“Star Wars: The Mandalorian” brought a little dose of “A New Hope” and “Attack of the Clones” to its second episode, which will surely excite fans of the “Star Wars” film franchise.
“The Mandalorian” released its first episode last Tuesday morning with the launch of Disney Plus. Just three days later, the streaming service’s television show released its second episode, called “The Child,” which focused on Mando’s journey with a little baby Yoda-looking creature. A quick run-in with scavenger Jawas forces Mando and the Child to go searching for The Egg inside a creature’s cave. Hilarity, chaos and craze ensue for these two characters in typical “Star Wars” fashion.
“The Child” will give you strong vibes from “A New Hope” with the Jawas making their first appearance. In the episode, Mando soon finds his ship broken down by parasite Jawas. Soon after, Kuiil and Mando negotiate with the Jawas. These little conversations in the Jawa language have a strong feeling from “A New Hope.” Seeing the large Jawa ship travel through the desert landscape and seeing Mando contemplate his mission with the setting sun remind me of the days of “A New Hope.”
There are also two connections to “Attack of the Clones.” For one, the little baby Yoda figure starts using the Force in this episode, which looks eerily similar to the moments in “Attack of the Clones” when Yoda fights Count Dooku with the help of the force.
And Mando steals The Egg from a creature that looks pretty similar to the Reek species, which was one of the monsters used in “Attack of the Clones” during the showdown in the Petranaki Arena during the beginning of the Clone Wars. It’s not the same species. The only similarity is that they both have horns and they’re bulky figures. But an immediate viewing of the episode will bring you back to those two moments from the second prequel film.
With the first episode of “The Mandalorian,” the show did its best to prove it will be a television show with heart and soul. This won’t be a story about a gruff bounty hunter searching for loot. It’ll be a show with character and heart.
The second episode proves the show is going to lean into the “Star Wars” lore. It’ll bring to light old characters and creatures from the movies into a new perspective. We’ve seen Jawas before, but we never really understood their psyche. In this episode, we see them bargain and trade like masters. They’re ruthless. They’re out for themselves. That’s something we never got from the original trilogy when they briefly appeared. We knew they were dealmakers and traders. But we didn’t realize it was to this extent. Props to the show for shedding light on previous hidden creatures, giving us a deeper dive into the “Star Wars” world.
There are some parts of this show that feel hokey and extremely reminiscent of the Marvel movies. Somewhat simple humor with quick tricks to get a laugh and an uncomplicated plot make this an easy show to watch. If you’re looking for some prophetic, deep dive in the “Star Wars” universe, this show might not be your cup of Jawa Juice.
This show is for those who want a “Star Wars” show that leans into its lore, promotes characters that we’ve only seen glimpses of in the past, and celebrates the fundamentals of the “Star Wars” franchise.
Fans of the show will enjoy how it connects to their nostalgic view of the franchise. Anyone with past adoration for “Star Wars” — well, this is the show for you.”
The beauty of “Star Wars” exists on “The Mandalorian.” And there’s little chance it’ll fly off to hyperspace.