Quick ‘Mandalorian’ Review – ‘Chapter 11: The Heiress’

Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Here’s a ‘Star Wars’ update! I’ve recently revisited ‘Revenge of the Sith’ on DVD and I’m currently 16 chapters into ‘Heir to the Empire’, the first of the original ‘Thrawn’ book trilogy by Timothy Zahn. I’ve also seen the third episode of Season 2 of ‘The Mandalorian’ that is called ‘Chapter 11: The Heiress’.

This episode is once again penned by Jon Favreau and is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. As well as Gwen Stacy in ‘Spider-Man 3’ and being in the recent ‘Jurassic World’ films, Bryce also directed ‘Chapter 4: Sanctuary’ in Season 1 of ‘The Mandalorian’. I’ve also seen her in 2016’s ‘Pete’s Dragon’.

I enjoyed ‘The Heiress’ very much. It’s better than the previous episode ‘The Passenger’. More plot elements seem to get going for the series in the Mandalorian’s search to find other Mandalorians and to reunite Baby Yoda with the Jedi. There are also characters from other ‘Star Wars’ shows here.

In the episode, the Mandalorian’s ship, the Razor Crest, crash lands on the moon of Trask after being severely damaged in the previous episode. Pedro Pascal as Mando, Baby Yoda and Misty Rosas as the Frog Lady are aboard. Mando pays someone to have his ship repaired as the Frog Lady reunites with her husband.

John Cameron plays the Frog Man, the Frog Lady’s husband in this. I found the reunion between the two rather sweet. Mando also meets the Frog Man and is directed to an inn where he can get information about three Mandalorians who are passing through, meeting a trawler crew of Quarren.

Its leader claims to bring passage to Mando and the Child on his trawler to the Mandalorians. But the trawler crew double-cross Mando and the Child, feeding them to a monstrous creature in their sailing ship. Apparently they want Mando’s beskar armour. It is very impressive armour, Mando has.

Thankfully, Mando and Baby Yoda are rescued by three Mandalorians who happen to be Mercedes Varnado as Koska Reeves, Simon Kassianides as Axe Woves and their leader…Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze. For those of you who don’t know, Bo-Katan Kryze has been in ‘The Clone Wars’ and ‘Rebels’ shows.

In fact, Katee Sackhoff who voiced her in ‘The Clone Wars’ and ‘Rebels’ makes her proper live-action debut in ‘The Mandalorian’. I can’t claim to know who Bo-Katan Kryze is as a character having not seen ‘The Clone Wars’ and ‘Rebels’ yet, but she’s intriguing, especially in terms of the Mandalorians she comes from.

For one thing, Bo-Katan’s team of Mandalorians take their helmets off as opposed to Mando keeping his identity a secret. Mando distrusts Bo-Katan and her team, but they’re the only ones who can help him to find the person that knows about the Jedi. They’ll help so long as he can help them in return.

You see, Bo-Katan and her lot want Mando to help them recover a Mandalorian relic called the Darksaber from an Imperial cargo ship, which is claimed by Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon from the previous season. Mando agrees to help them out, but Bo-Katan keeps changing the deal here. 😐

It was intriguing to see an Imperial cargo ship full of Stormtroopers and Mando with Bo-Katan’s team fighting their way through them. I’m curious though as shouldn’t the Empire be dead by this point, considering this takes place after ‘Return of the Jedi’? But then, I’m still reading ‘Heir to the Empire’.

Titus Welliver guest stars as the Imperial Captain who is ordered by Moff Gideon to prevent the weapons aboard the cargo ship falling into Mandalorians’ hands. The Captain kills his own crewmembers as well as killing himself before Bo-Katan gets to learn about the Darksaber’s location.

At the episode’s end, Mando is thanked for helping Bo-Katan and her team out. She keeps her word, saying that a Jedi called Ahsoka Tano in the city of Calodan on the forest planet of Corvus can help him find what he needs. Soon, Mando and the Child return to the Razor Crest and head for Corvus. 🙂

‘The Heiress’ has been an enjoyable, intriguing ‘Mandalorian’ episode to watch. I enjoyed being introduced to Bo-Katan for the first time in ‘Star Wars’. I’m curious about what’s going to happen when Mando and Baby Yodo go to Corvus and meet Ahsoka Tano. Will they have a warm reception?

Stay tuned for my review on ‘Chapter 12’ of ‘The Mandalorian’ next week!

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim. 🙂

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Meanwhile…

THE TIMELORD MANDALORIAN STORY
Chapter 4

Sometime later, the Mandalorian and Timelord007 are travelling in outer space, heading back for Earth, aboard the Mandalorian’s ship, the Razor Crest. The Mandalorian sits quietly piloting the ship for a bit whilst Timelord sulks in the passenger seat nearby.

After a while, the Mandalorian breaks the silence.

Mandalorian: “I can’t see why you’re so disgruntled. The person we told you about is good. Why you would be against us trying to make contact with him?”

Timelord007: “Because he’s a whole new load of liability we don’t need. I don’t want to put another person’s life at risk as well as my own and Tim’s.”

Mandalorian: “If he can help us with uncovering this Francis’ identity, there’ll be a chance to save Tim’s life as well as your own. That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Timelord007: “Help us? Are you serious? You’ve been wearing that helmet for far too long, mate. Do yourself a favour. Go outside; take your helmet off and get some fresh air.”

Mandalorian: “I shall ignore that remark. Mandalorians never take their helmets off. This is the way. And I would never go outside in the vacuum of space.” (Pause) “Besides, didn’t this person help you, Tim and…a whiskey brewer…I can’t remember his name…with your review-making recently?”

Timelord007: “I wouldn’t go that far. If we have to rely just on this guy to save Tim, then we’re all in big trouble. That’s the point I’m trying to make.” (Pause; scoffs) “And what about us leaving Tim behind on that planet we were on. Smart move, Mando!”

Mandalorian: “Do not worry about Tim. He’ll stabilise in that cubicles of his so long as this Francis doesn’t suspect we’re onto him. Besides, the kid’s keeping him company, remember?”

Timelord007: “Baby Yoda’s a puppet! A cute, expensive combination of an animatronics and CGI puppet, but a puppet nevertheless.”

Ignoring Timelord007, the Mandalorian checks the ship’s piloting instruments for a moment.

Mandalorian: “ETA to Earth about two hours.”

Timelord007: (sighs) “120 minutes of calm before the madness begins.”

……..

On Earth itself, a certain Divergent Wordsmith is working hard at their computer. This is the person the Mandalorian and Timelord007 need to make contact with.

Wolfie: (satisfied; dusts hands off) “There we are! All finished. My introduction for the ‘Unbound Imaginings, Volume 2’ anthology is complete. Look upon my works, ye mighty, and toss an indifferent hand! Now, all that need be done is send it across to Andrew for that final check, make sure everything’s run in for that December 2020 release and…”

Just before Wolfie is able to do anything however, a vibrating sound echoes nearby. Wolfie turns to see what’s causing it. There’s nothing in the doorway of the office.

Wolfie: (calls) “Hello? Whoever you are, I don’t have any money…?”

No response. Wolfie scratches their head.

Wolfie: “Hmm, that usually gets them. Debtors… Tch, like monsters under the bed. Still, strange…”

Wolfie ignores it and attempts to resume what they’re doing. The vibration sound echoes again. Wolfie turns back once more. Still nothing!

Wolfie: (calls) “Hello? Look, I can only blame the wind for so much before it’s unsportsmanlike.” (Pause) “Hello?! Is that you lot with those Vogon jackhammers again? Permits are necessary even on the Earth!”

The vibration sound comes again, more persistent this time. Wolfie gets up from their chair, picking up an electric kettle nearby, ready to use it as a weapon just in case.

Wolfie: (calls) “Is that you, Whiskeybrewer? Timelord?” (Pause) “…Frobisher?”

Just then, someone materialises in Wolfie’s office.

Wolfie: (relieved) “Oh! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Phew, well… Pull up a chair. I’d ask you to phone ahead before you knock, but, ways and means. Just give me a few moments to finish up here…”

The person who appeared in Wolfie’s office advances forward. Wolfie backs away, feeling anxious.

Wolfie: (puzzled) “Don’t you want a chair? What about a footstool? A beanbag? A glass of water?” (gradually; panics) “Wait, steady on. there’s a fine line between hospitality and insistence. What’s… Wait. Wait, wait, no, no, NO!”

But it’s too late. Wolfie gets chopped across the neck and falls, face first, to the floor unconscious. A moment of silence ensues. The person who knocked Wolfie out places a homing beacon on their back. Pressing a button on a remote control, the person has Wolfie teleported out of their office. The person soon teleports out of the office too!

Wolfie’s office is currently empty. On the computer, an email pings in his inbox – a demand from the Divergent Wordsmiths editor asking where the introduction to ‘Unbound Imaginings, Volume 2’ is. No response is given due to Wolfie’s unexpected absence.

TO BE CONTINUED…