Review: ‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter 22 – ‘Guns for Hire’ Is a Frivolous Pit Stop on the Way to Mandalore
The Mandalorian Chapter 22, titled Guns for Hire, sets up a stark contrast between the impassioned battle on Nevarro in the previous episode against a campy, old-school detective plot packed with cameos and full to the brim with zany comedic bits. As a fan of The Clone Wars, I enjoyed the many homages we get to the series in this episode, in particular to season 5, episode 17 Sabotage. However, I have no doubt that this commitment to stylistic choice will be distracting fan service to many.
Din and Bo-Katan find themselves on Plazir-15 in an attempt to negotiate with Bo-Katan’s former compatriots and convince them to rejoin the cause of retaking Mandalore. I admit the episode feels rushed and disjointed, and more than once I found myself hoping we would get to the purpose of the episode sooner rather than later. I also hoped, given the scope of the story, that we would have furthered the plot more in this episode, and maybe have seen a glimpse of a certain Imperial warlord. We’ll have to stay tuned for that.
On a more positive note, I believe this is, finally, the last of the trailer footage. We’re in the dark from here on out, friends.
Spoilers ahead…
We begin the episode inside a Quarren ship, establishing just what Axe Woves, Koska Reeves, and their gang have been up to lately as mercenaries. This plot point hits you over the head with the theme that these Mandalorians have morally fallen, giving up what honor they had for business opportunities. As far as I can tell, that’s the only purpose to this opening scene, because we never revisit these Quarren and Mon Calamari forbidden lovers.
An element I consistently enjoyed throughout this episode is the abundance of new prop design and world-building details. From the Quarren captain’s water tank to the Plazir-15 welcome jingle as Din and Bo-Katan arrive, there are so many little details to enjoy here.
When we meet with the leadership of this planet, we’re treated to a couple of eyebrow-raising cameos. Jack Black and Lizzo’s rule over this ostentatiously extravagant world is very similar to Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok… but more shoehorned in. It took me out of the story quite a bit, so much so that when we finally met Christopher Lloyd’s character in the next scene, I shrugged it off. Has Favreau’s penchant for cameos gone overboard? I think I prefer celebrity cameos to be more subtle, like Thundercat in The Book of Boba Fett or Jason Sudeikis in full stormtrooper armor and less of… whatever this was. Any more A-listers and we’ll be playing celebrity bingo.
Now that Din and Bo-Katan have their marching orders from Plazir-15’s royal couple, we go from beat to beat in a fast-paced detective plot featuring rogue droids and still-loyal Separatists. The story is so committed to the genre that it feels a bit derivative at times. We have a shady encounter at the docks that ends in a fleeing suspect, a crime scene complete with digital yellow tape and a matchbox, as well as a morgue, only to end back where we started, with Christopher Lloyd’s Commissioner Helgait as the culprit. It was the commissioner all along! And he would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
Scooby-Doo comparisons aside, this was fun, I suppose, but ultimately meaningless. It made the whole episode feel like a scavenger hunt to the rest of the Mandalorians. And while I loved the droid bar, The Resistor, it got lost in the myriad of outlandish sets, characters, and cameos. I was too busy thinking about how weird it was to watch that B-2 super battle droid run, for example.
When we finally arrive at the Mandalorian camp, in the last five minutes of the episode, Bo-Katan confronts Axe Woves and we return to the real meat of the story. If you found yourself wondering what inspiring arguments or clever manipulations Bo-Katan might utilize to rally the troops back to her side, you needn’t have worried. They can just quickly duel instead. After she triumphs over Woves, he doesn’t waste time in pointing out that she still doesn’t have the Darksaber. Here comes the moment many of us have been wondering about since the season 2 finale. Will Din and Bo-Katan duel? No need! In a strange, Elder Wand-style use of logic, Din gives the Darksaber to Bo, and that’s good enough for the group.
It makes sense for Bo-Katan to have the Darksaber; she has the confidence to wield it competently, but I assumed we’d get more character development from Din through this exchange. Maybe he’s not the right fit for ruler of Mandalore, but I still wanted to see him grow beyond whatever inner demons hindered his use of the Darksaber.
For Bo-Katan, mythosaur spotted, Darksaber in hand, and army doubled, our princess is set to rule once more.
While this is certainly one of the weaker episodes of this season, the structure isn’t totally dissimilar from the journey we witnessed in season 2. Now that Bo-Katan is the confirmed leader of the Mandalorians, the next stop is Mandalore… and hopefully Moff Gideon. We know for sure he’s in this season, so he has to show up at some point. I also hope that his appearance will shed more light on the cloning subplot. And if we’re lucky, they’ll establish more narrative connection to the Ahsoka show with the appearance of Sabine Wren.
For now, we’re all stuck enjoying a round of Nepenthé and gearing up for the big fight.
Check out our review of last week’s episode, and watch this space for the latest and greatest on The Mandalorian.
When she isn't watching her friends and family's eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she's at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.
