After a long wait, The Mandalorian has returned with the season 2 premiere, and unsurprisingly, the internet doesn’t seem to be talking about anything else. While the first episode didn’t offer much of a hint as to where the overarching narrative is heading and told a much more self-contained story than a lot of fans were expecting, it still delivered everything people love about the show.
Baby Yoda got to do his adorable thing in the background, there was a references to the wider Star Wars canon and the theme of an outsider turning up in a small town to defend the locals against a dangerous enemy is once again reminiscent of the classic Westerns that have had a huge influence on how Jon Favreau approached the show the first time around.
Meanwhile, Timothy Olyphant confirmed the fact that he runs on an endless supply of charm and charisma as local marshal Cobb Vanth, who’s basically an intergalactic version of the character that the actor played to great effect on Justified, except this time he’s kitted out in Boba Fett’s iconic armor, having picked it up from some Jawas that saved him from certain death.
The Mandalorian hasn’t tended to rely on cliffhanger endings, but the season 2 premiere finishes up on a huge reveal. A shadowy figure watches Mando riding off into the sunset, having been eyeing him from afar. The character turns to the screen and we see Temuera Morrison’s Boba Fett. Having clearly survived his fate in Return of the Jedi and being very much alive, it would appear that the legendary bounty hunter has his sights set on reclaiming his armor, and the first major subplot of The Mandalorian‘s sophomore run is now officially set in motion.
