The Mandalorian, Chapter 23: “The Spies”
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian, Chapter 23: “The Spies”

“The Spies” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 23) presents a real good news/bad news situation for the Mandalorians.

The good news: Mandalore is habitable! The tribes have united! There are only a few terrible megafauna left to terrorize the planet!

The bad news: The Imperial remnants have formed a Shadow Council following up on allllllll of their predecessors’ special interests, and Moff Gideon is angling to be their boss.

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The Mandalorian, Chapter 20: “The Foundling”
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian, Chapter 20: “The Foundling”

This week, we’re recapping the mythology-filled midpoint of the Mandalorian’s third season, “The Foundling” (Chapter 20). We parse the effects of Mandalorian myth, legend, and custom on the Children of the Watch’s community. We wonder whether Bo-Katan will stay, and where Kelleran Beq went. And we ask the real heavy-hitting questions about having sons and daughters when you belong to a society where no one takes their helmets off.

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The Mandalorian, Chapter 13: “The Jedi”
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian, Chapter 13: “The Jedi”

The Mandalorian’s thirteenth chapter, “The Jedi,” picks up Morgan Elsbeth’s story right where it left off in Tales of the Empire. Ahsoka’s tale, though, is another story. We rehash the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff of Ahsoka’s journey, and discover just how alone she’s been since The Clone Wars.

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The Mandalorian, Chapter 11: “The Heiress”
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian, Chapter 11: “The Heiress”

In this week’s episode, “The Heiress” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 11) we tell the entire bloody tale of Mandalorian history: Tracing the Darksaber’s path through Mandalorian society, tracing Bo-Katan’s journey from radical to royal, and asking how Din Djarin ended up in a religious extremist splinter cell.

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The Mandalorian Season 2 Premiere: “The Marshal”
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian Season 2 Premiere: “The Marshal”

In our recap of Chapter 9, “The Marshal,” we gather a basket full of Easter eggs—and identify how they serve the plot, not just the vibes, of this dragon versus cowboys mashup. We weigh the influence of both Camelot-era fantasy and spaghetti Westerns, discuss perceptions from a first-time viewer, and wonder what (if any) Season 1 criticisms the show may be reacting to in its Season 2 premiere.

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The Mandalorian Chapter 8: Redemption
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian Chapter 8: Redemption

In our recap of “Redemption” (The Mandalorian Season 1, Chapter 8), we wrestle with questions of honor, if it matters, and why it’s so important to try. We also cover the chain of ownership of darksaber (and question why Lando doesn’t have it??), the importance of the Child, and the role of Moff Gideon in the somehow still-functioning Empire (???).

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The Mandalorian Chapter 7: The Reckoning
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian Chapter 7: The Reckoning

In “The Reckoning” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 7), we explore the governance (and lack thereof) of the New Republic, the rise of fascism in a post-Endor era, and what the Empire looks like in ABY 9. We also pay an homage to Kuiil—the original Bae, and one of the reasons for the start of Growing Up Skywalker—by exploring the concept of honor.

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The Mandalorian Chapter 6: The Prisoner
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian Chapter 6: The Prisoner

In “The Prisoner,” (The Mandalorian, Chapter 6), we take a good long look at prison, punishment, and justice in the New Republic Era. We talk through the DELIGHTFUL cameos of this episode—Matt Lanter, Dave Filoni, Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, and more—and ask ourselves…Does Mando have a plan?

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The Mandalorian Chapter 4: Sanctuary
The Mandalorian Anna Squires The Mandalorian Anna Squires

The Mandalorian Chapter 4: Sanctuary

This week, we dive behind the camera to explore the female gaze in The Mandalorian and how it stems from the first female directors of a live-action Star Wars project. We dig into Cara Dune’s backstory, the classic Star Wars village story, the comparisons between “Sanctuary” and the Clone Wars’ “Bounty Hunters,” and the state of our main characters’ moral codes. 

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