'The Mandalorian, Season Two' – Episode 13: 'The Jedi'


I know, 'Mandalorian Friday' doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Well, I'll be completely honest... After the week that I've had, I was in no mood for taking my chances with an episode of 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' and it's 'Could be good, could be absolutely awful' ways. Nope, I needed something, to round off this week, that would do the job first time and leave me feeling thoroughly entertained. So, 'The Mandalorian' it was then' a show that even when it has a slightly 'off' day is still worth at least ten of that other show. Yep, I'm well aware that I'm leaving myself open to being blindsided by the 'World Beyond' season finale but that's not what this post is about so we'll leave that, for now, to concentrate on 'The Mandalorian' and an episode that was even better than I thought it would be, even though I didn't get the full effect of it (more on that in a bit)

Before we kick things off though... I'm going to try and avoid the big spoiler (actually, I will avoid it, 'there is no try'...) and at least one small spoiler, which is as awesome as the big one. I'm going to assume that you've seen last week's episode and know what is waiting for Din Djarin and the Child on Corvus... Lets go.

Last week, Bo Katan sent Din Djarin and the Child to the planet Corvus and Ahsoka Tano, the one person (Jedi!) who might be able to help Djarin on his quest. As is always the way (it is the way) though, Ahsoka requests a little help from Djarin first but not before we learn a whole lot more about the Child...

Unlike other reviews that I've seen out there, I'm not going to give away the big reveal here, just in case you haven't watched it yet (I'm nice like that) Lets just say that it casts the relationship between Djarin and the Child in a whole new light and makes for some really beautiful moments between the two of them. They weren't tears, I'd just been, erm... chopping onions (ahem). You have to watch it for yourself, it's great TV, it really is.

But that's only one part of this week's episode. The rest of it is a nod to all those fans of 'The Clone Wars' and 'Rebels' who would have tuned in anyway but are definitely tuning in this week for a chance to see Ahsoka Tano in the flesh as it were. Now I've seen hardly any 'Clone Wars' and only the pilot episode of 'Rebels' so there was a whole level of 'awesome by fandom association' that I was missing out on. Having said that though, even I (and my 'not too sure about the franchise these days' attitude) couldn't help but be taken in by how cool Ahsoka was, cutting her way through a whole bunch of faceless soldiers in the mist. It's beautifully shot, beautifully choreographed and full of moments where you think that actually, Jedi move just like Ninjas. Seriously, watch the street fight sequences, at the end, and tell me that I'm wrong.

And if that wasn't enough, that moment at the end where you find out why Tano is on Corvus in the first place... You can't keep a good expanded universe character down, please let there be a spinoff series now, please?

Din Djarin keeps his end up by being the faceless killer facing off against, the not at faceless, Michael Biehn and that was cool by itself but I really enjoyed seeing the contrast between the old fashioned gunfight outside the compound and the elegant clash of lightsaber and Beskar spear inside. I'm more of a 'story guy' so don't normally say this but it looked so amazing and I also liked the twist of having a forest planet where all the trees were dead. There's only so many things you can do with a Star Wars planet these days so I'm glad they found something new to say.

The Child is almost peripheral here, apart from a couple of moments, and that was just the right approach for this particular episode. There are some things that the little guy just can't do yet but there are hints of what might come in the future. He was always going to make it through this episode (that's no spoiler) but lets see how this 'Clan of Two' fare in the future.

'The Jedi' will resonate particularly strongly for those fans of 'Clone Wars' and 'Rebels' but there is still more than enough for a fan like me, and you too I reckon. I'm going to watch it anyway but I really hope next week's episode is as good.

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