Chapter 10: The Passenger (The Mandalorian, S2, E2)

 

The Mandalorian Chapter 10: The Passenger (directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jon Favreau, original air date November 6, 2020) is the first clunker of an episode, in my estimation.

A "bottle episode" of sorts. We get to see Peli Motto, but we also have to suffer through a number of bad situations. For one, we are going on a subspace trip between planets not in the same star system (it's just not done in Star Wars). To make matters worse, as we are doing that we somehow run across a third planet (huh?) which Mando crashes on. That's bad thing #2. He is terribly rough on the Razor Crest, and it's getting worse. He's a bad pilot. His ship is nearly destroyed almost every episode. Bad thing #3: our friend, baby Yoda, keeps eating this poor mother's (the titular "Passenger's") last clutch of eggs. Not funny. Then we see New Republic X-wing pilots land their starfighters underground (uh?) and fight large spiders with their cockpits open, shooting with hand weapons instead of their X-wing's laser cannons. What is happening around here!

We also get this terrible piece of suspension-of-disbelief-breaking dialog:

The Mandalorian: I'm sorry, lady. I don't understand Frog. Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. I recommend you get some sleep.

In another sad turn of events, the Passenger is actually referred to as "Frog Lady", at least in the IMDB entry.

Listen, Jon Favreau my man, you have done very well. I am still a big fan! Happy Hogan? Elf? The Mandalorian? The Marvel Cinematic Universe? All great. This episode, while better than a sharp stick in the eye, was not your best work. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and let's get back out there and try again. I'm pulling for you!

Chapter 9: The Marshal (The Mandalorian, S2, E1)

 

The Mandalorian Chapter 9: The Marshal (directed by Jon Favreau, written by Jon Favreau, original air date October 30, 2020) introduces us to a new friend: Cobb Vanth, aka the Marshal. Our favorite bounty hunter thinks if he can hook up with other Mandalorians they will be able to put him in touch with some Jedi. He is tasked, as we know, with returning baby Yoda to his people.

We get to see out old friend, Peli Motto!

Peli Motto: [regarding The Child] If this thing ever divides or buds, I will gladly pay for the offspring.

In a case of mistaken identity, Mando gets a lead on a guy he thinks belongs to a covert, living on Tatooine. Turns out to be the Marshal. Seems he's wearing someone's old armor (purchased from Jawas after a certain creature of the Dune Sea was done attempting to slowly digest it over a thousand years). Mando doesn't take kindly to someone not committed to the Creed wearing the armor. He wants it back--but first we have to kill a Krayt dragon.

The Mandalorian: They say it lives in there. They say it sleeps. It lives in an abandoned sarlacc pit.

Cobb Vanth: Lived on Tatooine my whole life. There's no such thing as an abandoned sarlacc pit.

The Mandalorian: There is if you eat the sarlacc.

 One of the best episodes of the entire series, in my estimation. 

Cobb Vanth: I hope someday our paths will cross again.

The Mandalorian: As do I.

Crimson Climb

 Crimson Climb (E.K. Johnston, 2023). Oh, yes. Just as I suspected. A wonderful read. I am a big Qi'ra fan from way back and was not disappointed by this wonderful story. It fills in the gap between times Han sees her in the movie Solo. The quotes I couldn't resist sprinkling in are from that movie.

Han Solo: How did you get out?

Qi'Ra: I didn't.

A heartbreaking tale of a scrumrat turned slave, turned servant, turned organized crime operative, this story follows Qi'ra's journey upwards from the sewers of Corellia to the rarified air atop the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate; it's her "Crimson Climb", if you will, up the dangerous and illicit corporate ladder. 

A lot has transpired since she last saw Han in the spaceport. 

Qi'Ra: You look good. A little rough around the edges, but good.

Qi'ra has become a well-trained and deadly asset to Dryden Vos, the ruthless (public facing) leader of Crimson Dawn. She still has the dice Han gave her, and smiles wistfully when she thinks of him.

L3-37: So what are you gonna do about your little problem?

Qi'Ra: Problem? I, er... uh...

L3-37: Well, that brand on your wrist tells me that you're committed. And that young male's heart fluctuations tell me he's in love with you.

Qi'Ra: Han is not in love with me!

L3-37: Oh, please. It's just us. You don't have to pretend. I'm in the same situation.

Qi'Ra: You are?

L3-37: I'm sure you've noticed that Lando has feelings for me. Which makes working together difficult because I do not feel the same way about him.

Qi'Ra: Right.

[pause, decides to humor her]

Qi'Ra: Yes, Yeah. Yeah, I see that.

L3-37: Sometimes, I think... maybe. But, no. We're just not compatible.

Qi'Ra: [pause] How would that work?

L3-37: It works.

Suffice it to say, I like this book very much. Great Star Wars read. 

Chapter 8: Redemption (The Mandalorian, S1, E8)

 

The Mandalorian Chapter 8: Redemption (directed by Taika Waititi (the voice of IG-11), written by Jon Favreau, original air date December 27, 2019) sees our cornered heroes break out of their frying pan (in the form of a razed bar/diner, formerly used by the Client) and into a fire (in the form of an underground lava river). Lots to stormtroopers, including the first new one from The Mandalorian, the Incinerator Stormtrooper.

There is some emotional movement on the Mando hates droids front, too.

IG-11: I need to remove your helmet if I am to save you.

The Mandalorian: Try it and I'll kill you. It is forbidden. No living thing has seen me without my helmet since I swore the Creed.

IG-11: I am not a living thing.

This was a great capstone episode, bringing together frenemies and allies alike. Carasynthia Dune, Greef Karga, IG-11, and the Armorer. All good. Moff Gideon is a good character, too. Not the best Star Wars villain ever, but a good fit villain for this level of show.

 The Mandalorian: We need you.

IG-11: There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive.

The Mandalorian: I'm not... sad.

IG-11: Yes, you are. I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice.

And that's the end of The Mandalorian, season 1. A great way to launch Disney+ and revive the Star Wars franchise. Well done, Jon Favreau et al! 

To wrap up this post, I'd better include a great Greef Karga quote:

Cara Dune: [Moff Gideon comes at them in a TIE fighter] Our blasters are useless against him.

Greef Karga: Hey, let's make the baby do the magic hand thing. Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing.

[Karga waves his hand to try to get the Child to use the Force, instead the baby waves back]

Greef Karga: I'm out of ideas.

From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back

 

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: From a Certain Point of View (2020)

Just finished reading this collection of 40 stories to celebrate the 40 years since Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released. Hoping for a bit of the "look and feel" of the old Tales From... series of books; a good crop of modern back story pieces. One neat thing is that the stories go in chronological order with the events in The Empire Strikes Back: starting just before the movie opens and continuing through 'til the end.

Proceeds from the sale of this short story collection benefit the non-profit group First Book. All contributors have forgone any compensation for their work. So that's nice.

What's inside, you ask? Well, here are some short thoughts about these short stories. Of the 40 tales, I really like 15 of them and actively dislike 7. The other 18 are neither here nor there. I'm glad I bought the book, and I am pleased to have read it. Wide variation in quality and seriousness found herein. [Side note: here's my breakdown from the A New Hope version of this book: 18 really like, 11 actively dislike, 11 ok].

1. Eyes of the Empire (Kiersten White)

A nice twist on the "Imps are just regular, good people trying to do their jobs" type yarn. Once you see what the Empire is doing, you'd better change your tune.

2. Hunger (Mark Oshiro)

An ok story. A wampa-eye view of the Alliance on Hoth, from before they arrived to after they left in a hurry.

3. Ion Control (Emily Strutskie)

A very good story of betting on an intra-office romance and sacrifices made in a time of war. Always fun to get the perspective of junior officers adjacent to the main action and characters from the movies. Just the sort of thing I'm looking for in this type of story collection.

4. A Good Kiss (C.B. Lee)

Awesome! Another wonderful look behind the scenes on the movie set, so to speak. And someone (apparently C.B. Lee) finally gets how to write a gay relationship into a Star Wars story without it sounding odd or shoe-horned in to meet a quota. Bravo!

5. She Will Keep Them Warm (Delilah S. Dawson)

Another animal-eye-view: this time from the (almost) sentient tauntaun perspective. Not quite my cup of space tea, particularly as the tauntaun Luke was riding was, according to this story, pregnant, and the tauntaun Han was riding was the first tauntaun's mother. Uh oh.

6. Heroes of the Rebellion (Amy Ratcliffe)

Erstwhile reporter for the Rebellion wanted to interview the big names stationed on Hoth- but realizes Rebellions are built on hope.

7. Rogue Two (Gary Whitta)

A good background tale from Zev "Echo Base, this is Rogue Two. I've found them! Repeat, I've found them!" Senesca.

8. Kendal (Charles Yu)

Choking with Admiral Ozzel, an intimate one-episode miniseries.

9. Against All Odds (R.F. Kuang)

Flying with Dak and Luke. Some factual errors early on (like saying star destroyers carry hundreds of TIE fighters each) paired with another "Let's ride along inside someone's psyche as they die" story. Ummmmmmm.

10. Beyond Hope (Michael Moreci)

Man the trenches in front of Echo base as the AT-ATs approach. Good read.

11. The Truest Duty (Christie Golden)

Ride along with General Veers. He'll have the shield down momentarily, then you may start your landing. Nice.

12. A Natrualist on Hoth (Hank Green)

A naturalist and (former) rebel decides to not evacuate. Ok, dude. You do you.

13. The Dragonsnake Saves R2 (Katie Cook)

A one page comic

14. For the Last Time (Beth Revis)

Now spend some time with recently field-promoted Captain --> Admiral Piett. A very good sense of Star Wars, here, as evidenced in part by this line: "And so Piett had watched and waited, as patient as a lyxine watching a bouf rat." Just different enough to be not from our world, but similar enough to be easily understood via context clues and purposely similar word structures. Kudos for not saying "bantha"or mentioning "Tatooine".

15. Rendezvous Point (Jason Fry)

No, no, no, no, no! Fake news alert! Incorrect backstory for Wedge, Hobbie, others. Incorrect size of "flight" of starfighters (3 vs 4). Wrong members of Rogue Squadron. By subject matter this should be my favorite story. By bad ideas this story earns the death sentence on nine systems.

16. The Final Order (Seth Dickinson)

Let's take a Imperial-class star destroyer into the asteroid field. Bad idea. Good story.

17. Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably) (Django Wexler)

Life in a TIE squadron. Another excellently written gay romantic relationship. Size of a squadron is wrong (they say 24, it's 12). Most of this story was a joy to read.

18. The First Lesson (Jim Zub)

Yoda's perspective as Luke arrives on Dagobah.

19. Disturbance (Mike Chen)

Inside the mind of Palpatine.

20. This Is No Cave (Catherynne M. Valente)

More (!) animal-eye-views...this time from the giant space slug who's no cave: the asteroid field exogorth. Ok, because it is pretty creative. But let's try to cool it with the sentient animals, please (I am thinking ahead to what will probably be a Force-sensitive and just misunderstood rancor in the third "From a Certain Point of View" book).

21. Lord Vader Will See You Now (John Jackson Miller)

Piett vs Sloane, Animal CSI. This story confirms that the action in The Final Order (above) was, in fact, a bad idea. By the way, if you need a pet autopsy in a galaxy far, far away you might want to find Sloane.

22. Vergence (Tracy Deonn)

Luke! Remember your failure in the cave! Who's up for more stories about inanimate objects or space beasts? Not me.

23. Tooth and Claw (Michael Kogge)

Bossk, turning over a new leaf? Interesting.

24. STET! (Daniel José Older)

Bad attempt at humor (?) involving Zuckuss & 4-LOM. Factual errors aplenty. Bounty hunting is not an "illicit activity", for instance. Certified Guild Bounty Hunters are not gangsters or criminals. Get it together, people. 

25. Wait for It (Zoraida Córdova)

Spend some time with Boba Fett? Very good. Hear him call Lord Vader "Lord Huff and Puff" in an internal monologue? Very bad. Near instantaneous hyperspace travel times...Bro-- do you even Star Wars? Then the author goes on to wreck Boba's brilliant "put Slave-I out with the trash" tactic. No good, my friend. No good. The conversations and interactions between Fett, Dengar, and Bossk seemed decent. 

26. Standard Imperial Procedure (Sarwat Chadda)

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Former head of engineering on a star destroyer is now a sanitation engineer who spots Han's trick of using the landing claw to affix the Falcon to the Avenger. Nearly cons Boba Fett into splitting the bounty. Makes it seem like dumping Slave-I with the trash wasn't Fett's idea. Cool ending to this story.

27. There Is Always Another (Mackenzi Lee)

Not a good characterization of dead Obi-Wan. Next.

28. Fake It Till You Make It (Cavan Scott)

A fun story with an annoying species at its heart: a Lepi, or giant green space rabbit. In this case, the original giant green space rabbit, Jaxxon Tumperakki. To be fair, this character is from 1978, specifically issue #8 of the Marvel Star Wars comic. So there's that.

29. But What Does He Eat? (S.A. Chakraborty)

Cooking at Cloud City; specifically for a tall man dressed in all black. Who breathes ominously through a respirator. Interesting story. Pairs well with a Star Wars cookbook and a fine Alderaanian wine.

30. Beyond the Clouds (Lilliam Rivera)

A bounty hunter wannabe has a change of heart. Ok.

31. No Time for Poetry (Austin Walker)

A Dengar and IG-88 buddy film. Kinda like a Star Wars: Red Heat. Good.

32. Bespin Escape (Martha Wells)

Ain't no party like a Ugnaught party 'cause an Ugnaught party don't stop. I have spoken.

33. Faith in an Old Friend (Brittany N. Williams)

Now we're talking! The Millennium Collective, the trio of droid brain personalities that run the Millennium Falcon, including the lovely L3-37. Very good.

34. Due on Batuu (Rob Hart)

The story of Cloud City's ice cream machine prop, and the newest old Star Wars word, camtono. It must be saved from falling into Imperial hands.

35. Into the Clouds (Karen Strong)

A Bespin socialite and noble has to make a choice as Cloud City falls apart around her. Great story.

36. The Witness (Adam Christopher)

Stormtrooper-eye view. Always a Star Wars story premise fraught with danger. This one's mostly done right.

37. The Man Who Built Cloud City (Alexander Freed)

The crackpot of Cloud City gets caught up in galactic events. Ok.

38. The Backup Backup Plan (Anne Toole)

Imps, the Mining Guild, Cloud City freedom fighters, a pair of lady lovers, and a hard to follow plot tangle together in this story.

39. Right-Hand Man (Lydia Kang)

A very uncharacteristically talkative 2-1B medical droid replaces Luke's lost hand, consoling and counseling him along the way.

40. The Whills Strike Back (Tom Angleberger)

Another not-funny comedy attempt to riff on the opening crawl. No thanks.

Chapter 7: The Reckoning (The Mandalorian, S1, E7)

 

The Mandalorian Chapter 7: The Reckoning (directed by Deborah Chow, written by Jon Favreau, original air date December 18, 2019) sees us reunited with some old friends: Carasynthia Dune, IG-11, the blurgs, and Kulil (which I just realized, as he pronounced his own name, sounds like "Quille" or "KWHEEL", not "Koo Lil" or "Coo Lille"). Seems Mando has been invited by our other frienemy, Greef Karga, back to Navarro to try and put an end to this nasty Imps hunting you business. Thus our favorite Mandalorian needs some muscle and the team is back (?) together. I have spoken.

The Mandalorian: I have a ship. I can bring you there and back with a handsome reward. You can live free of worry.

Cara Dune: I'm already free of worry, and I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore. Especially fighting some local warlord.

The Mandalorian: He's not a local warlord. He's Imperial.

Cara Dune: I'm in.

Greef brought some local muscle from the Navarro chapter of the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Mando and Cara were wise to distrust them.

Greef Karga: [the Child tries to Force heal his wound] He's trying to eat me.

Greef, don't worry-- you're too big for him to eat. Now if you were an egg, a cookie, an amphibian, or a bowl of stew (questionable or not), that would be a different story. At any rate, the Child wins ol' Greef back over to our side before the big showdown with the Client. A version of the old classic "We'll pretend you are my prisoner and I'm turning you in" gag goes, predictably, south when the Imperial Entanglements become entangled with more (different) Imperials. Greef is one of my favorite characters from this series; I love the subtle humor he brings to the scenes he's in and especially love his interplay with Mando. Chef's kiss!

By the end of this episode we have met the real power behind the 'must get baby Yoda's blood' movement: Moff Gideon. I like it. I particularly like how his stormtroopers have clean armor (and he has a cadre of Death Troopers...nice). The heroes are beset by dozens of bad guys; stuck in a ruined bar and set up nicely for the season 1 finale.

Along the way we lose our favorite Ugnaught. That is a tough thing to bear. I have spoken.

Chapter 6: The Prisoner (The Mandalorian, S1, E6)

The Mandalorian Chapter 6: The Prisoner (directed by Rick Famuyiwa, written by Christopher L. Yost, Rick Famuyiwa, and Jon Favreau, original air date December 13, 2019) introduces us to some of Mando's old unsavory co-workers. (He ain't like that no more). We get to go on a prison heist with our favorite bounty hunter, a comedian, a crazy Twilek, an angry Devaronian, a droid voiced by Moss from IT Crowd.

Mayfeld: Razor Crest? I can't believe that thing can fly. Looks like a Canto Bight slot machine.

 In the end the ne'er-do-wells get what the deserve and Mando makes a bit of cash. Perhaps enough to really fix up the Razor Crest. 

A nice episode, if only to reinforce that "Mando ain't like that no more." Not a big fan of the denizens of the seedy underbelly of the galaxy our guy used to count as friends.

Chapter 5: The Gunslinger (The Mandalorian, S1, E5)

In The Mandalorian Chapter 5: The Gunslinger (directed by Dave Filoni, written by Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and George Lucas, original air date December 6, 2019) we meet another pair of great characters, the incomparable Peli Motto (and her droids) and Fennec Shand. We also cross paths with misguided youngster Toro Calican, who will be dragged off into the Tatooine desert at the end of the episode.

Riot Mar: I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.

The Mandalorian: [defensive] That's my line.

We learn at the outset that Mando is constantly being chased, and he isn't that great a pilot in his rather large and ungainly Razor Crest. He does manage to splash a bandit, though, in exchange for significant damage to his ship.

 We get to meet some Tusken raiders in a moment of foreshadowing, particularly considering Fennec Shand's appearance. At the end of the episode, we see a mysterious stranger approaching the unmoving form of Shand. Dun, dun, dun!

Chapter 4: Sanctuary (The Mandalorian, S1, E4)

 

The Mandalorian Chapter 4: Sanctuary (directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, written by Jon Favreau and George Lucas, original air date November 29, 2019) finds our two friends locating a safe place to hide from the Bounty Hunters Guild and Imperial Remnant. 

The Mandalorian: Let's see... Sorgan: looks like there's no starport, no industrial centers, no population density -- real backwater skuggle-home. Which means it's perfect for us. Ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple months, you little womp rat? Nobody's gonna find us here.

We meet more great characters, like the wonderful Carasynthia Dune. Omera and Winta, the mother-daughter duo who (in another life) could become Mando's new family. We see baby Yoda playing with other children, including (almost) eating a huge frog (with all of the other kids shocked and disgusted). Great fun. 

It seems some bad Klatooinian dudes are raiding a small blue shrimp fishing village, threatening the inhabitants and their production of blue drink: spotchka.

Teaming up, Cara and Mando get to have an A-Team training montage, whipping the villagers with a motley collection of Mando's backup blasters and some sharpened sticks into an effective fighting force.

Mando is still on the disintegration binge. These guys deserve it, I guess, but it still seems way too harsh.

According to IMDB Pedro Pascal did not appear on screen at all during this episode; his double wore the costume. Pedro's voice was used when Mando spoke, however.

Chapter 3: The Sin (The Mandalorian, S1, E3)

 

 The Mandalorian Chapter 3: The Sin (directed by Deborah Chow, written by Jon Favreau and George Lucas, original air date November 22, 2019) is a camtono packed with goodness. The Client ("Bounty hunting is a complicated profession, is it not?") and Dr. Pershing. The wonderful Greef Carga ("Mando!"). The Mandalorian covert with the Armorer, et al.

Greef Karga : Mando, I've received your transmission. Wonderful news. Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy.

Our good buddy Mando can't just let the kid be subjected to medical experimentation or worse! Time to kick some (and prove our ol' buddy Mando is a good guy). Along the way he'll have to waste some stormtroopers and many other bounty hunters. He gets an epic assist from the covert. So cool!

Now he and the kid have to find somewhere to lie low for awhile.

Chapter 2: The Child (The Mandalorian, S1, E2)

 

Over the last week or so I've watched a few more episodes of this Star Wars gem. The Mandalorian Chapter 2: The Child (directed by Rick Famuyiwa, written by Jon Favreau and George Lucas, original air date November 15, 2019) dives right into the middle of things. No time to waste in meeting up with our favorite second character- baby Yoda. And Kulil. And the Jawas. And the mudhorn.

And more bounty hunters, also vying for the same prize.

Kuiil: They really don’t like you for some reason.

Mandalorian: Well, I did disintegrate a few of them.

I find myself agreeing with Darth Vader for these early episodes: "No disintegrations!" I do wish our dear Mando would put away the Amban Phase-Blaster. It's just not very nice to blow sentient beings into clouds of dust and leftover strips of clothing. Kinda cool, but seems over the line.

This series is just so excellent, right from the beginning. I have spoken. This is the way.