Well, it looks like we found the one person who can break through Bo-Katan’s tough, too-cool-for-school exterior: Grogu. Because when that little guy came rushing back to her throne room, all worried for his dad, she was pretty quick to jump into action. She was also pretty quick to pick up that dark saber and use it to its fullest extent as well*, but it turns out that despite wanting to wallow away in self-pity, Bo might slowly be realizing that she can make a difference even without her fighters alongside her. But I suspect a leopard doesn’t change her spots that quickly and we might still see more of the surly Bo-Katan as the series continues to unfold.
*Interesting that when Din wielded the blade, it still appeared heavy and a bit difficult for him to control, but when Bo was using it she was able to wield it smoothly and with clear intent. By legend, she does believe herself to be the one destined to command the blade, so perhaps that provides her with greater ability? Or maybe she was right after all and she is the rightful owner of the blade and it responds better to her than to Din. Either way, it was cool to watch her take it up, even if she gave it back to Din in the end, as she didn’t win it in combat.
I’ll admit that I got a bit worried when Din and Grogu rolled into Tatooine that we were going to get yet another planet-side adventure – not that I wouldn’t have had a lovely time seeing Boba Fett and Fennec again (especially after the disappointment that was their standalone series). I was a tad disappointed that the pit stop meant that there’s likely no getting IG-11 back – after all, if the Jawas tell you there aren’t parts, then there likely aren’t parts. But if it meant that we actually got quickly to the meat of this portion of Mando’s story, I’ll take the disappointment. Because it was great to get him and Grogu to Mandalore (alongside Bo), get him to the Living Waters, and discover just what is still alive on the planet.
While the dialogue on The Mandalorian can certainly be stilted when compared to other shows – namely Andor, where the dialogue feels much more natural, even epic at times – one thing we can always trust is that when someone says something, it will matter. Take Din pointing out how close Bo-Katan is to Mandalore, so that we and Grogu know she’s just a quick flight away once they need her. Or Bo reading off the plaque, letting us know that once upon a time there was a massive sea beast in the Living Waters so we would be prepared for it to snatch Mando down into the depths, requiring Bo to once again rescue him. Honestly, for such a great bounty hunter, Din really needs to keep his head in the game when it comes to moving around Mandalore. Sure, that first creature came out of nowhere, but listen to the story, buddy! As someone who wholly buys into the Mandalorian legends he’s been taught, it was pretty weak to ignore when one was being read directly to him – especially when its warning him about what he was potentially walking into. Bo is the non-believer in the group, Din, not you. Although, now that she’s seen that perhaps there’s some truth to the legends she was told, she might be coming around.
But the highlight of the episode for me was the addition of Bo-Katan to our little duo. While Din and Grogu are a great combination on their own, the show really sings when they have another person there to balance out their dynamic. Having Bo, who is an avowed skeptic of the Mandalorian traditions Din holds so dear – and who also has the added layer of being a former Mandalorian princess and believing herself to be the chosen one to lead the Mandalorian people back to glory – was a nice counterbalance to Din’s fervent belief in the mysticism of Mandalore. And, really, the best Star Wars moments come from a skeptic and a believer working together to find out that both have beliefs that warrant acceptance, which is precisely what we got here.
Katee Sackoff clearly had a ball getting to work one-on-one with everyone’s favorite little Mandalorian, and it was lovely to see Pedro Pascal have someone to bounce off of who A. could talk, and B. wasn’t necessarily on his side all the time. Conflict makes for great drama, and while this relationship doesn’t offer major conflict, there’s more than enough to allow for the prickly nature of their tenuous détente to add something extra to the series. And I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to wonder if one or more of the Jedi that Bo knew may have had a hand in Grogu’s escape during Order 66 – she might be a source of more information than simply that of Mandalore. Either way, this was a solid episode and I’m intrigued to see what becomes of our trio in the face of the sea creature they discovered in the Living Waters next week.
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