The Mandalorian The Mandalorian 2.04 - Chapter 12 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

She's improved slightly, she's not just horrible anymore, but she still can't really emote well or sustain an emotion other than rah! I think she looks great in action scenes though, but overall I hope she dies soon and they bring in a better female co-star who can act a bit. The show needs some emotional depth from someone other than Mando, and Gina doesn't do it.

 

The rumor I heard before the show even premiered was that it would show some of the origins of the First Order, so none of this surprises me at all.

 

That's a cool idea that would excite many fans.

Spoiler

It also raises another possibility -- someone else we may know could be the template. Din????

 

Clone Wars did that for the prequel trilogy, so I reckon what you say is a real possibility, Filoni is excellent at it.

 

If she only has 1-2 episodes per season from here on out I don't mind, but if they're going to keep using her as a major supporting character then yeah I'd agree.

 

I disagree. They have mentioned several times that Cara is from Alderaan and this episode shows that she lost everyone. Perhaps Gina's somewhat rigid demeanor is deliberate. Losing your family and homeworld only to then lose a bunch of friends in the war against the people who destroyed your homeworld, I would reckon that it is her coping mechanism after having lost so much in her life and all she has is her military training to help her from falling apart emotionally.

 

Rewatching with subtitles and the teacher droid gives a Wookieepedia verified lesson of the various regions of the Galaxy in the background during BY’s antics. Pretty funny.

 

We're at the halfway point of the season now and Mando hasn't been written out of the show yet.

So I guess those rumours about Pascal storming off the set were a load of Bantha Poodo? (Not that I'm complaining)

 

The ending could set Ahsoka up for a little bit more than she probably wants.

You come here, bring that, and all of this other stuff?

Oh, and I guess all of the trailer footage is now used up. Everything from here on out is unknown.

 

Even if the rumours were true it wouldn't exactly be a difficult job to replace him.

 

Spoiler

I don't think this plot has anything to do with Snoke or Palpatine. Or the First Order. These appear to be Force Troopers or Clones, and the First Order didn't use either.

It's not an acting style to be stiff all the time. But if you think it works for the character, great. It may to some degree, but it's all so flat and one-dimensional, it barely generates an emotional state at all, even a repressed one. But we can agree to disagree.

 

The start made me laugh a lot. Loved it.

 

I hope they call Gideon's soldiers Dark Troopers or Shadow Troopers as a nod to Dark Forces/Jedi Knight (campy I know, but I think in a lot of ways this episode was very true to the camp of Star Wars 77). I don't know if it's just me but those games felt like a strong influence on this episode.

 

I was wondering what they might call them. Dark Troopers is nice and simple.

 

Spoiler

Michael Biehn is supposed to appear this season, so I wonder could the volunteer be his character?

 

Looked like an Arquitens

 

That Imperial officer lady looked like a female Daniel Logan.

I'm not sure about Carl Weathers as a director. Directing the talent was kind-of off, while also the direction of the action scenes through the halls and camera choices seemed unfocused. It did feel very ANH, though, or really like any 70s film.

 

Yeah, I thought she was hot too.

So why were the Stormtroopers with the Client so dirty and yellowed if all of this was available just a half hour drive away?

 

Positives.

First, the implications of this episode are clearly massive. Though a lot of what happened was suspected by many fans (BY’s genes being harvested by cloners for reasons regarding his force sensitivity, Gideon being an early part of the Final Order/ First Order project), clones, etc. All undoubtedly connected with Snoke and Palpatine in the end. While I don’t need that kind of connectivity, as with TCW, I’m finding that even these little bits have already improved the ST for me. So there’s that.

Second, I absolutely loved that opening scene with Mando having BY try to fix part of the ship, etc. And BY using the force for...filling his stomach again! Cookies! What kid can’t relate?

Third, Din’s Han Solo return was great.

Fourth, Greef’s accident report to the Rebel pilot was hilariously written and very true to life.

Lastly, I don’t know why, but having the Mythrol in an administrative job was really funny.

The negative.

That all said, I’m starting to feel the lack of the best directors of the series, Rick Famuyiwa and Deborah Chow. I know Rick’s supposed to direct a few episodes this season, so they may simply be saving his serious talents for the later and more consequential bits. But as much as I enjoyed this one, I felt the direction was really shabby, particularly for most of the base infiltration scene. And the acting from Carano is so bad. That scene with the Rebel pilot asking her to rejoin the fight could have been a classic one in the Star Wars franchise, and instead...we get the expressiveness of a He-Man action figure from Carano.

Directing-wise, apart from Howard’s episode last week, this season has been less artistically striking for me. Less sharp. So far nothing compared to Chapter 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 from last season. This season somehow feels more mainstream blockbuster, if that makes sense.

Finally, I feel the lack of a character like Kuiil. Wise, empathetic, tough, good dialogue. Maybe Ahsoka will provide that going forward.

But overall, I’m generally very happy and looking forward to future episodes from Rick, Rodriguez and whoever else is supposed to be in the chair. Also Filoni next week (and Ahsoka!), though he makes me a tad nervous...

 

I crossed my mind but, no, probably not

Spoiler

Rae Sloane

.

 

I can't remember: Were we ever told who had the Child in S1E1, or why he was even in that building on that planet. Did Moff Gideon's people already have him to put that tracker in and someone else freed him or was the Child already in one of Moff Gideon's group's hideouts? If so, why'd they need to put a bounty on him?

Maybe that was just some ruse to make Nevarro think they're a poor/struggling Imperial remnant.

 

It looked like him for sure. Which means they really are building to First Order /sigh

 

The stormtroopers with the dirty armor were The Client’s guard, not Gideon’s. Lower on the chain, local outpost, etc. All of Gideon’s crew were spit-and-polished.

The least surprising thing we’ve learned in this show. Of course they are. And Favreau already hinted at it.