[kscherer]

I'll take the Cassian Andor thing. Rogue One was brilliant, and I thought the best film in all of Star Wars (arguably, obviously) and most certainly the best of any of the "modern" films. And, yeah, if Disney follows The Mandalorian's example and keeps it focused, on task, and woke-free, I think it has a real shot.

I actually empathized with Cassian, who put Jyn Erso squarely in her place by reminding her that many had been fighting in the rebellion for a very long time, and had done things that haunted them. It's war, after all.

I'm okay with exploring some of that. I mean, stories/movies are created all the time about people whom we know die in the end. It's important to honor their lives and their sacrifice.

Bring it on!

P.S. We're on to 11 pages covering The Mandalorian. I'm not sure we got this much interest in any of the sequel stuff.

[psmith2.0]

We didn't. They did not warrant it.

That's an interesting time in SW lore, just prior to the events of Episode IV.

Simply because of my preferred set of movies and what I saw/loved first, I'm gonna be more interested in things taking place leading up to the OT more than I would be at other periods. Folks like a good underdog story (I found the Jedi and all the "good guys" in the prequels arrogant, out-of-touch chuckleheads who kinda had it coming, frankly; and I didn't like Anakin - the character or the two actors who portrayed him - enough to truly give a shit what happened to him).

I'm way more comfortable rooting for the Rebels and their scrappy ways, going up against such impossible odds. So we'll see what they can come up with here.

I will say this...in a few years from now if we're 5-6 shows into Disney+ Star Wars streaming content, and none of them are set/taking place in the time of, or just prior to, the sequel trilogy...then that's going to speak volumes to me. That's Disney/Lucasfilm themselves saying "yeah, we know..." and "hey folks, we're not in the turd-polishing business".

[psmith2.0]

Another enjoyable, fast-paced outing...

***THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT SCROLL DOWN UNLESS/UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN 02x07/CHAPTER 15 (12/11/2020)

YOU HAVE BEEN ALERTED***


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My weekly recap/thoughts...my sleepiness levels will determine this initial set. If needed, I’ll add more this evening.

- Episode is titled “The Believer”

- Picks up where last week left off, springing Mayfield (Bill Burr) from prison. You think it’s going to be a bust out, but it’s more of a 48 Hours administrative “conditional release” thing, facilitated by the lovely and vivacious Ms. Dune, who’s along for the ride in helping Mando rescue Grogu

- Another crane walker, as we saw at the harbor in “The Heiress”

- Hello Boba and Fennec. I like them. It’s just cool to see Boba in matter-of-fact, regular show stuff...dialogue, serving a purpose, being fully accommodating to Mando, etc. He flies the ship, his helmet stayed on and he looks cool with his armor over that black tunic

- Mando calls him “Fett”, like two old buddies

- We get a cool glimpse of the inside of Slave 1 and how the “gyroscope”-like internal section seems to work, to transition from the “lying down” landing position to the upright, “elephant head” flying stance. You see the walls moving and you think “what the...”, then you realize that’s how the cabin/passenger area maintains flat/horizontal orientation between the two different positions of the ship (landed vs. flying). The cabin area is on some sort of rotating gimbal type of base that always maintains level, horizontal orientation. Just a quick, throwaway background visual, but nothing we’ve ever seen before so it nicely explained something I’ve always kinda wondered about since 1980

- Some good action throughout; reminded me of “The Siege” episode a few weeks ago, in that they had to break into an imperial facility (to acquire some info re: Gideon’s location), and then get back out

- Nice infiltration/mingling amongst the bad guys sequence, as seen in the 1977 Death Star, Inglourious Basterds and other movies where the good guys have to disguise themselves to get close to the enemy.

- More wheeled vehicles in a galaxy where its established things can float/hover...always makes me chuckle; why was that "truck", carrying such volatile material, not simply gliding over that rough terrain? I know it's a dramatic move/aspect, but they pull that stuff out of nowhere when it's convenient, even though wheeled vehicles in Star Wars are the exception, and always seem to appear in the most illogical settings. You're the Empire...build floating transportation vehicles and you won't have to worry about explosive items excessively bouncing around.

- As with last week’s Indians Jones rolling boulder nod, there’s another direct lift/homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark in the form of an open road, moving vehicle chase, with fighting and gunplay involved. Mando did everything but let himself be dragged behind on the ground via bullwhip.

- Two separate TIE fighter sequences, including one where you’re genuinely happy/relieved to see them...you’ll see; the only time in Star Wars you cheer their arrival and what they did.

- Fennec and Cara working together, both expertly picking off bad guys from a distance, side-by-side made me feel things I probably shouldn’t feel watching a Star Wars show... Lovely, and lethal, ladies

- Boba's armor appears to be cleaned and even repainted, not looking nearly as worn and beaten up as it did in episode 1 of the season, and last week. Thing is, when did he have time to do this, seeing as this episode starts with Cara releasing Mayfield from prison and they walk back to Slave 1 with the others waiting. Unless they made an unseen stop along the way, between the previous episode and this one? Or maybe that town in Nevarro where Cara works? While Mando was talking with Cara last week, Boba found a body shop in town and had some work done? It looks nice. It's even nicer, newer-looking than it appeared in TESB and ROTJ. First time we've really ever seen clean, nearly-pristine Boba Fett armor. I didn't notice it until about halfway in.

- This show really casts a different light on ROTJ, doesn't it? As much as we celebrated/rejoiced at the end of that movie, this show makes it abundantly clear that the Empire never really went away. It took a huge hit, sure. But the personnel, hardware and all still remained. Everyone who wasn't on the second Death Star, they're not going to just blindly surrender or give it up, even if that's what we all might've assumed for 37 years? There are stormtroopers, weaponry, TIE fighters, Imperial officers, etc. galore on this show, so the Battle of Endor wasn't truly the final blow to the Empire we all thought. Interesting. This show handles all that better than the sequels did because, being so soon after Endor (five years), the hardware, uniforms, ships, etc. are going to look like what we know of the Empire from the OT; those sequels kinda framed the First Order as a cosplay/wannabe faction "rising from the ashes", and things were changed just enough to be "new and fresh", but just came across, to me, as a lazy retread of the Empire. It looked silly in those movies, like they couldn't come up with something new/unique. On this show, you can easily imagine just how little things like that would change in just 4-5 years, especially to those untouched by the Endor/Death Star II battle. "We didn't go anywhere, we simply lost a couple of leaders and a big, still-under-construction space station, that's all. We're all still here, and we've got lots of ships, guns, troops and evil officers/leadership."

- We actually see Pedro Pascal himself, sans helmet, for a pretty sizable portion of the episode. So weird/different, but it’s cool how they not only got him out of his Mando armor and into another outfit completely, but how he was forced to remove that uniform’s helmet as well, showing his face to advance the story. I’m sure it was killing him to do so, but there was no choice. It’s funny how, to me, Pascal doesn’t match the image of how I picture Mando to look. You’d think he’s be all hardened and craggy, but he’s just this side of suburban soccer dad, with a mustache and nice head of hair. Weird disconnect. He just doesn’t scream “fighting bad-ass” when the helmet is off, but maybe that’s the point? Christian Bale didn’t look like a violent, tortured vigilante either, once he left the cowl/cape in the cave and went upstairs. The suit makes the man?

- That imperial officer was slimy, and had it coming. And, speaking of Christian Bale/Batman, that Imperial officer at the table, toasting the Empire, was played by the same actor, Richard Brake, who played Joe Chill in Batman Begins (the murderer of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and pretty much responsible for the existence of Batman).

- Slave 1 is still packing those seismic charges, and seeing them used in-atmosphere was so cool. When Boba flipped that control and that hatch opened and I saw it fall out, I knew exactly what it was..."alright, TIE fighters...that's your ass!" I love that sound. Or, rather, lack thereof when they go off, just like the asteroid belt chase with Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones...such a cool, novel audio effect, that "explosion" of instant silence, with that particular weapon. Good stuff...a brief sequence in a movie 18 years ago nicely sets up/pays off, again, all this time later. Perfect!

- Quite a bit of screen time for Slave 1 throughout...parked, taking off “beauty shots”, flying, interiors. They’re getting us familiar with it so when it becomes Mando’s we’ll feel at home, you see.

- Have I mentioned Cara Dune and Fennec? Well, I am again...

- Quite a bit of wise-ass humor throughout, courtesy of Mr. Burr. His cynical, world-weary griping/observations remind me of some of the roles Steve Buscemi has played, particularly his character in Fargo...smarter than he lets on, but utterly miserable and he's just had it with everyone/everything.

- Mando and Cara do right by Mayfield, and reward him for a job well done, leaving the door open for future appearances from the character if needed.

- We now know where Gideon is, and our four heroes - Mando, Cara, Boba and Fennec - are heading there in Slave 1, nicely setting up next week’s season finale.

- Confession: I had a crazy, in-show prediction that didn't pan out. When Mando removed his armor to change into that imperial disguise (and gave his armor to Cara for safekeeping), I truly thought "oh shit...something happens to both Cara and Boba in this episode; Mando's armor is lost/destroyed with Cara, and then Boba Fett gets killed soon after, providing Mando with a replacement outfit. So for about 5-6 minutes, I truly believed this was going to be an episode where a) we lose two team members, and b) Mando winds up with both Slave 1 (which I already assume is coming) and Boba's armor, and that for the remainder of this season, and all future ones, we kinda get the Boba Fett series some have called for, albeit in a sideways, unexpected kinda way (same iconic, familiar ship and armor, different character underneath it all). But none of that happened, so...nevermind.

- Now that he's removed his helmet, in his efforts to find info on Grogu's location, and the fact that he's seen others - Bo Katan and her bunch, Boba Fett - not be so hardline on the "no helmet removal" thing, I'm wondering if Mando softens his stance on that and realizes "I'm still a Mandalorian, just as these other people are, and whether or not people see my face doesn't change that." That might be the compromise the show, and character, makes in order to put a "face" onto things, show his growth/progression from a hardliner to realizing he can see the world without his helmet on 24/7. And, assuming Grogu is to remain part of the show for the next season, it's a way for them to "bond"...Grogu to finally see his "daddy"? In terms of production and real-life concerns, I'd have to think the actor, Pedro Pascal, wasn't looking for multiple seasons of anonymity either; as an actor, he probably doesn't want his face obscured, every episode/every season, from now until ???. This episode might be the turning point where he moves away from that belief a bit? He'd certainly wear it during action/combat stuff, for all the protection and tech is provides, but when just flying around with Grogu or friendly meetings with those he knows/trusts, maybe the helmet comes off? Adds a new layer to the show. He's certainly not the same character/person he was in season one, those first several episodes. He is changing, because of Grogu. So it just seems like a natural, expected progression.

- Is it me or did Gideon look a bit concerned/unnerved upon watching Mando’s hologram message to him? This was the show’s Liam Neeson Taken speech, in which the bad guys are directly notified of the ass-whipping headed their way. Awesomely bad-ass moment from Mando and his clear declaration of his attachment to/feelings for Grogu. Every female/mom YouTube reactor is gonna lose it and fall in love with Mando here. "You gots my little frog baby, and I’m coming to get him because I love him...and I’m gonna kill the hell out of you and all your friends when I get there.”

Well played, Mando. Well played. Make ‘em sweat and sleep with one eye open. Very Clint Eastwood of you, or even John Rambo (“Murdock, I’m coming to get you...”).

I think it’s funny Mando opted for the “you have something that belongs to me and I’m letting you know I’m coming to get it” tactic, vs. a more surprise/stealth approach. I didn’t see that coming.

Next week should be quite a season finale. Should others join the team, it’ll have to be then because, at the moment, it’s just our four above...two armored, hard-case Mandalorians, a Rebel soldier/marshal/bad-ass and a sharpshooter assassin who never misses. Gideon will have his hands full. And should any other allies decide to join in - Bo Katan with her buddies and/or an orange-skinned certain someone - then the bad guys are really up a creek.

But I’m not expecting either, honestly. I think our four-person Grogu rescue team is established. Although Mando knows Bo Katan is after the dark saber and he knows that she knows Gideon has it; you’d think he’d contact her to let her know she and her two friends are invited to go along, making for a Magnificent Seven...he can use the help, and if everything goes right, everyone gets what they want...Grogu safe, dark saber te-acquired and debt/service fulfilled.

More so than Ahsoka, I’m now expecting Bo Katan and her crew to show up. But maybe he realizes the heavy odds and reaches out to Ahsoka as well, since she has a bond with/ties to Grogu. All these people actually have a valid reason to show up next week! Whether they will or not, who knows...

Okay, back to sleep. I’ve got a deck to build in four hours...

[psmith2.0]

Just rewatched. Even better on a larger, brighter screen.

I watch the first time, in bed, from my iPhone/earbuds at around 3:30am Friday mornings (mainly so I can safely be on the Internet throughout the day/weekend and not have to worry about inconsiderate, moron "journalists" and others putting spoilers in their headlines on sites where I wouldn't be expecting such things). And then, either on Saturday or Sunday, I'll sit at my MacBook and watch again, where I always notice more details (all the TIE fighter parts in that scrapyard at the beginning, the faces/details of those pirates attacking the transport, Boba's spiffed-up armor, etc.).

My first viewing is for the initial impact/thrill, the second is the appreciation/notice-more-things round. Been doing this the entire season.

I have an older version of Apple TV and Disney+ doesn't seem to be one of the channels available (and my TV itself is an older 26" RCA "dumb" model from probably 2008 or so...it's made out of fir and is steam-powered ), so the above are my only two ways to watch at the moment. But I've already decided by this time next year, in time for the third season (plus whatever other shows may be teeing up), I'll treat myself and make sure I have a larger (40”?) smart TV with Disney+ as one of the built-in channels (or whatever they're called).

No more iPhone/MacBook viewing on the next go-around, now that I know I enjoy watching this show (and I'm sure I will the others too). That's justification, if it looks like I'm finally going to watch more than just Jeopardy! and occasional HGTV/Food Network.

[kieran]

The beauty of that message from Madno to Gideon is that it's a direct call back to Gideon saying that to Mando earlier.

Such a badass move to give someone's' threatening speech right back to them.

I absolutely love this show.

[psmith2.0]

It wiped that perpetual smirk off Gideon’s face, for sure. I’m guessing nobody’s really ever talked to him that way.

“...and that’s when Moff Gideon knew he’d messed up.”

“Shit, this dude’s crazy. And his buddy in the green helmet is even worse...he just beat an entire platoon to death with a chair!”

As I said in my recap above, every reaction video I’ve seen, when that part happens, people - mostly women, but not exclusively - just melt and get all goo-goo eyed. “Ohh, daddy wants his baby back!” *squeal*

[turtle]

I have to say I completely enjoyed this episode.

"Let's just say they might recognize my face." (7:11 minute mark)

I was rolling on that one. The kids didn't quite get that though. I had to explain why that was such a great line.

[psmith2.0]

They’re giving Boba lots of good lines. That one was a hoot.

The character has been awesome in two episodes, more than he was ever shown to be in the movies.

UPDATE (Sunday morning): As much as I love the idea of Mando winding up with Slave 1, I have to amend my earlier prediction/wants to say I now kinda hope Boba sticks around. Not necessarily as a regular character, but if he were to pop up 2-3 times next season, I wouldn't mind. Maybe give him a few more episodes to fully connect/entertain the fans before he moves on (dead or alive)? While these episodes with the "commando team-ups" are fun as can be, but I don't think I want to see constant Boba Fett/Fennec presence and involvement, because it only seems to take away from the main character a bit. But they two episodes they've been part of have been so fun to watch, I can't deny that.

And as much as the destruction of the Razor Crest needs to pay off/mean something, I'd be okay with Mando acquiring another ship in the meantime...maybe he steals/commandeers something in the final episode? I'm trying to think if there are any cool ships we've seen in canon that would suit the need, or just something new entirely. For his line of work, it has to be - like Slave 1 and Razor Crest - a "fighting" type of craft, but with room for storage (bounties/prisoners), or mission partners, etc. So he can't end up with a small fighter type of ship, it has to be something with a bit of size and weaponry...something military/tactical in design, to suit his gig...fast, well-armed, protected, a few carbon freeze compartments, a sleepover bunk for Cara, etc.

And if it turns out to where Boba sticks around and they all kind share/fly around in Slave 1 for part/most of next season, I won't squawk. I'd watch an entire episode of it just flying around, dropping those seismic charges on things.

I honestly have no idea what they have planned, which is kinda what you want.

As soon as Grogu is safe/returned, Boba and Fennec, should they survive next week, have no real reason or obligation to stick around. The only real guarantee they return, at least once or so, next season is to end this upcoming season finale on an unresolved cliffhanger note, which I wasn't wanting (Grogu not fully rescued, etc.).

I'm so conflicted. I love how Boba Fett is (finally) being portrayed, but I don't want it to be his show. I want Mando to end up with Slave 1, but not just yet. I want these cool missions/adventures with Mando, Boba, Fennec and Cara, but not every episode. I want Grogu to be on the show, but not as side-weight for Mando every episode.

But hey, what a nice problem to have, huh? So many things are good/enjoyable that you hate to see any one element of it truly go away.

The fact that season 3 of The Mandalorian doesn't premiere until next Christmas, a full year-plus from now, vs. the ~10 months between seasons 1 and 2, I wonder if that means they're doing a longer season (10-12 episodes) on the next go-around, and need that extra two months of writing/shooting/post-production work to have them all in the can by autumn? Or I wonder if it's COVID-related, with shooting schedules having to be tweaked/pushed back, and some wiggle-room built in, etc.?

It's gonna be a legit bummer next Friday, knowing something this fun to watch is going away for an entire year. But you know what they say about absence and anticipation...this time next year will be so exciting. And there may very well be another show - Kenobi or Andor? - released in the fall, in the usual (October-December Mandalorian spot)? I know the Andor one is well under production and may be the first to arrive, I just don't know when. And, last I heard, the Obi-Wan show starts production in February. To my knowledge there have been no announced premiere/release dates for either, but I have to assume the Andor show arrives first. They have that Celebration thing in the summer (even if it has to be online-only), so I'm betting we hear some firm release dates on various projects then.

Once The Mandalorian ends its season, then that'll just give me plenty of time to casually, with no sense of urgency, finish up that CGI Clone Wars series I started (I'm still just on season 1, having pumped the brakes a few weeks ago). I knew it would be a tall order to try and take it all in by the end of the year, so I gave up on that. If I just watch 1-3 a week, and maybe that many on rainy weekends, that'll give me plenty to watch, SW-wise, until next autumn. At which point I'll have an even better appreciation/knowledge of Ahsoka Tano by the time her Disney+ series hits.

It's a nice time to be a fan of this property. I haven't had this level of excitement/interest since 2005, when the prequels wrapped up with Episode III. And while I didn't really like it overall (I'm not a fan of any of those entries), at the time it was a big deal to see how Vader came about, the Luke/Leia scene, to see Yoda and Obi-Wan going into hiding, etc. Because it was all finally tying into the trilogy/period I do care about. So there were parts of that movie I liked (for that very reason), but that was the last time, until about two months ago, I've given a true, genuine damn about Star Wars in 15+ years (minus that brief little period in 2015, prior to the release of The Force Awakens and seeing those first teasers/trailers, realizing that we were going to see Luke Skywalker again, etc. Such hope and optimism in those early moments, not knowing any better of what was to actually come...

[kscherer]

Been so busy I haven't had much time for posts, but I will say this:

1) Another great episode

2) "Let's just say they might recognize my face" is one of the best lines, like, ever!

3) The right people are doing this

4) Next week, we get to see some serious bad-assery on Gus Fring's Star Destroyer

5) This thing ends on a cliff-hanger

6) And that cliff-hanger is the force-appearance of Master Jedi …

See? Cliff-hanger!

What a great show.

[psmith2.0]

Honestly, I'm putting my eggs in the Obi-Wan basket at this point.

I know that may seem silly, but with all I talked about upthread - McGregor cops to spending time on the Mandalorian set, his show begins production soon, he's definitely involved in all this Disney+ stuff, little Grogu could've certainly reached out to anyone via the Force, not just the expected living Jedi - I think that's a solid possibility.

Why not go for an even four mind-blowing reveals this season? They've all built in intensity/response, IMO...Bo Katan was great (and out of nowhere), we knew Ahsoka was coming but they still did it cool by jumping right to it and showing her in action, we suspected Boba was coming but we didn't know when, what form he would take, if he'd be a friend or foe, etc. They've got time for a final, out-of-nowhere appearance by a beloved figure (both the character and the actor).

And, yes...I know, without aging makeup, Ewan McGregor doesn't really look like the way Alec Guinness did in ROTJ (and this show is set five years after that), so either they'll age McGregor a bit, or they'll just let that be one of those odd, don't-worry-just-go-with-it things (like Hayden Christensen appearing as Vader's Force ghost, etc.).

No matter who shows up, there's no way Grogu's little Seeing Stone session doesn't pay off/pan out. Too much was happening for nobody to have not "heard" that call and looking to respond. And that's why I think it could be a Force ghost because the location won't matter. A living Jedi would somehow have to learn/find out about Gideon's location and all the risk/danger that would go with it. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, could simply appear to Grogu in his cell, anywhere he happened to be (Gideon's ship, an Imperial base, etc.). I don't think the Force needs a passport or security clearance.

I'm excited. Just a few more days and I'll do my Friday 3:30am thing one final time for the year/season. Thank goodness, because that does make for a loooong Friday sometimes. Next season, I'll have a bigger, nicer TV and I'll just wake up around 7am on Friday mornings to watch. Easy to stay off the internet in those early hours...it's the "all day Friday/weekend" that's tough.

[kscherer]

Keep in mind also that it could "pan out" next season, just as the first hint of Boba Fett came at the end of season 1, and it didn't "pan out" until season 2.

The crew in charge of this thing is playing the long game. Disney wants to keep subscribers from walking away after a single season. Thus, all those new shows. I'm wagering that Disney gets to the point where there is a "season" of one Star Wars Story or another running each and every week of the year, with seasons possibly overlapping and intertwining and characters jumping from one to another to tie it all together cohesively.

This is a big game!

[psmith2.0]

It is, and I don't think everything gets answered/wrapped up this Friday. A lot probably will, but there will have to be that "Gideon climbing out of a wrecked TIE with the darksaber" moment of some sort to bring people back next year.

[Brad]

Forgive me if I'm super out of the loop on this question, but have Favreau or Filoni ever made any public statements about how long they foresee The Mandalorian running? With them being such creative guys, especially with what I heard of Favreau basically writing scripts in his spare time for fun before the show took off, I would expect them to have a strong vision for this show's overall story arc, and I would hope that includes a proper conclusion, not forever dragging cliff-hangers or random plots to feed the Disney beast.

Don't get me wrong; I'm loving the show, but I really want to see it end on a high note. I know season 3 is already in production. I just wonder if these guys are empowered to plan and commit to a definitive ending. Mando can't keep slinging Grogu around forever, and I don't know if a substitute MacGuffin could possibly capture as wide appeal as "baby Yoda" has. Few show-runners that I'm aware of have had this kind of foresight. Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica reboot in the early 2000s is one that comes to mind. Despite some shaky writing in the late seasons, Moore started that show saying he expected a five-year run, and sure enough he delivered five seasons (though he had to get studio approval for one more after each season finale's cliff-hanger) and ended pretty much how he set out to end it (or so he says).

[psmith2.0]

I've actually thought about this very thing recently. It's hitting such highs now, but we see what happens when shows lose that spark and start to coast, and overstay their welcome. I, too, hope they've got something in place to where they know when it's done.

"Leaving on a high note, and making everyone miss you" seems to be the rare approach in entertainment. Instead it's usually "stick around for 3-7 seasons longer than you ever should've, for all the wrong reasons." *cough The Walking Dead ** cough-cough Stranger Things**

I'd love for this show to go out strong, and sooner/earlier than most may want.

We do not need to see Mando with water skis, approaching the ramp overlooking the hammerhead enclosure.

Leave 'em wanting more, and they'll never forget you. Stick around long after you should've gracefully taken a bow, and they'll remember you for all the wrong reasons.

I'm hoping this show is being produced with the former mindset in place. 3-5 seasons, tops, and then beat it and open it up to something else. And if Favreau and Filoni want to head that up too, awesome! I trust they'll deliver, no matter the character/setting.

I think back to all the shows I've loved over the years - NYPD Blue and The X Files probably being the two biggies for me - and how, after about halfway into their run, they just became something else and I wish they'd never slogged on as they did.

[psmith2.0]

Gonna be honest...I’m a little nervous.

For all the perks/upsides that come from staying spoiler-free and going into a show every week genuinely clueless about what is coming, that can turn around on you when it comes down to the season finale.

Depending on the show, it can be wall-to-wall fake-outs, chain-yanking and game-playing/manipulation, or genuine surprises/revelations, and maybe a bit of heartache. And sometimes all the above.

They’ll have to provide enough wrap-up/resolution to some things to make the season feel “worth it”, but leave enough hanging to make this upcoming year-long wait a doozy and ensure viewers all tune in next December.

I truly have no idea what to expect at this point. I’ve liked that for seven episodes, not so much for #8.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I think back to all the shows I've loved over the years - NYPD Blue and The X Files probably being the two biggies for me - and how, after about halfway into their run, they just became something else and I wish they'd never slogged on as they did.

I agree. Needs to end with little Groku holding hands with Force-ghost Yoda walking away into some sort of happy little Force-sunset and Mando having given his life to save the little frog.

Those kind of endings don't come along very often. Breaking Bad is the only show I've seen in ages that set such a definitive tone. I like that. A story with an actual ending.

I think that if they get aboard Gus Fring's ship, fight their way to the little frog, get cornered and "it's all over now", maybe lose Boba Fett or that sniper lady, set up some real "you all gonna die" moment, and then, in the last five seconds, some Jedi pops into the scene (but you can't see the face) and you see that light saber activate and then … *poof* … wait until next December, suckers!

That would be a doozy.

[psmith2.0]

I just wonder about the logistics of a real-life Jedi knowing where to show up. But if they're "locked into" Grogu, I suppose that could explain it. Still, if they're coming aboard an Imperial ship, or base, they're up against some odds. I know a Jedi with a lightsaber is probably the equivalent of about 125 Stormtroopers (maybe more? ), but still.

That's why I'm thinking of the spiritual realm (Obi-Wan). He wouldn't be there for a fight/lightsaber action in that form (does that even work?) but to tell Grogu something, either way..."seek out [fill in the blank]" or "your journey lies along a different path".

Ahsoka made it sound like Grogu was to be the one who chooses. As much as I didn't sign on for a "bear and cub" story forever, it does make for a good pairing/dynamic, and humanizes Mando a good bit.

I don't know. I do think back to all the times the show has lurched in another direction from the assumed/expected, so that kinda tells me all our predictions are probably not going to pan out. I don't think there will be much "obvious" taking place, otherwise half the Internet will have already figured it out by now. But I truly do believe we're being set up for a fourth and final "OMG!!" reveal Friday...friend or foe, rescuer or cliffhanger, etc.

I don't think this season peaked with Boba Fett two episodes ago, I just don't.

Whoever's doing security for this show, Apple might want to look into hiring them. Nothing seems to leak! Yes, there are tons of YouTubers engaging in theories and speculation, but when I go back to watch some of them after I've seen the episode, none of them have been accurate. So if I do accidentally see something while on YouTube, I don't believe it anyway. Their track record is pretty lousy. Somehow, all the folks involved in this show actually seem to be abiding by their NDAs and keeping quiet.

[709]

ha HA!

I knew Agent May wasn't dead!!!


Now excuse me while I continue to not read upthread until I catch up to y'all.

[turtle]

I saw Boba this morning in a new behind the scenes look at Empire Strikes Back. I started to zoom in and all, but got stuck dealing with work stuff. I wanted to show the clip though since it just got put out there.

[psmith2.0]

Speaking of Boba Fett - freaky timing, huh? - Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played Boba in the two movies, has died at 75.

Just as the character has re-entered the public conscience once again, just a few weeks ago (and will surely play a major part in tomorrow's season finale). Such odd timing!

Some of you may already know this, but he also played a brief, unhelmeted role in The Empire Strikes Back. He's the imperial officer pulling Leia into the doorway as she screams to warn Luke on Cloud City that he's walking into a trap.

[psmith2.0]

BTW, when Ahsoka was talking about Grogu's past to Mando (how he was raised/trained in the Jedi temple, taken by someone, etc.) and then "his memory grows dark"...how was that meant to be taken?

Dark as in "evil/bad/negative", or dark as in "he forgot/stopped remembering"?

It can be taken two different ways and both work. I suppose she means the former, sensing the fear in him?

But part of me wonders if Grogu just shut it all out/repressed those memories to where he doesn't even quite know where he belongs or how he got where he is?

[psmith2.0]

***Fear not...THIS post contains no spoilers, but a couple of tidbits of helpful info/heads up you’ll want to know. Read on, it’s okay...I’ll make it clear, later on in a separate post to come, when I’l be in spoiler discussion/analysis mode.

At the very least, be sure to scroll down to my final “PS #2” entry below, just so you’ll know!!



Fans - fans - run this show. And there won’t be a dry eye among the fans who watch.

Gonna sit on this a bit. I’ll write tonight, or tomorrow.

Star Wars is in excellent hands.

PS - Call me crazy, but I think Jon Favreau - intentionally or otherwise - just delivered a gigantic, public “F-you two, point-missing clowns!!” to J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

PS #2 - STICK AROUND AFTER THE CREDITS!!’ You’re welcome.

[turtle]

I didn't read much ahead because I can't watch this until my daughter gets back from dance... at 9pm or so.

Anyway, is this the first time they have had a post-credit scene?

[turtle]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Speaking of Boba Fett - freaky timing, huh? - Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played Boba in the two movies, has died at 75. Just as the character has re-entered the public conscience once again, just a few weeks ago (and will surely play a major part in tomorrow's season finale). Such odd timing! Some of you may already know this, but he also played a brief, unhelmeted role in The Empire Strikes Back. He's the imperial officer pulling Leia into the doorway as she screams to warn Luke on Cloud City that he's walking into a trap.

I did not realize this, thanks for sharing about his other role. I say he died and started to post it, but got swamped with work again and you beat me to it.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by turtle I didn't read much ahead because I can't watch this until my daughter gets back from dance... at 9pm or so. Anyway, is this the first time they have had a post-credit scene?

I believe it is. I missed it upon my initial 3:30am viewing (I typically bail after the credits start, once I see who directed and wrote the episode), but saw a couple of references to it online and hopped back and clicked “resume”.

I hope word gets out because, like me, nobody’s conditioned to wait/check after 15 episodes/two seasons of it not being a thing.

Without spoiling anything, of course, I’ve told friends who watch this to be sure to stick around so they’ll know. And i thought I should give a heads up above for folks here.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by turtle I did not realize this, thanks for sharing about his other role. I say he died and started to post it, but got swamped with work again and you beat me to it.

After 40+ years, we’re starting to lose some of those involved with the OT in recent years. Kenny Baker, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and, in just the past several weeks, David Prowse and now Jeremy Bulloch.

Always a bit of an odd sting to see those snippets of your childhood passing on.

[Bryson]

Is Boba going to get super fat too, sitting in that chair?

Episode was great fun, although I kind of wish they hadn't done the CGI character. I knew who it was for sure once I saw the hands.

I'm not sure how I feel about that, tbh. The fact that the Skywalkers weren't in this program was pretty much an advantage to my eyes.

A few questions:
It seems like there was hardly anyone on that Star Destroyer. Maybe 50 people, max?
Do TIE Fighter pilots sit in their fighters all day waiting to launch? It seemed very quick from order given to first fighter launched.
One fighter launching at a time seems very inefficient.
Who's making the decisions and giving orders to the Dark Troopers?

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Bryson A few questions: It seems like there was hardly anyone on that Star Destroyer. Maybe 50 people, max?

Someone earlier - Bo Katan, or maybe that scientist/doctor guy? - talked about how such a ship usually had a much larger crew, but this one was far less.

Originally Posted by Bryson Do TIE Fighter pilots sit in their fighters all day waiting to launch? It seemed very quick from order given to first fighter launched.

Probably. What do earthbound fighter pilots in the Air Force, Navy and Marines do? I know they don't sit in their planes all day (I don't think), but in wartime or tense scenarios, I have to believe they're ready to go at a moment's notice. They're surely in the hangar, suited up and can be airborne in short order if needed. When we first moved to California, my wife was attached to an F-18 squadron at MCAS El Toro. We lived right at the runway/hangar areas, and, even though it was peacetime (1994-1995), all those guys did was drill, take off, fly around, land, touch-and-go, etc., all day, every day.

In something like Star Wars, if you're a TIE pilot that just might be part of the gig...you stick by really close (if not actually in your ship) so you're ready to go at an instant?

Originally Posted by Bryson Who's making the decisions and giving orders to the Dark Troopers?

Lando Calrissian, administrator of this facility.

They must be programmed to just know what to do/when to do it? They got that Evil™ chip/programming in them. They seemed to know enough to fly back to that cruiser and try to retake the bridge without any obvious orders coming their way. Gideon wasn't communicating with them at the time, so either it's just their programming (anyone who isn't a member of the Empire is the enemy, and if we're activated, kill/disable anyone who isn't on our side), or we're just not meant to see who may be pulling bigger strings at this time. But I think they're just programmed super-soldiers who recognize what side they're on, who the enemy is, etc. and behave accordingly.

I'm cool for a one-and-done appearance by that character. But it doesn't hold up enough, the CGI or whatever they used, to base a show around. Besides, that's not what this show needs to be about. It was a nice way to wrap up this particular story, so I have no worries/fears that it's doing to turn into more of that. I think that was just a major bone thrown to the fans to make up for the complete lump the character was in those bonehead sequels. We were denied seeing fully-trained, Master Jedi bad-ass in action like we thought we'd see at some point 2015-2019, so this was probably Jon Favreau going "guys, I feel your pain...here, enjoy!"

If you think about it, this is the first time we've ever seen this character fight that way (that fast-paced, using everything at their disposal, taking-on-dozens-of-foes-at-once that we came to know in the prequels and animated shows). Aside from that Jabba sail barge sequence in ROTJ - and even that was kinda slow and telegraphed compared to Jedi fighting sequences that came with the prequels - this was the character doing what we all knew he could. This is the first time we've seen the character do all that "kicking multiple ass at once, very effectively" that we saw from Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin in I-III, as well as Ahsoka and others in those animated shows (or Ahsoka in that recent Mandalorian episode where she went to town on multiple foes in the woods).

This season has partly been about redeeming some big-screen shortcomings, and presenting two very popular characters in a far different light than they were allowed to be in feature films. In just three episodes of a TV show, we now understand Boba Fett's reputation. And now that same thinking has been applied to a character who completely wasted across three ridiculous, shitty movies. This TV show, in just one eight-episode season, gave us the Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker we were never shown on the big screen.

[drewprops]

What a fun way to wrap up the season!!

Internet bellyachers are almost as bad as all the assholes and outlets spoiling this episode all day long today. People can be angels sometimes, then absolute assholes other times.

I might binge this entire season now all over again.


...

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by drewprops ...all the assholes and outlets spoiling this episode all day long today...

At 5am this morning, people already had their YouTube videos up with revealing, spoiling thumbnails and titles blatantly saying what had happened. And anyone calling them on it were met with "people shouldn't be looking for this stuff, then...".

I had to create an account just to log in and say "no, asshole, the way it works is the stuff you previously watch/seek out kinda pops up into a customized feed, which just appears on your YouTube homepage. So I don't have to be 'seeking it out', you inconsiderate, oblivious twats, if you're spilling everything in the headline/thumbnail, jackass."

It's just basic, common courtesy, isn't it? Don't put spoilers in unavoidable, wide-open-to-all places like headlines, thumbnail images, thread/video titles, etc. Save all that kind of stuff for within the article/video itself. Stop being stupid/inconsiderate re: spoilers and the problem solves itself, instantly.