‘The Mandalorian’ Recap – ‘Chapter 8: Redemption’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

​I would venture to say, that normally only die-hard fans find themselves biting their nails and losing sleep over the season finale of their favorite show. Because these are the folks who are genuinely vested in everything a particular series has to offer and they’re dying to know how a particular arc is going to end. But some shows, grab ahold of people in epic fashion, to the point where it tells a story so fascinating and/or so powerful that everyone finds themselves nervous and worried about the ending in question and The Mandalorian is a series that that meets that particular qualification. Because everyone and their mother loves sweet Baby Yoda and the dire situation that Mando and his friends and The Child found themselves in at the end of the last episode of this series, gave everyone high tier anxiety.
 
Plus, the fact that we had to wait a little longer to see how this ugly situation would find resolution, made the wait for ‘Chapter 8: Redemption’ all the more painful. But as it turns out, the wait to see where this story would take us was absolutely and utterly worth it. For this season one finale finally put the franchise on a path for grand success, and it also took the time to offer up all kinds of answers to our questions and really, let’s start there today, since the facts came at us in rapid fire fashion early on in this tale. For in a matter of minutes, we came to learn why Cara joined the Rebellion back in the day, and she did so in large part because she was a native of Alderaan, and clearly the destruction of her home world by way of the Death Star was a fine rallying cry to join the cause and topple the Empire. Plus, we also learned that Greef was once a lawman, one who obviously walked away from that at some point in order to join the Guild.
 
But the true highlight of this little reveal session, is that the past and true identity of our favorite Mandalorian were put on full display here and, everything we learned about him was fascinating to say the least. For example, we came to learn exactly what happened to Mando (whose real name is Din Djarin) on that fateful day when the Empire came calling, and if it wasn’t for the honor and the bravery of the Mandalorians, Din would have lost his life as well. And clearly, the strength they showed is what prompted him to join their cause when he was of age so that maybe he could do something equally as noble down the line, and as an added bonus, we even got to see Din’s face in a clever reveal and we also came to learn that he is fully aware of the fact that Moff Gideon was involved in that dark day of wholesale slaughter. But what matters the most about this particular segment, is the fact that Din once wanted to do good, only to find his path take him down another direction.
 
Which means that every bad choice and every botched and successful job brought him to this particular point, wherein he finally had to make a decision. Would he embrace honor and nobility, like the Mandalorians that saved him so long ago, or would he continue down the scoundrel’s path so to speak. Thankfully, Din finally embraced the role of the hero. Which prompted him to not only accept his role in caring for The Child and getting it back home, but to face the monster that helped to orchestrate his pain and suffering. Which led to one epic and magnificent showdown between Din and Gideon, one that happened high above in the skies of Nevarro (thanks to a jetpack assist), and one that ended as we all hoped it would. For Din was victorious in his quest to stop this monster, and while there should be a grand celebration over the fact that Din and The Child survived and are now off to find the latter’s home planet, the ending wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. For IG-11 is gone, having sacrificed himself for the greater good, and Kuiil is indeed dead after all, while Moff Gideon, is alive and well and yielding the legendary Darksaber.
 
In the end however, this really was a phenomenal season finale. Because if offered fans of this series everything they ever wanted. I mean come on, the action and adventure were sublime. The laughs were perfect and on point and finally, the story has direction and purpose and the possibilities really are endless when it comes to what this show might uncover as Din searches for The Child’s home world. In fact, I would be shocked if season two doesn’t dive into some Jedi and Sith mythos, which would be awesome. Plus, it looks like we will also get a little more back and forth between Gideon and Din and that’s going to be a genuine delight as well and at this point, I’m already hungry for more. Which means that the wait for next season is going to be a painful one, because this is just an incredible and fun series, one that perfectly embodies the spirit of Star Wars and one that makes you feel like a kid again, while you’re watching it. Until next year.  

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