The Mandalorian - Chapter Six - The Prisoner

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The Mandalorian joins a crew of mercenaries on a dangerous mission.

 

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So the life on run continues and by the looks of it, it's not getting any easier for Mando or the Child. The Prisoner Barge job would have been the last one I would have personally taken, because the risk involved in it is just too high. It is kind of interesting that in the Imperium Days the prison transports were always escorted by Tie Fighters, with a compliment of Stormtroopers residing at the inside.

Even the Imperial cargo transports had someone, while droids patrolled the corridors. So for the New Republic to drop out the human crew besides one officer, it kind of feels that they adopted the best and made security clear by the patrols. Move timeline forward, and somehow the New Republic loses everything to Snoke's New Order.

What happened?

There must be something that New Republic did to lose all their power during the days it led to New Order to form up and become the might in the galaxy. Nevertheless it was refreshing to see an actual space episode instead of having to visit another planet. And we learned that Mando had kept some shady company in the past. Someone could even claim he's well known among the criminal Underworld.

Well, the life on run has never been easy. You are only buying time towards the inevitable conclusion. Someone is going to get to Asset and there is nothing Mando can do about it. Zero got really close to finding out the secret and if the droid would have been smart as it claimed to be, he would have flown off as soon as the trouble arrived.

All I can assume is that Zero was locked by its programming. It had no choice but to wait for the packet to arrive. Although I do assume that it would have figured out that the Guild would reward it handsomely for returning the Asset, Zero would still have returned back to Ranzar Malk.

The others, however, they would have stabbed each others on back for realising what they had in their hands. So I'm glad that they are now locked down, and waiting for the barge to arrive so that they can move on plotting the escape. It cannot be the last time we'll see those faces.

I'm not sure what I would do in Mando's shoes, because he knows that he's cutting awfully close on getting snatched by doing these off-the-book grey missions without guild's backup. The only thing I see is to head out into uncharterted territory or go at the heart of the New Republic and deliver Yodaling to a better place. To a better hands then he can ever provide.

The life on the run, or being a child among the mercenaries is a risk. It is a humongous risk.

So what Mando should really do?

 

[Parson]

I was relieved by this episode after the last. It felt much more central to the story arc. It is clear than Mando is running out of options and something major has to be done. By all rights he shouldn't have survived the prison barge mission, but he did. But he has made some powerful enemies among the criminal element as well as the Guild. If he were in the army you would say he has been maneuvered into a pincer and is in big trouble.

Another question this episode brings up is the limits of the power of the Yodaling. Was he trying and failing to effect the Droid near the end? It wasn't clear to me.

This episode points to one of Mando's moral strengths and tactical weaknesses. He should have killed the criminal crew, but didn't. I like that about him, but in real life this kind of action is likely to be his destruction. On the other hand, he has no qualms about facilitating the leveling of an entire habitat. How many people died in that anyway? So his moral code clearly is more situational than internal.

Episode rating 4+.

 

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Another question this episode brings up is the limits of the power of the Yodaling. Was he trying and failing to effect the Droid near the end? It wasn't clear to me.

I think he was trying mind control. But in there is no such thing in known force powers. So, the only option is Force Lift or Telekinesis as we know it. Zero has zero amount of midiclorians to give him life. Therefore, he is more difficult to manipulate than the HornedBeast. But we also know that the Child is not trained. He is using his natural talents, and while he is in baby state, he might not use the Force as fast as he should.

To give him reputation, they should have allowed the Child to Force Manipulate Zero. Why did he leave it as his last option. Also why is that he's not using the Force to get his favourite toy?

By all rights he shouldn't have survived the prison barge mission, but he did. But he has made some powerful enemies among the criminal element as well as the Guild.

Yeah, that right. He made enemies as he has done in every episode. But he didn't destroy the space station, New Republic did. So in that way he has done nothing wrong and his moral code is intact. Nobody died that didn't need to die, which can be strange if you compare to Mandalorians in the Rebels. Or how they were back in the days.

It is almost like the Child forces Mando to think about his moral choices and the company he keeps. There must be a long list of people he has met over the years who can contact, but each one of them is also a trap. The Guild and now the Underworld is after him. It would be epic if Hutts started hunting him. Or one of the Sith's or Sisters would sniff out what he's carrying.

The Asset makes his life dangerous. More so then what it should be. Do you agree?

 

[Parson]

The Asset makes his life dangerous. More so then what it should be. Do you agree?

Oh most assuredly! Without the "asset" he would have simply returned to his life as a bounty hunter; perhaps the "Prime Bountyhunter."

 

[Culhwch]

I didn't mind this episode, but I'm starting to wish there was a little more of an overarching story to this series. It reminds me of the old 'Tales of...' books of the EU/Legends, which were always variable in quality, and okay in small doses but really just filler between the meatier novels.

One thing that really put me off were the Twi'lek lekku prosthetics. That was some cosplay-level stuff. Stiff, unconvincing, no life or movement to them at all. It might have been a stylistic choice, because they seemed to more mimic the animated versions of Twi'leks than the live action examples we've seen in characters like Oola and Bib Fortuna, but I just couldn't get past how bad they looked. Disappointing after the fidelity of a lot of rest of the visuals. The Devaronian did look amazing, though.

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

So what Mando should really do?

First of all, I think there's starting to be increasingly less point in calling anything a filler episode! With two more episodes left to go, and a second season in development, clearly nobody's in any hurry to get where they're going. I think we're in for the long haul, guys. But who's disappointed?

What I would like to see happen is that all these small changes happening from episode to episode--characters introduced, conflicts started and only partially resolved--ends up, by the finish of the season (together with a climactic event) pushing Mando and the Child into some kind of commitment to a specific, situation-resolving goal: perhaps killing the people who want the Child dead, or possibly (as Greef suggested in episode three, although Mando dismissed it as a joke) seeking out and asking somebody from the New Republic about what in the galaxy is going on with this kid. Something, at least, that gives them an active (quest), rather than a simply reactive (survival), long-term goal.

And then you have a cliffhanger for season two, and you're up and running. It's not necessarily a bad move to spend the first season setting up the start of a series-long goal.

I favor Greef's suggestion. The very fact that Mando dismissed the idea of contacting the New Republic so quickly and thoroughly at the time makes it an ultimate solution worth considering. It just might take him a while to change his mind on how desperate a solution is really needed here.

That's the sort of plot development that would nicely connect everything that's happened so far. It's a longer, and more involved plot, but The Mandalorian is so popular right now that I doubt the producers have any interest in resolving this quickly!

Also, with a more open-ended story like that, they leave themselves open to the introduction of any number of new, or old and Star Wars-familiar, elements. Which is probably a smart move.

I'm not very hopeful of being right, though. The producers might just want to keep going on like this for as long as they can hold interest. Hope not. But how many other times have the interests of making more money taken precedence over the interests of good story?

Whatever. The episode was fun to watch. Advice of the day: don't push Mando too far. He'll take it quietly, right up until the cell doors close on him--and then you'll be sorry.

 

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But how many other times have the interests of making more money taken precedence over the interests of good story?

To Dave and Jon it has been about good stories as the money aspect has come later on. They knew that they were going to receive a lot of flack if The Mandalorian cocked up. Writing for a 20 minute slot is very different than doing a full length 40 minute one. It doesn't give much of room for anything, but they have managed to grow characters and the universe in that time slot.

Each episode costs around 15 million to make. That's a lot of money for 20 minute slot and some people could make a full length movie with that money. It's way much cheaper to make them animated and still provide the same story, maybe even more because you are not restricted by the special effects budget.

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

That gives me a bit more hope, then. Thank you.

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

By the way, just in case anybody hasn't heard or noticed yet, chapter seven is coming out on the eighteenth, on Wednesday, instead of Friday the twentieth. (Possibly because of Rise of Skywalker's planned release on the twentieth?)

And then the eighth episode is scheduled for the twenty-seventh as usual.

Just FYI.

 

[Culhwch]

Yeah, I saw that today. It's going to be a real Star Warsy week!!

 

[Parson]

(Possibly because of Rise of Skywalker's planned release on the twentieth?)

Without a doubt that's the reason just got a prompt on my phone telling me exactly that.

Interestingly the church I now attend is renting the theater out for a Saturday morning showing of the The Rise of Skywalker. Pretty cool, Huh?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Really didn't like this episode:

- Felt like it was riffing too close to any Jason Stratham film and suicide Squad, neither of which excite me,
- None of the characters were interesting, just grunting, snarking, hissing hulks of testosterone
- I didn't understand why Mando felt a need to step in with these guys and stay with them - made him seem very passive
- Mando is supposed to have learned the lesson about leaving the Baby Yoda alone. And yet ... ?
- The chase scenes toward the end really dragged for me. I desperately wanted to fast forward just to get to the end
- The big threat was just 3 X-Wings? And they simply fired on the beacon, even though it was completely out of context?
- This is episode 6 of 8 - where's the story arc?

I figure some of the characters and references come from other Star Wars, but I didn't get any of it, and just didn't enjoy this exercise of a heist.

 

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This is episode 6 of 8 - where's the story arc?

There is two, one is the Child and another is the Mandalore angle.

Mando is supposed to have learned the lesson about leaving the Baby Yoda alone. And yet ... ?

Daddies never learn. Well, not until they've done a couple of times. But honestly can you really blame him for trying to be a Daddy-o?