Bryce Dallas Howard may be shifting away from the heart-quickening storyline of the first three episodes, but The Mandalorian Chapter 4 is just as good!
The Mandalorian is perhaps one of the best shows streaming right now. It evokes all the things Star Wars fans love about Star Wars. It has action, great storylines. Great characters, and a fantastic Wild West feel that George Lucas himself would be proud of. The first “arc” per se, has concluded. And Chapter 4 shows Mando and his young companion as outlaws among outlaws. And they need to lie low for a while. They land on the sparsely populated forest world of Sorgan, a world reminiscent of Galaxy’s Edge’s Batuu.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
It’s a nothing planet on the edge of civilization and the natives have two options: Work on a farm or get a bite to eat in a local pub – which is exactly what the Mandalorian does. In the bar, the Mandalorian meets an ex-soldier-turned-mercenary by the name of Cara Dune played by the beautiful, Gina Carano. Dune is a likable character from when we first encounter her. And I must say, she is one of the few athletic women that I find attractive.
She even further evokes the feel of a Western by basically telling the Mandalorian that “this planet isn’t big enough for the two of us”. The main story is that a group of Klatooinian Raiders (the skiff guards from Jabba’s palace) is attacking a primitive village, and the villagers beg Mando and Cara to help drive them away. Mando is reluctant at first but eventually gives in. And Cara and he “train” the villagers on how to fight and lay traps for the raiders and their scary AT-ST.
AT-ST ENCOUNTER
Yes, it’s just one walker. But as Mando points out, it’s more than enough to decimate the small group. Cara suggests they move because “it’s a big planet”, but the villagers don’t want to move. I get that it’s their ancestral land but come on. They literally have a whole PLANET to migrate around. Sometimes Star Wars writers forget the scope that they are working with. Planets are often treated like cities or lands. And I’ll never forget Ezra Bridger saying in Season 4 of Rebels “I’ve lived on this planet my whole life and I don’t know where to go.”
Well, that’s equivalent of me being lost in China, and complaining that I can’t get back to New York. I also really love how Mando never removes his helmet. It’s in stark contrast to the Mandalorians in Rebels who remove their helmets all the time. But I’m sure it can be retconned in the future. He meets a young woman who shows a possible interest in him. But Mando like a robot does not reciprocate. He is a broken man and his helmet never leaving his head in the company of others shows how he has isolated himself from organic society.
VERDICT
This episode may be shifting away from the heart-quickening storyline of the first three episodes. But I feel it is just as good (in its way) and I haven’t been this excited about Star Wars content since, oh, 2005. I give Chapter 4 of this amazing “book” 4 out of 5 Death Stars and I can’t wait to see where The Mandalorian goes next.
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The Mandalorian is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus NOW!
Author
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
