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The Mandalorian: The Sin

“They all hate you, Mando. Because you’re a legend!"

This was a jam-packed episode. So much great content! After the lull of the previous episode, this just cemented what we knew to be true: The Mandalorian is a stellar show and one that defies expectations. So many TV shows, it seems like, are afraid to give the viewers everything they want, because they want the viewers to keep watching. The Mandalorian, in contrast, says, “We’re confident enough to give you everything you want and we know you’re going to keep watching.” This episode, especially the end, was major wish fulfillment, and the audience is still chomping at the bit to know what’s going to happen next.

I liked Greef Carga a whole lot less in this episode. He knew the bounty was a child and pretty much said outright that he didn’t care whether the Client was going to eat it or hang it on his wall. Seems like he has much less of a conscience than Mando does. He was talking pretty loudly when he was “praising” Mando – was that authentic or did he want to irk the Guild? That was a strange scene. It didn’t take him long to turn on Mando either, although to be fair, Mando did put the entire Guild’s honor in question, no matter how noble the reason was.

Speaking of which, Mando’s in a bit of a rock and hard place, having to adhere to two separate and strict codes. The Mandalorian Way and the Bounty Hunter’s Guild. Although I guess he chose in the end, didn’t he?

That whole exchange between Mando and the Client was just riveting: two powerful, dangerous men that don’t like each other but are forced to do business together. I have to give the edge to Mando though; it seemed like the Client was trying to scare him off from doing anything, while it looked like Mando was calmly weighing the pros and cons of that exact thing. That was a crap-ton of beskar. Handsome reward, indeed. I was right about the multiple fobs as well. EVERYONE had one. Was the payment the same across the board?

My favorite scene was at the Mandalorian underground base, when the other Mandalorians came in and started questioning Mando. I just loved the tank. (Subtitles had him listed as Heavy Infantry.) I loved how he and Mando started trading blows and the other Mandalorians, particularly the Armorer, just looked on, unperturbed. It was such a Bro Code moment for him to save Mando’s bacon later. This is the first time “This is the Way” is uttered. All the Mandalorians don’t remove their helmets – for any reason, it looks like. Interesting. I didn’t realize how deep the animosity between the Mandalorians and the Empire ran. That gives a lot of context to Mando’s pointed comment to Greef later. It appears Mando has been trying to stay uninvolved, but it’s clear he won’t be able to any longer. The Great Purge certainly has personal ties to him, as we see in his flashbacks, which seem to be triggered at the anvil.

Speaking of which, Mando sure looked spiffy in that brand spanking new suit of beskar armor; it was so shiny you could basically brush your teeth in its reflection. The Armorer was right; it did draw a lot of eyes, and no wonder. Greef mentioned that the Empire was gone, replaced by mercenaries and warlords. The New Republic operates out of the Core. Greef offered Mando his pick of bounties right after almost shouting in a megaphone that everyone hated Mando because he had completed the bounty. (Can you tell how much that irritated me?)

Mando was undecided of what to do all up until he reached for the gear shift the Child had been playing with. Makes sense, when you think about the cost of what he was going to do. That scene where he went back and took out all the storm troopers were action sequences worthy of a high budget movie. Very John Wick like. (Another skilled assassin that I love.) Mando’s whistling birds certainly came in handy. I’ll never get tired of fight scenes like that. Mando truly is the best in the parsec.

What experiments were they subjecting the Child to?? It didn’t say, other than that the Client wanted material extracted. What material? Blood? Baby Yoda seemed like an actual baby in this episode and Mando treated him as such; very protectively. Pershing claimed he protected the Child because it was “just a kid.” What parts of that were genuine, I wonder? He seemed eager to do the experiments in the premiere episode. Mando left him alive so perhaps we’ll have that question answered later down the road.

As Mando was walking down the street, Child in arm, Andrew remarked that he wouldn’t have been walking, he’d have been booking it. I wonder why Mando wasn’t. Was he trying to appear low-key? Was he hoping for the best? Did he want to make a stand against the Guild? Everyone’s fob went off when Mando saved the Child and we got a meaningful look of dark realization from Greef. Were the fobs for Mando or the Child?

Mando did a damned good job facing off against the entire, and incredibly jealous Guild. But even if it was Mando, it was one man against fifty, and bounty hunters at that. How lovely that Mando and the Child shared a moment in what looked like a hopeless situation.

And what an incredibly epic way to end the episode, with the entire tribe of Mandalorians flying in to support Mando! Those Guild members didn’t stand a chance. Loved the tank exchanging words with Mando as he fired the machine gun down the street. We’re getting a sense for how deep Mandalorian loyalty runs. The Mandalorian tribe is relocating their underground hidden base to save Mando. That’s a number I would want in my address book. :)

Did Mando mean to shoot Greef where the beskar was? It wouldn’t surprise me. We know he’s observant and has the skill level. Loved the flying send off and him handing the gear shift knob to the giggling Child. No longer enemies. Although Mando just made a bunch more. Enemies, I mean. Where is he off to?

A bazaar that sells jet packs, maybe?


Interesting details and tidbits:

The title of the episode was particularly fitting.

The Child’s pod was in the dumpster. Is there a Babies R Us somewhere in the galaxy?

The signet on the beskar was because it was cast in an Imperial smelter, after being stolen during the Great Purge. Before the tribe came above ground, it was referenced that Mandalorians only came above ground one at a time, presumably to avoid more mass slaughter like they suffered at the hands of the Empire and like the Jedis suffered at the end of Revenge of the Sith. I know it’s probably irreverent but I can’t help but comment that would be quite the waiting list. Good thing the Mandalorians don’t seem to be lacking in patience.

A camtono was twenty bricks of beskar.

It’s Guild code to not ask what happens to the bounty.

There were droids in Mando’s flashbacks, as a child, to the Purge. Is this why Mando hates droids? Because his parents were killed by one.

Whistling birds are rare, but a powerful defense against multiple enemies. Yeah, they were.

I was wondering if Mando was going to let the Armorer forge the Mudhorn as his signet. But of course he didn’t. He’s a man of honor.

The Way includes Mandalorians’ not removing their helmets, protecting the foundlings and protecting each other.

The beskar was the richest reward the parsec had ever seen. I can believe that.

The Mandalorians frown on relations with the Empire. With good reason.

Greef mentioned that Mando should get a camtono of “spice” – an illegal and dangerous narcotic drug. Again, hints that Greef doesn’t like Mando? A camtono seems like a lot, and Mando doesn’t seem like the “spice” type.

Greef wanted to take Mando to the Twi’lek healing baths. I don’t know, it sounded like more of a date spot to me.

Mando lifted the Child by the collar. Support the head, Mando!

In the Guild it seems like the choice of jobs goes to those who complete the more dangerous bounties.

Mando’s able to listen in on conversations at a distance with his helmet and thermal scope.

It looked like the storm troopers’ aim hadn’t improved much. :)

Mando used his carbonite freezer as a smoke screen. Very cool. If I were Greef I would have been at least mildly worried about getting frozen in that smoke.

Mando was originally headed for the ocean dunes of Karnak. I doubt he’s headed there now.

Memorable quotes and moments:

The Client: “How uncharacteristic of someone of your reputation. You have taken both commission and payment. Is it not the code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten?”

The Client: “Your reputation was not unwarranted.”
You can say that again.

The Client: “Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel.”
Was that a dig? It had to be.

Armorer: “Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength.”
Heavy Infantry: “Our strength was in our numbers.”

Armorer: “I can form a full cuirass. It would be in order for your station.”
Mando: “That would be a great honor.”
Armorer: “I must warn you, it will draw many eyes.”

Heavy Infantry: “These were cast in an Imperial smelter. These were the spoils of the Great Purge. The reason we lay hidden like sand rats.”

Heavy Infantry: “Our world was shattered by the Empire with whom this coward shares tables.”
Armorer: “How can one be a coward when one chooses this way of life?”

Armorer: “When one chooses to walk the Way of Mandalore, you are both Hunter and prey.”
"Choose" is a very interesting word here.

Armorer: “Then you have earned the Mudhorn as a signet. I shall craft it.”
Mando: “I cannot accept. It was not a noble kill. I was helped by an enemy.”
Armorer: “Why would an enemy help you in battle?”
Mando: “It did not know it was my enemy.”
This was a little sad.

Mando: “They work for the Empire. What are they doing here?”
Greef: “The Empire is gone, Mando... but if it bothers you, go to the Core and report it to the New Republic.”
Mando: “That’s a joke.”

Greef: “I celebrate your success!”
Do you? Do you really, though?

Mando: “You’re going to have to relocate the covert.”
Heavy Infantry: “This is the Way.”

Mando (looking at a Mandalorian with a jet pack): “I gotta get one of those.”

Absolutely outstanding.

Four out of four gear shift knobs,
Valkyrie

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