Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 4 of 'The Mandalorian.'
Another episode of The Mandalorian was released on November 20, marking the halfway point in the weekly release schedule for the Disney+ original series. “Chapter 12: The Siege” picks up right where Mando’s last adventure left off. After aiding fellow Mandalorians on Trask, Mando is on a course for the forest planet of Corvus to bring Baby Yoda to fellow Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Unfortunately, after an adorable opening sequence where Mando fruitlessly tries to coach Baby Yoda through a rewiring job, he realizes that his aircraft needs major repairs before making the journey to Corvus. This leads Mando to yet another detour, revealing familiar faces—both good and bad—as well as information into the Empire’s intense interest in Baby Yoda. While it doesn’t have as many close–quarter combat sequences as “The Heiress,” this episode still thrills audiences with its classic Star Wars sequences and task–oriented narrative.
“The Siege” takes viewers back to the volcanic planet of Nevarro, which served as a battleground for the season one finale. Mando lands on the planet to be greeted by Cara Dune (Gina Carano) and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), two old allies that each played important roles in the first season.
A lot has changed in the formerly run–down planet, as Cara and Greef have both personally taken initiative to revitalize Nevarro. The former headquarters of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild—the guild that Mando was formerly a member of—has been converted into a one–room schoolhouse for the planet’s children. It’s both relatable and terrifying to know that even in a galaxy far, far away, the look of a grade school classroom is still the same. The planet has become much safer, but Cara and Greef explain there's a lone Imperial base that poses a threat to Nevarro’s peaceful climate. The trio reunite in a mission to destroy the base, leaving Baby Yoda in the safety of the schoolhouse.
Much like the new season’s debut episode, Baby Yoda didn’t have much screen time, but his moments in this week’s episode remind us yet again why he’s the cutest Child in the galaxy. As I mentioned earlier, this episode opens with Mando guiding Baby Yoda through repairing the Razor Crest, a task that quickly proves futile. When the Child is sitting amongst the students, he quickly becomes distracted—yet again—by food. This season hasn’t really had much, if any, exposure to Baby Yoda’s force powers, which played a huge role and saved Mando several times in season 1. It’s hilarious that the first instance in which we see his force powers come into play is to steal another student’s cookies. His innocence is further highlighted when he excitedly giggles while Mando tries to escape a squadron of Imperial fighters in the sky. He's completely oblivious, but we’re all for it.
Nonetheless, Baby Yoda becomes extremely important to this episode, and it’s not because of anything he actually does. Inside the Imperial base, Mando & Co. find a hologram that yields two grim discoveries: Moff Gideon is still alive, and the Empire wants to capture Baby Yoda so badly because his blood is being used in a cloning experiment. This reaffirms an early fan theory that Baby Yoda is eventually going to be used to create Supreme Leader Snoke, a villain of the Skywalker saga created by Emperor Palpatine through a series of cloning procedures.
At its core, this episode is entertaining because it feels like a classic Star Wars adventure. It returns to task–oriented narratives, with deeper secrets and character development coming along the way. The plot is more straightforward in “The Siege," but the main task was still action packed in a way that didn’t get redundant. In the episode’s climax, Cara and Greef are caught in an intense chase sequence with enemy speeders and aircrafts—a sequence that parallels the Death Star run in Episode IV, one of the franchise’s most iconic moments. Meanwhile, Mando is racing against time to retrieve Baby Yoda before Moff Gideon catches wind that the Child is on Nevarro. All of the episode’s action culminates in an aerial battle with the new and improved Razor Crest, where Mando saves the day, full Millennium Falcon style, while showing off his stellar piloting abilities.
This episode deepens the plot and instills a sense of urgency within Mando since he now knows that Moff Gideon is alive. As the new season winds down, next week will likely be when the Razor Crest finally arrives at Corvus, and when fans finally get a glimpse of a long–awaited live–action adaptation of Ahsoka Tano. While the Razor Crest escaped the Imperials this week, it’s likely that they won’t be able to hide for long, and Moff Gideon’s wicked plan likely won’t be delayed for much longer. Season 2 Episode 5 is called "The Jedi," and was released on Disney+ on November 27.
