‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter 18 ‘The Mines of Mandalore’ Review: A New Adventure With Old Friends
Tatooine is looking to party this week in The Mandalorian as we find our dynamic duo headed back for a brief visit with their favorite space mechanic. In search of a replacement droid part, Mando is persuaded to consider another option as his journey toward redemption leads to an eerie homeland.
Director Rachel Morrison brings a beautiful return to a desolate planet as season 3 of The Mandalorian kicks the door wide open.
Spoilers ahead…
Happy Boonta Eve everyone! While most of the inhabitants of Mos Eisley appear to be enjoying the podrace, Peli is all business, shaking down a Rodian customer as Mando and Grogu arrive. After explaining the need for an IG memory circuit, Peli convinces Mando to take an astromech instead, and not just any astromech, but your pal and mine, R5-D4. Its journey off-world contributes to a number of never-before-seen adventures for Star Wars fans during this week’s episode.
Outside the atmosphere of Mandalore, Din is schooling Grogu on the Mandalore system. Perhaps a nuance, but during this didactic moment, Din uses the phrase “our people” when speaking of the Mandalorians directly to Grogu… Can we settle the argument of Grogu being a Mandalorian yet? I, for one, subscribe.
Director Rachel Morrison, also a celebrated cinematographer, creates a beautiful entry into the desolate wasteland of Mandalore. As the vapor trail of the N-1 cascades behind our heroes, we’re left to feel a bit uneasy about this green-hued alien surface. What’s to follow is maybe the most beautifully shot episode of The Mandalorian to date.
Finding the atmosphere breathable thanks to R5, Din and Grogu traverse forward and toward the ruined city’s civic center. The Darksaber makes quick work of a group of humanoid aliens we later learn are called Alamites, and the duo make their ominously beautiful descent into the mines. Lord of the Rings fans are starting to get some Moria vibes right about now.
While inspecting the mines, Din comes across a disheveled Mandalorian helmet… and the trap is sprung! Grogu watches in horror as his father figure is captured by a spider-like mech with a single biological eye.
My favorite aspect of Star Wars has always been the imaginative creatures that are brought to life by ILM and the creature shops. As a seemingly practical/VFX hybrid, this spider-droid is the stuff nightmares are made of. After watching it disembody multiple times and creep around in a smaller cyborg form, I’m sold on it being one of my new favorite creatures.
Nervously escaping the creature, Grogu sets off to seek help from Bo-Katan on the nearby planet of Kalevala. Upon seeing Din’s companion flying solo, she collects Grogu and R5 and heads to Mandalore in aid of her kin, Grogu riding shotgun…
Arriving on Mandalore Bo-Katan goes off. We’ve witnessed her skills as a warrior previously in the series before, but the mines send her into a frenzy. After shooting through more Alamites, Grogu leads Bo to a captive Din Djarin. The weird cyborg advances, but ultimately it’s no match for the Darksaber, which Bo-Katan wields like a boss.
One has to wonder if Din Djarin is meant to wield the saber moving forward. While Bo-Katan scoffs at the dogmatic ritualism practiced by Din, ironically, she adheres strongly to the traditional means of acquiring the iconic weapon. But she clearly has no physical impediments in handling it.
Against her intuition, Bo agrees to guide the group to the Living Waters. It is during their walk that we begin to see a way forward for these two characters with opposing world views. While Bo-Katan is from a royal line, and Din Djarin a child of The Watch, both have sacrificed things and desire to see the Mandalorian people united. Perhaps there is hope for them yet? This is the way.
We reach the waters. Bo skeptically reads a folklore inscription at the entry of the waters that describes the mines as an ancient mythosaur lair… and we all collectively lose our minds. Din slowly enters while reciting the creed of his people. However, that last step is a doozy, and we discover beskar isn’t the most buoyant of elements as he sinks quickly to the bottom of the entombed lake. In yet another visually stunning sequence, Bo follows the sunken Mandalorian using her jetpack as a turbine. Saving him for the second time, the two begin their ascent to the surface… And then it happens: a goliath of a creature emerges from the shadows… Is it? It is! The mighty mythosaur! I’m going to admit it: I wasn’t ready.
R5 going off-world, live-action Mandalore, water jetpacks… A mythosaur! Pog soup! I’m not sure how to process all these amazing firsts, but I do know this is some of the most fun I’ve had experiencing Star Wars in a long time. Rather than speculating on what might happen next week, I think I’m going to sit here for a while and fully enjoy this one. All the deep character development and canonical exposition, coupled with stunning cinematography, has left a world of possibilities for this season of The Mandalorian wide open.
Zak is a musician and professor of music in Columbus, Ohio. He and his family share a love for Star Wars and can often be found printing 3d helmets, building lightsabers or watching their favorite show, The Mandalorian.
