This 41-minute chapter entitled “The Passenger,” directed by Peyton Reed (Ant-Man, Ant-Man and The Wasp), was smaller in scale compared to the premiere. However, Chapter 10 returned to the bread and butter of The Mandalorian–the amazing dynamic between Din Djarin and Baby Yoda.
As we shared last week, this is a Spoiler Review of The Mandalorian Season Two, “The Passenger.” In other words, if you haven’t seen it, put down the frog egg and bookmark this site to your favorites. I have spoken!
“The Passenger” is Back Riding Shotgun
Chapter 10 starts off immediately following the events of the Season Two premiere as Din Djarin and Baby Yoda speed across the sandy dunes of Tatooine. I’ve previously discussed at length regarding Mando becoming The Child’s (or in this case, “The Passenger”) protector.
To further illustrate Din Djarin’s role as a father figure, he exchanged his jetpack for Baby Yoda, the last element needed to complete his Mandalorian armor set. As a dad, I would call that a sacrifice.
Quick nod to Peli Motto, the lady from Mos Eisley who has helped Din Djarin repair his ship Razor Crest. Does anyone else feel bad for her?
She’s either working on a shipyard with a dozen tiny droids or playing cards with human-sized ants. This begs the important question:
How does anyone find a date in the Star Wars-verse? A galactic Tinder seems to me like an easy money maker. Come on Mando! Let’s find this super sweet lady a partner.
@MrCrockpot
Circling back to Din Djarin the protector of “The Passenger,” it’s no surprise we learn he must help an alien mother protect her family line and her unfertilized eggs with transportation to a nearby system. Unable to travel in hyperspace and without appropriate documentation, two Rebel X-Wings pull over Mando. An impressive aerial action sequence leads our characters into a mysterious, underground ice cave.
If Season One of The Mandalorian was “Skyrim,” then Season Two is beginning to mold into “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.” As we saw in the premiere, the concept of characters teaming up to take down a Krayt dragon was ripped straight out of the Knights of the Old Republic video game series. Similarly, on the run from a cavern full of ice spiders in Chapter 10 had the same kind of feel.
From humans (Peli Motto, Cara Dune) to droids (IG-11), a subplot of The Mandalorian has been about building Din Djarin’s ability to trust others.
After the same two X-Wing pilots saved Mando from the giant ice spider, it was the Rebel’s kindness that was most memorable about this chapter. My first thought went straight to Kuill from Season One, when he repaired Razor Crest in exchange for bringing back peace to his valley.
No credits required. Just kindness.
Season Two’s Budget Continues to Amaze
I love how Season Two is introducing fans to all the ambiguous creatures across the galaxy on the small screen. Like the Krayt dragon, the giant ice spider looked terrific. Everything felt as if it was stripped from the big screen.
On the negative end, “The Passenger” was another self-contained chapter that didn’t move the overall plot forward. We’re barely closer to anything about regarding the Darksaber, Ahsoka Tano, The Child’s origin, or a potential Bo-Katan reveal. With only six remaining chapters in the season, I can understand why fans might be turned off.
As I wrote in the premiere review, I was concerned Season Two was taking up too much responsibility for pushing the Star Wars-verse forward on Disney Plus. The Mandalorian revolves around the dynamic between Din Djarin and Baby Yoda. We saw glimpse of a larger universe from the amazing look and feel of the X-Wings.
Luckily, Chapter 10 had some of the funniest Baby Yoda moments in any chapter so far. When “The Passenger” began, I was impressed with Baby Yoda’s food palate. Who doesn’t appreciate a good frog egg?
As the episode progressed, everything changed after eating that infant ice spider. As a person who cannot tolerate anything about spiders, that crossed the line. Sorry Gordon Ramsey, I don’t think The Child will be signing up for MasterYoda Junior anytime soon. Gross.
The Season Two premiere featured a ton of CGI with the Krayt dragon. It was also refreshing to see Chapter 10 return to more practical effects. I’m loving the look-and-feel of Baby Yoda as well. It feels like Baby Yoda is getting increasingly real as each chapter passes.
Bottomline: While Chapter 10 didn’t progress the overall plot, it gave us some very endearing moments between Din Djarin and Baby Yoda. This is one of my favorite elements of the series and something that was lacking from the Season Two premiere. Chapter 10 was a reminder of the heart and soul of The Mandalorian belongs to those special character-building moments between Mando and Baby Yoda.
This is the heartbeat of what makes The Mandalorian truly special.
MoviesMatrix Meter: 80%
NOTE: Chapter 11 of The Mandalorian will be released on Disney Plus on November 6. Please be sure to subscribe to MoviesMatrix on Twitter, subscribe to our Podcast and newsletter, and lock it down here at MoviesMatrix.com each and every week for all your Star Wars needs.
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