The Mandalorian S2E5 - Chapter 13: The Jedi

Thoughts upon rewatch of this chapter:


Cold Open: It’s a startling contrast with “the forest planet” Bo-Katan mentioned—I was expecting Endor, Kashyyyk, Yavin IV—to all the dead stuff and the factory in the background belching smoke.

This opening scene with Ahsoka sort of brings to mind “horror Mando” of S1E6. Interesting that Ahsoka gives the magistrate time to think about her answer…sort of like Moff Gideon in S1E8, but I don’t think we’re supposed to make that connection?




So Baby has to get back in his seat, but he doesn’t have to buckle his seat belt. Come on, Din.

I love Baby’s “folded hands” pose.





So the red streaks as the Crest approaches the planet—that’s not lava, right, but fires burning?

Is that guy doing a scan like Tower Dude on Yavin IV? What does the scan tell them? Maybe it’s a radar gun and there are space cops setting a speed trap.

The giant critters in the background on this planet just munching dead trees are awesome.

I am really enjoying Din just telling his thoughts to the baby. It’s such a nice progression from season 1!

Yay, Amban rifle is back! I missed you, my friend.

Din’s noncommittal nonlies to the town goons are the best.

Those kids in the alley are intrigued by Baby Yoda and vice versa. Plus they were getting fed, which he is totally into.

Baby Yoda knows when to hide…which is heartbreaking when you hear more of his story later.

Din checking out the magistrate’s garden. Same, Din, same. BTW apparently a cloak with a chain or strip of fabric connecting two buttons across the front, like Greef’s, is the latest in magistratewear.

She asks Din to kill the Jedi, a task he is “well suited for”—I See What You Did There, Magistrate.

Beskar on beskar really sounds like a bell chiming. Very pure tone.

I love how Baby Yoda narrows his eyes at Michael Biehn’s character when he calls him a “thing.”





There’s a lot of door-closing imagery in this one. Not sure if it’s about Baby Yoda not getting trained by Ahsoka or what.

This forest setting is so Clone Wars…Morai alert! (Or Morai imagery, not sure which)

I love Ahsoka’s outfit design, especially the gauntlets, the back, the baggy pants, and the boots. Cloak not so much.

Din pacing while Ahsoka “talks” to Baby Yoda brings to mind the old “dad anxiously pacing waiting for the baby to be born” trope.

The image of Ahsoka and Baby Yoda talking (while Din paces) with the huge full moon behind them is *chef’s kiss*

Ahsoka’s smile and Baby Yoda giving her uppy arms… My heart… That had to be breaking Din’s though.

“Grogu?” Grogu’s ears…so cute…

“He was hidden. Someone took him from the Temple. This his memory becomes…dark. He seemed lost. Alone.” A Jedi took him and escaped? Or sounds more like a dark sider, intent even then on cloning stuff or taking his blood or whatever?

Aw, a hint of Yoda’s theme when Ahsoka mentions him.

Poor Grogu is worn out by talking about his trauma. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Ahsoka’s nonanswer about the Jedi matches Din’s nonanswers to the town bosses…

Din sets Grogu down for his test and pats his back reassuringly. “You’re doing amazing, sweetie!”

Grogu is not into lifting rocks.

Ahsoka takes Grogu’s hand so gently. It’s good to see compassionate Ahsoka.

“He’s stubbon,” Din says, imitating a pot.

“I like firsts. Good or bad, they’re always memorable.” Wut. That line is…odd.

Din is so awkward, I love him. And grumpy. #Relatable. Lots of emotions swirling around in Din that he’s trying to cope with.

“Good job! Good job, kid!” Din is so excited, why am I finding that so hilarious? He wants his kid in the gifted program, stat.

“His attachment to you makes him vulnerable to his fears.” “All the more reason to train him.” I’m with you, Din. So…does Ahsoka not know about Luke? Like about how Luke’s attachment to/radical compassion for Anakin helped to redeem him and save the galaxy?

I guess we are supposed to recognize the flaws in Ahsoka’s reasoning, which comes straight from her own upbringing by the Jedi Order? Her own fears are talking here, maybe? She must have been so crushed when she learned that Anakin fell and she recognized her own attachment to him?

I understand, sort of, from Ahsoka’s perspective. But throwing the responsibility onto some other Jedi—assuming there are any left—seems odd. I guess I don’t really believe Ahsoka when she says Grogu will forget his powers and they’ll fade away. Seems like he would be more vulnerable than ever.

Also, Din makes a leap here that I don’t get. He wasn’t tasked with getting the child trained. He was tasked with taking the Child to the Jedi to reunite them. As in, take care of him. When did his thinking change? Was it just because of what Ahsoka said about Grogu’s training and powers?

“Laser swords,” Din says. It’s so cute that he’s never heard “lightsabers.”

“Her people were massacred. She survived and let her anger fuel an industry which helped build the Imperial Starfleet…” My mind blanked out here and went all Star Trek, it was creepy.

They are really hammering home the “last of their line” business: Grogu. Frog Lady. Bo-Katan. Jedi. Even Din’s Mandalorian covert. But in this case, the survivor turned her anger into something incredibly destructive.

“A Mandalorian and a Jedi? They’ll never see it coming.” Again, this seems to me like a weird thing for Din to say. He hasn’t been raised with the idea that Jedi and Mandalorians are enemies. He just heard of it for the first time a few months ago. And he also knows Bo-Katan and Ahsoka are friends. And he likes Ahsoka. It just sticks out oddly to me, like “Let’s give Din a cool thing to say!”

I like the dramatic samurai standoffs. Nice music too.

Lothcat sighting!... x2

Yay, Din got his pauldron back! It hurt seeing Ahsoka throw it in a puddle.

Oooh, Cloak Drop of Doom. Ahsoka learned well from her masters.

Nice juxtaposition of the samurai duel and the Western shootout.

When Ahsoka lost her lightsaber, I guess it made her mad enough to finish the fight.

Yay, sunshine! Because symbolism.

Aw, Din, you’re so honorable. But just take the spear already.

There’s a lot of nodding in this thing. Literally this time.

“Wait here. I’ll…go get him.” One Eternity Later…
Srsly though. The break in Din’s voice…

The music is great with Din’s theme played by the local instruments.

Sleeping baby is so freaking cute. “Wake up, buddy. It’s…time to say goodbye.” The snuggling… The fussing with Grogu’s clothes… How many hours have passed while he delays? *sob*

OK, people in the GFFA. Stop jerking Din around already. Just keep your promises.

Anyway, hopefully Grogu will choose the way of Mandalore. But I’m still nervous about his Force abilities being taken advantage of, and not just his physical M-count.

The little nod Ahsoka gives Grogu is gold. I wonder what he said to her.

The way the chapter ends with Ahsoka looking up at the Crest flying off is the same way Filoni ended S1E5 with Peli.



It’s interesting how Din and Grogu are both trauma survivors. I hope they can help each other heal. It seems to have already begun.

 

One thing I really appreciate as a fan is how much more this season utilizes the existing canon. I don't think it negatively affects the non-hardcore fans especially, but it's really cool to see a few connections here and there.

I loved season 1 as well, but it felt more disconnected from the Star Wars universe than season 2. This has it's positives and negatives of course.

 

Here are some of my favourite shots (I made it myself ). Great dark gritty mood and contrasts.
Hope you like it.

 

Watching the show last night was the first time I swore in front of my 9 year old son...
When Ahsoka finally asked, "Where is...." I yelled out a 'holy f***'. After the episode, the kid immediately got on Youtube to learn all he could.

Bad parenting but the best episode this season IMO.

Cheers, all the best and stay safe, KH

 

I like how Filoni went with visual storytelling this time. He did something more familiar to him as an animation director, so it's much better than chapter 5.
As for Ahsoka - she was always going to look like Rosario Dawson with a red makeup and a rubber wig. I does take some getting used to, but they still did an excellent job overall.

 

Can we take a moment to appreciate the strong samurai influences in this episode? It's beautiful.

 

Ups, sorry.
Thanks for the information XD
I need more time (or another life) to explore all threads and forums

I knew there was something strange cause I was looking for your captures and didn't find nothing. That was weird

Time to check that beauty

 

Loved the episode. So did Ashoka kill the lady with the Mando spear? I would assume not. Thoughts? Also, if she was Sith, why no sabre?

 

Checked out reaction videos and stuff. I hadn't realized before exactly how huge Ahsoka is as a fan favorite. She's a great character but isn't among my own top favorites!

Awesome and fantastic episode but I don't agree with the "best episode by far" sentiments. I still prefer Chapter Three, Seven, Eight and Heiress. Mainly because I'm a huge fan of mandalorians in general and enjoy the show mostly being mandalorians and non rebels/new republic vs the empire and non empire.

I am intrigued at what may happen at Typhon but am more interested in seeing Moff Gideon show up with his Dark Troopers and possibly also Bo-Katan to try to get the dark sabre back!

 

The people saying "Ahsoka should've destroyed the Magistrate with ease" need to go and watch some old samurai films. Sure she could've easily beaten her in a matter of seconds but she clearly saw that the Magistrate is an honourable warrior/fighter and let the fight take place on her terms without overpowering her, and let's remember Ahsoka doesn't want to straight up kill her because she's after info about Thrawn. It was done very well.

 

He would be dealing with Chi’s

metoo.

--- Double Post Merged, Nov 28, 2020, Original Post Date: Nov 28, 2020 ---

I imagine Thrawn and Ezra have joined forces to fight the species threatening the Chiss . With the Empire defeated Thrawn has no reason to continue helping the Empire. He was there to find allies against a greater threat to the Chiss.

Ezra might realize Thrawn was simply trying to save his own race... could make a show about that and explain Ezra being absent.

 

Did Grogu have a protector between the end of ROTS and being captured on Navarro or was he captured from the jedi temple and sent to the empire or nevarro right away?

 

I skimmed the last 3 or so pages so I'm unsure if my following thoughts have already been brought up:

1. I wonder if Mando was given a spear thanks to the actor's familiarity with a spear thanks to his role in Game of Thrones.
2. I wonder if the Darksaber can cut through beskar.
3. Why did they give Ahsoka MC Hammer's pants?

 

Yes, I am so tired of this kind of thing, like everything is a video game matchup and A is more powerful than B! Why didn't A mop the floor with B? Please try to understand both plot and the art of visual drama, people.

 

EXACTLY!