WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Mandalorian episode 6.
It took The Mandalorian six episodes, but it has finally become the type of series Disney promised it would be. Created by Jon Favreau, the first live-action Star Wars series focuses on lone gunslinger and skilled bounty hunter Dyn Jarren (Pedro Pascal). His mission to retrieve a mysterious client (which turned out to be a Force sensitive infant from the same species as Jedi Master Yoda) led the Mandalorian to break the Bounty Hunters’ Guild rules when he decided to smuggle the baby back from The Client (Werner Herzog). Since then, the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda have been on the run.
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The last three episodes of the show brought the travellers to various places, meeting new people like ex-Shock Trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) in episode 4, titled “Sanctuary,” and fledgling bounty hunter Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale) and assassin Fennec Shand (Ming Na Wen) in episode 5, titled “The Gunslinger.” In episode 6, titled “The Prisoner,” the duo meet a team of mercenaries. It’s in this most recent episode, with the season nearing its finale, that The Mandalorian has finally lived up to its promises.
The Mandalorian‘s marketing teased the gritty underworld bounty hunters operate in, giving us a sense that the series would primarily be about Dyn carrying out missions where he’s met with various adversaries. The trailers sold the idea of seeing the title character on his adventures as an ingenious gunslinger, and focused on bounty hunting as his profession. While the show remained somewhat faithful to this as he encounters new friends and foes in every new destination, the crux of the whole narrative has been about Baby Yoda and the Mandalorian’s desire to keep it safe. While Baby Yoda is adorable, his presence somehow takes away from the lead character, relegating him on the sidelines.
Admittedly, while The Mandalorian has gotten generally positive reviews, not everyone was thrilled with the fact that the show is different from what its marketing presented it to be. Fortunately, episode 6 presented a different kind of story, slightly veering away from the burgeoning mystery that is Baby Yoda. While the outing still featured the adorable child, it brought Dyn back to his mercenary roots as he’s reunited with former colleagues to carry out a mission. Thrust onto a team that obviously doesn’t like him, the situation became dicey when everyone turned against him, giving fans the opportunity to see what he’s actually like as a lone gunslinger before he was saddled with Baby Yoda. It’s clear that he’s more than capable of taking care of himself, easily rounding up all his comrades-turned-foes in the craftiest ways.
With only two episodes left for season 1, it’s curious what else is left for the show. It’s worth noting that Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon has yet to show up. The trailers positioned him to be the series’ primary antagonist, but that doesn’t seem to be the case — at least in its first year. The Mandalorian is already in production for season 2, so it’s safe to assume that not all lingering mysteries will be resolved by the upcoming season finale directed by Taika Waititi. In any case, the show’s sixth episode was a great character-building outing as it gave us a better sense of Dyn’s ingenuity — perhaps it’s a set-up for more reveals about his backstory in season 2.
