S01.E08: Chapter Eight - Redemption

[Uncle JUICE]

12 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I think the only reason people are watching the show is for Baby Yoda, the people would notice the plots are pretty lame if Baby Yoda wasn't there to distract the viewers.

 

11 hours ago, Anduin said:

No. I'm watching for the actual title character. And the plots are actually pretty good.

I obviously won't deny the power of baby Yoda, but the Western elements of it were really well done, that was enough to keep me watching. Almost every episode was basically a take on something cowboy stories do, even the one that's a take on Magnificent Seven (aka Seven Samurai), which was my least favorite episode by far. 

[wanderingstar]

Gotta give special praise to Taika Waititi. Yes, he a great job directing this episode, but he also performed the hell out of his role as IG-11, dropping gems like "That was unpleasant, I'm sorry you had to see that" and "That was a joke; it is meant to put you at ease" with aplomb. Just sad we had to lose our IG at the end of it all.

Edited December 31, 2019 by Gillian Rosh

[TVFan17]

7 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Now that the Armorer declared to Mando that "you are as his father" about The Child, is that permission enough for him to remove his helmet when he is alone with BY?

I wondered the same thing.  I am not clear on the rules and whether or not those rules apply in the presence of "family."  Mando has never indicated that there are any exceptions to the rule beyond the scene in which IG-11 was able to heal him.

That's why I don't know if Baby Yoda would have been able to heal Mando, even if he hadn't been preventing the ball of fire from killing all of them.  Baby is a living thing, and to heal Mando I think (though I could be wrong) he would have needed to put his hand right on or near the wound (at least, it seems that way, based on what he did when he healed Greef and also when he was trying to heal Mando in Chapter 2, struggling to reach the wound). 

At the point when Mando thought he was about to die, Mando had not yet been deemed Baby's official surrogate daddy, so Baby wasn't family yet.  In order for Baby Yoda to heal Mando, I think Mando would have had to remove the helmet, and that wasn't going to happen.

Mando essentially said that he hadn't taken the helmet in front of anyone (or been seen by another living thing without the helmet, I suppose) since he was a child.  He said this when he was talking to Omera in Chapter 4. 

And yet, in Chapter 6, Xi'an coyly dodged the question ("A lady never tells") when Mayfeld asked her if she had seen Mando without the helmet.  I don't think Xi'an could have seen Mando without a helmet because she is a living thing -- no matter how "intimate" they might have gotten -- so I assumed she was just trying to be funny or to frustrate Mayfeld with that answer, and that she never actually saw Mando's face.  I don't see how she could have unless she sneaked a peek when Mando didn't realize it.  But that seems unlikely, as he is very aware of everything going on around him.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by TVFan17

[foxfreakinmulder]

12 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Yes, it's in the same universe. The show takes place 5 years after episode 6. There's been lots of talk about why Mando had never heard of Jedi, but I haven't heard a good explanation. 

Thank you pezgirl7 :-)

[Lamima]

On 12/27/2019 at 10:14 AM, Joimiaroxeu said:

 

AFAIC, this is the best TV series ever. Sit down Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos. There's a new king in town and his name the The Mandalorian.

Yup! I may have to say the same and I am a fantasy lover way more than sci-fi. But this show is good. .Thank goodness since GOT is over and TWD sucks balls now!!!

[TVFan17]

When watching this series again, from the beginning, it struck me how interesting it is that Mando's ongoing internal conflict about looking after the baby is conveyed through body language, limited dialogue or choice of words and vocal inflections/tone.  His face can't convey to us how he is feeling about Baby Yoda at any moment.  Also, Mando doesn't talk a lot -- he's not the sort of person to just chit chat with any random person without a purpose, unless people start asking him questions.  And he is obviously someone who is not accustomed to becoming attached to anyone else, or being emotional.

As the seasons progress, Mando jumps between referring to Baby Yoda as "it" and "the kid" and "he," then as "it" again, etc.  I think he even called him a "thing" in this episode, didn't he?  Sometimes, when Mando is in a warm & fuzzy mood, he might refer to Baby Yoda as "the baby" or "the little one."  But then he is right back to calling the baby "it" or "thing" again. 

It's really quite fascinating.  It's clear (to me) that when Mando starts to soften and realize that the baby is just an adorable baby who needs him and he isn't an enemy, he changes how he refers to him.  When he was on Sorgan, the nice farm lady Omera and the nice way of life appealed to him, so he let his guard down a bit and spoke of the baby as a "he."  When he starts to doubt or become unsure of the baby again, suddenly he is an "it" or a "thing" or whatever.

Also, in Chapter 2, when Baby was gulping down the frog, Mando yelled at him to "Spit that out" -- but it wasn't in a playful, concerned dad way.  It was in an annoyed, slightly angry, cold way.  When Baby was trying to play with the ball/knob on the ship in Chapter 3, Mando coldly told him "It's not a toy."  Later, of course, after he rescued the baby, he changed his stance and let him play with the ball.  By Chapter 4, although Mando didn't want Baby flipping the various panel switches and told him to "stop touching things," a few seconds later he had the baby on his lap and was lovingly and playfully referring to him as "you little womp rat."  By the end of Chapter 8, even though he caught Baby with the Mythosaur necklace up to his mouth and wanted to see what he was holding, he let him keep it and didn't tell him it wasn't a toy or whatever.

When Mando saw that Baby was choking Cara, he yelled at him to stop -- but it didn't even seem like an angry yell as much as it seemed that he was trying to snap Baby out of his trance before he hurt Cara.  Two minutes later, he was talking to Kuiil about padding the makeshift pram so that the baby could sleep better (as a concerned father would do!).  And yet, in Chapter 8, when Mando was talking to the Armorer, he suddenly seemed to be referring to Baby in a detached, disconnected way again -- even after Baby just saved Mando and his friends by shooting the fireball back outside!  At the end of Chapter 8, Cara and Greef seemed to be feeling more warmly towards Baby than Mando was feeling -- that is, until the baby toddled on up to Mando and hugged his leg, looking up at him adoringly and innocently.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Mando begins to refer to Baby Yoda in Season 2.  Will he stick with calling him "he"?  Or will he revert back to calling him "it" or "thing" if he feels unsure of his growing bond with the baby?  Or... will he give him an actual name??

[NeenerNeener]

Stole this off of Facebook, as it describes my plans this evening perfectly.

[TVFan17]

About Pedro Pascal/Mando's face being revealed... The reactions to Mando/Pedro's face being shown have been interesting. 

Throughout this first season I have been watching multiple YouTube reaction and review videos for each episode, both before and after I subscribed to Disney+ and began watching the series myself.

A couple of people have said that they were disappointed that Mando's face was shown at all, especially this early in the series -- which is a fair point, and I can understand why people would feel that way.  

But... a couple of people were disappointed with Pedro's looks in general.  One guy said that Pedro "looks like us" (I guess he meant the average Joe) and is "slightly overweight."  And then a woman (who was totally unfamiliar with Pedro before this show) said that she was disappointed because he was "chunkier" than she had imagined, and that Pedro "looked like the dad next door."  She said she expected him to be "chiseled."  Her husband said that she thought Pedro had a "dad bod" -- somehow she decided all of this from the one and only scene with a close-up of Mando's (bloody) face.

Am I missing something?  Did Pedro look "chunky" and "slightly overweight" and like the "dad next door" in the scene where his face was shown?  Maybe he is not some people's cup of tea as far as being attractive, but I wasn't thinking that he looked chunky or like the dad next door.  I doubt that was supposed to be Mando's finest moment anyway.  He thought he was dying and was probably in pain, after all.  I know there are a whole lot of women and men who would not mind getting to know that "dad next door" at all!

Edited January 1, 2020 by TVFan17

[paigow]

3 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

 I know there are a whole lot of women and men who would not mind getting to know that "dad next door" at all!

(Interior: Disney meeting room)

Exec 1: Any ideas for boosting Disney+ subscriptions?

Intern: Rename the Mandalorian to Pandalorian

Exec 2: We already have Baby Yoda...why do we need a panda as well?

Intern: (Writing on whiteboard) Not PANDAlorian...PANdalorian

[Sugarbeetle]

The first thing that jumped into my head when the Armorer said Baby Yoda was too weak to train as a Mandalorian was Yoda saying to Luke, “Judge me by my size, do you?”

[krankydoodle]

9 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

Am I missing something?  Did Pedro look "chunky" and "slightly overweight" and like the "dad next door" in the scene where his face was shown?  Maybe he is not some people's cup of tea as far as being attractive, but I wasn't thinking that he looked chunky or like the dad next door.  I doubt that was supposed to be Mando's finest moment anyway.  He thought he was dying and was probably in pain, after all. 

I think his face looks a little fuller than it did a few years ago, but eh. I may be biased, though, because I really like Pedro Pascal.

I appreciated that they didn't try to glam him up for the reveal. I imagine that's how someone would look when they've been stuck in a full helmet for who knows how long and then getting knocked around some.

[Babalooie]

20 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Mando begins to refer to Baby Yoda in Season 2.  Will he stick with calling him "he"?  Or will he revert back to calling him "it" or "thing" if he feels unsure of his growing bond with the baby? 

I always perceived that most of the times he referred to the child as "it" or "thing" was when he could be in potential danger and didn't want others to know that he was becoming fond of him.   He needed to be perceived as macho and not vulnerable.

[magdalene]

11 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

About Pedro Pascal/Mando's face being revealed... The reactions to Mando/Pedro's face being shown have been interesting. 

Throughout this first season I have been watching multiple YouTube reaction and review videos for each episode, both before and after I subscribed to Disney+ and began watching the series myself.

A couple of people have said that they were disappointed that Mando's face was shown at all, especially this early in the series -- which is a fair point, and I can understand why people would feel that way.  

But... a couple of people were disappointed with Pedro's looks in general.  One guy said that Pedro "looks like us" (I guess he meant the average Joe) and is "slightly overweight."  And then a woman (who was totally unfamiliar with Pedro before this show) said that she was disappointed because he was "chunkier" than she had imagined, and that Pedro "looked like the dad next door."  She said she expected him to be "chiseled."  Her husband said that she thought Pedro had a "dad bod" -- somehow she decided all of this from the one and only scene with a close-up of Mando's (bloody) face.

Am I missing something?  Did Pedro look "chunky" and "slightly overweight" and like the "dad next door" in the scene where his face was shown?  Maybe he is not some people's cup of tea as far as being attractive, but I wasn't thinking that he looked chunky or like the dad next door.  I doubt that was supposed to be Mando's finest moment anyway.  He thought he was dying and was probably in pain, after all.  I know there are a whole lot of women and men who would not mind getting to know that "dad next door" at all!

I would call the various stunt men and Pedro Pascal "lanky" not "chunky".  Most of the time it was Brendan Wayne under the suit anyways and he is a very slim man. I think if people consider someone like Pedro Pascal "chunky" they are having body image issues.  Good grief.  No wonder the US is having one of the most overweight populations in the world while having an obsession with constant dieting and being "skinny" at all cost.

Personally I don't want a guy who spends all his time in the gym when he is not preening at his "buff" body in the mirror. Give me a Pedro Pascal any day instead of some narcissistic gym rat.

[TVFan17]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

I would call the various stunt men and Pedro Pascal "lanky" not "chunky".  Most of the time it was Brendan Wayne under the suit anyways and he is a very slim man. I think if people consider someone like Pedro Pascal "chunky" they are having body image issues.  Good grief.  No wonder the US is having one of the most overweight populations in the world while having an obsession with constant dieting and being "skinny" at all cost.

Personally I don't want a guy who spends all his time in the gym when he is not preening at his "buff" body in the mirror. Give me a Pedro Pascal any day instead of some narcissistic gym rat.

I totally agree!   First of all, where is this neighborhood with the "chunky dads next door" who look like Pedro Pascal?   Are they accepting new residents?  I would like to know.  And are these dads all as charming and engaging as Pedro seems to be (in interviews)?  Are any of them single, because there will be people who are more than happy to move there and schedule play dates, I suspect!  lol

I guess it didn't even occur to me that Pedro looked "slightly overweight" or "chunky" in the scene where IG-11 removes the helmet from Mando's head.  Who would look good at that angle, in a close-up shot, as they were playing out a scene in which they were injured, bloody, in pain and thought they were about to die?  If that's considered overweight -- just based on that one scene -- then America is doomed.

Edited January 1, 2020 by TVFan17

[wanderingstar]

7 minutes ago, TVFan17 said:

I guess it didn't even occur to me that Pedro looked "slightly overweight" or "chunky" in the scene where IG-11 removes the helmet from Mando's head.  Who would look good at that angle, in a close-up shot, as they were playing out a scene in which they were injured, bloody, in pain and thought they were about to die?  If that's considered overweight -- just based on that one scene -- then America is doomed.

This never occurred to me. I think Pedro is very handsome, so it doesn't occur to me that others don't see that as well-lol

[TVFan17]

10 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

This never occurred to me. I think Pedro is very handsome, so it doesn't occur to me that others don't see that as well-lol

He is very attractive and charming.  He always seems playful and upbeat, and doesn't take anything too seriously.  He's well spoken and interesting.

Mando/Din, on the other hand, is mostly all business and isn't exactly Mr. Bubbly Personality, and yet he is still attractive and charismatic because he maintains an air of mystery and can convey certain things with only his tone of voice or body language.  Occasionally he might say something funny, in a dry way.  Plus, Mando is traveling around with an adorable baby he has to care for, and that doesn't hurt his appeal either!

I also don't think that the "removing the helmet" thing is going to become a regular occurrence if the series lasts for multiple seasons.  It might be something that has to happen once in a while for some reason, but I think that most of each season will go by without seeing Mando's face.  We saw enough of his face to be able to humanize Mando and view him as a real, living, vulnerable person for a minute, but then he will go back to being the butt-kicking man of mystery when the helmet is back on.

[pezgirl7]

17 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

Am I missing something?  Did Pedro look "chunky" and "slightly overweight" and like the "dad next door" in the scene where his face was shown? 

Maybe a little? But that's only because Pedro has a very full face, and the angle in which they shot his face, coupled with him laying back, didn't do any favors. Then he had the matted hair, sweat and bloody face, which also didn't help to show off his looks. But it helped humanize Mando and make him look vulnerable. When he has the armor on, he seems infallible. He gets his ass kicked, but always prevails. We finally got to see that there is a fallible man under the mask. There were still plenty of fans familiar with Pedro who thought he still looked totally hot. 😁But I can see how others were expecting something different. I don't think Pedro is ripped like he was when he filmed GoT, but he definitely doesn't look like he has a dad bod. I may need some photographic evidence...

Edited January 1, 2020 by pezgirl7

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

He is very attractive and charming.  He always seems playful and upbeat, and doesn't take anything too seriously.  He's well spoken and interesting.

Mando/Din, on the other hand, is mostly all business and isn't exactly Mr. Bubbly Personality, and yet he is still attractive and charismatic because he maintains an air of mystery and can convey certain things with only his tone of voice or body language.  Occasionally he might say something funny, in a dry way.  Plus, Mando is traveling around with an adorable baby he has to care for, and that doesn't hurt his appeal either!

 

Yes, the Baby is the ultimate chick magnet! All of Mando’s bros would offer to babysit the lil guy! 😆

Edited January 2, 2020 by LittleIggy

[paigow]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Yes, the Baby is the ultimate chick magnet! All of Mando’s bros would offer to babysit the lil guy! 😆

Even Chandler & Joey would do it...again

[kokapetl]

Wearing wool and steel while working with molten steel and a furnace in a underground room adjacent to a subterranean lava river. I hope Mandalorian armor has AC. 

[CeeBeeGee]

On 1/1/2020 at 1:48 PM, TVFan17 said:

I totally agree!   First of all, where is this neighborhood with the "chunky dads next door" who look like Pedro Pascal?   Are they accepting new residents?  I would like to know.  And are these dads all as charming and engaging as Pedro seems to be (in interviews)?  Are any of them single, because there will be people who are more than happy to move there and schedule play dates, I suspect!  lol

I guess it didn't even occur to me that Pedro looked "slightly overweight" or "chunky" in the scene where IG-11 removes the helmet from Mando's head.  Who would look good at that angle, in a close-up shot, as they were playing out a scene in which they were injured, bloody, in pain and thought they were about to die?  If that's considered overweight -- just based on that one scene -- then America is doomed.

I have seen Pedro Pascal in person (he played Edgar in King Lear on Broadway with Glenda Jackson) and I assure you, he is fine as shit. I have no idea who these troglodytes are who don't know him from Game of Thrones.

On 1/1/2020 at 2:24 PM, TVFan17 said:

Plus, Mando is traveling around with an adorable baby he has to care for, and that doesn't hurt his appeal either!

I absolutely love kids (I work with them) but have never experienced that babylust so many of my friends have (even those who don't particularly like kids). Just not a baby person. Until now. I am obsessed with Baby Yoda. The wee precious beastie makes me want to have kids. But only if they look exactly like him. And can do the magic hand thing.

And OH MY GOD, cannon fodder stormies HOW FUCKING DARE YOU LAY HANDS ON THE BABY. How. Dare. You.

I've never heard of the Darksaber, clearly I'm going to have to brush up on my EU. (The only EU stuff I know is from the very early days of Star Wars, like Splinter of the Mind's Eye and the Brian Daley Han Solo series. I know a lot of people were bummed when DIsney decided to reset the series and ignore the EU but--Jedi twins? Seriously?! Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.

[benteen]

There was an old EU book called Darksaber but this Darksaber is from The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series, which are canon.

[FierceCritter]

On 12/31/2019 at 3:16 PM, TVFan17 said:

When watching this series again, from the beginning, it struck me how interesting it is that Mando's ongoing internal conflict about looking after the baby is conveyed through body language, limited dialogue or choice of words and vocal inflections/tone.

Loved every bit of what you said in your post. Great observations.

 

20 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

(The only EU stuff I know is from the very early days of Star Wars, like Splinter of the Mind's Eye

I adored that book.

 

RE: Mandalorian Pedro unmasked

I admit, I was a little taken aback by how he looked when the mask came off.

BUT - I best know him as Oberyn Martell from GOT.  That's what I expected to see. But 1) He was laying down. When you're in that position, gravity pulls on your cheeks, jowls, etc just like it puts your boobs in your armpits. 2) He probably does have a bit more weight on him than he did then. He appeared a touch more full for the Wonder Woman role. 3) His facial hair was sculpted and flattering in GOT. I frequently see PP without that kind of grooming, as he is when the helmet comes off. And it does make him look a touch less sharp overall. 4) I think he probably weighed more than a bit less in GOT.

I'd still be like a feral cat feeling the sudden and incredible pleasure of its first pet if he ever came within 5 feet of me. #Tingle

[MissLucas]

Ah well, Pascal isn't doing anything for me in the looks department (I find the mustache annoying) but I had no qualms how he looked when the helmet was removed. Helmet hair is never flattering. I had just wished the helmet to remain on because I thought it was a cool concept and it allowed all of us to keep our own version of Mando's looks intact.

I don't think Baby Yoda is allowed to see his face but it's an interesting idea that the 'as a father' statement creates the one exception these hardcore Mandalorians would allow. Maybe TPTB want to keep that as an option if they feel people get tired of staring at that helmet all the time.

Edited January 3, 2020 by MissLucas

[TVFan17]

On 1/2/2020 at 10:11 PM, CeeBeeGee said:

I have seen Pedro Pascal in person (he played Edgar in King Lear on Broadway with Glenda Jackson) and I assure you, he is fine as shit. I have no idea who these troglodytes are who don't know him from Game of Thrones.

I absolutely love kids (I work with them) but have never experienced that babylust so many of my friends have (even those who don't particularly like kids). Just not a baby person. Until now. I am obsessed with Baby Yoda. The wee precious beastie makes me want to have kids. But only if they look exactly like him. And can do the magic hand thing.

And OH MY GOD, cannon fodder stormies HOW FUCKING DARE YOU LAY HANDS ON THE BABY. How. Dare. You.

I've never heard of the Darksaber, clearly I'm going to have to brush up on my EU. (The only EU stuff I know is from the very early days of Star Wars, like Splinter of the Mind's Eye and the Brian Daley Han Solo series. I know a lot of people were bummed when DIsney decided to reset the series and ignore the EU but--Jedi twins? Seriously?! Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.

I'm also not a baby person either.  I've spent some time around friends' children, and they were delightful, but I never really wanted to have any of my own.

And, having been a Disney fan for my entire life, I have had lots of exposure to fun characters with a lot of personality, cute talking animals and whimsical creatures, as well as an assortment of Animatronic characters on rides.  As a Peanuts fan, I loved Snoopy and Woodstock.  I used to be a big Muppets fan too.  I loved Rankin-Bass stop motion specials, and also H.R. Pufnstuf.  I loved little Gizmo from Gremlins.  So I am no stranger to endearing and clever puppets and other characters. 

And yet... nothing prepared me for Baby Yoda.  He is irresistible.  I don't know what it is about him that makes him stand out so much more than other fake puppet critters, but he is such a lovable, precious, pint-sized combination of facial expressions, baby coos & giggles, as well as huge eyes, a tiny nose, little hands that always seem to be pointed upward, floppy ears, a delightfully oversized robe and a precious little waddle.  He seems so vulnerable and innocent, and yet I think he understands more of what's going on than Mando or anyone realizes. 

And then he does cute things too, like gulping down frogs, pressing buttons he is not supposed to press and trying to operate Mando's ship.  He was even adorable when his little face turned evil as he was choking Cara.   I also love how Baby has wanted to protect his daddy almost from the beginning.  He didn't know who the strange man was who saved him, but almost right after Mando saved him at the beginning of the series, Baby was trying to heal him when he was injured, and then Baby helped him with the mudhorn.  I think that Baby has felt that he was protecting Mando and that he and Mando were partners from the start.

I was really bothered by the scene in which Baby was being hit/punched.  I've seen other people say that they thought it was funny that he was punched, and that it "isn't a real baby" so therefore it's not an issue.  Well, none of it is real.  The whole story isn't real.  They're not really on another planet.  They're not really flying through space and shooting at each other. There is no real Kuiil character, so Kuiil didn't really die.  There is no Moff Gideon.  There is no Mando in reality.  None of it is real, but we still get invested in the characters and have to believe they are real in order to care about them or hate them.  So we are supposed to believe that sweet Baby Yoda is a real, living, alien child being punched, and it was troublesome. 

 

As for Pedro Pascal -- I am more intrigued with him in each interview I see.  There is an interesting, very vague, sort of accent or lilt to his voice that comes and goes.  It's not an accent like what you might expect from someone who is used to speaking Spanish a lot of the time (for roles or to his family, or whatever).  It's an undefined sort of accent, the origin of which can't be placed. 

The best (random) comparison I can make is that this curious accent/lilt that appears and disappears in Pedro's voice sort of reminds me of Dorit Kemsley's voice.  For those who don't know who she is, Dorit is one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (she is close friends with Boy George), and one of the quirks she is "known" for is that she has a vague, undefined accent or lilt that comes and goes.  In her first couple of seasons on RHoBH, the other women were trying to figure out her accent, if she was making it up, etc.

Sometimes --  but not always -- when I hear Pedro talking in interviews, his voice takes on that same kind of accent/lilt that I have heard in Dorit's voice!  lol

Edited January 4, 2020 by TVFan17

[AnimeMania]

So what you guys are saying is I should change my Tinder photo to me with a Baby Yoda in a Babybjorn.

[PentaHookUp]

On 12/27/2019 at 4:37 AM, christine falls said:

 

Do the magic hand thing! 

😄

 

[paigow]

2 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

So what you guys are saying is I should change my Tinder photo to me with a Baby Yoda in a Babybjorn.

Only if you are ready for a commitment...that photo cuts both ways...

[Emily Thrace]

On 12/31/2019 at 11:38 PM, TVFan17 said:

About Pedro Pascal/Mando's face being revealed... The reactions to Mando/Pedro's face being shown have been interesting. 

Throughout this first season I have been watching multiple YouTube reaction and review videos for each episode, both before and after I subscribed to Disney+ and began watching the series myself.

A couple of people have said that they were disappointed that Mando's face was shown at all, especially this early in the series -- which is a fair point, and I can understand why people would feel that way.  

But... a couple of people were disappointed with Pedro's looks in general.  One guy said that Pedro "looks like us" (I guess he meant the average Joe) and is "slightly overweight."  And then a woman (who was totally unfamiliar with Pedro before this show) said that she was disappointed because he was "chunkier" than she had imagined, and that Pedro "looked like the dad next door."  She said she expected him to be "chiseled."  Her husband said that she thought Pedro had a "dad bod" -- somehow she decided all of this from the one and only scene with a close-up of Mando's (bloody) face.

Am I missing something?  Did Pedro look "chunky" and "slightly overweight" and like the "dad next door" in the scene where his face was shown?  Maybe he is not some people's cup of tea as far as being attractive, but I wasn't thinking that he looked chunky or like the dad next door.  I doubt that was supposed to be Mando's finest moment anyway.  He thought he was dying and was probably in pain, after all.  I know there are a whole lot of women and men who would not mind getting to know that "dad next door" at all!

Yeah its sad but I wonder how much of that is code for "not white". Something I noticed when people were critical about Adam Driver being cast as Ben Solo is that people are still strangely attached to their heros being blonde, blue eyed and square jawed. (Which is extremely ironic since Driver is actually about as ethnic as apple pie and looks eerily like Eddie Fisher). A lot of the criticism seems to be around Pedro Pascal's ethnic features like the wider cheekbones. I think one of those cases of unconscious bias where people filled in Mando's face with someone based on cultural expectations. Where of course heroes don't usually look like Pedro Pascal.

[Pachengala]

I think Pedro Pascal is fine as hell—he’s on my List of Five, in fact—but they shot him from a bad angle and he was looking down at IG, so his face was smooshed. I really do think it’s as simple as that. If this had been my first experience with him, he’d have done nothing for me. Thankfully, I’m very familiar with the breadth of his white-hot hotness.

[pezgirl7]

On 12/31/2019 at 10:58 AM, TVFan17 said:

And yet, in Chapter 6, Xi'an coyly dodged the question ("A lady never tells") when Mayfeld asked her if she had seen Mando without the helmet.  I don't think Xi'an could have seen Mando without a helmet because she is a living thing -- no matter how "intimate" they might have gotten -- so I assumed she was just trying to be funny or to frustrate Mayfeld with that answer, and that she never actually saw Mando's face. 

On my rewatch of the series, I noticed right before Xi'an says "A lady never tells", Mayfeld asks her if Mando ever removes the helmet, and she shakes her head No. I think that right there tells the answer. I think she was just trying to be coy and sexy. If Mando was ready to die from an apparently treatable head wound, instead of letting someone close to him see his face, then I think it's safe to say that no one has seen it, especially that space tart. 

At some point, I think Mando is going to have to give the baby to someone else to take care of. And when that goodbye happens, I'm anticipating him finally taking off the helmet in front of the baby. And if he has tears in his eyes, I am going to lose it. 😭

[paigow]

53 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

 

At some point, I think Mando is going to have to give the baby to someone else to take care of. And when that goodbye happens, I'm anticipating him finally taking off the helmet in front of the baby.. 😭

That would be the series finale...or The Din finale....because he would be an ineffective Bounty Hunter sans helmet....besides thermal vision, it has already absorbed several blaster shots in this short season...

[tennisgurl]

Yeah Mando will eventually remove the helmet for the baby, and I will cry and cry, because I am sure the context will be very feels filled, no matter what it is. 

I got a Baby Yoda plush for Christmas, he was actually crocheted together by a lady I know, and I love seeing his little face every morning when I wake up!

[pezgirl7]

7 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Yeah Mando will eventually remove the helmet for the baby, and I will cry and cry, because I am sure the context will be very feels filled, no matter what it is. 

I got a Baby Yoda plush for Christmas, he was actually crocheted together by a lady I know, and I love seeing his little face every morning when I wake up!

I got a Baby Yoda ornament for Christmas that was crocheted.  He's gonna be out all year round. 🙂

I have a feeling Mando is going to change his stance about taking off the helmet, or we're going to learn that he can take it off in front of family. And Baby Yoda is his family. 😊

[formerlyfreedom]

Let's please take speculation and discussion of future possibilities to the appropriate topics, and stick to the season finale discussion in here, please, and thank you!

[TVFan17]

I wasn't sure which thread to put this in, as it has quick Baby Yoda snippets from both this episode and the previous ones... but with (imagined) subtitles, such as what he might be thinking about Cara!  

 

I must have laughed out loud a good 3 or 4 times during this very short, but hilarious, video -- Baby Yoda BUT With Subtitles

 

This Baby Yoda subtitle video isn't as funny to me as the one I linked above, but still worth a look - Baby Yoda being ADORABLE with subtitles

Edited January 12, 2020 by TVFan17

[Claire85]

I saw this too! So cute! 

[MisterGlass]

I was convinced by some friends to watch this series in spite of my disappointment in the last few Star Wars movies.  And wow.  This is such a better Star Wars.  Character, stakes, story arcs, and good effects use!

This was a good finale to a good series.  I was surprised that we saw Mando's face but the context and the reasoning that it was a droid makes sense.  I thought it strongly echoed the reveal of Vader in ROJ; seeing the vulnerable human underneath the impenetrable armor is a shock.  Based on the rules they have set up, he shouldn't reveal his face unless alone, no matter his relationship with another person.  I don't think it's necessary - he's an expressive character even with the helmet.

I have one question about the troopers at the beginning.  Was that a real communication about the Moff?  I thought that was a faked transmission by IG to give him time to get there.  There were no trooper bodies at Gideon's feet when they cut back to the stand-off.

For the first time in a while I can say I'm looking forward to the return of a Star Wars property.  This is good as a space western, but it's also good as a space ronin.

Edited January 19, 2020 by MisterGlass
Missing word

[LittleIggy]

On 1/6/2020 at 9:48 PM, tennisgurl said:

Yeah Mando will eventually remove the helmet for the baby, and I will cry and cry, because I am sure the context will be very feels filled, no matter what it is. 

I got a Baby Yoda plush for Christmas, he was actually crocheted together by a lady I know, and I love seeing his little face every morning when I wake up!

I’m a university instructor. I have binders I put together for all the courses I’ve taught. I had to make a new binder for a course since we have a new textbook. I made my own Baby Yoda binder using a plain binder and pics of the Baby that I printed out. I’m besotted by the Baby! 

[TVFan17]

On 1/18/2020 at 8:34 PM, MisterGlass said:

I was convinced by some friends to watch this series in spite of my disappointment in the last few Star Wars movies.  And wow.  This is such a better Star Wars.  Character, stakes, story arcs, and good effects use!

This was a good finale to a good series.  I was surprised that we saw Mando's face but the context and the reasoning that it was a droid makes sense.  I thought it strongly echoed the reveal of Vader in ROJ; seeing the vulnerable human underneath the impenetrable armor is a shock.  Based on the rules they have set up, he shouldn't reveal his face unless alone, no matter his relationship with another person.  I don't think it's necessary - he's an expressive character even with the helmet.

I have one question about the troopers at the beginning.  Was that a real communication about the Moff?  I thought that was a faked transmission by IG to give him time to get there.  There were no trooper bodies at Gideon's feet when they cut back to the stand-off.

For the first time in a while I can say I'm looking forward to the return of a Star Wars property.  This is good as a space western, but it's also good as a space ronin.

 

Until I read your comment last night, it never even occurred to me that it could be IG somehow transmitting to the Troopers to stall them so he could get there to save the baby.  I just assumed that it was a legitimate transmission.   That is a really interesting theory, though.  I wouldn't be disappointed or even shocked if someone said that was what actually happened.  IG seemed to be going to extremes to fulfill his nurse/protect duties, so who knows? 

To me, it did feel like there was a missing scene that should have been inserted somewhere between the end of Chapter 7 and the beginning of Chapter 8, though.  Did IG hear the Troopers shoot Kuiil and then come out of the ship?  (Had Mando changed his mind about IG leaving the ship by that point, or did IG just leave the ship anyway, knowing he had to rescue the baby?)  Or did IG know that Kuill and the baby were being chased before they got near the ship, and then start planning ahead to send a bogus transmission to the Troopers?

How did the Troopers manage to hit both the blurrg and Kuiil when we were intentionally shown what horrible shots those two jokers were?  if we hadn't been shown how bad an aim they actually had, then I could more easily believe that they had taken down Kuiil and the blurrg -- but they were terrible shots.  One of them even tried to shoot at IG as he was walking towards them and missed.  And yet we are supposed to believe they shot two living, mobile beings from afar, while racing on those speeders?  And yet.. there was no one else around other than those 2 Troopers who could have shot Kuiil and the blurrg, was there?  I mean... IG wouldn't have killed them, so it had to be the Troopers since they needed to capture the baby anyway.

When we saw Kuiil dead at the end of Chapter 7, I assumed that Chapter 8 would either immediately start with IG coming out and finding Kuiil's body, or we'd see the Troopers putting away their weapons after taking down Kuiil and the blurrg. 

I watched Chapters 7 and 8 again today and my first thought was again that the transmissions to the Troopers were legitimate.  BUT you're right -- IG needed time to be able to reach them, so... who knows?

I was also confused by Gideon.  Did he want the baby to stay alive, or did he want him dead, or did it not matter?  I assumed he wanted him alive.  But didn't Gideon see that IG-11 had the baby when IG followed Cara, Mando and Greef into the building right before Gideon told his men to "burn them out" (and Mando was injured at that point)?  I assumed that he saw that IG had the baby on him, and that IG had joined the others, and yet he wanted the baby to burn too?  I guess he did.  Either that, or he just didn't see that IG had the baby.

I still loved Chapters 7 and 8 and I won't read too much into all of it, but when I watched them again I realized I had more questions than I initially thought I had!  🤣  ...Nothing that's going to keep me awake at night, but just more like "Oh yeah... what about that?" kinds of questions.

Edited January 20, 2020 by TVFan17

[Eolivet]

This show is about the furthest thing away from anything I would watch (the last Star Wars movie I watched was Revenge of the Sith), but once Baby Yoda became a pop culture phenomenon, I had to.

And I agree with everyone who says this is the true space Western (sorry, Firefly). When I described the Mandalorian to my mother, she said, "Oh, he sounds like the Lone Ranger" (which I'm sure others have said, too).

What I loved about this show, and especially this episode, is the Mandalorian was unapologetically an Alpha male, gruff, no-nonsense space cowboy dude, but with none of the toxic masculinity we used to see from these types of characters. And while "tough guy's heart melted by a little child" isn't an original trope, I found it so compelling here. As we've allowed our male characters to be more emotional and vulnerable, to see what felt like a throwback, but with none of the things that made the archetype seem dated or problematic, was a breath of fresh air.

I loved seeing the Mandalorian's "origin story" in this episode -- it was perfect and felt organic. I thought the direction was outstanding (not surprisingly).

This show really snuck up on me, and I think it hit at a perfect moment in the zeitgeist. Independent of the Baby Yoda phenomenon, there's a lot of pushback towards so-called "beta males," and a vocal subsection of mostly men who feel today's men have become "soft" and seem to long for the way things used to be. The Mandalorian shows us that  those old-fashioned values don't have to stand for intolerance. That honor, code and loyalty are independent of any ideology.

And maybe it's me, but in 2019-2020, that feels almost revolutionary.

[dwmarch]

Confirmation that the Stormtroopers have just as bad of aim with their fists:

https://www.thedad.com/the-mandalorians-baby-yoda-prop-cost-5-million-dollars

TLDR version: the Baby Yoda puppet is worth $5 million and they didn't want to risk damaging it!

[MisterGlass]

19 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

I was also confused by Gideon.  Did he want the baby to stay alive, or did he want him dead, or did it not matter?  I assumed he wanted him alive.

It seemed to be alive if possible, but the number one priority appeared to be that the baby didn't end up under anyone else's control.  The imperials probably think of the baby like a weapon - they want its power, but they really don't want anyone else to have it.

[paigow]

21 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

 

How did the Troopers manage to hit both the blurrg and Kuiil when we were intentionally shown what horrible shots those two jokers were?

The speeders got alongside the blurrg. Even they could not miss something that big at point blank range. Kuill and Baby were thrown off the falling blurrg and knocked out. Even they cannot miss an unconscious target if the blaster is touching the skull.

[pezgirl7]

On 1/19/2020 at 10:51 PM, TVFan17 said:

I was also confused by Gideon.  Did he want the baby to stay alive, or did he want him dead, or did it not matter? 

I was also confused about that. I assumed he wanted it alive, because if we go back to episode 3, when Mando was listening in on a conversation with the doctor and the client, the doctor mentions that whoever they are working for wanted the baby alive. I'm assuming he was referring to Gideon. But then Gideon sends that guy in to torch the place,  with the baby inside, so it really doesn't make any sense.

My theory is that Moff wants to inject the baby's force into himself so he can become the new Vader. He was even dressed like him. Not sure how he expects to do that if the baby is dead. 

[AnimeMania]

22 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

On 1/19/2020 at 11:51 PM, TVFan17 said:

I was also confused by Gideon.  Did he want the baby to stay alive, or did he want him dead, or did it not matter?  I assumed he wanted him alive.

It seemed to be alive if possible, but the number one priority appeared to be that the baby didn't end up under anyone else's control.  The imperials probably think of the baby like a weapon - they want its power, but they really don't want anyone else to have it.

If I was taking a guess, they want the baby alive, but since they were able to collect some samples from the the first time they had the baby, they no longer care if he stays alive. 

[wanderingstar]

I can't be the only one looking for ways to work "Watch your feet it's molten lava" into daily conversation.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Gillian Rosh

[WendyCR72]

Only three seconds, but I still find it adorable. The baby waving from episode 8. Almost sounds like he's saying, "Uh, hey!"

 

[TVFan17]

2 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Only three seconds, but I still find it adorable. The baby waving from episode 8. Almost sounds like he's saying, "Uh, hey!"

 

He's such a precious little bundle of cuteness!  So lovable.  The adorable sounds he makes (especially as the season progressed and he got more vocal and expressive) are an odd combo of human baby noises and animal noises, but somehow they all fit him.  I can't wait to see what he is up to in Season 2.

Some of the viewer reaction videos I watch on YouTube are at different stages of Season 1.  Some of them finished Season 1 and posted their reactions at the end of December, while others are just now somewhere in the middle of Season 1.  Some are just getting started on the show.   So it's fascinating to me to see how people react to the baby at different points along the way, whether it's a male and female couple watching together, or a group of girls, or a couple of male friends, or older men, single women, etc.  

One couple I follow just finished episode 8 -- and the woman was getting teary by the end of it because Baby Yoda captured her heart when he hugged Mando's leg (just as he captured mine too!).  Throughout the season this poor baby was almost murdered by multiple people/creatures/droids; was captured and punched by abusive Troopers; was taken away for testing or whatever was happening to him by The Client and Dr. Pershing; was dropped on the floor or ground a couple of times by different people; witnessed Kuiil being murdered and IG-11 sacrificing himself... and was left alone more than once by the guy who rescued him -- daddy Mando.  All he wanted was to be with daddy, eat frogs, play with other children, have fun in the spaceship, etc.  

So, at the end of Chapter 8, when he waddled up to Mando's leg and looked up at him adoringly, ready to be picked up and held, it seemed like Mando was finally realizing that he had to start taking better care of this trusting, loyal little soul who wanted to be by his side and protect him too.   It was such a sweet, tug-at-the-heartstrings moment.

[WendyCR72]

Yes! (And yes, more show and tell!) This was just so precious. And the baby sort of purred here! (Headphones catch it best.)