The Mandalorian: “Chapter Seven” Review and Discussion
The Mandalorian‘s penultimate episode had no shortage of dragons, butler assassin droids, and moves straight out of Vader’s playbook. Our spoiler-free review of “The Reckoning” and a curious look at Baby Yoda right after we avoid harming any hairs on its wrinkled little head…
Don’t forget to check out an all new episode of “The Mando Fan Show” later today with hosts John, Lacey and James of The Resistance Broadcast as they take an even closer look at the seventh installment of The Mandalorian.
Hail hail, the gang’s all here. After several episodes of Mando planet hopping and making new friends (and enemies), he finally gets all of his best buddies together under one Razor Crest. (Except for Amy Sedaris. Where is Amy Sedaris?) We get the return of shock trooper Cara Dune, Ugnaught Kuiil, and in a surprising twist: a refurbished IG-11. It’s not exactly a perfect storm of personalities what with Mando’s aversion to any and all things droid and Cara’s disgust at working alongside a former servant of the Empire. Friends, this is not.
After being teased in trailers for the season, Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito makes a hell of a grand entrance in a spiffy looking Transformer-style TIE fighter. Moff Gideon, revealed to be the real power behind the Client and the Imperial presence on Navarro, is not here to play. A point he makes rather loudly when his Death Troopers lay siege to the cantina where our heroes are gathered.
At 37 minutes, Chapter Seven certainly serves as part one of a two-part finale and one of the first episodes that demands the next to be immediately binged afterward. Alas, we’ll need to wait another week and a half after a particularly devastating cliffhanger. Good thing we’ve got another “episode” opening on Thursday to take our minds off the long wait.
Score: 9/10
Before we get into some spoiler-filled thoughts, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let us know where you thought this episode ranked in the overall season. Are you emotionally prepared to say goodbye to Baby Yoda next week? Will we learn the identity of the Tatooine mystery man? And where is Amy Sedaris?! While you’re speculating, congratulations are in order for Adavanter Mki who was chosen by our random generator as the winner of last week’s giveaway. Send an e-mail to viralhide@gmail.com for shipping details and to claim your prize!
If you haven’t watched the seventh chapter yet, you might want to skip this section as we dive into spoiler territory and go from sipping soup to choking Rebels…
Spoilers ahead…
Mando is cruising around the galaxy after successfully having sicced a squad of X-Wings on his Twi’lek double crosser and that guy from Sons of Anarchy when he receives something very terrible indeed: a voicemail. That old scoundrel Greef Karga is back and this time he’s looking to make amends. He proposes the Mandalorian return to Navarro with the Child and help him usurp the Imperial presence that has sprung up ever since our helmeted hero shot up an entire legion of Stormtroopers. Not one to trust a man who’s already betrayed him once, Mando assembles the Avengers of a galaxy far, far away to help him get square with the guild. Cara is the muscle. Kuill is the babysitter. And IG-11 – well, he makes the tea.
Deborah Chow, returning for her second and last episode of the season, grants us a glimpse into life on Arvala-7 post-Mando. Kuill has rebuilt and remodified IG-11 after weeks of retraining him, putting the droid through occupational therapy to reteach him how to function. Now a changed droid, the only thing killer about this former assassin will be how strong he makes his morning coffee. The montage of Kuill nursing the IG unit back to life is simple and sweet in showing how much affection the little Ugnaught has for another life. This alone should make him a great candidate to take care of another infant in need of raising.
Baby Yoda. Adorable to a fault. We see little green shorty sneaking around the ship, poking his little head around and almost causing the Razor Crest to completely self-combust – but that’s not all. During a friendly game of arm wrestling, Baby Yoda perceives Cara as a threat and raises his little hand TO CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF HER. Sure, maybe he’s just overprotective of his pseudo Daddy but most of the people we see wield that kind of Force power aren’t exactly known for their Light Side allegiances…
Arriving on Navarro, Greef seems dismayed at Mando rolling up with a crew but comes to appreciate the extra firepower when they are all attacked by flying dragons in the middle of the night. Injured by one of the beasts, Greef begins to surrender to the poison coursing through his system when Baby Yoda raises his little hand and CHOKES THE LIFE OUT OF HIM. Just kidding. He heals him! Using the Force, our little green tyke patches Greef’s arm right back up and not only earns the admiration of the grizzled guild member but also manages to inadvertently spare the lives of both Cara and Mando. See, Greef was planning to double cross them but after Baby Yoda’s healing act he is now firmly on Team Yodling.
So a Mandalorian, an ex-Rebel and Carl Weathers walk into a bar… and meet up with the Client. And his four Stormtroopers. Plus a ton of OTHER Stormtroopers. The Client wants to see the baby – alas, the baby has been given to Kuiil for safekeeping back on the ship. Before discovering their deception however, the Client is called away to answer a call from Moff Gideon. And then he’s promptly torn in half as blaster fire reigns down upon the cantina killing everyone inside save for our trio.
Kuiil rushes across Navarro’s treacherous lava filled landscape with two scout troopers in pursuit as the Moff demands the return of the green bundle of joy. Mando, desperate to ensure that the baby is safe, calls out for Kuiil and orders him to get off-planet immediately. But it’s too late. As Mando and Co. find themselves completely surrounded inside the destroyed cantina, our gruff yet lovable Kuiil has spoken for the last time…
Is this the end for Baby Yoda? Has IG-11 truly changed his ways? And will Mando make it out alive? Tune into “The Mando Fan Show” to hear their thoughts on this week’s episode and just us next Friday for the first season finale of The Mandalorian.
Under the twin suns of Los Angeles, Chris continues to mourn the loss of Admiral Ackbar while championing the rights of Ewoks everywhere. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @Chri5Manning for all your pun needs.
