The Mandalorian: The Apostate

“It's complicated. I completed my quest. He returned to me. I removed my helmet, and now I'm an apostate.”

Chapter Seventeen

Mando and Grogu, reunited after Grogu chose to end his training with Luke Skywalker, head to Nevarro to find IG88, the droid that sacrificed its life to save Grogu. Mando needs the droid's help to find the living waters of Mandalore so he can restore his vow and once again follow the way...

So if you were confused by the beginning of this episode, you must not have seen the final three episodes of The Book of Boba Fett that featured Din Djarin. Those episodes resolved every single thread left open from the previous season. Which I will go over briefly before talking about this episode, because it was a lot.

First and probably the most important was what happened with Grogu. He was training with Luke, and they got to a point where Grogu was so distracted during his training, his focus torn because of his love for Din Djarin, that he chose to give up his training to be with him as his son. Grogu will never be a Jedi, although he does have some better refined force powers now.

Mando also got a new ship, which is a Nabooian NG11 fighter, previously seen in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, piloted by a baby Anakin Skywalker. This one is all chrome rather than painted yellow, and is very fast and maneuverable which was showcased in the episode during the dogfight with pirates in that asteroid field.

Lastly was Mando’s choice to take off his helmet to say goodbye to Grogu, the most emotionally charged moment in the season two finale, that came at the cost of his vows. The Armorer has banished him unless he somehow finds the living waters of Mandalore and bathes in them, which will redeem him in the eyes of his caste. This seems like an easy task, except that Mandalore was destroyed and poisoned, and the location of the living waters lost, if they even still exist.

So moving on, this was mostly a fun little starting quest for Mando to find the clue he needs for the next part of his adventure. Which gave us a nice visit with Greef Karga, who fills us in on a couple of details. Namely, Cara Dune being recruited by the Republic Special Forces because the actress was fired. We also learned that Moff Gideon is going to stand trial in front of the New Republic Tribunal, because there had to be some follow up for the main villain of the first two seasons.

Almost everything in this episode was just colorful and fun. With the sole exception of Bo-Katan, who was found in a deep funk over the loss of her crew and failure to ascend to the throne of Mandalore. While helpful, she also filled in a bit of backstory about why the Mandalore culture imploded, before the Empire glassed their planet with orbital bombardment. Apparently the Order (Mando’s caste) fractured their culture which led to a civil war, leaving them vulnerable to the Empire. I imagine it was a bit more complicated than that, but I wonder if this will force Mando to rethink the Way.

The overall feel of the episode was light-hearted, probably because Mando seems happy. His relationship with Grogu is solidified and they are a family now. The episode was also pretty heavy on action, with two big set pieces that looked impressive. The new space pirates were a bit goofy, complete with a pirate king straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean, but I bet they come back in some form later on. As for the new quest, I’m a little torn because it feels like a selfish pursuit; Mando is attempting to reclaim something he perceives as lost. That is quite different from trying to find Grogu a place in the world.

Bits:

Babu Frik from Rise of the Skywalker returned, or a few members of his race returned (I’m kind of fuzzy on their names) to try and fix IG88. I loved Grogu trying to pet him and hug him and squeeze him and call him George. Also Grogu pilfering candy was both delightful, and a reminder that he is a little brat.

It looks like Mando has further modified the NG11 ship since he acquired it, although that canopy is still way too low and he must hit his head all the time. Good thing he always wears a helmet.

Karga’s little cape droids were adorable. But they were yet another example of the exploitation of droids.

The gunfight standoff was a nice reminder that this is basically a space western, and the reason Nevarro is flourishing is because of Mando’s actions.

The entire scene with them trying to repair IG88 was wonderful and hilarious, complete with the droid pulling a Terminator. The fact that a bust of Karga was used to smash IG88’s head in was just the icing on the comedy cake.

I don't know if this is intentional, but Karga mentions they are now a trade hub on the Hydian Way. According to some official Star Wars maps, Nevarro is no where near the Hydian Way. Is this an error, or an intentional change by TPTB?

Quotes:

Mando: “I am going to Mandalore so that I may bathe in the Living Waters and be forgiven for my transgressions.”
Bo-Katan: “You are a fool. There's nothing magic about the mines of Mandalore. They supplied beskar ore to our ancestors and the rest is superstition. That planet has been ravaged, plundered, and poisoned.”

Mando: "If I visit the planet and I can bring you proof that I have bathed in the Living Waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, then by Creed, the decree of exile will be lifted and I would redeemed."
The Armorer: "This is the Way."

Better than some previous episodes, but mostly just slightly above average.

3 out of 4 Droids of all shapes and sizes

Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

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