Review: “The Mandalorian” Season 2, Episode 4 (Disney+ Series)

SPOILERS AHEAD... “hold tight”... 

Our hero — the Mandalorian named Din Djarin — visits some old friends (so he can repair his ship) in the fourth episode of Season 2 titled “Chapter 12: The Siege.” 

Mando and Baby Yoda head to Nevarro to see if they can find a competent mechanic to fix the Razor Crest. The episode starts off with a nice bit where Mando is trying to instruct The Child as he (she?) makes a repair in a tight space: 

As the Crest descends on Nevarro, Cara Dune (Gina Carano) and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) are there to greet them. 

Much of the narrative in Season 1 took place on Nevarro, and the planet has undergone quite a transformation in the time since Mando was there last. 

Dune serves as the marshal; Karga is magistrate. Both have cleaned the place up. There is even a school: 

I’ve mentioned in my recent reviews of “The Mandalorian” that Mando constantly finds himself roped into helping people with problems — sometimes those missions seems like more trouble than they’re worth. 

In some instances, our hero gets involved because he has been painted into a corner. Other times he helps due to a sense of duty and honor. Sometimes he does it for the money. 

He is sort of like the character “Paladin” on the 1950s western series “Have Gun — Will Travel” — a character traveling from place to place, helping those in need. 

We all know a “western pastiche” is on full display in “The Mandalorian.” The question is whether a “mission of the week” format offers the dynamism the show needs long-term. So far, so good. 

Dune and Karga need Djarin’s help taking down an Imperial base on the other side of the planet (where Moff Gideon procured his troops from at the end of Season 1). The base operates with a skeleton crew, and hasn’t yet been abandoned. 

The assault on the base is entertaining. The blue Mythrol (Horatio Sanz) — who appeared in the very first episode of “The Mandalorian” — makes a return appearance (as a bookkeeper for Karga) and provides some comic relief on the mission. 

The best “easter egg” (if you can call it that) is the inadvertent appearance of one of the crew members in the background at the 18:54 mark of the episode: 

A number of fans had fun with this appearance (Bridget and I got a good chuckle out of it), and one fan even mocked up a Kenner action figure called “Jeans Guy” based on the goof: 

I really enjoyed this week's #TheMandalorian episode.#starwars #StarWarsfanart pic.twitter.com/SqGR1izmFp

— 🦃 Bryan Ward 🍁 (@bryaneward) November 21, 2020

As our heroes move about the base, we learn the mission serves a strategic purpose for the overall story arc of the second season. 

They stumble upon lifeless humanoids floating in blue liquid, and discover that blood transfusion experiments were taking place (having something to do with Midi-chlorian count). Baby Yoda was part of these experiments (before he was rescued by Mando in the first season). 

We still don't know what these tests are for, or if they tie into any other "Star Wars" lore. (Some have speculated these have something to do with Supreme Leader Snoke.)

I thought “The Siege” was an entertaining episode. You can’t go wrong with gun battles and Stormtrooper chases in an Imperial base, and this episode served up a healthy dose of both. 

We also get to see speeder bikes back in action: 

It was fun to watch Razor Crest go toe-to-toe with some Imperial TIE Fighters: 

At the end of the episode, we learn a tracking beacon has been planted on the Razor Crest. We also see Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) with a couple rows of  what appear to be Dark Troopers (listening to the “Audio Description” track on the episode describes them as such): 

The directorial duties in this episode were handled wonderfully by Carl Weathers. I hope we’ll see him at the helm again the future. Series creator Jon Favreau once again handled writing duties. 

Some of my friends have suggested that episodes of “The Mandalorian” are too short. They believe the stories need a bit more weight. 

I get that sentiment. I think the overall goal is to craft each chapter like it is part of an old “Saturday Matinee Serial” from yesteryear. That style lends itself to smaller vignettes. That said, I understand the desire to have more depth. 

I’m excited to see where things go from here. 

Stay tuned for my review of “The Mandalorian” Season 2, Episode 5. 

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