The Mandalorian returns to Disney+
A year after the first season was released on the streaming service, the show returns
November 5, 2020
If you have been on Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter the past week you are sure to have been bombarded with the news: The Mandalorian is back. The first episode of the new season aired Oct. 30 with episodes dropping weekly. Whether you tuned in last December for the first season or not, there is no better time to watch than now, when the weather is getting cold and staying in looks increasingly more appealing. Season two picks up right after the end of the first season where we see Mando and Baby Yoda (or in more technical terms “The Child” but for cuteness purposes, this article will use the titles interchangeably) speeding off into the galaxy after escaping the evil former high ranking Empire official, Moff Gideon. But in case you’re having trouble remembering all the antics of last season, consider this your official recap.
Mando, or as some refer to him “The Mandalorian,” played by Pedro Pascal, is a bounty hunter. Mando works for The Guild, an association of bounty hunters, for which he is one of the most acclaimed members. He is from a multi-ethnic group of warriors called The Mandalorian, an all but extinct race hailing from the planet Mandalore. Tasked with locating and capturing a particularly important asset we later find out to be Baby Yoda by a mysterious former Empire official known as “The Client,” Mando begins to question the motives of The Client. Finding that The Child may be in danger of death, Mando abandons the code of The Guild and returns for Baby Yoda, kidnapping him and saving him from the treacherous plans of The Client.
On the run from both The Guild and Imperial warlords, Mando and Baby Yoda hop from planet to planet, finding themselves engaged in fighting raiders, helping rookie bounty hunters, and jailbreaking convicts from prison ships. All along the way, Mando protects Baby Yoda from potential harm and the seemingly thousands of people who want him captured or dead. Working tirelessly to secure his and The Child’s freedom and end the constant fear of danger, Mando makes a deal with his enemy, Greef Karga, leader of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. The deal entails killing The Client and ending his reign of terror once and for all. In a tremendously climactic and dramatic finale, we see Mando cornered by an army of Storm Troopers led by Moff Gideon. In the reveal of the season, Mando is forced to remove his helmet for the first time since joining the Mandalorian and breaking yet another code. Escaping using his jetpack, Mando saves Baby Yoda and barely gets out and after shooting Moff Gideon. Assuming him dead, the finale ends by revealing Gideon to be very much alive and now with a vengeance.
One of the great things about The Mandalorian is that you don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to know what’s happening. The easy to follow plot and lack of association between Star Wars franchises makes it accessible to everyone (although this writer would highly recommend a Star Wars movie marathon to anyone with the time) so even if you’ve never seen one, go ahead and turn on The Mandalorian; you won’t regret it. The second season of The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+, and in a highly biased review, it is definitely the best thing on TV right now. The new episode features Baby Yoda, cute as ever and just as adorable as season 1, now with more baby teeth (maybe I’m making that up but I swear I saw it) and even more lovability if possible. So kick back, grab some popcorn (PSA Skinny Pop is sold in the 336 Market), and get your weeks’ worth of serotonin watching Baby Yoda and Mando as they cruise through the galaxy.