‘The Mandalorian’, Episode 7: ‘The Reckoning’



It's a little late in the day but welcome once again to 'Mandalorian Monday'; that post where I try to avoid the big spoiler even though I'm possibly the only person who hasn't seen Episode 8 yet... Seriously though, is there anyone here who doesn't know what the 'Asset' is? I'd be really interested to know but in the meantime, no spoilers here. Just one more episode after this and my new favourite Star Wars thing is over, at least until Season 2 comes around ('The Rise of Skywalker' isn't bad but 'The Mandalorian' is where it's at for me, no question about it). So then, shall we...?

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 Asset. Karga proposes that the Mandalorian use the Asset as bait in order to kill the Client, and free the town, but can he be trusted? It's time for the Mandalorian to look up some old friends and see if there's a trap to be sprung...

They really are mining every 'Western' trope they can find, aren't they? Not that it's a huge deal, because it's all been crafted into something pretty special, it's just really heartwarming in a way; watching all the cowboy films I saw as a kid transposed onto something that pretty much defined my childhood.
Yep, it's time to 'get the old gang back together and go face down the baddie' with a showdown in a cantina no less :o) This is what Star Wars should always have been about (and I guess it did start out like this before it grew a life of its own).The Mandalorian visits some familiar faces and you know what's going to happen to at least one of them (that's the danger of relying on your tropes too much) but there are enough twists and turns between these meetings and the finale, that what you see at the end is a real blow.
You know that someone is going to double-cross someone else and 'The Reckoning' does a good job of hiding what is to come by having everyone at everyone else's throats. Betrayal really could come from any direction and, in fact, does. 'The Reckoning' is definitely an episode that keeps you on your toes.

'The Reckoning' is also an episode that leaves you wanting more with a finale that is one part mega shoot-out and one part race against time where you know what is going to happen but you don't want it to... and then it does. For me, 'The Mandalorian' has always been about trying to do the right thing and there are consequences to this when you're on an Imperial controlled frontier world.
Anyway... I'm officially counting down to episode 8 now. I've got a good idea of how this will end but I still can't wait.

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