New Chapter, new side mission. That’s the life of a Mandalorian. “The Heiress,” directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, provides a major character reveal. There is also some much-needed background provided, not only about Din Djarin but also the culture of Mandalore. If you weren’t a fan of Chapter 10, then no need to worry Star Wars fans. The Mandalorian: Season 2 returns with one of the best episodes of the entire series in “The Heiress.”
Before we begin: two important notes:
I’d like to give a quick salute to Bryce Dallas Howard. Her work on Chapter 4: Sanctuary one was one of the weak points of Season One. But, not this season. What a freaking episode!
And two…in case you didn’t know, this is a spoiler-laden review. So, you’ve been officially warned. Turn around. Bookmark this page. Do not read until you’ve seen “The Heiress.”
Chapter 11 opens with a strikingly beautiful view of Trask, which felt like a tip of the hat to the film Pitch Black. One thing I’ve enjoyed about The Mandalorian is the ability to jump genres from a week-to-week basis.
We see Razor Crest limping its way toward the moon with no landing gear and barely enough fuel to land. The crash on an unknown planet was a clear salute to David Twohy. (Unfortunately, Vin Diesel’s Riddick did not make an appearance during this episode.)
Watching Razor Crest get pulled out of the water also brought me back to the time Yoda lifted the X-Wing in The Empire Strikes Back.
We’ve even seen Luke do the same trick in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. I hope you’re taking notes, Baby Yoda. Season One was filled with nods to Force abilities. Yet, there have been zero nods to the Force in Season Two. Sorry everyone but Baby Yoda’s Houdini-esque ability to steal frog eggs from a jar does not count as the Force.
Din Djarin, Baby Yoda: Fish in Troubled Waters
While Chapter 10 took a dab into the horror genre with giant ice spiders, this week’s episode flipped the script with a sweeping action-adventure story. Din Djarin and Baby Yoda sail across the seas as they work toward locating other Mandalorians. It doesn’t take long when three Mandalorians arrive just in time to rescue Din Djarin and Baby Yoda after a double-crossing.
And there we have it. Bo-Katan finally makes her live-action debut in “The Heiress” episode revealing herself as the last of her line for Clan Kryze.
It is also revealed that Din Djarin is a Child of The Watch. No, not the one with Lord Commander Jon Snow from Game of Thrones.
The Watch is a cult of religious zealots who broke away from Mandalorian culture to re-establish the ancient way. “There is only one way,” says Din Djarin as he sails off into the sunset with Baby Yoda.
We’ll see about that, Din.
Yes, Jon Favreau, We Get It – a Space Western!
We quickly learn in “The Heiress” that Bo-Katan is attempting to gain weapons from Trask to retake Mandalore. Din Djarin requests helps from Bo-Katan to return Baby Yoda to the Jedi. She agrees, but not before asking for help collecting weapons from an Imperial freighter on a harbor zone.
With the way the camera panned towards the other female character when the Jedi were mentioned, there is zero doubt that she was Sabine Wren (WWE Superstar Sasha Banks making her rumored debut).
This was also shown by the artwork found on her helmet. Even though she didn’t have a major role, there is zero chance that this is the last we have seen from Sabine Wren moving forward.
Bo-Katan, played by Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), was easily the best part of “The Heiress.”
She was every bit as badass as I had envisioned after religiously watching Star Wars: Rebels and The Clone Wars. Bo-Katan is this modern take on Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from Alien.
@MrCrockpot
“They have something I need to retake Mandalore,” says Bo-Katan. Her main mission is to regain possession of the Darksaber.
Unsurprisingly, we immediately get our first glimpse of Moff Gideon in a hologram. Is it customary practice to have a Star Wars villain reveal in a hologram?
We had this with Darth Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story and I’m certain it also happened for Ahsoka Tano’s first glimpse of Maul in The Clone Wars.
The action sequence of taking the Mandalorians taking over the freighter was terrific. The Mandalorian series has a history of making jabs at the ineptness of the Storm Trooper. Jon Favreau, who wrote the script, is clearly having a blast and it works. Din, Bo-Katan, and the rest of the gang make (laughably) quick work of the Storm Troopers and capture the ship in the middle of “The Heiress.”
This is the Way to Amazing Television
After completing the mission, Bo-Katan reveals details that leads Din Djarin and Baby Yoda to Ahsoka Tano’s location. They return to a barely repaired Razor Crest and continue to limp their way to return Baby Yoda back to his home world. The live action debut of Ahsoka Tano is so close-yet so far away. I am freaking out!
“The Heiress” was by far the best episode of the season and one of my favorites from the entire series. While I enjoyed the first two episodes of Season Two, it felt detached and didn’t push the overall arc forward. Chapter 11 not only brought us Bo-Katan and directly closer to Ahsoka Tano, but it also revealed some truly intriguing concepts about who Din Djarin is as a character moving forward.
I feel like there is so much to pick apart from this episode. From Din’s backstory to where the series will move forward from here, there is way too much discuss for a written review. As a huge fan of Star Wars: Rebels and The Clone Wars, I can see the goosebumps on my arms while writing this review. Literally!
This was truly a fantastic episode from start to finish. It was an amazing live action welcome to the legendary Bo-Katan. And more importantly, Bryce Dallas Howard knocked this one out of the park. Well done, Bryce Dallas Howard. Well done.
MoviesMatrix Meter: 95%
NOTE: Chapter 12 of The Mandalorian will be released on Disney Plus on November 20. 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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