Chapter 7, two episodes to go. This and 8. Oh that harsh reality, the query internally as to “what do I do when it’s gone”. I don’t know…I don’t know.
This chapter is titled “The Reckoning” and that does not bode well for our friend in Beskar and partner in crime. Mando has upset a lot of people in the short time we have known him. You can’t help but feel it’s all gotta come to a close at some point, he can’t run forever…can he?
Remember last episode when Hologram Chubbs Peterson popped up? Well, a less garbled version comes through and with it comes an offer to return. Come back, use Baby Yoda, double cross and kill the client, and everyone wipes the slate clean and goes about their various ways.
Baby Yoda is passed the hell out, so Mando seems to contemplate for a second or two, and then we see Cara Dune electrically tethered to an opponent and they are full on fighting. Basically pitfighting. She wins, duh.
Mando is there to try to hire her. He can trust her, if he’s going to do this he is building his own crew. Cara is very reluctant. Then, Mando explains it would be taking on a former Imperial warlord, and before he can even finish his sentence Cara is like “you know what, yeah lets do it”.
Mando, Baby Yoda, and Cara on the Razor Crest and he’s explaining more of things. In an instant, as a parent I noticed it was quiet. Suddenly the ship pitches way off course. Baby Yoda is at the helm having a great time. Mando levels it all off and they realize, they need someone to watch Baby Yoda. Who will Mando trust?
None other than Mr. I Have Spoken himself. Kuiil has been busy in his sparetime. He reprogrammed IG-11 to be a servant and protector instead of hunter. Mando is very wary. Lots of campfire talk essentially, goes nowhere…Mando still doesn’t trust a bot. Again, not much choice at the moment.
In the next scene Mando and Cara are clearly flirting as they arm wrestle. Cara seems to be gaining the advantage, and so Baby Yoda force chokes the shit out of her. Seriously. They had to break Baby Yoda’s concentration and explain she was a friend.
More dialogue about and by Kuiil but it really doesn’t serve much purpose. I liked it a lot better when he was a man of few words.
So Mando has his crew, heads back to meet with Chubbs Peterson. It’s essentially a basic hit. They would bait and switch with the child, client usually has four guards, once he gets close, drop everyone and scatter.
Chubbs has a few guards/crew with him, but it doesn’t seem like they will be much of a factor in this mission. Chubbs then suggests Cara stays behind to guard the ship and she’s ride or die so she is definitely not sitting back. Chubbs then meets Baby Yoda and basically falls in love.
So, the crew is all sitting around a campfire and just hanging out as you do. Talking about the mission, spit roasting something you caught or killed, and then a galactic pterodactyl swoops in and poisons you. Every time. That is why I quit going camping tbh
So, Chubbs gets poisoned by the pterodactyl. It is spreading quick. They are in the middle of nowhere, ill-prepared, and try as Cara may…she doesn’t have what she needs to help him. The poison continues to spread, not much to do but pray at this point. Then, Baby Yoda waddles over. Chubbs declares that its going to eat him, but, Yoda puts his hand out and uses the force to completely and totally heal Chubbs. WTFFFFFFFFFF
While it was hinted at pretty early on, holy hell it was cool to see it at work. Anyway, Chubbs is feeling better, his crew and Mando’s crew head towards their waypoint. Out of nowhere Chubbs spins and drops two of his own crew, and assures Cara and Mando that after yesterday, he sees things differently.
They come up with a plan where they basically show up with the empty bassinet, walk in and do the hit. Meanwhile Kuiil is making tracks back to the Razor Crest with orders to turn on the ground defenses as soon as they are on-board.
Kuiil begins riding back with Baby Yoda, Chubbs and Cara are on either side of Mando escorting him in cuffs as a prisoner. They make their way closer and eventually in…and notice a lot more than just four guards as they thought they would have. There are storm troopers all over.
As they meet the client, it’s just that creepy rich old man kinda talk.just dragging it all out for theatrics.
He soon gets a holo-call from Moff Gideon. Upon taking it he is asked if they brought the child. The client tells Moff they have, Moff tells them to check again and just all hell breaks loose.
Death Troopers are outside just waiting. More storm troopers are deployed to the scene. They are pinned down hard. Mando in a panic radios to Kuiil and tells him to make tracks and get his ass to the ship now. A pair of biker scouts hear the transmission and take off…what the hell. Why are troopers suddenly proficient and efficient?
Pinned down so hard, are more Mandalorians coming? IG-11? He’s got some tactical weapon we haven’t seen yet, right? Oh well hell, a TIE Fighter descends and lands, Moff is here and he says that Mando and crew have no idea what they have and he wants it.
Mando makes contact with Kuiil, it’s getting very hectic. I’m extremely anxious. The ramp lowers on the Razors Crest, Moff says the child means more to him than we will ever know…then we see Kuiil is down. Frantic radio traffic, no answer from a lifeless Kuiil.
Baby Yoda is shown on the ground, out cold or possibly worse. No way of knowing at this point. A biker scout swoops in, picks up Baby Yoda and…to be continued.
Yup, a cliffhanger as we head to the season finale. A lot at stake. They are pinned down, and honestly unless there is an external person or power we haven’t quite considered, it’s bad for Mando and crew. If I was Moff I’d just light the place completely up, I’ve got the kid. I’d make an example out of everyone else.
I guess we will find out next week, Happy Holidays to you and yours, and I’ll be a nervous wreck over Christmas worrying about Baby Yoda!