The Mandalorian season finale featured humor, surprises, and action. It incorporated all the best parts of Star Wars into an exciting new story.
The Mandalorian season finale was destined to be tense after the cliffhanger ending of Episode 7, where Baby Yoda was captured and Empire forces had Mando, Cara Dune and Greef Karga pinned down. I expected the finale to end on a high note, but the Taika Waititi-directed episode concluded Season 1 with the best chapter yet.
The season finale combines Star Wars staples — humor, twists, reveals, action — within its own new story to provide viewers with a downright enjoyable experience that leaves us wanting more.
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Humor in Chapter 8 helps to break through the tension of this otherwise very serious episode. The opening features two everyday stormtroopers killing time by bickering over Baby Yoda and missing every shot during their target practice, an ode to their notorious reputation as poor shots.
Later in the episode, IG-11 tries to make a joke about Mando’s processing system being injured, which was meant to freak him out less than if the droid said “brain.”
Two main surprises will likely be the most talked about from this episode. First, we finally saw Pedro Pascal’s face underneath the helmet after he was injured and needed assistance (his name is also confirmed to be “Din Djarin” by Moff Gideon).
Second, Moff Gideon is seen at the end of the episode wielding the Darksaber, a prized and storied weapon from Mandalorian culture. This opens up tons of questions ahead of Season 2 and adds a new wrinkle to a blaster-heavy show.
And the action of this episode does not disappoint. IG-11 plays a huge part in this chapter, helping the crew clear some of Gideon’s forces at the beginning of the chapter, and then again at the end as a sacrifice for Baby Yoda’s guaranteed survival.
Speaking of Baby Yoda, the child takes on a flametrooper, using its gifts to redirect the flames and blast the trooper. Finally, we see Mando finally take off in a jet pack, helping him plant charges on Gideon’s TIE fighter and blast him out of the sky.
The Mandalorian season finale is a standout piece of Star Wars media. It cemented the series as one that will keep viewers on their toes while they explore this new side of the galaxy. The team on The Mandalorian has shown that they care about Star Wars, from the characters to the lore.
The finale leaves us selfishly wanting more, but it excellently wrapped up an impressive season 1. All eyes are now on season 2, coming in fall 2020.
The Mandalorian season finale is now streaming on Disney+.