The Mandalorian released episode four today on Disney+ and it was a fun episode. We were introduced to new characters, new worlds and a throwback to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in the AT-ST that wrecked the forest moon of Endor.
Some reviews are calling it the slowest episode yet, a “filler” episode but I’m not sure about that. It was a trip along his journey that had meaning. We learned more about his past when he does remove his helmet and we met Gina Carano’s character Cara Dune, an ex-soldier that helps The Mandalorian aid some villagers with their raiders. We get a cute baby Yoda scene in the beginning, “Don’t touch anything!”, only for him to touch it and play with our emotions at the end of the episode! The poor little guy just wants to play with the other kids.
AT-ST Strikes Back!
In the many references that creator Jon Favreau has given us, the AT-ST has been one of my favorites. It’s a fantastic call back to the original trilogy and feels like it belongs in this universe.
In episode four, the AT-ST has been presumably stolen by the raiders that reside nearby their village. They use it to wreak havoc and cause destruction. Fortunately for the villagers now, they have a Mandalorian on their side.
Gina Carano as Cara Dune
We didn’t learn too much about Cara in the episode but I suspect she will rejoin us at some point in the story. She also is on the retreat, hiding away on a small planet with very few residents. We’re not entirely sure why she’s hiding out but we do learn she’s an ex-soldier.
Carano’s acting has never been anything to gloat about but I think she did a fine job in this episode and delivered her lines pretty well. I hope to see her return for future episodes.
Mandalorian Helmet Is Off!
The Mandalorian is asked about when he takes off his helmet and what will happen if he does. He does acknowledge that he takes it off, obviously, he has to eat sometime! The big thing is in front of other people. He’s not supposed to show his face.
In the episode, we don’t see his face, but he does remove his helmet to eat as he looks out the window to watch baby Yoda playing with the farmer’s children.
Cara asked what will happen if he does take it off. He replies, “Then I won’t be able to put it back on.” She mocks him asking, “That’s it?” In this brief moment, we hear the pride from him, and why he’s glad to be a Mandalorian.
Baby Yoda and the Stars!
These may seem like small details but to me, they’re the world. Since the first episode, I had never been so happy to see baby Yoda as an animatronic and not CGI. It’s not only keeping with the original trilogy with the practical effects but it literally just looks better, it feels like it’s in the scene taking up space.
The next small detail that I love is the stars during space flights. I’m not sure what it is but something reminds me of the original trilogy. It calls back to simpler effects or something. I can’t put my finger on it, just look at the screengrab above and tell me if you know what I mean.
The Mandalorian has kept on giving and hopefully won’t quit! Creator Jon Favreau is a Star Wars fan and seems to know what we want.
Trivia
This trivia was pulled from www.imdb.com
- This chapter is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, her father, Ron Howard, directed Solo: A Star Wars Story
- The Mercenaries are all Klatooinian, who, according to the New Essential Guide to Alien Species like to refer to themselves as “Children of the fountain”. This species first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) but here the masks have been updated to allow greater articulation.