Credit: LucasfilmAfter last week saw Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) honored for her efforts saving one of the covert’s Foundlings, this week we see the return of a familiar pirate enemy for them to face…
Related: Recap: ‘The Mandalorian’ – “Chapter 20, The Foundling”
We open on Nevarro. High Magistrate Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) is planning the flourishing city, but is interrupted by a pirate Corsair ship entering airspace. Pirate King Gorian Shard (Nonso Anozie) delivers him a message: surrender, or he will destroy the place. It’s revenge for the murder of his helmsman.
Greef attempts to bluff his way out by evoking the New Republic’s protection, but Shard knows they have established themselves as an independent world — and mocks the New Republic’s ability to defend anyone, citing their failures in the Mid Rim.
Shard’s Corsair ship opens fire on Nevarro, wreaking devastation on the streets as Karga issues an evacuation order.
At a New Republic base, we see Captain Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) receive a message requesting help with the pirate situation. As he watches, he’s joined by none other than Zeb (Steve Blum), in live action for the first time after his appearance in Rebels. He says he is going to take it straight to Coruscant to ask for help.
At the New Republic base we see G68, Elia Kane (Katy O’Brian) spot Teva enter, requesting backup from a requisitions officer, played by Tim Meadows. G68 enters and reminds them they have yet to sign the charter and aren’t a member world. Teva is unable to convince them of the situation’s importance.
On Nevarro, we see the town evacuating to the lava flats. Karga reassures the people that help is on the way.
We see Teva flying to the covert’s location. He’s seeking alternative assistance. It turns out R5 helped him find them, an old ally of Teva’s from the Rebellion.
He tries to convince Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) that his friend is in danger, and his theory that they’re somehow connected to the Empire’s resurgence.
We see Djarin petition an intervention to rescue Nevarro before it is too late. He asks if they would enjoy living in the light again, saving Karga and taking him up on his offer of a tract of land on a friendly world.
Pas Viszla (Tait Fletcher) speaks up. He speaks of his time fighting the first time around, and asks why they should do it again. He answers: because they are Mandalorians. This Is The Way.
Bo-Katan lays out the plan and the covert fly to be heroes. Pirates have overtaken the debris filled streets. Djarin flies in in the N1 to distract the Corsair and Shard’s fighters.
Bo-Katan flies in to make her drop. Ad she drops the warriors and attacks the Corsair, Shard panics with his fighters scattered. We see the ground fighters begin to take on the pirates in the streets too. A turret on high ground is causing them some trouble. The Armorer herself steps into combat, taking out the gunner with her hammer. As the pirates begin to flee they are captured by the citizens.
Vane flees from the fight and Shard, left alone, pivots the Corsair to unleash fire on the ground below as much as possible. Destroying the last engine, we see the Corsair explode. It’s over.
Karga thanks them for their rescue and grants them a swathe of land as a thank you and a new home.
The Armorer wishes to speak with Bo-Katan, in her old Forge beneath the streets. She tells her to remove her helmet. The Armorer says that all must walk the Way together, and Bo-Katan’s sighting of the Mythosaur means the dawning of a new age. She believes Bo is the one who can unite the Mandalorian people once again. She tells the group it is time to retake Mandalore.
In space, we see Captain Teva find a drifting damaged Imperial Lambda shuttle. There’s a record of a missing classified craft in the region.
As they probe the interior, they discover it’s a New Republic prison transport, the same one which was transporting Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). He is missing.
On the cabin wall, we see a fragment of Beskar alloy. It appears he was taken by Mandalorians.
This Is The Way (We See It):
What an episode — and what an ending. Surely at this point we are but waiting for Moff Gideon to reappear, but the suggestion that Mandalorians could have been involved in his rescue is an interesting wrinkle. Could these be the Nite Owls-turned-mercenaries, Bo-Katan’s deserters? Or is it a frame from those dastardly Imperials trying to place blame on the already oppressed and scattered (but reliably dangerous) Mandalorian warriors?
When it came to Bo-Katan being allowed to remove her helmet by the Armorer, it seems she is being given the tools she needs to lead in everything but the Darksaber. Earlier in the season I predicted conflict between her and Din Djarin over that relic’s custody. It’s yet to manifest, but with Bo-Katan being given a new people to lead to a new dawn (and new Mandalore), could this be the start of that struggle? We’ll have to wait and see.
Finally, my jaw dropped when Zeb stepped into shot at the New Republic outpost. It’s another hint that the Rebels crew are about to show up in a big way, especially with Ahsoka looming on the horizon.
What do you think to the ending of ‘The Pirate’? Tell us in the comments below.