The following contains spoilers for Season Two, Episode Six of ‘The Mandalorian.'
The second season of The Mandalorian is in its final stretch, now with only two episodes left in the eight–part season. This past week's episode was heart–wrenching, as we saw much more emotion from the otherwise unexpressive Mando. Despite clocking in at 32 minutes—the shortest entry of the season thus far—”Chapter 14: The Tragedy” is full of action, treating viewers to some of the most thrilling and tense combat sequences yet. The episode delivers the return of several older characters, and introduces a crucial plot to the story. However, the episode’s title is unfortunately a little too fitting, as viewers are crushed to see Baby Yoda/The Child/Grogu back in the clutches of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and the Imperials by the conclusion.
This episode enters with Mando and Grogu en route to Tython under Ahsoka Tano's instructions to deliver Grogu to a Jedi seeing stone, where he could connect with the Force and choose his path. While flying in the Razor Crest, Mando has a rather heartfelt moment with the little green child. He reinforces that if the Jedi want to take Grogu, he must allow them to, recognizing that his only objective is to reunite Grogu with his kind. This scene brilliantly highlights Mando’s emotional side, and the bond that he has formed with the child—rather than instructing Grogu, Mando seems to be convincing himself of the mission’s importance in the opening sequence. He’s become a fully–fledged father figure to Grogu at this point, and their journey has grown beyond a simple quest.
The pair eventually reach Tython, a beautiful planet composed mostly of grassland and mountains. Mando spots the Stonehenge–esque seeing stone, and lands the Razor Crest nearby. After a thrilling jetpack ride, Mando sets Grogu down on the stone, where he begins to meditate. Everything’s peaceful until the iconic Slave I aircraft comes into orbit. It signals the return of another fan–favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), whose return was teased at the end of “The Marshal.” However, Boba did not come alone—in his company is Fennec Shand (Ming–Na Wen), the deadly sniper from Tatooine who was presumably dead after fighting Mando in Season 1. It’s revealed that she is in debt to Fett after he saved her life.
I initially assumed that Boba was there to capture Grogu, but the bounty hunter actually prepared a simple proposition for Mando: in exchange for returning his trademark armor that Cobb Vanth wore, Boba would ensure safety for Grogu. Before Mando can answer, an imperial ship appears—Moff Gideon has found him. Mando immediately returns to Grogu, who is now deep into some sort of intense Jedi meditation, and enclosed by a powerful Force barrier.
Despite being hopelessly outnumbered, Mando holds off waves of Stormtroopers with assistance from Boba Fett and Fennec. This is the high point of the episode. Boba Fett is an absolute badass in this episode, especially once he repossesses his armor. He fights with a grace that rivals Mando’s, and the prowess he showcases in “The Tragedy'' is arguably more entertaining than his scenes in the original Star Wars films.
After the trio defeats the stormtroopers, all is thought to be won—until a missile strike obliterates the Razor Crest and Grogu’s safety is once again risked. Four robotic supersoldiers engineered by Moff Gideon descend toward Tython’s surface, and Mando is racing to beat them to Grogu. Unfortunately, Mando reaches the seeing stone seconds too late. He looks up to see Grogu in the hands of the supersoldiers, flying up towards Gideon’s Imperial cruiser and an uncertain fate. Mando is absolutely crushed, reminiscing on his memories of Grogu as he digs through the wreckage of the now–decimated Razor Crest. The last we see of Grogu is a shot of him violently abusing his force abilities against Moff Gideon’s Stormtroopers, a grim scene that alludes to the possibility of Gideon planning to turn Grogu to the dark side.
Despite the gut–punching heartache of Grogu being captured by the Imperials, not all hope is lost. Since Boba Fett promised Grogu’s safety for his armor, he agrees to help Mando track down Gideon and the Imperials. Mando enlists the help of Cara Dune, who is now a Marshal of the New Republic. He asks her to help him free Migs Mayfield (Bill Burr)—another season one character and former Imperial mercenary—so that he can help him track Gideon’s ship. This episode has a perfect mixture of action and emotion despite the tragic ending. With an iconic character like Boba Fett now aiding our main Mandalorian, the next two episodes will surely match the level of action as “The Tragedy.” Chapter 15 of The Mandalorian is the second–to–last episode for the newest season, and will be released on Disney+ on Friday, Dec. 11.
