Vrinda Bachchan
‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Episode 6, titled ‘Chapter 14: The Tragedy’, is a crucial, action-packed, and emotion-packed installment of the series, with a couple of comebacks (one of them highly anticipated). In last week’s Ahsoka Tano episode, we find out that Baby Yoda’s name is Grogu (no, really) and that he was already undergoing Jedi training when Order 66 forced him into hiding. Tano senses Grogu’s strong emotional bond with Mando and refuses to train the kid, being of the belief that his emotions and fears make him especially susceptible to the dark side. But she does give Mando another set of instructions – take the kid to the planet Tython and place him on the ancient seeing stone to make contact with the other Jedi through the Force. Season 2 Episode 6 follows that storyline. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 6 Recap
The opening scene of Season 2 Episode 6 is possibly the most Mando has ever betrayed his feelings, even with the mask on. It’s a sweet bonding scene that sees Mando chuckle (he laughs!) at the kid’s reaction to every time his name is called out. Din Djarin clearly likes the name “Grogu”, even if the rest of the Internet doesn’t. The spacefaring pair land on Tython and Grogu, sitting atop the seeing stone, goes into a meditative trance, generating an impenetrable forcefield around him, as he reaches out to the Jedi using the Force. Mando spies another spaceship land near them and it is none other than Boba Fett, making his official comeback (after a brief appearance in Season 2 Episode 1).
Boba Fett doesn’t want to fight Mando. He just wants his armor back (Mando has had it ever since he got it from Cobb Vanth, remember?). Din Djarin is reluctant to hand over the armor to Fett, seeing as how Fett doesn’t belong to the Mandalorian Creed. But Boba Fett, who has brought along Fennec Shand (left for dead on Tatooine in Season 1 but saved by Fett and now in his service), offers his and Shand’s help in protecting Grogu in exchange for the armor, which he makes clear to Mando was handed down to him by his father Jango Fett who apparently got it from the Mandalorians.
Their conversation is cut short when Stormtroopers on Imperial ships arrive on the scene and an epic fight ensues, which especially sees Fennec Shand and Boba Fett shine as deadly fighters. Mando’s action takes a back seat as he mostly tries to get to the kid but Shand and Fett cut through the enemy ruthlessly and waste troopers in a well-choreographed action sequence. It’s all for naught though because Moff Gideon (waiting in an Imperial Cruiser above Tython) deploys four Dark Troopers to kidnap the kid, which they are able to do without any issue. The Dark Troopers, rather than engaging with Mando, Fett, or Shand, simply fly down, pick up an exhausted Grogu (who is all tuckered out from his Force-call), and fly away before Mando can reach them. What’s more, Moff Gideon also blasts the Razor Crest to smithereens so that Mando cannot pursue them. Boba Fett and Fennec Shand tell Mando that they’re indebted to him till the time they can get Grogu safely back to him.
The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 6 Ending
After Moff Gideon flies away with Grogu, Mando visits Nevarro seeking help from Cara Dune. Dune is now a legit marshal of the New Republic. Mando asks her to look up where ex-Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfield is being held prisoner by the New Republic. His plan is to spring Mayfield from prison in order to track Moff Gideon’s Imperial Cruiser and then rescue Grogu. On the said Cruiser, Moff Gideon watches with glee as little Grogu uses the Force to bash two Stormtroopers’ heads together after choking them. Gideon orders the baby to be shackled after he tires himself out. He instructs his subordinates to call Dr. Pershing and inform him that they have secured their donor.
The episode ends in such a devastating manner that we are left breathlessly anticipating next week’s installment. Mando’s ship the Razor Crest is no more and even worse, Baby Yoda gets taken away by the baddies, making this the first time in the series’ history that Mando and the kid are separated long-term. How long before Din Djarin can rescue Grogu back? Is it too much to hope that they are reunited in the next episode? Probably.
Mando’s Unintended Display of Vulnerability
Mando’s conversation with Grogu in the opening scene betrays his own vulnerability and emotions, perhaps unintentionally. When he is telling Grogu that he would be better off getting trained by the Jedi and that he should be ready to leave when the time comes, it sounds less like he’s trying to convince the kid and more like he’s trying to convince himself. Din Djarin’s fatherly love for Grogu is palpable in this scene, although it’s fair to say that the emotion is always a lingering presence in all Mando’s scenes with the baby. It is most obvious when Mando tells Grogu that he’s a special kid.
Boba Fett’s Epic Return
Let’s face it, Boba Fett in the original ‘Star Wars’ films did not do much. His awesomeness comes from his legendary status as one of the greatest bounty hunters in the galaxy (which we hear about but never witness in the films). In ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Episode 6, we get to see Boba Fett in real epic action for the first time ever. He is deadly fighting with just a staff too but when he dons his Mandalorian armor, Boba Fett is an unstoppable force of nature. Plus, he’s on Mando’s side now so, not a bad guy (yay!). It’s seriously nice of him to stick around to help Mando get Grogu back, even though he already has his armor. Fett could just as easily have taken off, leaving Mando to fend for himself on Tython (without fear of pursuit because Razor Crest got destroyed), but he didn’t. That makes him a man of his word, a man with integrity. He can be a character Mando can count on maybe.
Fennec Shand’s Return
Fennec Shand, after being mourned as wasted potential by audiences, returns from the dead in this episode, her first appearance since Season 1 (when she almost got Mando killed). She was always too intriguing a character to not give more part to play. Her loyalty to Boba Fett seems genuine and that makes her a strong ally for Mando. She’s a really good sharpshooter (almost too good) and her skills are sure to come in handy when they finally rescue Baby Yoda.
Grogu’s Force Powers
The Force is strong with Grogu, we know that much. And clearly, he’s had some amount of training. Enough to know how to use his powers, even if he cannot tell the difference from good to bad. The problem is that he is too young to know good from the bad. He thinks it’s okay to eat Frog Lady’s eggs and steal another kid’s cookies if they aren’t willing to share. Maybe Ahsoka Tano’s fears are not baseless. It seems like, with his powers developed, Grogu would stand at greater risk of turning to the dark side than he would if his Force powers faded away. Then at least he couldn’t choke people he didn’t like. Not that we mind a few Stormtroopers choked. Also, it’s unsettling the way Moff Gideon seems thrilled at Grogu’s display of his powers. Is he planning something even more nefarious than using Grogu’s blood to develop Force-friendly Imperial soldiers?
The Rescue Plan
Mando’s plan to rescue Grogu from the evil clutches of Moff Gideon is not clear as of now. He wants to stage another prison break, this time for Migs Mayfield, who can maybe help locate Gideon’s Imperial Cruiser. Mando’s rescue mission would certainly require more numbers and so far, he has Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, and Cara Dune on his side. Why would Mayfield help Mando when Mando is the one who got him into prison in the first place? We cannot wait to find out how Mando plans on getting Grogu back.
Read More: The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 5 Ending, Explained
