TV REVIEW: The Mandalorian, S2E5:The Jedi

Although I had high hopes for The Mandalorian even before Season 1, the real question is where masterminds Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni would take the show in Season 2. It always seemed likely that Filoni would want to return to his favorite characters from Rebels and The Clone Wars, and admittedly I looked forward to seeing them as well. However, it raised questions, such as whether they would be able to revisit these old storylines without making the story inaccessible to Mandalorian viewers. Could Favreau and Filoni move these characters to live action without losing anything in the translation? Could this show tackle characters like Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Grand Admiral Thrawn and keep the tone and flavor of this series, or even be understandable? As an Ahsoka fan myself, I wanted to see her come back in this series, especially played by Rosario Dawson, but only if the episode is worthy of a character of her stature.

Fortunately, none of that is a concern, because Dave Filoni blows this one out of the park. While he“s written better stories than this (such as The Siege of Mandalore arc in Clone Wars), Filoni is in his comfort zone with his favorite characters, and it shows in the writing quality. For Dave Filoni as the writer, the return of Ahsoka Tano is like seeing an old friend again, and she gets a reintroduction that is worthy of her character. As has been pointed out in various clips online, the live action version of Ahsoka comes off as entirely consistent with her animated counterpart. Ahsoka herself looks like the same woman we“ve seen in Rebels, and credit is due to Rosario Dawson and Dave Filoni for making her presentation accurate. She“s given a good reason to be on this desolate planet, one that ties into her larger story without necessarily connecting to Mando“s larger story arc. Ahsoka is always the heroine of her own story wherever she goes, and that“s no less true here. She“s also given a battle that is worthy of her, even though the outcome isn“t in doubt. It“s satisfying to see Ahsoka in every scene she“s given, and her interactions with Mando and Baby Yoda are the highlights of the episode.

At the same time, Mando is not sidelined overmuch, which was one of my major concerns coming into this episode. Filoni“s adoration of Ahsoka Tano is well known, and she“s a very strong character in his hands. At the same time, Mando“s own storyline is not neglected, and he comes across as the viewer“s perspective character as much as he is the mysterious gunslinger. Although Din Djarin is a bounty hunter, he is a man of honor, and he feels duty-bound to return Baby Yoda to his people as a point of Mandalorian honor. He also gets moments of cleverness, such as the way he carefully avoids making an agreement with the villains of the piece. He“s also never overshadowed by Ahsoka in terms of the action scenes; he holds his own with her during their brief bout, and he“s also allowed to get his victory over the Magistrate“s hired gun (played by Michael Biehn). The scenes between Mando and Biehn are quite well done, echoing a classic Western shootout. When Ahsoka gives Djarin his reward for helping the people of this world, that reward feels earned. At the same time, the emotional core of this story is about a father trying to help his son, even if he doesn“t completely understand him. Mando remains the hero of the show, and he holds his own with Ahsoka quite well even if he can“t keep up with the Jedi subplot.

Although this episode makes use of a small cast, as opposed to previous episodes this season, all of the are used well. Pedro Pascal remains the heart of the show, and he does a remarkable job of emoting even beneath the Mando“s helmet. He“s grown into the role nicely, and his physical acting defines the character of Din Djarin. I“d been excited for Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka ever since she was announced; she looks the part, certainly, and she“s a charismatic actress who has real passion for Star Wars and this character. Dawson doesn“t disappoint in this role at all, whether she“s involved in action scenes or playing the wise but wounded Jedi Master. The fact that this is her first episode playing as Ahsoka and yet she feels like the same character Ashley Eckstein played for years is a testament to her ability as an actress. Baby Yoda is always excellent, of course, and even though he doesn“t speak much, the puppeteering and practical effects are always strong with that character. Michael Biehn is a welcome sight after the many years since I“ve seen him last; he fits into the villainous gunslinger role naturally, and his veteran acting skills give gravitas to his character. I“m unfamiliar with Diana Lee Inosanto“s career prior to this, but she“s convincing as the Magistrate, and she comes across as a skilled martial artist in her scenes with Ahsoka. All in all, it“s a pretty solid cast, with fine performances by all involved.

In terms of blemishes to this episode, there are very few worth discussing in this one. One concern I had coming in was whether the story would be difficult to understand for those who haven“t seen any of the animated shows featuring Ahsoka. Mostly, it succeeds at this, hinting at past events but not diving too deeply into past continuity. There are a few moments that only Ahsoka fans would be expected to know, such as why Ahsoka would be searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, or who that character even is. In fairness, it is an exciting reveal for fans who do know these characters, but Mandalorian-only fans may be a bit thrown by this revelation. There are also moments where Filoni“s influences show a little bit too obviously; the final battle between Ahsoka and the Magistrate is excellent, but it echoes Kill Bill Vol. 1 in noticeable ways. I suspect that this was less an intentional riff on Tarantino and more a case where Filoni shared his influences (such as Lady Snowblood). All in all, though, this episode is still quite good, and Star Wars has always been a franchise that openly embraced its film influences, especially when it comes to martial arts films.

If you“re one of the few people that haven“t seen this episode yet, I“d highly recommend it. Although it“s at its most enjoyable if you“re already familiar with Dave Filoni“s previous animated shows, it works quite well even if you“re not. It feels like an episode of The Mandalorian, keeping the space western vibe while adding the Kurosawa edge that George Lucas has always embraced. At the same time, if you“re a fan of the larger Star Wars mythos going on, you“ll have a deeper appreciation if you know the full picture. If all you want is a team-up with Mando and Ahsoka Tano, you won“t be disappointed at all by this episode. After this episode, I want to see more of these characters together, but I also want to see Rosario Dawson play Ahsoka on her own show; she“s honestly that convincing. As a Star Wars fan and a fan of The Mandalorian, this is an episode well worth waiting two seasons for, and I hope to see more episodes like this coming up from Favreau and Filoni.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer/Director: Dave Filoni

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Michael Biehn, Diana Lee Inosanto

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).