By Brenda De La Cruz
Action-packed fight scenes, beloved characters, laughter, and tears is what the second half of season two of “The Mandalorian” delivers to fans.
Pedro Pascal continues his dominant performance as the Mandalorian in the Disney+ original. As the Mandalorian continues his journey to return “the kid,” better known as Grogu, to his own kind. Viewers will be able to see old characters from both season one and “Star Wars” films come back into play in many episodes.
Episode 5 introduces a Jedi who attempts to help Grogu after an impressive showdown with the protagonist. Along with Jedis, the show also brings back characters who viewers believed had been dead. The main mission for the majority of the characters, including the Mandalorian himself, is to return Grogu to his own kind to help train him in order to meet his greatest potential. Fans are able to see some of Grogu’s abilities throughout most of this season’s episodes, such as telekinesis and levitation.
With all of Grogu’s supporters, viewers also witness a change of heart in an old enemy in episode seven, titled “The Believer.” The episode is filled with fights, humor and tons of action that will have audiences at the edge of their seat.
One of the biggest surprises this season is watching the Mandalorian struggle with his own beliefs regarding his upbringing and the rules that come with it. He is seen having to make tough but necessary decisions that leave him feeling guilty. The guilt comes from a place of emotions tied to the need of continuing his foundling way of life, yet finding himself in tough situations where he may need to betray those very same ways of life. However, he is so rooted in his ways, it is evident even in the way he continues to carry himself. This leaves him a tad bit confused about how he will live his life: following the rules he has his entire life or to simply start over and choose his own way of living.
Another solid performance was that of Bill Burr who plays Mayfeld. In Burr’s initial appearance, his character comes off as that of a foe, seen through his selfish priorities and his connection to the empire. In episode seven of season two, Burr gives a great performance as someone who is conflicted between his old role with the empire and that of someone who lost many close to his heart. Viewers can sense the build-up of tension in his scenes and may even have a change of heart toward the character as he is able to capture so much raw emotion in the episode.
Major characters from the “Star Wars” saga make appearances, such as Bo Katan, Boba Fett, and the biggest character reveal of the season, Luke Skywalker. They, along with others, help the Mandalorian attempt to rescue Grogu from the Empire.
An additional treat for viewers comes In the end credits of the final episode of season 2. Here, viewers get a glance at “The book of Boba Fett” coming to Disney + in December 2021.