The Mandalorian Chapter Fourteen Review

*Spoilers for The Mandalorian Chapter Fourteen Ahead!*

I feel like with each new episode of this season of The Mandalorian I just keep saying, "this might be one of my new favorites." This week's episode is no different because

What. An. Episode.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this episode. I figured they would at least end up at Tython since we're getting down to the last few episodes and it seems like there still needed to be a lot worked in. However, I did not expect all that happened in this episode to... well happen! There had been so many big reveals following Boba Fett's reveal in the first episode of this season that I almost forgot about his potential role. I literally gasped when he first showed up on the screen. I knew I recognized the ship as it flew in but it was just something else to see him actually take off his hood and speak. Like many others, I was never a huge fan of Boba because his role in the originals just never caught my attention. To be fair, those movies were the introduction to some of the most legendary characters of all of Star Wars so it only makes sense that a smaller role wouldn't be as appreciated. After this newest episode though, I have to say that I appreciate Boba much more and this appearance really did add some depth to the character that we didn't really get to see through all of the action in the originals. That's mostly just because it wasn't his story that was being told, I don't necessarily think he's ever been a character without an interesting story to tell. He's always come off as a cool and ruthless bounty hunter and we definitely saw that through the way he owned the battlefield in this episode, but we also got to see more of his character through his interactions. I liked the fact that they showed how loyal he is by having him maintain his agreement with Din even after he got what he wanted. He's clearly a little more than the ruthless bounty hunter he may have come off as because he makes good on his word even when there are no further benefits for him. Overall, I really liked the way they developed his character in this episode and that reveal of him finally back in his armor was unbeatable.

Now onto another big reveal from this episode... Fennec Shand is alive! I really did not expect them to bring her character back because it seemed like her role was supposed to be pretty minimal in the first season. But I am so glad they did bring her back because she has some of the best action shots in the entire series. I've said this before but I'm gonna say it again, if you've read any of my other blog posts then you know I'm a sucker for a strong female character that can hold her own among men and Fennec was exactly that. When she took out basically an entire ship of stormtroopers by herself, I realized she was going to be a character that fulfilled the type of role that I love so much. I'm not sure if they're gonna take her story much further but I do hope to see more of her. This episode showed that she is loyal and true to her word as well and I think she has the potential to be a really great character if her story is explored anymore. Even if her story doesn't go much further I am really happy with the way they brought her back and I will continue to rewatch this episode just to see all those action shots again.

Lastly, I can't write about this episode without talking about the fact that The Child is gone. The relationship between Din and Grogu has grown so much this season so it makes it even sadder to see them separated. Also, I absolutely can't get over the baby shackles, like why did they even have shackles that small?! It's so criminal that they would do that to Grogu and if I didn't think Moff Gideon was such a well-crafted villain, I would despise him solely for taking The Child like that. 😂

I also think the way Grogu used the force in the end was sort of hinting towards dark side tendencies. They already started heading in that direction by having Ahsoka mention the dangers of being force sensitive while also having strong connections. I don't know that they'd ever actually have Grogu go to the dark side, but I think that potential is going to shape some of the conflict pretty soon. I'm really curious to see how they're going to attempt to get Grogu back. We saw that Din is planning to help a prisoner escape so he can help him find Moff Gideon. My prediction is that will happen and we'll begin to think they will be the only ones to rescue him, but I also think a surprise Jedi may show up to help at the most detrimental moment as well. Grogu clearly reached out through the force in some way while on Tython so that would pave the way for a Jedi to sense him and potentially come to help him. This may just be a misleading detail but I think it would be cool to see another Jedi show up. I know a lot of people are getting tired of the big character reveals because it's "fan service" and not really progressing the Mandalorian's story but I don't totally agree with that. I think the character reveals have been done pretty well so far and I don't really think it hinders the story all that much. I personally hope that if a Jedi does show up, it's not Luke because I agree that would probably be teetering that balanced line a little bit but I wouldn't mind seeing one of the lesser-known Jedi like Ezra Bridger or Cal Kestis. I'd even enjoy seeing an entirely new Jedi that we've never met before, but I will say that my ideal Jedi would be Cal just because I think it would be so cool to have the actual actor play him without the need for any recasting to fit the appearance. Either way, this season has exceeded my expectations so far and I look forward to seeing anything else they have left to throw at us.

So what are your thoughts? Have you always liked Boba Fett or did this episode improve his character for you? Does Boba still not live up to your expectations? Which Jedi would you most like to see in The Mandalorian?

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