The Mandalorian 2.8 Review - 6 Ups And 3 Downs From Chapter 16

2. The Hit Or Miss Action (And Some Niggling Questions)

There was something almost imperceptibly off about Chapter 16. I mentioned in my review for Chapter 12 that The Mandalorian has sometimes strayed into repetitive territory with its action - that being lots of generic ducking and shooting in classic Imperial corridors. Peyton Reed does add in some flourishes here or there, but the part where Bo-Katan, Fennec, Cara Dune and Koska Reeves are storming the base felt very bland compared to the other sequences we've seen in previous chapters.

Does it matter too much when we get Luke massacring Dark troopers and Din duelling Moff Gideon? Not particularly. But there are still ways of making these sequences feel more frenetic and engaging.

Lastly, to wrangle another gripe with the episode into this entry, it did feel ever so slightly rushed. Greef Karga and Axe Woves have weirdly disappeared for one, but there's still some confusion over Gideon's plot and why he wanted the Child. Chapters 12 and 16 heavily imply that it's related to Snoke and Palpatine, but the specifics of the plot are cast aside here.

In Chapter 14, after Grogu is abducted, Gideon ends his interrogation of The Child by telling his subordinates to inform Doctor Pershing that they have their "donor". Pershing himself is en route to Gideon's light cruiser in this episode, but the Moff reveals to Din that he has all he needs from Grogu. So, why was Pershing necessary? Where was Gideon travelling to? There's a chance Gideon was bluffing, but he was prepared to shoot Grogu at the end. Granted he was aware he'd all but lost by that point, but these still feel like questions that should've been resolved by now.