The two-part season finale, consisting of "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" and "Chapter 8: Redemption," is The Mandalorian at its best. With Deborah Chow returning to direct the former, and IG-11 voice actor Taika Waititi directing the latter, it's a perfect one-two punch of drama and action that also manages to continue to add layers to the galaxy far, far away as it exists at this place in time. In short: despite some stumbles, this first season of live action Star Wars television felt experimental in a way the series hasn't since its inception, while still providing nearly everything fans could reasonably hope for in a show bearing the franchise name.
This won't have as much of a recap as previous episodes as anyone who hasn't seen it yet really should go in as blind as possible. But suffice to say that once everything goes sideways near the end of "Chapter 7," things don't let up until that incredible final shot and the credits roll. It's a real gauntlet our heroes go through with no shortage of fist-pumping moments. Various episodes have had their own standout sections or set pieces, but this two-parter really goes for broke to levels not previously attained.
In my last published review, I openly questioned just where Jon Favreau was going with all this. What sort of endgame did he even have in mind? In hindsight, it sort of feels too vague and a bit of a cheat to answer that with "Exactly the sort the season needed." But it's true.
The credits rolled and there was no grand arc or heavily involved story. There was no real endgame, so to speak. There was no need for one. It was the most stark contrast possible to its cinematic companion, The Rise of Skywalker, which seemed overly obsessed with endgames and wrapping up storylines. The season wasn't perfect, but these final two episodes provided a wonderful encapsulation of everything that has made The Mandalorian such a special addition to Star Wars: Unexpected humor (those Scout Troopers!), unexpected heart (Mando's determination to live by his sworn creed so that others would not die), and some rousing action (that IG-11 assault, tho). Meanwhile, it also treads that treacherous tightrope of providing some amount of closure while still keeping things enough on edge to bring back the masses for a follow-up season (recently announced by Favreau as arriving on the nebulous "date" of Fall 2020). It's a bold move to introduce a brand-new, seemingly big-time player in what's essentially the finale of your season finale, and then end the entire thing with a shot of said new character brandishing, well, a weapon of some noted significance for Mandalorians. And yet it's pulled off with aplomb.
The Mandalorian, as a whole, seemed content to simply exist in its world, with its characters, and to build from there. In an entertainment landscape now obsessed with building "shared universes" (most of which never come close to coalescing), it feels almost daring to take a somewhat antithetical approach given what brand this show is a part of. There may well be larger strands that come together via future seasons, but for now at least it seems as though Favreau and his cadre of creative compatriots are content keep this show as far on the outer rim of the larger Star Wars story as possible. It bodes well for the future as it puts The Mandalorian in the perfect position to tell the stories that are natural and ideal for its characters, never putting it at odds with some assumed responsibility of tying into anything else.
If nothing else, and especially after this superb finale, The Mandalorian has me excited about the future of Star Wars in a way I haven't been for years. There's so much potential to be mined and explored here, and it's being led by a crew that seem to understand that potential in a way very few have when it comes to live action Star Wars.
This is the way.
Some random episode thoughts …
— I would happily watch recurring shorts of Jason Sudeikis and Adam Pally as their Scout Trooper characters as they take the piss out of any and all things in the Star Wars universe.
— I was somewhat surprised we both learned Mando's real name AND saw his face. I figured they'd do one for the finale, but save the other for season two at least.
— Season two simply cannot get here fast enough because I am DYING to have more Imperial Giancarlo Esposito in my life.
— Someone on Twitter asked what character actors people would like to see show up in future episodes and I cannot stress enough how desperate I am to see every notable cast member of Justified show up in some capacity. Everyone. Timothy Olyphant, Jere Burns, Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, Neal McDonough, Erica Tazel, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Garrett Dillahunt, Damon Herriman, Jeremy Davies, Natalie Zea, Joelle Carter, Jonathan Tucker, Sam Elliott, OK, I'll stop but seriously … how awesome would ALL of those actors be on this show?
