The Mandalorian - Chapter Two - The Child

[ctg]

Target in-hand, the Mandalorian must now contend with scavengers.

 

[ctg]

I was wrong. I admit it. I was wrong about the content and lack of it. I apologise. Sorry.

You see I have now watched the first episode four times and this one twice, before I started writing this post. The episode is amazing. In fact, I get why there is so little dialogue, and why some of the scene feels lengthy compared to normal offerings. The thing is, Dave and Jon has really thought about what they’re presenting to the audience.

I do think that the geeks are getting more of this than the general public as you’d still have to have watched the animated Clone Wars and possibly continued checking the tale at the Star Wars Rebels. If not you might at least want to read on my thoughts on the latter one as it mostly deals with this same time period set in the after the Return of the Jedi at around in the time of the Fall of New Republic.

Yoda is dead and there is no on really to take his place. To be frank, most of the people don’t even know what species he presented as it doesn’t come through in the movies. In fact, if you look into the official databases at Wookiepedia and at StarWars.com, they list the species as unknown.

I find it slightly surprising as there are a number of Expanded Universe novels that could have tackled with the idea about the Yoda’s origins. However, if you look into the Mandalore history, there’s loads, but it’s all distributed in between the comics, games, novels and the animated series like the Star Wars Rebels. There are a few videos that you can easily find in the Youtube, like for example this one:

Nevertheless, what wasn’t provided before is here now and it’s all ready to be analysed. Thing is, I didn’t wanted to talk about the kid in the last post, because it would have spoiled too much and frankly, driven the conversation into the direction I didn’t want to head yet. I needed to see what others thought about it.

It is obvious that the Yoda species is highly Force-Sensitive. There are a few examples of them in the Expanded Universe, with most interesting being the Ysalamir as they literally cancel the Force around them. Admiral Thrawn used them successful to against Dark Jedi Master Joruus C’baoth Force attacks and then to imprison him. In same light, The Child is extremely strong and “it” shows remarkably similar kind skills that Ezra used first time in his trials for the Force Powers at Star Wars Rebels.

Animal Bond or Beast Control is a Force Power that is not easy to learn. In fact, the great Anakin Skywalker had not really learned until he was an adult and at the beginning of the Clone Wars. Ezra Bridger knew it from the beginning and The Child certainly has it. It might be the reason why it had remained in that pirate town for fifty years. We don’t even if it was born in there, or if the Child was kidnapped and transported there. What we do know however is that the remains of the Empire is extremely interested to collect the price as they keep sending bounty hunters after another to acquire the child.

Unlike Ezra or his Master Kanan, The Child’s powers become apparent in the above shot as the Mandalorian takes the Child into the trail to get back to his ship. He doesn’t notice that the local fauna is getting connected as they traverse the crevasse. If he did, maybe he thought it was just them and the possibility of getting something to eat.

Yoda said, “Force is all around us,” when he thought Luke things about this mystical thing. “It’s in trees, rocks. In you and me. Around that ship…” as he pointed out the sunken X-Fighter in the swamps of Dagobah. And for years, if not decades the fans has been wondering about it. What it really meant?

You look at the animals and the great horned beast that guards the Egg, and you know that Yoda was talking about everything. The Force is everywhere in the Star Wars universe and if you’ll watch the Rebels, you get to know that it goes beyond the dimensions. Some could claim that Force has its own dimension and it interacts with the real world, expect in most of the cases it’s invisible.



Ezra Bridger could not have tamed that great beast the way the Child did. Not even if he has natural ability to connect with them. The Child however can, and it’s not a far reach to think that Yoda back in the day showed similar kind of process. Wonder what the Sith would do if they’d get their hands of the Child?

All we know that they are still out there even if most of them are dead. To them, there is always two, the Master and the Apprentice. To Jedi it’s the Master and The Padawan. You might wonder what is the relationship between the Mandalorian and the Child and I could not give you the answer.

Only it seems after the Egg hunt that the Mandalorian is more in the learning role than the Child. Luckily, we got the Egg and the ship back in the order. But I do wonder …



… why the Jawas wanted to eat the Egg? They could have instead hatched it to another horned beast and used it for the profit. Surely the Hutts are still interested in those kind of things for their games. After all they are still going strong at their space at the edge of the Star Wars galaxy.

Another thing that I started to wonder, while I watched this excellent episode was that doesn’t parked ships in the desert command some sort of respect. Do not touch me, kind of thing or does the Jawas simply not care?

 

[Culhwch]

Jawas have no respect. If they find it, and you're not there to shoo them off, it's theirs. Is it Tatooine? Or are jawas just drawn to desert planets in general?

I wouldn't say that the Yodeling tamed or controlled the beast at any level.. I thought it was simply a Force lift. Still impressive, though. More impressive, maybe.

Great episode. I love the pace, love the overall aesthetic. I'm totally into the slow burn. I'm not a huge fan of the score, but I will concede it does fit the mood they are going for.

 

[Arkenstone]

Baby Yoda didn't tame the beast. It suspended the animal in the air by using the force, against its will.

Also, Ysalamiri are not the same species as Yoda. They look nothing like one and they cling on trees for most of their lives.

 

[Culhwch]

CTG's point with the ysalamiri is that they are a species as a whole that are highly Force sensitive (in their case Force dampening), and that Yoda's species as a whole may similarly all be highly Force sensitive - he wasn't saying that they were the same species. There were also those dog-like creatures that Talon Karrde had as pets that could sense the ysalamiri, and Jedi, through the Force. Or could they not sense ysalamiri, because the Force dampening was a defense mechanism? I can't remember, it's been years since I reread the Thrawn trilogy!

Have ysalamiri been brought into the new canon, or are they still only Legends? I know Thrawn's back, though I haven't read or watched any of the new stuff that incorporates him.

 

[ctg]

Yes, I didn't mean they are same species. Just that they are at the end of the scales, both extreme. And I don't buy that it was the Force Lift as the beast was lifted 20 cms from the ground and dropped back again. Beast Control would make more sense as it could render the beast immobile at the end, while the Force Lift, just releases the beast.

Jawas have no respect. If they find it, and you're not there to shoo them off, it's theirs. Is it Tatooine? Or are jawas just drawn to desert planets in general?

It's not Tatooine. Totally different planet, and Old Man Kenobi would have certainly sensed the Child if it had been there. According to the wikipedia, the Planet is Arvala-7.

 

[Culhwch]

I don't think it was rendered immobile, though, I think it was just stunned, and the Mandalorian snapped out of his shock a second before it did. I don't know why they would have had him lift it off the ground if he was also controlling it. He could have just stopped it in its tracks.

I didn't think it was Tatooine, but the jawas were a bit confusing. Also I don't think they necessarily had the child in that one spot for fifty years. Although I might have missed something that confirmed that...

 

[ctg]

Also I don't think they necessarily had the child in that one spot for fifty years. Although I might have missed something that confirmed that...

When he goes down on the planet and including when he was given the contract, he was given the information, "Bounty hasn't been collected for fifty years."

 

[ctg]

I don't think it was rendered immobile, though, I think it was just stunned, and the Mandalorian snapped out of his shock a second before it did

You think the Mudhorn (official name) was stunned when he was dropped in the ground? If he was completely animal then I would have expected him to freak out and start running around, but no. The MudHorn didn't act as if it was just dropped. He collapsed and went to lie on his side as if he was totally out. He didn't even tried to get on his legs, before the Mandalorian pushed the vibroblade into his head and ended his days.

 

[Parson]

Just finished both of the first two episodes and I am very impressed. I come here and find that for someone like myself who long ago declared that he would watch movies and television shows, but not read the books, or read the books and not watch the videos/movies of other stories, I seem to be missing a good bit of the subplot here.

--- Why did I come to such an unusual decision? Well, I read a couple of the early Star Trek novels based on the TV series and found them boring. I watched "Dune" and it did not hold a candle to the book, so I made the decision that anything derivative was probably not worth my time and money.

 

[ctg]

I seem to be missing a good bit of the subplot here.

What do you mean?

 

[Culhwch]

When he goes down on the planet and including when he was given the contract, he was given the information, "Bounty hasn't been collected for fifty years."

Granted, although it's a bit dumb to stay in the one place all that time if bounty hunters kept coming for the Yodeling. In fact you'd think the Empire or Remnant would have eventually just sent a platoon of stormtroopers to grab him, given it wasn't actually that hard for the Mandalorian and IG-11 in the end.

You think the Mudhorn (official name) was stunned when he was dropped in the ground? If he was completely animal then I would have expected him to freak out and start running around, but no. The MudHorn didn't act as if it was just dropped. He collapsed and went to lie on his side as if he was totally out. He didn't even tried to get on his legs, before the Mandalorian pushed the vibroblade into his head and ended his days.

It only collapsed after the Madalorian stabbed it in the brain.

 

[ctg]

In fact you'd think the Empire or Remnant would have eventually just sent a platoon of stormtroopers to grab him, given it wasn't actually that hard for the Mandalorian and IG-11 in the end.

Both IG and the Mandalorian are elite. Regural Empire era stormtroopers are cannon fodder, and if they'd have dropped a StarDestroyer on orbit the pirates would have escaped with the Yodaling (I like that name, thank you). Thing that we don't know is who put up the bounty, the Emperor or someone else?

 

[Culhwch]

Drop enough Stormies in, and I think they'd overwhelm them. But that's a good point about them running - but still, it's odd they haven't already if there's been so many attempts that it's impacting local farmers...

I just watched the Mudhorn scene again, because I started doubting my own memory. It's struggling to get at the Mandalorian the whole time it's airborn, and when it's dropped it takes a second to gather its feet and then immediately goes for the Mandalorian again, who stabs it. There's no point where it seems to be under the Yodeling's control. Plus the gesture that the Yodeling makes is basically identical to the one Yoda makes when lifting Luke's X-wing - I definitely think that's the parallel that they are going for.

 

[ctg]

Do you like the music?

 

[Culhwch]

To be honest... not overly! Unlike other Star Wars scores, which have a high rotation on my phone, I wouldn't listen to it outside of the context of the show. But it fits the aesthetic.

 

[Parson]

What do you mean?

Things like this:

I do think that the geeks are getting more of this than the general public as you’d still have to have watched the animated Clone Wars and possibly continued checking the tale at the Star Wars Rebels. If not you might at least want to read on my thoughts on the latter one as it mostly deals with this same time period set in the after the Return of the Jedi at around in the time of the Fall of New Republic.

I watched maybe one episode of "Clone Wars" and I realized that to understand it I pretty much had to start at the beginning and work through them. And I have not read anything of the "Star Wars Rebels."

 

[ctg]

I watched maybe one episode of "Clone Wars" and I realized that to understand it I pretty much had to start at the beginning and work through them. And I have not read anything of the "Star Wars Rebels."

Yes, and it's unfortunate as it limits you a little. That's why I put the lore video at above. It's around 30 minutes and it will fill you with enough of info if you're interested in the Mandalorian background. It also helps you to understand what I mean with the Emperor bodyguards, and their relationship in general. What you also said, prove the point about what I said about the general audience, as they would be like you. They wouldn't know anything about things that has been portrayed outside the films, which is kind of shame, because I think you'd like the Rebels at the end.

 

[Culhwch]

I started watching the Clone Wars back when it was on Netflix, but it never grabbed me. I may give it a go now with Disney Plus, but if I'm being honest I probably won't. Rebels was the same, and Resistance just doesn't look like my kind of thing at all. I've seen a few 'essential episodes' lists, and maybe I'll check those out... though that might be too much hard work!

My EU knowledge is almost entirely based on what is now Legends, although the broad strokes of Mandalorian lore I picked up there seem to hold true with this iteration. If you had limited to no knowledge of Star Wars I would suggest you'd be pretty lost with this, but then again if someone recommended that you start with this show it'd be a bit of an odd choice.

 

[Parson]

That's why I put the lore video at above. It's around 30 minutes and it will fill you with enough of info if you're interested in the Mandalorian background. It also helps you to understand what I mean with the Emperor bodyguards, and their relationship in general.

Well I invested the half hour into the video and my head is spinning. But I do think I have a bit of a better sense of the backstory of the Mandalorian. Thanks.