The second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+ continues with another chapter that's high on adventure and gunplay. After a kick off last week that brought back so many elements and fan service that reminded us of the original trilogy, The Passenger shifts back to Mando and his sidekick helping an alien species get to their destination aboard the battle ravaged Razor Crest.
Taking hard cues from the original Star Trek series with planetary adventure, amazing practical creature design and some story points that nod directly to Ridley Scott's Alien films, we're offered another bit of cinematic nostalgia that really does connect back to a better time in television and movies alike. It seems like there's been a little bit of a shift in the writing this week. Instead of playing strictly to die hard Star Wars fans, Reed's episode relates to a more broad demographic of sci-fi fantasy fans. There's really something here for everyone.
After episode one teased the return of the galaxy's most notorious bounty hunter, the next chapter comes back around to pitting Mando against the unknown elements, another monster of the week, and more lovable cuteness from The Child. Unlike last week, more focus is paid to the little green being as we're once again reminded of its undeniable love for almost anything deemed edible. Comic relief is definitely pushed further this week while the relationship between the main characters continues to thrive and grow. As each episode unwinds, it's kinda nice seeing this supposed bad ass doing his damnedest to protect the little one.
Obviously, my love for this show is apparent. But there are definite flaws. Sometimes the reliance on making fans happy might be too much for folks that don't practice Star Wars religiously. But in a time that's filled with darkness, Disney+ brings the light with their expansion of the galaxy far, far away.
-CG