The Mandalorian Double Take: Chapter 16

Welcome to The Mandalorian Double Take—where we give some quick thoughts regarding the latest episodes of The Mandalorian on Disney+. In this article we will cover The Mandalorian Chapter 16: The Rescue, with Steve Galloway of Jedi News joining the Tatooine Times team for the epic season finale.

Steve’s Double Take

• Doctor Pershing: Pershing has been a character very much on the fringes of both series, but we now get to see that he actually cares for Grogu. I get the feeling that he is very much like Galen Erso in his role for the Imperial Remnant, it almost feels like he has been forced or coerced into service. The way he gave intel so freely after being captured makes me think he objects to the core values of what they stand for and resents the work they are making him undertake.
• Father and Son: Their relationship was highlighted by Ahsoka as near enough father and son. But for me there is one parallel that stood out when Din Djarin removes his helmet for Grogu. This harks to me of Anakin Skywalker wishing to look at Luke’s face with his own eyes at the end of Return of the Jedi. The bond between them is immense, and it was heartbreaking to see them separated. Will we see Grogu again?
• The Music: Ludwig Göransson did a brilliant job with the music for series 1, but series 2 just elevated it to an unreal level. For Chapter 16, the musical choices were as near to perfect as they could be. Edgy, innovative, raw, and subtle. All created by an absolute genius.
• Luke Skywalker: Fanboys (and girls) around the globe all cried out in joy as that cloaked figure wielding a lightsaber cut through the dark troopers with such ease and grace. Only a fully trained Jedi could manage that. This was the Luke Skywalker as many of us remember him from the Legends literature. The technology being developed is allowing Filoni and Favreau to play with a completely new sandbox of toys, and they are revelling in it. I approve of this and so do so many others.
• What’s next: Fett’s journey with Din Djarin is now complete, and he now gets his own live action story. Accompanied by Fennec Shand, this is such an exciting development. With this airing 24 hours after the passing of Jeremy Bulloch, that excerpt during the credits takes on so much extra special meaning. But what next for The Mandalorian? We know that Grand Admiral Thrawn is back in circulation, the darksaber has a new owner, so it looks to me as though it will be destination Mandalore to liberate it from Imperial rule, but who knows? I could be wrong! There are so many different paths that Disney+ are going to take us down in the coming months, but I feel the continuity and overall feel will be similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the TV series they also spawned. It is such an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. Just hold onto your hats, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

Fabio’s Double Take

• The Plan: After making final arrangements in preparation of Grogu’s rescue—including the recruitment of Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves, along with stealing an Imperial Lambda shuttle and kidnapping Dr. Pershing—the all-star team devices a brute force plan to board Moff Gideon’s light cruiser. I loved how the ensemble of total badass characters came up with the most 80’s action plan—not over thought but full of blaster fire. All this to misdirect the Imps so Mando can slip through the shadows (very Metal Gear Solid) to save the child.
• The Boarding Party: As promised, the all-star female team consisting of Bo-Katan, Koska, Fennec, and Dune disembarks with maximum initiative as they start taking down stormtroopers like it’s nothing. Among all the formidable stunts, my favorite was definitely Fennec Shand’s—her close quarter combat skills are fun to watch.
• Activate the Dark Troopers: This was the moment I’ve been waiting for. Seeing the dark troopers in full action was an absolute delight—the experience enhanced by Ludwig Göransson’s dubstep track. These third generation droids (thank you Dr. Pershing for canonizing an important piece of Legends history) are near unstoppable, and their almost stop-motion mechanical moves reminded me of the best 80’s sci-fi movies—from Robocop’s ED-209 to The Terminator’s T-800s.
• Mando vs Dark Trooper: What better way to test the dark troopers than putting one against Mando? Our hero’s beskar armor was a lifesaver for this fight match. However, beskar or not, the repeated mechanical punches inflicted by the terrifying droid made me cringe on every hit! Let’s just say that despite Mando’s ultimate victory, it was definitely one of our hero’s toughest fights.
• Mando vs Gideon: Now, this was the fight I was not expecting! I think most of us were expecting the ultimate darksaber battle: Bo-Katan vs Gideon for the Mandalorian throne. However, I feel like it wouldn’t have been a satisfying final chapter if we didn’t see our hero engage in an epic duel with the big bad villain. Mando vs Gideon can probably go in the hall of fame of all Star Wars duels. Although neither of them are Force sensitive, the clashing of Gideon’s darksaber against Mando’s beskar staff sure looked and felt like an epic lightsaber duel. Although Mando came out victorious, Gideon’s deception was far from over.
• The Darksaber Trick: The revelation of the darksaber having to be won in battle was both surprising and confusing at the same time. I have a vivid memory of Sabine Wren handing over the darksaber to Bo-Katan as she becomes the leader of the Mandalorians in Star Wars Rebels. However, the lore has changed, and now in order to own the darksaber you must defeat its owner in combat! Gideon’s ultimate trick just crashed Bo-Katan’s destiny and complicated Mando’s journey, as now he has the power to rule Mandalore. Obviously, there is no bad blood between Mando and Bo-Katan at the moment … I wonder when we will find out how this is going to play out.
• Return of the Jedi: Seeing the platoon of dark troopers coming back after being thrown out of the airlock destroys every hope for our heroes. Their organized, slow march ending with a rhythmic punching as they attempt to break through the blast doors of the bridge elevates the anxiety and tension as our heroes wait for certain doom. Then probably the greatest, most nostalgic comeback in Star Wars history happens before my eyes as I see a familiar X-wing make its way to the hangar and begin to uncontrollably scream “OMG it’s Luke SKYWALKER!” My excitement escalates as each frame reveals the character’s legendary and iconic look straight out of Return of the Jedi as he IGNITES THE GREEN and begins to slash away waves of dark troopers. At this moment his face is not revealed, but the physicality of the character is spot on—Matt Rugetti’s performance brings Luke Skywalker to life once again. Then he arrives at the bridge as the blast doors open and he comes out of a cloud of white smoke (that iconic Skywalker entrance), taking his hood off, revealing the face. I’m not going to lie, up to now I imagined Sebastian Stan under that cape, but I was surprised to instead see Mark Hamill himself (well, sort of). Rugetti’s face is replaced with young Hamill’s, and it did the job. The stunt actor’s physicality (down to the folded hands) perfectly matched Hamill’s, and the technology used for the face (looked more like Deepfake than what was used in The Rise of Skywalker), along with the short but effective dialog (probably edited old clips) brought tears to my eyes. A true return of the Jedi!
• Goodbyes: Jon Favreau and Peyton Reed know how to play with the fans’ emotions. If Luke’s return was an ecstatic one, the Clan of Two’s goodbye is the most beautiful and heartbreaking moment of the entire show. I was not ready to see them separate, but when Din finally takes off his helmet so Grogu can see his face is the most chokingly precious thing I have ever seen on television. Din’s teary eyes as Grogu’s tiny hand touches his face makes me want to cry even as I am writing this. Their goodbye is not a definite one, but I have a feeling they will not see each other for a long time. Is this the end of the show? When will the Clan of Two reunite? Will it be through a different media source, perhaps a novel? Time will tell.
• The Book of Boba Fett: Remember going to the movie theater and waiting to watch the after credits scene of a Marvel movie? Well, we just got our first one in Star Wars. If Luke Skywalker wasn’t enough of an homage to Return of the Jedi, the last minutes of the chapter take us back to our homeworld, Tatooine—precisely Jabba’s Palace, although this time the crime lord in charge is none other than Bib Fortuna himself (played by Matthew Wood). Looks like he gained some weight in hopes to match his former boss, and he is looking as slimy as ever. His cameo (and the rest of his gang) doesn’t last long, and after a short dialog in Huttese (did I hear maclunkey?) his fate meets Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, who immediately seize the throne after killing every thug in the room. And then the announcement of yet another Disney+ Original: The Book of Boba Fett. See you in December 2021!

This is it for our Double Take series for The Mandalorian Season Two! We want to thank everyone involved in the show for creating such an unforgettable story. We look forward to the next shows and keep our fingers crossed for the return of the Clan of Two! We would love to hear your thoughts and reactions on the epic season finale through a comment below. If you choose to engage in the conversation on social media, make sure to use #TheMandalorianSpoilers as we try to be mindful of fellow fans who may not have watched the latest chapter yet. Don’t forget to follow Steve Galloway and Jedi News on Twitter but most importantly make sure to visit jedinews.com to keep up with the latest news of our beloved galaxy far, far away.