Star Wars: The Mandalorian - The Tragedy Review

MND "The Tragedy"

In "The Jedi", Ahsoka was revealed in all her glory in the very first scene, which was wonderful in its own way. In "The Tragedy", Boba Fett, having surreptitiously retrieved his armor from the Razor Crest, jetpacks into a fight after a runway of build-up, making for a truly fan-pleasing moment. I'm not a "Boba Fett bro", but that was something special, a highlight of a fantastic slice of Star Wars.

On the planet Tython, Din takes Grogu to the seeing stone of a Stonehenge-like Jedi Temple, only to encounter Boba Fett (arriving in Slave I!) and a not-dead cyborg-ized Fennec Shand looking to make a deal for the armor Din got from Cobb Vanth in "The Marshal". But Gideon's Imperial forces follow them and a pitched battle ensues.

The episode gets the show off the Volume studio stage into glorious sun-kissed location filming, setting a bright stage for a glorious extended action sequence marshaled by Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn). Boba, Fennec, and Din cut swathes through waves of stormtroopers, until rocket-booted Dark Troopers (updated from Legends continuity) kidnap Grogu.

The centerpiece of the episode is Temuera Morrison's expanded role as Boba Fett, having way more to say in this episode than in, say, The Empire Strikes Back. After years of back and forth, we learn that Boba's father Jango Fett was indeed a Mandalorian foundling. And Boba, being a clone, actually goes there and quotes his father by calling himself "a simple man trying to make his way in the universe". It should be noted that in early concept art for The Mandalorian, Boba Fett was used as an illustrative placeholder cradling Grogu before Din's distinct design was in place. And now things have come full circle, and Boba is a major part of the show.

Going into the episode, a focus on "that Jedi stuff", as Din calls it, seemed top of mind given the Temple setting. Indeed, Grogu's experience on the stone seems to amplify his power, as two stormtroopers find to their cost. But where last episode tapped into the samurai genre foundation of Star Wars, this one stages a space Western skirmish. The show again brings out the E-Web blaster cannon, extrapolating the old Western trope of the gatling gun. It's pew-pew action at its finest, thrilling every step of the way. 9/10.

Stray observations:

- What is it with Nevarro's new administration and putting your feet on your desk? First Greef in "The Siege", and now Cara in this episode.

- The Imperial troop transports are clear design precursors to First Order troop transports. Boba Fett rockets the escaping transports, vaguely reminiscent of Rey destroying another escaping transport with Force lightning on Pasaana in The Rise of Skywalker.