The sixth episode of the third season of ‘The Mandalorian’ marks the return behind the scenes of Bryce Dallas Howard, who already dealt with ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘The heiress’ at the time. In fact, her return here to the Disney + series does not seem like a coincidence, because in her way a circle started in the previous chapter directed by the female protagonist of ‘Jurassic World’ is closed.
Watch out for episode spoilers from here on out.
However, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, as it is true that ‘soldiers for hire’ It begins by showing us what has become of the mercenary fleet that Bo-Katan led until not so long ago (katee sackhoff) and in which Kosha Reeves still remains (mercedes varnado), but as curious as the seemingly impossible love story included in it is, it’s still a further reminder that the episode will refocus on them later on.
an intermediate stage
Once that is settled, Jon Favreauwho on this occasion returns to sign the script alone, proposes an adventure focused on an investigation that brings to mind ‘Blade Runner’, something that already happened, although at a different level, in ‘El converso’, but always maintaining that light spirit typical of ‘The Mandalorian’.
A priori, an opportunity to continue taking steps in relation to that slow revival of the Empire, but at the moment of truth little more than an excuse to fill the episode with special appearances. For my part, I am never going to complain about seeing on the screen Jack Black either Christopher Lloydbut as the episode is formulated, it seems that this central part is more interested in who appears on the screen than in what is going to tell the viewer.
We have a good example of this in the use made here of Grogu, whose powers are at the service of a scene that repeats that impression that I mentioned before. To this we must add the excessive ease with which the threat posed by the separatist played by Lloyd is neutralized, who always exists the possibility that he will reappear later in the series, but right now there does not seem to be a reason for it.
In the end, all this is still an intermediate step that Favreau imposes on a trial basis so that Bo-Katan can earn the right to a meeting with his former allies. And it is that in ‘Soldiers for Hire’ the impression that my colleague Jorge commented last week on the fact that Din and Grogu are at times reduced to the condition of luxury troupes.
This outcome takes that feeling even further, since Din could have perfectly given the Dark Sword to Bo-Katan several episodes ago. After all, that technicality to which the character of Peter Pascal it was produced several episodes ago and the only real reason not to give it to him until now is the dramatic effect that it supposes in the face of those wayward Mandalorians once again recognizing the authority of Bo-Katan.
At least, the previous confrontation between Bo-Ktan and Ax (Simon Kassianides) does have the strength and the sense of the show that the rest of the episode does not quite achieve, since as a transitional adventure it does not stand out individually enough beyond the special appearances and as a preparation for what is to come it leaves with a bittersweet taste in the mouth. And it is that seeing Bo-Katan back in power was inevitable but also something that I wanted to see, but the way to get there has been a little disappointing.
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