Let’s just get to it, as we saw at the end of Chapter 14 that son of a bitch Moff Gideon has Baby Yoda in custody. It was a long week spent worrying about our child. As this chapter begins, we see some massive mechs in the background and then it appears we are in some kind of prison labor camp.
A droid prison guard is showing approaching Prisoner 34667, aka Mayfeld (Bill Burr). At this point in the episode I think Bill Burr is just playing Bill Burr. The droid tells him he’s being reassigned. Cara Dune approaches and transfers custody of Mayfeld to herself and walks off towards her transport.
Mayfeld is confused as hell. No one has told him anything. Cara is demanding they leave. She says she has a job for him and suddenly his shackles release. Mayfeld is still, and probably actually even more confused at this point. The droid tells him he has three seconds to get to steppin’ or he’s about to earn some stick time from a tazer baton.
Mayfeld reluctantly approaches and jaw jacks the whole way to the transport. As the two approach the transport, Fennec and Boba Fett appear. Boba steps out with his armor looking refurbished. So fresh and so clean. I guess with three people on Slave I, he had some time to work on his gear.
So Mayfeld about shits himself when he see’s Boba, he says “for a second I thought you were this other guy”, and in the same breath Mando appears and if you listen carefully you can hear Mayfeld’s ass pucker at the same time Mando appears.
Mando and Mayfeld catch up. They finally fill Mayfeld in somewhat to the mission, and he gets aboard. Once the crew mentions Gideon, Mayfeld wants to head back to the field and do labor. They explain Gideon has Baby Yoda, and Mayfeld has a change of heart.
Mayfeld tells us the only way he can help them get coordinates to Gideon is to get to a physical terminal to get into the system. He explains there is a mining base on Morak, and Boba points Slave I to the planet.
After researching they discover there seems to be mining of Rhydonium on the planet, which by all accounts is extremely unstable. So what could possible go wrong? Also, Mayfeld apparently has to go in alone because basically everyone else’s face is in the imperial database (New Republic Register) as wanted.
Obviously this doesn’t sit well with the crew, Mando ultimately decides to go with him. Guess it’s good no one has really seen his face so he can’t really be in the database.
The plan is basically Mando and Mayfeld jack a Rhydonium transport carrier. Goes off fairly smooth, and Mando is now wearing “Juggernaut 5”’s armor and bucket. Keeping his face well hidden, they continue on the mission. Mayfeld tries to make small talk, and Mando just stares forward.
As they drive toward the refinery they notice a lot of wreckage along the sides of their path. Clearly something has happened here before. A voice breaks across the radio telling Juggernaut 4 to watch their speed and temps on the Rhydonium. Mando tells Mayfeld not to worry about the Rhydonium, as long as they stay steady everything will be just peachy.
Mayfeld begins talking politics to an extent. Basically says we all kind of believe things are a certain way based on where or maybe when we are from. He then reminds Mando that Mandalore and Alderaan don’t exist anymore. He does it more of a tone and delivery to not so subtly remind him those past ways and beliefs don’t really exist anymore because everything is gone but memories.
Mayfeld continues to poke and prod, all while making valid points. “Everyone’s got their lines they don’t cross until things get messy” Mayfeld tells Mando, and if that isn’t the realest shit ever, I’m not sure what is. As we get a bit distracted by the road trip banter, the radio squawks and across the air we hard Juggernaut 4 in distress and dispatch looking to re-route them. Not even seconds later a massive explosion happens a few miles ahead of them. “Juggernaut 4 has been destroyed” breaks the air. But why?
Mando stays cool as Mayfeld freaks out, they notice the Rhydonium they are transporting is stable and they really don’t have a choice but to stay course. Suddenly we hear Juggernaut 3 taken out via radio. Then, some like cyber radio flyer appears on the side of the carrier.
Uh oh, on that radio flyer we’ve got some damn ass pirates. Ugly as hell and sound even uglier. One jumps aboard the carrier, Mando says he’s got it and leans out and fires a blaster round. Mayfeld is all like “MY GUY, YOU REALLY PLAYING QUICK DRAW AROUND THIS CARRIER OF SPACE EXPLOSIVES?”.
Looks like we’ve got a wagon chase of sorts on our hands. They want to blow the Rhydonium. One by one Mando begins taking out the crew, temps spike on the Rhydonium as Mayfeld tries evasive maneuvers. As soon as that crew is dispatched, another appears, five more pirates for Mando.
He shoots, drops one, then runs out of ammo. It’s hand to hand time now. Another pirate easily dispatched. Suddenly the third pirate strikes, and it finally happened. *WHACK*, Mando takes a solid shot from the pirate and it just wrecks the trooper armor. I’ve felt Mando has become far too reliant on the Beskar armor, and it’s kind of nice seeing him literally stripped down to just basics and reminding us he can go. Mando chucks a spear at the fourth pirate and he’s down. The 5th disappeared on the radio flyer, I’m guessing to get more reinforcements.
Mando tells at Mayfeld to pick it up, alarms and shit going off as Mayfeld battles Rhydonium temps and Mando fights wave after wave of these pirates. No weapons, no armor, and no jet pack. THAT BOY GOOD!
At one point he’s at a significant disadvantage and a pirate arms a thermal detonator that it’s placed on the Rhydonium. Mando breaks free eventually, tosses the detonator back, and takes out more pirates.
Good lord, I’m exhausted and I’m just watching, we can see the mining compound just ahead, but the pirates are just relentless. Mando squares up trying to prepare for yet another wave as five more radio flyers show up to the party, each pirate arming a thermal detonator after the next. Mando takes a deep breath and sighs. It’s go time.
Suddenly, green blaster fire rains from the sky. TWO TIE FIGHTERS! They take out most the pirates, tons of storm troopers appear and take out the remaining ground force of pirates approaching the bridge. Mando and Mayfeld are saluted and pull into the bay as heroes.
Mayfeld eats it up a bit and shakes hands and nods to all the troopers applauding him. All the while he’s explaining they need to get to a terminal so they can get the coordinates. Problem. Mayfeld’s old commander, Valin Hess is about twenty feet from the terminal. He can’t risk being recognized.
Mando says they can’t just leave, if they lose Gideon now they will never get Baby Yoda back. Mando demands the USB stick, he’ll go retrieve the coordinates himself. Mayfeld reminds him you gotta get your face scanned. All the while, Valin has started to notice Mando and Mayfeld talking outside the chow hall. (Also, wtf is some terminal that can give me access to like anything, doing in the damn chow hall?)
Mando takes the USB, walks in awkwardly, draws more Hess attention, heads to the terminal and starts punching in stuff. An error happens as it scans his bucket and clearly can’t find a face. Mando takes his helmet off as warnings go off at the terminal, as seconds tick down his face is scanned and the warnings cease.
Mando sees the ship and coordinates, and everything is downloaded. The New Republic’s OS is very user friendly and super fast apparently.
The computer is likely confused as I am as to why Mando has a mustache. Hess says “Trooper” in Mando’s direction. Mando ignores and retrieve the stick. Hess is suddenly next to him and again says “Trooper” and tells him not to ignore a senior officer.
Mando is asked for his designation. He clearly isn’t good at bullshitting, and you know he’s not used to having his bucket off. He basically tells Hess his designation is riding bitch in Rhydonium transports.
Hess is like “Wtffffff? Trooper, are you high on Rhydonium fumes, I’m trying to get your TK number”.
As Mando freezes, Mayfeld comes walking in to save his ass. He gives a random TK number and just starts doing what Bill Burr does best. He throws some beautiful bullshit down, blaming Mando ignoring him on “hearing problems” from a past mission. Hess then loudly asks his name, Mayfeld chimes in again and says everyone calls him “brown eyes”.
Trying to evade conversation and just gtfo, Mayfeld says ”Let’s go fill out those TPS Reports”, as I absolutely lose it and legit LOL at the gorgeous Office Space reference, Mayfeld hurries and ushers Mando out. Hess tells them both they are NOT dismissed. This behavior is most often seen in officers who really ain’t shit but have rank and authority so you just gotta deal with their bullshit on the carpet until they get bored and you can go about your day.
Hess asks if they are the drivers that just delivered the Rhydonium, they say yes. Hess informs them they are the only ones that survived the transports today, and then takes them for a drink.
Cara and Fennec are scene on recon. Fennec is taking care of some big cannons, Cara has the troopers, and Boba will be air support and recovery.
We quickly jump back to the chow hall, they have drinks in hand and Hess is chatting them up. He asks Mando where he is from. Mando freezes, Mayfeld suggests a toast to Operation Cinder. Hess is intrigued and says “a man who knows his history”.
Mayfeld has a whole different look about him now (btw, Bill Burr is about to act his entire ass off), he tells Hess that he doesn’t know it, he lived it. He was at Burnin Konn. Hess looks more intrigued, but in a significantly more uncomfortable way now.
Hess says he had to make a lot of unpleasant decisions that day. Mayfeld reveals thousands died as a result. I won’t butcher Bill Burr’s performance here. His speech to Hess was unreal. Hess appears more impressed with himself. He tells Mayfeld that the Rhydonium they delivered will make Burnin Konn pale in comparison.
Mayfeld looks like he’s about to lose his shit and also looks very uncomfortable. Between thinking about what he already lived and what he may have helped bring to fruition now with that delivery, that’s a LOT to process. Hess continues with his New Republic talking points, he’s clearly a company guy. Mayfeld looks very contemplative as he glances to Mando. Mando is just silent and staring ahead most the time.
Mayfeld looks near the verge of tears, but suddenly, as his focus shifts upwards, it’s just him holding back rage. Hess proposes a toast to the Empire, and as his glass is raised, Mayfeld pulls the blaster from his hip and point blank puts one through where Hess’s heart used to be. Ope! No going back now I guess!
Mando looks at Mayfeld like “Wtf?!?”, Mayfeld looks back like “IDK I JUST DID IT”, and they both look at a trooper who looks back at them, he’s gotta go. He was just coming for the orange cake that day, minding his own business and gets caught up in some shit.
One by one Mando and Mayfeld clear the chow hall. Mayfeld hands Mando the trooper helmet while telling him “you did what you had to do, I never saw your face”. This is a whole opposite direction from how he looked at and treated Mando earlier, but, at the same time I think Mando saw a part of Mayfeld that no one else has ever really seen. Real af regardless.
Mando and Mayfeld still have to get out of the base, they start making their way out, Fennec and Cara are providing support and call in Boba. Slave I lifts off. Fennec and Cara take out more the external forces as Boba comes in for pickup. Flawlessly executed.
As they fly off in Slave I, Mayfeld demands a rifle, he aims back at the rooftop he was on seconds ago, already a good 1000 yards in the air, he squeezes off one round, hitting what appears to be Rhydonium tanks, and basically took out the whole mining operation and everything in it. Effectively stopping Burning Konn 2: Rhydonium Boogaloo.
He looks at Mando and says “we all need to sleep at night”, which calls back to their earlier conversation in the Rhydonium transport vehicle. Fennec and Cara are impressed with the sharpshooting.
Two tie fighters appear on Slave I. Yo, he drops this bumble bee looking ass bomb all casually and then this beautiful blue ring of destruction begins to emerge, easily calling it a day for this tie pilots.
Everyone regroups on the ground, Mando thanks Mayfeld. Mayfeld says good luck getting Baby Yoda back. Cara commends Mayfeld’s shot. He says that wasn’t part of the plan but he had to get some shit off his chest. Cara looks at Mando and says “it’s a shame Mayfeld didn’t make it out of there”. Slowly Mayfeld understands he has earned his freedom.
Slave I takes off, and Gideon’s cruiser is seen. His comm officer approaches and says he needs to see this. It’s a hologram message from Mando. Look, Mando just gets gangsta as fuck and says he’s coming for Baby Yoda and “He means more to me than you will ever know”. Oh damn. Moff even looks like shit got real.
We’ve got a lot of potential dominoes stacked as we head to the close of this season. Chapter 16 could be an absolute history maker. Mando and Baby Yoda have made a lot of friends along the way, and to phone ahead and tell them you’re coming, bruh, you better have a bonkers plan.
I’ll be preparing to lose my mind all week, and soon as I get home Friday night I’ll probably be screaming at the TV! As a final note this week, this episode hit me pretty solidly. Especially Mayfeld’s character.
I won’t pretend I’m some grizzled old war vet, but as at least an older vet who has had to deal with some shit, I had to do some things I didn’t always love, I had to deal with the decisions of shit command, and that getting sleep at night stuff and getting shit off your chest, boy…just tell me where to shoot. The way Bill Burr performed this entire episode, absolutely unreal.
So until next week, holy shit, I’ll see ya next week!
