'The Mandalorian' Chapter 9: There's A LOT To Unpack Here. Season 2 Ramps Up In First Episode.
Updated: Nov 3, 2020
Here we go. Let's re-cap first!
*SPOILER ALERT*
Last week, the highly-anticipated Season 2 premiere of The Mandalorian landed on Disney+. Officially titled "Chapter 9: The Marshal” the new episode of the smash hit series offered a lot of action and a few surprises. The lengthy 54-minute episode gave fans who had been chomping at the bit for more Mando a lot to chew on.
The first episode of Season 1 introduced us to The Mandalorian, aka Din Djarin. Right from the opening sequence, fans saw a ruthless bounty hunter that captured his mark at any cost, giving off some serious Terminator vibes. When he meets his next mark - a seemingly innocent child - Mando's humanity begins to show as he questions intentions of the man who hired him to secure the child. Going against his usual nature, The Mandalorian takes it upon him self to save the child and protect it.
In the Season 1 finale, Mando's intuition proves to be correct. He's instructed by a The Armorer of the Tribe to return the child to his kind. The Mandalorian sets off to do so, because according to The Armorer - "this is the way.", we were left with Moff Gideon played by Giancarlo Esposito climbing out of his crashed Tie Fighter wielding a darksaber(the first lightsaber first shown in Clone Wars), leaving fans frothing for more...and here we are 10 months later, the show is back and WE ARE READY.
In Season 2, Chapter 9 opens with The Mandalorian setting off to find more of his kind for help and guidance in returning the child home. For answers, he returns to Tatooine where a fellow Mandalorian supposedly resides. There, he encounters The Marshal, played by Emmy nominee Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Fargo series). The Marshal is no Mandalorian, but he is wearing the armor, however.
The armor, undoubtably Mandalorian, also bears a striking resemblance to the protective gear donned by a Star Wars legend - Boba Fett.
The Marshal claimed to have traded some Jawas for the Mandalorian armor he was wearing. In keeping with his creed, The Mandalorian demands the armor back from the Marshal, even if he has to take it back by force. However, Mando's humanity shines through once again as he strikes a deal to help the Marshal in exchange fo the armor.
Together, The Mandalorian and The Marshal set off to destroy the Krayt Dragon - a monstrous creature that has wreaked havoc on Tatooine for far too long. Mando persuades Marshal to reluctantly team with another enemy of his village - the Tusken Raiders - as strength in numbers is the only way to defeat the creature.
The Tusken Raiders show Mando and the Marshall where the Krayt resides.
"They say it lives in there," Mando confirmed. "They say it sleeps. It lives in an abandon sarlacc pit."
"Been on Tatooine my whole life," the Marshal states. "There is no such thing as an abandoned sarlacc pit."
"There is if you eat the sarlacc," Mando replies ominously.
While it is a natural conclusion to come to given the size and ferocity of the Krayt, Star Wars lore offers up another possible explanation.
During a battle in 1983's Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance set off to rescue Han Solo from Jabba The Hutt's mercenaries on Tatooine. During the battle, a blinded Solo gets freed and accidentally punctures Boba Fett's jetpack, sending him free-falling directly into a sarlacc's mouth. It was quite clear that Boba had met his demise - until now.
At the end of "Chapter 9" after a massive team effort battle, The Mandalorian puts the final nail in the coffin of the Krayt by ultimately destroying the dragon from the inside. First, he purposefully punctures The Marshal's jetpack, sending him soaring out of harm's way. Then, he lures the creature towards him with one of the large animals the Tusken Raiders rode in on. After being swallowed whole, Mando plants a detonator in the belly of the beast. He then shocks his way out of the creature, and blows it to smithereens.
If The Mandalorian was able to defeat the Krayt in this manor, isn't it very possible that Boba Fett was able to survive being swallowed by a sarlacc using a similar tactic?
To cement this theory, a mysterious character is seen walking away from the David and Goliath encounter that just took place - a character that bears a striking resemblance to one Boba Fett, notably played by Temuera Morrison who played Jango Fett(and his clones) in Episodes II and III.
The ending of "Chapter 9" is undoubtedly one of the biggest revelations in the history of the Star Wars universe, and leaves fans feeling a wide range of emotions along with some major questions. Has Boba Fett truly been alive this whole time? Is he the one to help guide The Mandalorian on his quest to reunite the child with his own kind? As Season 2 progresses, we will hopefully find out if this is indeed the way.
Want more? Was our take not enough? JEEZ. Fine, here's the official re-cap from the Star Wars Official YouTube Channel.
The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 2 - "Chapter 10: The Confrontation" premieres this Friday, November 6 on Disney+.
- Matt Bishop