I admit to being intrigued by the title of The Mandalorian 2×03 “The Heiress.” I was first intrigued to learn that this episode marks the return of Bryce Dallas Howard to the director’s chair. I also knew we were getting some notable Star Wars throwbacks this season, with the addition of Bo-Katan Kryze and Ahsoka Tano (my husband’s favorite Star Wars character). However, this fact had eluded the forefront of my mind until Katee Sackhoff pulled off her helmet and I squealed in fangirlish delight.
For those who would like a primer on Bo-Katan Kryze, the extremely abbreviated and spoiler-free version is that she is the sister of Mandalorian duchess Satine, as well as her polar opposite. While Satine taught that Mandalore should be pacifist, Bo-Katan felt Mandalore should be proud of its martial history. If you’d like more information on Bo-Katan, check out The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels animated series. You can also get all the gory detail on her character on Wookieepedia but be advised that spoilers will abound for both aforementioned series.
While I’ve not finished Rebels and I’ve only binged through Clone Wars once five years ago, save for the newest season that dropped somewhat recently on Disney+, my memory of Bo-Katan was vague and fuzzy at best. While I have been a fan of Sackhoff’s work for some time, especially Battlestar Galactica, it was a bit strange for me to watch her play a darker character like Bo-Katan. Sackhoff plays the badass chick well though, so it’s always a treat to see her in action. Her Mandalorian counterparts are Koska Reeves (professional wrestler Sasha Banks, credited as Mercedes Varnando) and Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides).
While it’s fun and interesting to see more Mandalorians, especially ones with ties to other series in the Star Wars universe, I still feel like we’re only inching towards our ultimate goal. We do have the intrigue of the darksaber and we also get our first sighting of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito); both aspects were a welcome sight for me.
I’m certain this will not be the last we see of the new (to the series) Mandalorians. The interesting dichotomy she makes between “true” Mandalorians, like herself, the heiress to Mandalore, and to the “cult” that Din Djarin was raised in, is interesting. Pedro Pascal’s ability to emote his disappointment at their “denominational differences” while masked is impressive to me. I’m curious to see if this encounter shakes his faith in “The Way,” in some capacity. I suppose we’ll find out next week. I’m eager for him to meet Ahsoka.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think about The Mandalorian 2×03 “The Heiress”? Share with us in the comments below!
The next episode of The Mandalorian will air on November 20, 2020 on Disney+.
