Oh man oh man oh man(do). Just when you think Favreau and the crew have outdone themselves with great storytelling, stunning visuals and galaxy world building, they drop an episode like “The Believer.”
As though the end of last week’s episode wasn’t enough, we begin by welcoming Bill Burr (Migs Mayfeld) back into the mix on the quest to get Baby Yoda back. Boba Fett’s armor is more polished than Mando’s blaster work and with that we’re off.
In a plotline we have seen before in the Star Wars universe, our “good guys” (more on that later) have to infiltrate an Imperial stronghold, so as to gain the coordinates of Moff Gideon’s cruiser. They are able to do so after hijacking a transport filled with Rhydonium, a substance with more volatility and explosiveness than a Michael Bay film.
And that’s where Mando shows us a new perspective, from that of a worker of the Empire. Bill Burr poetically laments that to villagers of the planet and many others, the Imperials and Republic are the same, just invaders come to corrupt and take their land. This is doubled down in a way when after a standoff with some Morakian pirates, it’s TIE fighters and stormtroopers that save the day.
During this sequence, Mayfeld hilariously pokes holes in Mando’s belief system. (aluded to earlier in the season in the interaction with Bo-Katan and co.) We see this come full circle inside the Imperial base, when Mando begrudgingly removes his helmet knowing that it’ll secure him the location of Gideon’s cruiser.
Things get shaky when a former colleague requests Mayfeld and Mando join him for a drink to celebrate their successful cargo delivery. I’ll save you the details but “YADDA YADDA YADDA” Mando and Mayfeld escape the Imperial stronghold aboard Slave I, just before a couple of the coolest action sequences in all of Star Wars.
Marshall Dune asks Mando what’s next in their pursuit of getting Grogu back, and its funny the way the question is both about their mission and regarding Mando’s ideals overall. The ending segment to the episode shows us what he truly, believes in.
Amazing action/interaction, great world building, and a cliffhanger that has us on the edge of our seat? Next Friday can’t get here soon enough.