"The Mandalorian: Chapter 14: The Tragedy"

"The Mandalorian: Chapter 14: The Tragedy" written by Jon Favreau, directed by Robert Rodriguez

Wow!! What a stellar episode!! When I first saw the title "The Tragedy," I had no idea what that could be but still gasped aloud. It should have been obvious that Grogu was going to get taken by the Imperials just from that one word. But I'm not a huge speculator so I typically just let the episodes wash over me and take me with them along for the ride. Of course, you could also call the Razor Crest's explosion a tragedy, so maybe the title was referring to a double whammy. Title aside, this episode had humor, mysticism, tons of action, and, if you were Grogu or Din, what could be described as horror.

So Din and Grogu arrive on Tython...and it looks nothing like what we saw in the "Doctor Aphra" comic. Whan whan. I was so hoping for a connection to that series with the Martyrium and the snowy weather, but alas this show focused on a completely different part of Tython and not the Meridional Ice Cap. It felt more like a name drop than a legitimate connection which was frustrating, but the episode itself was so freaking good that it still ended up working for me. Din takes Grogu to the top of a hill with a Stonehenge-esque rock circle with a rock platform in the middle and sets the baby down on the platform which is ringed by ancient writing. At first nothing happens, but then Grogu settles in and a force field projects itself around the platform and upward into the sky!! Such a cool effect! I've heard people say this shows Grogu having a new Force ability, but I think it was the rock platform itself combined with Grogu's presence that created the force field. Unfortunately, a Jedi was supposed to come but no Jedi did...again, whan whan. (...makes a person wonder...is Moff Gideon perhaps Force-sensitive??...but then you remember there's just a tracking beacon on the Razor Crest...) But all that's okay because the other content we got in this episode was pretty darn killer.

Boba Fett comes back, zooming into atmo on Slave I!! I recognized the ship immediately and was so excited to see how this would play out. Strangely enough, Boba acts as a kind of good guy (which is so far off the mark--see the current "Bounty Hunters" series--I was a bit taken aback) and makes a deal to trade his armor that Din has in his possession for protecting Grogu. Fennic Shand also shows up, as a total cyborg...odd (maybe her wounds courtesy of Din were just that extensive)...and kicks a**...as does Boba as a matter of fact with his Gaderffii stick. Stormtroopers arrive on two trooper carriers and a big portion of the episode is Boba, Fennic, and Din annihilating the troops, eventually sending the remaining soldiers running for their lives. At one point, Din makes his way back to the hilltop where Grogu sits in the force field and tries his darnedest to pull the child out, but the field is too powerful and sends the Mando reeling back every time.

Just when we thought the trio of bounty hunters had won the day, an air to ground blast destroys the Razor Crest from Moff Gideon's Arquitens-class cruiser and four droid Dark Troopers jet down to the planet's surface...straight for Grogu. Well, the episode is called "The Tragedy" so like I said above, these droids are successful in capturing their quarry and they jet back to the ship, Grogu in hand. Then we get to see Grogu in Force-action as he attacks the stormtroopers in his cell on the ship. While yes, he's only defending himself, he does use Dark Side powers such as Force-choking against the troopers and that is dang spooky!! Ahsoka may have been right about the anger, fear, and attachment present in the young child. Only time will tell... To prevent him from Force-attacking anyone else, he gets put in shackles and stunned into sleep.

One last thing before I go, after the Razor Crest's explosion, and the Child's being kidnapped, Din goes through the wreckage of his ship and finds two things: the little metal ball that Grogu likes to play with and the Beskar spear he just acquired in the previous episode. One item that reminds him of his newfound fatherhood, and another item that reminds him of his warrior heritage. 

So once again, a really fabulous episode that had me hook, line, and sinker (even if there were about 10 full minutes of action...). And it was interesting to me how they went with there being two projects under works in the Imperial labs. I was totally convinced that the black armor and the high-Midichlorian count clones were one and the same. I have to admit, the droid Dark Troopers were pretty freaking awesome to watch! So I'm down with there being two areas of research...and I am beyond excited to find out what the clones are all about now!! Looking oh so forward to tomorrow's episode!!

And just because I can't help myself...AAAHHHHHH!!! THAT DISNEY INVESTOR'S CALL HAS ME DEAD. I CANNOT believe all the fantastic content coming our way!!!!