After last week’s episode, I thought this week might be less action-packed, it might even be a filler episode. But what I’ve learned is that there really is no such thing as a Mandalorian filler episode. In The Mandalorian Chapter 14, directed by Robert Rodriguez, Mando and Grogu arrive at the planet Tython. There, they encounter old friends and new, but ultimately, the journey ends in a great tragedy.
I talked last week about Mando and Grogu’s familial connection. The episode opens this week with Mando confirming The Child’s force powers once again. “You’re very special, kid,” Mando laments. “We’re gonna find that place you belong and they’re gonna take real good care of you.” Of course, we all know that little Grogu should never be separated from his single father Din Djarin, that thought just is unimaginable. But for Mando, who sticks to his creed and sticks to his rules, he has been quested to return Grogu back to his people and the quest he will follow.
Season Two has been about this quest, but it has also quietly been confirming what we already know: Mando has already completed his quest. Grogu is safe with the people he needs to be with. Sure, Din Djarin is no force-using master. But for little Grogu, who has spent the last few decades scared and alone, he needs family, not training. Okay, he could use some training.
But that’s what the seeing stone is for. Landing on Tython and jetpacking to the ruins, Mando sets Grogu on the seeing stone and after a few moments of cricket sounds, the stone is activated. A giant column of light surrounds Grogu like a force field and the little guy’s eyes close in concentration. The good news, he’s looking for other Jedi; the bad news, the shadow of a ship flies across the skyline. Yes, guys, gals, and non-binary pals, that is the silhouette of Slave I.
We saw Temuera Morrison‘s Boba Fett at the end of “Chapter 9: The Marshal,” but now it’s revealed that we also canonically saw his shoes near the fallen Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) at the end of “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger.” Forced to meet the new arrivals due to the activated seeing stone, Mando meets Boba Fett. Boba is here for his armor, confirming what most fans had already guessed, which is that Cobb’s armor was actually Boba’s iconic armor. Although Boba tells Mando that the armor was his father’s, Mando does not trust that he is a true Mandalorian since Boba does not follow the Creed.
Boba reveals that Fennec Shand is positioned with her rifle and has her crosshairs locked on Grogu. Mando sets down his jetpack, Shand comes down to meet them, and the three discuss terms. She reveals that Boba saved her on Tatooine and much of her stomach is now machine. The exchange is simple, give the armor back, and the child will be unharmed. It’s a fair deal since Grogu’s bounty has risen and costs much more than simple Mandalorian armor. But their conversation is cut short as a ship arrives full of troopers.
Thanks to that tracker that was put on Mando’s ship during “Chapter 12: The Seige,” the Empire has finally caught up with Mando and they’re here to collect. Mando bolts back for Grogu, and I have no idea why he didn’t put on his jetpack at this moment. But he runs back on foot, leaving Shand and Boba to take on the troopers. But, it’s not a difficult task. Using the environment to their benefit, the two easily take down the troopers. With Mando gone, Boba gets his suit from the Razor Crest and dons his armor.
Meanwhile, Mando tries desperately to get at Grogu, but the force field repels him and knocks him out as second ship arrives with more troopers. Without much he can do, Mando gets up and leaves to fend off the troopers. A few moments pass and the force field falls but an exhausted Grogu passes out on the seeing stone. Regardless, contact has been made.
Mando rushes down to help Shand, who has been cornered by Troopers and the two of them fight but they are outnumbered. Thankfully, Boba comes to the rescue. Now fully armored, he slices through the troopers and takes out both of the ships in the process. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t really cared about Boba Fett in the past. I didn’t get the hype. Well, The Mandalorian Chapter 14 got me on the hype train for this guy.
But, even after a win, there’s a loss. Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) shoots down from his cruiser and in one blow, the Razor Crest goes up in flames. Noooooo!!!! We just fixed it! And this thing is instantly ashes. There’s no coming back for it. With the Crest destroyed, Mando makes a beeline for Grogu. Again, why did he not put on his jetpack? You know who has a jetpack? A Dark Trooper. Those were the guys we saw at the end of last week’s episode. Falling from the sky, the four Dark Troopers are now racing Mando to the seeing stone. Unfortunately, Mando is too late. The Troopers land and close in on a sleepy and confused Grogu just as Mando makes it to the peak.
Even with Slave I in pursuit, there’s no use. Shooting down the Dark Trooper could risk hurting Grogu. Boba tells Shand that the Empire is back, and Shand replies that the Outer Rim is under the jurisdiction of the New Republic, but Tython is actually canonically in the Deep Core, so I’m kind of confused by that. Is this just a geographical blunder? Or am I onto something bigger?
Heartbroken by the loss of Grogu, Mando returns to the ashes of the Crest. Among the remains are the small silver ball Grogu played with and the beskar staff (is the ball actually made of beskar??). With his armor on, Boba is able to show Mando the chain code that proves that the armor belongs to him and that Jango Fett was actually a foundling who fought in the Mandalorian Civil Wars and was given his armor. But this is not the last we’ve seen of Boba and Shand. A deal is a deal, and now that Boba has his armor, he must ensure the safety of the child. Until Grogu is back in his dad’s arms, they are indebted to him.
Yay! More allies! The crew heads to Navarro and after 48 hours of deep thought, Cara Dune has decided to join up with the New Republic. What happened to not being a joiner? She looks up Migs Mayfeld for Mando. Of course, we’ll remember Migs from “Chapter 6: The Prisoner,” but this is obviously not the first time since then that we’ve heard him and his crew mentioned. He is imprisoned for attempting to help a prisoner escape and also for killing a New Republic officer. In “Chapter 10: The Passenger,” Captain Carson mentioned that it was Mando’s defense of this officer that got him in the good books with the new Republic.
Well, that might change, because Mando intends on breaking Migs out and getting him to track Moff Gideon’s cruiser. That’s a good idea, Din. Spring the guy you put in prison from prison, it’s not like he probably hates you and wants his revenge or anything.
On the cruiser, we’re watching Grogu and the beginnings of his career as a sith lord, as he throws around troopers with the force and force, chokes them. Moff Gideon is impressed and happy to have his test subject back. He brandishes the dark saber before stunning our precious little Darth Grogu and asks for Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) to be informed that they have their donor. Love seeing Esposito totally enjoying himself with Grogu and the Darksaber. You can tell he’s having the best day playing this sinister antagonist.
So what will we see next episode? Will Migs inevitably betray Mando? Or perhaps with Shand and Boba at his side, it’ll be easy to take out Migs and just use him as a plot device to catch up with Gideon. Will we see Bo Katan again? She’s searching for the Darksaber and is presumably hunting Moff Gideon at the same time. Will the finale see Bo, Shand, Boba, and Mando taking on Dark Troopers and ultimately taking down Gideon? Stay tuned!
The Mandalorian streams new episodes every Friday on Disney+.
