TV Recap & Review: The Mandalorian “Chapter 15: The Believer”

Spoilers ahead.

The penultimate episode of season 2 of The Mandalorian is out now. Something had to give. While it was a good chapter in the series, it was the first episode this season to fall short of topping the prior week. Some might call it a filler episode, an opportunity to invite Bill Burr back into the cast. Many of us expected this episode to be a prison break. Instead, Inmate 34667 was legally remanded to the custody of Cara Dune in the opening scene. Credits roll. Just kidding. Something big happens, though it’s telegraphed, or rather megaphoned. It should have been a surprise.

The events that take place in this week’s episode are mostly action. We are kept engaged with an extended classic chase scene for a good portion. The temporary team is Cara Dune (who took the week off from marshaling), Fennec Shand (who is relegated to sniper. Well, she is an expert shot), Boba Fett (who cleaned up his armor, but managed to give it some token scuffs. And for some reason he hasn’t fixed that dent), Mando (Din Djarin, who tries on a new outfit), and of course, prisoner 34667, Migs Mayfeld; played by Bill Burr. He sent a wave back home to his friends in Pasco County, Florida, by using the zip code he grew up in as his designated prisoner number.

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The team heads to Morak, where there is a secret location the New Republic is unaware of; a refinery still run by the remnants of the Empire. They really only need an Imperial data port to swipe information. Morak is convenient because Migs knows it. He can get inside and collect the data Din and friends are looking for. The transport they hijack to get inside the facility carries a volatile explosive called rhydonium. The juggernaut has a design very much like the terra transports used in the ’80s television series V. There’s a touch of Big Trak, the programmable tank toy from 1979 in the design, too.

And since we’re in the olden days, the fetch quest the team is on today is reminiscent of themes from classic arcade games. The action is linear, and they have to avoid being destroyed on the way to the base. There are pirates; locals from the planet who might be called terrorists, but they really just want the Empire to leave now that they lost the war. They’re planting thermal detonators on the juggernaut transports that are filled with the rhydonium. Migs is tasked with avoiding wreckage from previous exploded tanks while Din plays Indiana Jones on the roof. They pull out several Indy stunts along the way, but fail to offer much to be nervous about. The sequence also reminds one of the chase on Vandor in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). You can’t help but think of Han Solo and friends stealing coaxium from an Imperial train. Cara and Fennec flank them from a ledge near the refinery to back them up once they collect what they came for.

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The chase itself is exciting enough, but what’s most important about the sequence is the early conversation. Migs had mentioned to Din, “Unless you’re going to be taking off that helmet…” and a million voices suddenly cried out “He’s going to take it off this episode!” The conversation continues with Migs urging Din to join him in removing his helmet. Din previously donned the Tank Trooper armor in private, and has yet to let Migs see his face. The uniforms and helmets were from early Ralph McQuarrie designs, so Din silently refused. It was just too cool to take off.

With helmet on, Mando single-handedly thwarts multiple attacks. When his blaster loses charge, he goes old school and throws the gun like a crook, expecting to ding Superman in black and white. His hand-to-hand combat skills come into play, and he thwarts what should be a final attack. Then a grand finale parade of marauders approaches. Din does the only thing he can do. He stands like Jon Snow, puts up his dukes, and welcomes his fate with a brave face (behind his somehow, very expressive mask). Before the transport is overrun, they are rescued by TIE fighters. As heroes, they are met with salutes from the Imperial troops. Easy peasy. They just need to find that data terminal. Of course, it’s in the officers’ mess hall where Valin Hess (Richard Brake) happens to be seated. Migs Mayfeld served under Hess while he was with the Empire. Din Djarin has to be the one to retrieve the data. Did I mention the terminal requires a facial scan for access? We get to see Pedro Pascal’s handsome mug once again. I’m guessing we’ll see it once a season now that it’s a tradition.

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Valin Hess is a nosy officer on a power trip, and he’s finished with lunch, so he’s looking for a grunt to harass. He chooses Din. This is where Migs has to show up with explanations for his comrade who is unaware of Imperial protocols. Hess offers them a drink to celebrate their successful delivery, but Migs can’t hold his temper when the officer makes light of some lost soldiers Migs served with. A firefight ensues, and they are back on track to leave. It’s just more exciting than walking out the door. This is where Cara, Fennec, and Boba get to do a little work. Cara and Fennec pick off troopers to cover Din and Migs while they make their way to Fett’s Uber. Slave 1 drops a seismic charge on the pursuing TIEs and the team escapes. Migs pegs a rhydonium transport with a cycler rifle, causing a chain reaction that destroys most of the base. Cara Dune, impressed by Migs’ destructive handiwork, looks the other way to allow him to change his identity as a free man. We’ll see Bill Burr again.

The epilogue brings us to Moff Gideon. His coordinates is the information Team Mando was looking for, and now they have it. Gideon’s first officer brings him an urgent Duo message from Mando@OuterRimDotCom. Mando has been practicing this speech in the mirror ever since the Gideon’s Dark Troopers kidnapped Grogu. It’s almost word for word what Gideon said to Mando in the showdown from season one. “You have something I want. You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not. Soon he will be back with me. He means more to me than you will ever know.” Give it up to writer/director Rick Famuyiwa. Either he found the line so strong and emotionally charged and recognized the versatility of the monologue in having it mean different things spoken to and from opposing characters… or, hey, Jon Favreau, you knew you were going to use that line again. You are the long game planner. Either way, the right people are making Star Wars right now. Things just got real. Mando is coming for you, Moff. This is the way.

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