The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 7 Review: The Reckoning
Kerr Lordygan
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How cool! Cara Dune, IG-11, Greef Karga, The Client, Kuiil, and, of course, Kuiil's dewback all return. But we also meet new big bad Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution, Once Upon a Time).
We are happy to see the return of some newly beloved characters, pushing the series into the realm of wet-dream TV -- from our favorite galaxy. Did you find the new guy exciting?
The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 7 is another strong one, ramping up for the end of its first season.
The first thing we see is the holo-message from Greef Karga, inviting Mando to return to Navarro and take out The Client -- together with his other Bounty Hunter Guild members and him.
Did y'all believe the nerve of that guy? Or even more heavily weighted, did you all let out a growl of bewilderment that Mando -- yet again! -- believed a betraying nimrod?
As discussed during my review for The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 6, Mando seriously can't be that stupid! But I guess he can be. And he is -- as he continues to prove it to us over and over.
Mando: [Referencing IG-11] That thing is programmed to kill the baby.
Kuiil: Not anymore.
So let's just accept the charm that is the naivete of the Mandalorian, who otherwise is a bad-ass bounty hunter warrior who rebels even from his own Guild. Can we accept this from our protagonist, the title character from our newest Star Wars television obsession?
We just have to. But I suppose if he were brighter, we wouldn't have much of a TV show.
Greef would be all, "Hey, Mando, dude, come back over here and -- OK trust me on this -- I'm a'gonna hire you to help me take out the Imperial villain that wants you dead and then you'll be all good with us in the Guild, kay?"
And Mando would then be, like, "Um. No."
"Come on, what have you got to lose?"
"Um... this incredibly special and valuable Jedi baby, maybe. And probably my life. Besides, I need to polish my beskar cuff-links and peroxide my bangs."
"Sore sport."
And then we would have no plot and would be subjected to Mando and Jedi baby playing tiddlywinks for just over a half-hour each installment.
That might be fun for all you Jedi baby worshippers out there, but an adventurous sci-fi plot that does not make.
I really enjoyed Cara in this one, too. She's becoming a fan favorite, and with good reason. How cool was it to find her competition fighting with a Dathomirian?!
I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands, and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am, nor whom I shall serve.
Kuiil
During the arm wrestling bit later on the ship, I was about to be annoyed already because what an over-used trope: the tenacious female character trying to prove her strength to "the man."
And wouldn't there be some other battle of strengths to entertain in the Star Wars galaxy? It would have been more entertaining had they played a round of a game called "thigh crush" which I just made up right now.
I was mollified that there was a point to the sequence after all and that the game was interrupted before a winner prevailed.
Jedi baby goes all guard-dog on her and starts strangling Cara with The Force. It all seems very strange, though. JB had already spent a good amount of time with Cara on Sorgan.
Did it really think she was suddenly a threat after a friendly game of arm wrestling?
Nick Nolte as the voice of Kuiil has become one of the sweeter characters in this whole thing. Ugnaughts are rad to begin with, but Kuiil has this totally corny, righteous demeanor that somehow works.
Maybe because he got into a little screaming match with Cara, too, to balance it out.
Mando: I can pay you handsomely, Ugnaught.
Kuiil: I have a name. It is Kuiil.
And I'm really digging the little guy's dewback. It seems like a loyal pet. Maybe that's due to the slop that Kuiil taught the neurally reconstructed IG-11 (voiced by Taika Waititi) to feed it.
The bogwing attack scene upped the ante on the mission's level of danger. We sure weren't expecting that attack, as there has never been any mention of such a threat.
Although Greef foreshadowed it by calling Jedi baby a "little bogwing" when he first meets it. I suppose that should have been our fair warning.
But the scene was most excellent. And gives us believable buy-in on Greef's change of heart/motive since JB saves his life.
The addition of scout troopers was a nice touch. I am so used to seeing them surrounded by Ewoks on Endor; putting them on Navarro was an ideal use of them. And the exchange about giving Greef credits for Mando's helmet was hilarious.
Scout trooper: I'll give you 20 credits for the helmet [on "captured" Mando]
Greef: [laughing] Not a chance, that's going on my wall.
Mando: [underbreath] On your wall??
Greef: Go with it.
But here everything changes tone. I love when we get scenes with The Client -- just because he happens to be played by the one and only Werner Herzog.
Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos.
The Client
But the part of the mission that called for his death came to pass, which is good for our team of heroes, but sad for those of us who love villains.
And was it me, or did the silver-armored stormtroopers who first surrounded The Client's quarters resemble Mandalorians? I thought they were Mandalorians, but the shot was quick, and their silver seemed brighter than Mando's beskar. In the episode stills, though, we see the masks contain breathing apparatus.
The similarities must have been purposefully planned.
And then.
The tie fighter appears.
That was a monumental moment. Everything goes silent as all attention gets directed to the graceful landing of the intimidating AF ship.
The way they handled it, I was half expecting Palpatine himself to glide off the ship somehow.
So now we meet Moff Gideon. He sure possesses a command of respect. He makes it clear that he has all the power and that he will be taking The Child.
Moff: You have something I want.
Cara: Who's this guy?
Moff: You may think you have some idea what you are in possession of. But you do not.
The Child?? Where is The Child? Jedi baby is still with Kuiil, who was tasked with protecting it. But he didn't make it back to the Razor Crest in time, and the scout troopers were too fast.
Man, this was a depressing ending. How did you all handle it -- you all OK out there?
We don't see exactly how Kuiil and JB go down. We can only presume Kuill was shot, dropping JB. But don't you remember on The Mandalorian Season 1 Episode 5 when Toro got shot while holding JB? JB must have used Forcely powers to jump and hide from danger.
There doesn't seem to be any legit reason why that wouldn't have happened here.
Do you think it was a put-on and that Kuiil is still alive with a plan on retrieving JB? At first, I thought there was a plastic model of JB thrown on the ground for the troopers to collect, but how in the bejeezus would they have built something like that so quickly?
It just seems far-fetched that they'd be caught so easily.
Presently, my questions to you are:
1. Is Mando really just kinda' unintelligent?
2. Does Jedi baby think Cara is somehow a threat?
3. Will Greef stay loyal?
4. Do you like Moff Gideon as a big bad?
5. Do you think Kuiil is really dead and JB captured????
Answer in the comments section below.
Oh, and watch The Mandalorian online now.
