Ricky Church reviews the third episode of The Mandalorian season 2…
The Mandalorian‘s latest episode ‘The Heiress’ was one many Star Wars fans have been waiting for since some of the teases and casting announcements were made by executive producers Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. It is one that could have fallen under its ambition and hype, but director Bryce Dallas Howard makes another noteworthy episode in the series as she ties a few pieces of Star Wars lore together in exciting fashion with some pretty great action pieces.
Though this was the shortest episode of the season, it felt pretty big given all the events that transpired. Howard directed an episode that was well balanced on both the action and character front as Mando searched for fellow Mandalorians, but more importantly spent some brief time with Frog Lady and her husband as their story came to a heartwarming close. It was nice to share those moments with them as it provided a few moments of happiness and The Child’s wonder at seeing life emerge from the eggs (especially after witnessing his appetite for them in the previous episode). There still has not been much character development yet, but these moments where Mando tries teaching The Child about things or seeing the people affected by his actions still serve as nice moments that show his humanity.
The biggest development by far though was Mando meeting Bo-Katan, a character who originated in the animated series The Clone Wars and continued on for a brief appearance toward the end of Star Wars Rebels. Played by Katee Sackhoff in those series, she makes her live-action debut here and sells every moment she is onscreen with her authority, aggressive spirit and, almost surprisingly, compassion. Die hard Star Wars fans will know of her violent history from The Clone Wars and how she became a better person and while there are still gaps in her evolution, Sackhoff has consistently played Bo-Katan well in her growth from a terrorist to genuine freedom fighter for her people. The way she carried herself throughout the episode with confidence and charisma made a nice contrast to Mando’s usually stoic and sometimes awkward nature.
As if to cement Howard’s status as one of the best directors the series has had so far, she directs a very entertaining and well shot climax as Mando teams up with Bo-Katan and her fellow Mandalorians. The action was swift, brutal and well choreographed as each of the Mandalorians used a variety of weapons, from their blasters to their fists, against their enemies. It was fairly intense, but again not without character building as Mando and Bo-Katan took time to argue their strategies and goals. Pedro Pascal and Sackhoff displayed very nice chemistry together as their mission developed and the skills of Mandalorians were shown in all their brutal ways.
‘The Heiress’ was a very well done episode with great direction from Howard and a nice balance of character moments and action. The live-action debut of Bo-Katan was worth the wait with Sackhoff making a memorable entry into the series. With an intriguing tease for the next episode and a clearer idea of where this season is heading, ‘The Heiress’ is the best episode of the season yet.
Rating: 9/10
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