're wearing is highly impractical, of course. Someone botches a shot on purpose, losing to the Captain. The Duchess makes her move with Grogu's assistance. Everyone applauds fawningly.
Blah blah blah Helgaite is banished, it's an unsatisfying slap on the wrist, the audience murmurs approval that they have their droid workforce back safely. The Mandalorians are given the Key To The City and the fact that Grogu is knighted is treated as awkward and kind of weird. Maybe she states that she's knighting him for being so cute or something.
As they walk to their ship Din Djarin and Bo-Katan discuss what to do with the physical key. Like, do you put it in display someplace? Are they going to wind up with a hall full of Keys To Various Cities? Din Djarin tells Grogu not to get too full of himself now that he's a knight. They reach the other Mandalorians.
As before, people talk shit about Din Djarin being a big weirdo. Bo-Katan makes a speech about coming together and having a home world. She's challenged, she fights, she wins. Various Mandalorians place bets on who will win, have side conversations, etc, etc. Bo-Katan wins but is taunted about not having the Black Saber. There's an awkward moment when she admits that yes she doesn't have it, Din Djarin has it. He approaches her and then bows and offers it to her, thanking her for saving him. He was captured and the Dark Saber was taken from him. She saved him, defeating his captor and claiming the Dark Saber for her own. It is hers. He goes into a bit of detail including mentioning that this was ON MANDALORE and that they're going from a world that was destroyed to a world they are building... that they can build together.
IDK maybe they bring an Ughnaught with them as they leave.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-07 11:27 pm (UTC)They just happened to vote in, as leaders, a former member of the Royal Family and a former Imperial Officer. Funny, huh? They are seized by a tractor beam and pulled in, shuffled to a train car, and their destination is altered despite their wishes. It's a nice commentary, actually.
Great points!
Nobody shrugs and says oh well that's the price you pay, nobody talks about how they're tired of this and the free labor isn't worth it. It's just a thing that happens in the show that doesn't seem to impact anyone.
Yes, a lot could have been done with this mystery plot that wasn't.
They are just... there, a background, part of the set.
Yes, the fact that any of it could be traced back to him seems ludicrous and the explanation of his motives makes no sense. I definitely prefer your take, and in fact I would leave out the droid tampering entirely and simply have it be left for the audience to ponder how this society encourages direct democracy from citizens but rewrites droids to suit whichever regime is currently in power. The ability to have free will also means the will to do awful things.
This could then be connected to the Republic's effort to give Imperial collaborators a second chance. I'm reminded, for example, of the audience at the doctor's speech a few episodes ago. They'd fit right in on Plazir.
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Date: 2023-04-08 08:17 pm (UTC)There's so much moral complexity they could be digging in to without getting bogged down in it or being as serious as "Andor" (which I love).
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Date: 2023-04-09 01:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-04-08 02:21 pm (UTC)Yeah, this season of Mandalorian has been off kilter; I agree.
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Date: 2023-04-08 08:18 pm (UTC)And it's the same nebulous not-quite-hitting that Book of Boba Fett had. Meanwhile Andor knocked it out of the park.
Can Star Wars only have one really good show at a time, LOL?