Axe Wives, Koska Reeves, and the other Mando mercenaries who broke away from Bo-Katan before this season’s events begin the episode by pursuing a Quarren goods ship. The scenario is intended to demonstrate how, in contrast to the Tribe, the maskless Mandalorians are blurring moral and ethical lines, with Axe overtly portrayed as the antagonist. In reality, he is merely carrying out his duty. The underlying implication is that these Mandalorians wander and require Bo-Katan to guide them back to the fundamental principles of Mandalore and the Creed.
It’s weird to see the Quarren Captain Shoggoth and the Viceroy’s son of the Mon Calamari grieving the unfortunate end of their illicit relationship. Is the conversation meant to be dramatic or humorous? The actors give the dialogue their sincere attention. Shuggoth’s tendrils delicately caress her lover’s face, yet the image of the aquatic pair gazing into each other’s slimy eyes and touching each other’s faces comes out as comical. It isn’t easy to discern if it’s done on purpose. Whatever the intended outcome, the conversation is unnecessary and not all that funny.
To find her former allies, Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan travel to the impartial Outer Rim world of Plazir-15. From there, we rejoin the group. A humorous, scary detail is that they are greeted by a duo of jet-black Imperial Autobots whose appearance subverts the famous dual silhouette of C-3PO and R2-D2. The design of Plazir is stunning, with its enormous central dome, svelte tube shuttle, and vibrant neon decorations that explode off the screen. Even more so when the performers are positioned on one of the Unreal Engine-powered LED virtual sets that have been employed so frequently in Disney projects over the past few years, the environments appear a little sterile due to their digital nature. It seems like the lighting is never just right.
The CSI street detective plot centered around the hostile droids is amusing in that it differs from what we generally see on the show but on the other hand. Yet, it’s not delivered engagingly, with a herky-jerky rhythm that becomes bogged down in information. The reference to Kuiil with the Ugnaughts is pretty cool. The scenario at the droid bar that depicts droids as members of a socially persecuted group is an intriguing bit of knowledge. The fact that these brief interrogations are interwoven with a mystery that is a dull and lifeless AI story undermines the episode’s flow. Helgait is the person responsible for the droid uprising. To know what’s ahead, stay connected!!
