COMON Network

By Sam Hixson, Guest Contributor

When we last left the Mandalorian, he had to find his way out of a close call with giant spiders on a planet that I can only imagine is the Star Wars equivalent of Siberia. Bailed out by the people originally hunting him, his ship absolutely shithoused and with two passengers he has been quested with returning home, things aren’t perfect, but Mando and company limp to the planet Trask to return the Frog lady to her husband and search for more Mandalorians.

Now the Razorcrest may be looking like Ben Roethlisberger but unfortunately isn’t able to play like him and crashes into the harbor. This guy isn’t very optimistic he can fix Razorcrest but he can “Make it fly” (Which is the Steelers medical staff’s version of giving Ben a walking boot and painkillers).

This leads into a heartwarming scene of the Frog lady reuniting with her husband and successfully bringing the eggs home. Part of me thinks that the Mandalorian is envious of the Frog lady. The Frog lady has a few things the Mandalorian can’t have. For one thing: the privilege of not being hunted at almost every waking moment. She also has the ability to be with her husband and raise a family and the Mandalorian barely has a glimpse into understanding what having a significant other would feel like. Mando only knows adventure and results, the closest thing he has to a family relationship with many Mandalorians out of commission is his bond with the Child who he has essentially become a father to.

Now it wouldn’t be an adventure with the Mandalorian without him being crossed up by people who want the Child or his armor. They are picked up by a vessel that claims they will lead the Mandalorian to more of his kind. Yeah, right. Baby Yoda is swallowed up by the Mamacore and Mando is in the water. The duo looks like they are at the end of the road. Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good and the Mandalorian is certainly lucky in the moment getting saved by his eye in the sky. Bo Katan and company save Mando and the child. I really liked this scene because this was a rare moment of vulnerability for the Mandalorian. The panic in his voice when he loses the Child and begs the others to get him back is as father-like as he has ever been. Baby Yoda has truly made his way into what is generally a very cold heart. The thanks are very short as Mando becomes disgusted when the others remove their helmets. He claims that they are not true Mandalorians and that there is only one way. Bo Katan’s crew doesn’t take kindly to Mando’s elitist tone either. Now taking pride in your heritage and customs is a cool thing to do but at this point in his journey it is silly for the Mandalorian to be standoffish.

If there is anything that the Mandalorian should have learned by now, it’s that being a lone wolf is very difficult. Mando has been bailed out countless times by an outside source when certain death has looked him in his very shiny face. It’s been other Mandalorians, Cops, Droids, Bounty Hunters, Civilians, heck even the Child that have saved Mando’s ass on multiple occasions. I’d think being with other Mandalorians and putting heritage and origins aside would be in his best interest. Even though Mando feels like Bo-Katan disrespects the Mandalorian way, he finally gets on board with doing a mission with them. They both have quests they need to complete and can help each other greatly with them. Bo-Katan knows of the Jedi and Mando has a particular set of skills that make him an asset for their mission. They are essentially Pirates with their treasure being weapons that would make them a threat to anybody that would cross their path. The thoroughly entertaining battle on the ship ends with Mando giving a little more effort than he probably had hoped. He got what he needed at the end of the day. He now knows he needs to find Ahsoka Tano on the planet Corvus.

Mando returns to the now Frog family who did him one last favor of watching Baby Yoda and finds that his ship is now able to fly at the Harbor. Although the guy who fixed it essentially gave Big Ben the walking boot when he had a concussion. A snack for baby Yoda and a ride off planet concludes the episode and leaves us with a lot of questions for what the future holds. Who will come to Mando’s aid in future challenges? Who will be the next scavenger chasing the Child? What is the status of Boba Fett? When will we see Ahsoka Tano? It’s why we look forward to Fridays ladies and gents. It is sure to be a fun ride.