‘The Mandalorian’ 2×08 Review: “The Rescue”

We’ve now got the final episode of The Mandalorian season two. I don’t know about you, but so many things about 2×08, “The Rescue” left me in a puddle of feels. We’ve got a little while to wait for season three and we’ve got so many other Star Wars stories to look forward to in the meantime. But first, let’s talk about the finale of The Mandalorian. Here are a few of the things that hit me right in the feels in “The Rescue.” In case it’s not apparent, I’m going to be dropping a lot of spoilers, so consider this a massive SPOILER WARNING before you read further. 

Beskar/Darksaber Battle

As I mentioned in my review last week, I fully anticipated a showdown between Moff Gideon and our guy Mando. While the duel was a lot of fun to watch, what I did not expect was for the showdown to finish so quickly. But the reveal of why the duel ended so quickly was the real surprise for me. Winning the Darksaber is the only way to rule Mandalore, and look who’s got it now–Din Djarin–who doesn’t want it. He can’t just give it to Bo-Katan either; she must win it in combat. This bit of set-up is likely going to be the main conflict of season three, pitting Bo-Katan and Mando against each other, while Moff Gideon snickers in his cell. 

Steamroll those Troopers

One of the things that’s been great fun to watch in The Mandalorian is the host of new and new-to-live-action Star Wars ladies on the screen. Something important involving those ladies almost slipped past me before I thought consciously about what I was seeing on my screen. I just watched four different women who are powerful in their own right and in different ways, run into battle, steamroll a host of stormtroopers, and accomplish their mission. I don’t remember the last time I saw anything like that. To be perfectly frank, I’m not 100% positive that I’ve ever seen something like that. It wasn’t done in a cheesy “girl power” sort of way either. It was simply treated as normal, which is why I almost missed it. 

As much as I love and appreciate Leia as an adult and the immense cultural impact she had on women in science fiction as a whole, as a kid, I always wanted to be a Jedi–a solider in the middle of battle, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the men as their equal. Leia commanded and that is most certainly and definitely cool, but I wanted to be in the middle of the fray. 

I got that in “The Rescue.” Thank you Cara Dune, Fennec Shand, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Koska Reeves for fulfilling a longing in my heart that I did not realize I had until I saw it on my screen. Thank you for building a world where my niece will never think this is anything but the norm.

“One X-Wing? Great. We’re saved.”

I had been thinking through all the possibilities for who Grogu could have summoned from atop the mountain. At this point, there aren’t that many Jedi to choose from. Possible contenders for me were Ezra Bridger from Rebels, as well as Mace Windu (I’m definitely on #TeamMaceWinduLives, but that’s a story for another day). The only other thought for me was Luke, but surely they weren’t going to bring Luke into The Mandalorian. Who would they get to play him? Folks have been fan-casting Sebastian Stan for young Luke for quite a while and theoretically, would it be that difficult to add him to the Star Wars payroll in addition to the Marvel payroll? But no, not Stan. If we’re bringing back Luke, nothing will do but the OG Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. Readers with higher quality and larger TVs than me may differ, but I was actually very impressed with how they’ve brought back Luke. That was perhaps a bigger surprise to me than Grogu’s reveal in season one. 

Will we get to see more of Luke next season? At any rate, I want to see more of the little guy. Here’s hoping. 

And while we’re on the topic, who else nearly cried at Mando removing his helmet so Grogu could see and touch his face before going? What a tender and sweet moment between the most positive father-son relationship in the Star Wars universe. More of this, please. 

Do you have thoughts on the season two finale of The Mandalorian? Leave me a comment and we’ll discuss. 

The Mandalorian season three will premiere on December 25, 2021 on Disney+.