The Mandalorian The Mandalorian 2.08 - Chapter 16 (Season Finale!!) - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

I’m all for incorporating different aspects of Star Wars into Mando - scum and villainy, ace pilots and of course Jedi. As such I’ve loved all the character inclusions from TCW, the books and movies. Seeing Luke was awesome.

My point was more that you can totally do those things as they had throughout the whole season while still have Mando be the one that saves the day. I think if there were ever a time for him to save the day it would be the epic finale.

I think it’s important that your hero is the star at the climax of the story being told. He can absolutely be saved from time to time - Grogu saving him multiple times throughout season 1, Bo in season 2 etc. I’m also not saying get rid of Luke entirely just that he should not have swooped in to save the day and stole the spotlight from Mando.

To me they chose grand Luke entrance over further empowering their titular hero. I think it could’ve been executed better while still having an amazing Luke reveal, that wasn’t at the expense of Mando.

I feel like we already knew these two points from previous episodes. Both Grogu and Ahsoka had demonstrated abilities beyond Din’s belief and him being an everyman has been part and parcel since season 1. Just my opinion though.

 

I believe that that's definitely in the show's DNA, since in the very second episode he had his ass handed to him by Jawas.

 

Mando couldn’t protect Grogu at that point. He was in over his head with the Dark Troopers. Luke saved Mando the same way the Mandos saved Din as a child. This is why Luke needs to train Grogu. Mando isn’t up for the task. He’s not a Jedi. It’s not going to work.

Luke needed to earn training Grogu. He needed to make an indisputable statement why it is better for Grogu to go with him.

Mando is further empowered in making this decision. Mando did the right thing, the Jedi thing, letting go of Grogu. It’s the most important moment of the show after Mando finding the child. All the series up to that point leads to and foreshadows the moment. Pitch perfect execution.

 

@AndrewPascoe I think the sequence probably could've been shorter, but my favorite part of it is the perceptions of the other characters, and incidentally that's why the CGI totally works for me. This is Luke through the eyes of those on the bridge. That said, I don't remember it in full detail; I haven't done a proper viewing since the episode's release.

 

This is such an important point. Mando needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that letting Grogu leave with this Jedi was the right thing to do. Luke wiping out all of those droids proved to him that, without question, letting Grogu go with Luke was the best path for him.

 

I don’t have any issues with him being included in episode and completely agree that all roads led to an eventual handoff with Luke. Hell I think actual hand off was perfection especially from Pedro. It was beautiful.

I don’t think Luke needed to earn the right to train Grogu. Mando didn’t need convincing - he was ready to hand him off the Ahsoka after just meeting her. His mission this season has been find a Jedi to train Grogu. He wasn’t under any illusion that he was suitable - he stats as such in episode 5.

My issue, which is really super minor and nitpicky, is that I think Luke swooping in to save the day was a detriment to resolving the dark troopers section and the final hurdle. Mando should’ve been the one to come up with a solution. I understand with the way it was written they set it up that it was insurmountable odds facing them head on. Write a clever resolution, Overload the hyperdrive or something, essentially Make Mando think his way out.

 

Narratively it works fine and it's kind of inevitable. I have some issues with its execution -- it relies more on OOU viewer expectations than what's really going on from the perspective of our protagonists and that sucks the air our of a few key moments, especially where Gideon and Bo-Katan are concerned -- but it settles down to that lovely emotional beat for Din and Grogu, which is a natural conclusion for the season.

To me the comparison of the Luke scene with the R1 Vader scene is apt, but that's not so much a positive thing as a mixed bag -- both shove aside the (excellent) narrative and characters at hand for some semi-relevant fan wish fulfillment. At the same time both things are pretty well done and I would enjoy them on their own, it's just that there's no such thing as "Star Wars: Two To Three Minute Long Really Well Done Live Action Things You Want To See Just Because", so they exist where they are instead.

 

I don't agree with the notion that the titular character has to save the day in Chapter 16 of what is potentially a story divided into 24-32 Chapters. Din Djarin has saved the day in at least half of the episodes so far. Hell, even in "The Rescue" he defeated a Dark Trooper, then he defeated Moff Gideon fair and square, he saved Grogu and got the Darksaber. That's more than enough saving the day for one episode. I think a Jedi should be excepted to steal the spotlight from Mando, and that 's totally fine. I don't think Din Djarin needs to be empowered any more, he is already very powerful.

 

Fair enough. He’s also been rescued a fair bunch and while they are doing chapters, this was for all intents and purposes a season finale. I don’t mind him getting shown up from time to time but thought it was misplaced here in a do or die climax where he essentially did nothing other than brace for onslaught.

 

It’s less about luke earning the right to train Grogu and more earning the responsibility of protecting Grogu. Finding a Jedi is one thing. Find a better protector is a bigger responsibility. I’m not sure we understood just how powerful Grogu could be until chapter 16. That puts a huge amount of danger on the child.

mamfo is doing more than finding a teacher.

 

I don’t necessarily agree but even if that was the intention it still could’ve been written in a manner that involved Mando into the climax and not a bystander.

Again this is a very minor nitpick - the episode was amazing, as was Luke’s appearance, the darksaber fight and ending the episode with a tearful single dad saying goodbye to his son. It was beautiful.

 

This might be why I’m not as invested I don’t want to see an Everyman in Star Wars I want to see the epic heroes and those stories. like Grogu and mando have my heart but that’s about it.

 

Since I managed to watch the last episode yesterday (and I went in spoiler free!) and the poll is closed I need-really really need-to say it here, it’s more than a 10 for me, it was (the whole season was) everything I ever loved about Star Wars, and it gave me back my love for it after the ST.
I had tears in my eyes the whole episode and in the end I was crying more than Mando.
Perfection

 

I am actually shocked that you went in spoiler free..... that's a huge achievement. I presume you stayed off those boards for sure, but on top of that you must not have any social media, no friends that like Star Wars, I don't know what else. I think what you did is probably harder to do than Favreau and Filoni delivering such an amazing season and season finale

 

Well, to be honest December has been a brutal month for me, I did so many night shifts at the hospital I barely had time to recover just enough to be slightly functional, never mind pay attention to social media or a tv show (and I wanted to be 100% alert for this one).
Luckily I had a few days off at the beginning of January so I binge watched it in peace, and it was a balm after the month I had .
And luckily all my Star Wars fanatic friends managed to keep their mouth shut, that’s somewhat incredible but when I texted them at the end of the last episode (something incoherent like what did I just see?!? What did I jus SEE? Is it real???), they were like, we couldn’t tell you! It was too big a surprise!!!!

 

I am glad that you had that experience after a very difficult month!

And I know it might sound cliche and silly, but I personally thank you, and all of your colleagues, for being the real heroes in this pandemic. Even more so than Luke Skywalker. I cannot imagine how crazy life must have been for you for the past few months, and I am thankful, inspired and grateful for you.

 

Incredibly heartening to know that while there are only villains in the White House, there are heroes like you across the country selflessly saving lives. Thank you for your service.

 

Don’t make me cry anymore y’all, I shed all the tears I had over Luuuke (and R2, and Grogu, and Ahsoka, and did I say Luke?).
I’m just blessed I’m doing a job I love and that we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Che la forza sia con voi!
May the force be with you!

 

E anche con te! Non sapevo che fossi italiano (dove abito io, a partire da settembre scorso). Quindi lo ripeto: grazie per il vostro servizio!

 

No, don't cry, emotions are not for sharing!!
But in all seriousness, crying because of positive emotions is great.
And yes, I also hope we are seeing the end of the tunnel.

I can't speak Italian like my friend above, but I will say "Είθε η Δύναμη να είναι μαζί σου"
from across the pond, even though I am not there at the moment, I am across a much larger pond

Here, take this gift:

 

[
Mando is further empowered in making this decision. Mando did the right thing, the Jedi thing, letting go of Grogu. It’s the most important moment of the show after Mando finding the child. All the series up to that point leads to and foreshadows the moment. Pitch perfect execution.[/QUOTE]

I don’t have any issues with him being included in episode and completely agree that all roads led to an eventual handoff with Luke. Hell I think actual hand off was perfection especially from Pedro. It was beautiful.

Completely agree with this. Pedro's performance was spot on and emotionally resonant.

 

And like Luke before him he's kind of synthesizing his own version of the typical kind of "awesome" he's supposed to be, dipping toes into different Mando philosophies and adding his own "single space dad" thing to them.

 

I don’t think there are a lot of good things that the children of the watch have to offer