The Mandalorian - Chapter 7: The Reckoning Review

Allies reunite, and the crew’s biggest threat is near.

Reviewed by Noah F. on Dec 23, 2019

Rating:

A promise of safety, a job has gone wrong, and overwhelming odds stand before The Mandalorian as he tries to win his freedom. Not if the Empire can help it. Kidzworld reviews the heart-pounding second to last chapter of season one: The Reckoning!

We have been waiting for this moment. The Mandalorian is about to pay the price for rescuing The Child, and the Imperial Remnant’s most capable leader is hot on his trail. Will Mando and crew make it out alive?

The Razor Crest is becoming one of my favorite Star Wars ships.

The Offer

Mando receives a transmission from Greef Karga while flying through space in the Razor Crest. Greef, in exchange for the elimination of the Imperial Client that started this whole mess, will allow Mando complete forgiveness if he cooperates. Since Mando left Nevarro in Episode 3, the Imperial Remnant have tightened their grip on the town where the Bounty Hunter’s Guild resides. Their normal business is next to impossible with swarms of Stormtroopers roaming the streets. He reluctantly agrees, he can’t afford to be on the run forever. But, he also knows he can’t do it alone. He’ll need to assemble a crew if he has any hope of getting to The Client in one piece. His Beskar armor might have saved him from death on multiple occasions by this point, but he alone cannot go up against an entire battalion of Stormtroopers.

Cara Dune can more than hold her own against the other mercs.

Getting the Band Together

The first stop on his list of beloved guns for hire is Cara Dune, who we met in Chapter 4. She is back on the planet Sorgan, engaged in some mostly friendly competition of strength with a Zabrak (a member of Darth Maul’s species) mercenary. She was also reluctant to join Mando again but agrees when she hears that the target they’ll be hunting is none other than an Imperial officer. She was a trooper in the Rebellion after all. Next up, is the resourceful Ugnaught Kuiil, who is still living peacefully in his valley on the desert planet of Arvala-7. Kuiil, with his newfound free time now that Mando had saved his valley from the Weequay mercs, has kept busy. He found and repaired the body of IG-11, the assassin droid Mando blasted in Episode 1. They were not warned of this, and Cara and Mando immediately draw their blasters upon seeing the reprogrammed and repaired assassin droid. I enjoyed seeing IG-11 again, this time only threatening to serve tea instead of self destruct. Kuiil agrees to help Mando’s cause once more and brings IG to watch Baby Yoda and his Blurrgs for transportation. They’re as ready as they can be to face the Imperials, and the trap Greef has most likely set for them. Mando knows the risk.

Glad to see Kuiil and IG-11 again.

Unsafe Travels

On the way to Nevarro, whilst everyone is packed into the tight interior of the Razor Crest, Mando and Cara engage in some more friendly competition. Nothing like an arm-wrestling competition between two warriors. Baby Yoda didn’t get the friendly competition memo, and fearing that Cara (who was close to winning) was about to harm his dad, reaches out with the force and clench’s on Cara’s windpipe, choking her. Mando quickly intervenes, but the growing connection to the force is concerning for the group, but most interesting for us the viewer. The series is confirmed for a second season, and Baby Yoda’s power will only grow from here. IG-11 is left behind to look after Baby Yoda, which Mando does not like the idea of at all. The band of ruffians lands on Nevarro to meet Greef, who is caught off guard by Mando’s entourage (while having a group of bounty hunters of his own surrounding him). Everyone continues to begrudgingly agree to work with each other to take care of their common goal.

Who do you think was going to win?

Yeah, these guys aren't trouble at all...

Midnight Attack

The group sets up camp for the night, opting to carry out their plan in the morning. They’re going to bring in Mando handcuffed to the Client, and spring a trap. It isn’t a perfect idea by any means, but it gets them inside the facility where they expect to find the least amount of resistance. All of a sudden, though, a flock of giant winged creatures rain down from above and attack the scheming Hunters. They spring to action, blasting away at their attackers but a couple of Greef’s men are taken down, and Greef himself is injured. When the dust clears, and Greef wounded possibly beyond repair, Baby Yoda reaches his tiny little green hand out and uses the force to miraculously heal Greef’s grievous wound. This isn’t the first time the Force has been used to heal, but typically Jedi would draw on the Force to heal themselves. There is a point though where no amount of healing is enough, so they cannot recover from any injury. Greef’s wound closes, and he looks up at astonishment at his tiny green savior. The next day, as they move in toward the city, Greef guns down his men and reveals that, surprise, he and his goons planned on killing Mando and taking the baby to the Empire, but that the Baby’s healing changed his mind. They would go through with a new plan, Kuiil would take the Baby back to the Razor Crest with IG for safekeeping. They would instead take his floating cradle in with them to the meeting, and spring the trap from there. When they arrive, there are far more Troopers guarding the once-bustling streets than expected. They’re boxed in, with no way out.

The winged creatures attack without warning or mercy.

Baby Yoda is becoming stronger with the Force.

The Endgame

They make it to the meeting place, the Bounty Hunter’s Guild’s favorite cantina. The Client is there and demands to see the Child while monologuing at the current state of lawlessness that the galaxy faces. Mando tries to buy time, bluffing to Greef that “it's sleeping” and as if willed by the Force, The Client arises for a commlink call with Moff Gideon, a high ranking officer in the Imperial Remnant. Suddenly, the entire wall collapses in a hail of blaster fire. Dozens of Imperial Stormtroopers and Death Troopers caved in the wall with their combined barrage. And, from the sky drifts down a single ominous TIE Fighter. The Fighter lands, its wings folding in a way we haven’t seen before. Out comes Moff Gideon himself, played by the spectacular Giancarlo Esposito. In the short amount of time we see Gideon in this episode, he is already a force to be reckoned with. Mando frantically calls Kuiil, who is still on his way back to the ship with the baby. “I’m almost there!” he exclaims as the sound of Imperial Scout Troopers on speeder bikes are heard gaining on him. Cut back to the city, and the total hopelessness of the situation as more and more Troopers pour into the streets. We see Kuiil, one last time motionless on the ground. One of the Scouts picks up Baby Yoda, and credits…

You might recognize the Death Troopers from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

He was no match for the Scout Troopers...

Final Thoughts

Wow! What an ending, the banter between the characters was superb, the action intense, and the stakes have never been higher. Moff Gideon is already more intimidating than any villain seen after Return of the Jedi, and the finale is looking to be an action-packed rescue mission that I cannot wait to see. After a few weeks of misadventures, we have arrived in the end game and it was glorious. The season finale awaits.