19th June, 2023: “The Foundling”.
Right … I’m typing this with a certain sense of urgency.
Frankly … ?
Dinner is cooking: and I’d rather my veggies didn’t boil over!
Or the instant mash, come to think of it.
At any rate?
It’s Monday, I’m feeling rushed and hungry …
But?
Once dinner’s done, and eaten? Will be coming up for air, to watch the next episode of The Mandalorian.
Given the scenes we saw in an earlier episode?
I wonder who that foundling could be?
You’ll find out when I post my completed reviews: tomorrow night.
I’ll be back, then!
20th June, 2023.
Episode 4 — Chapter 20 — “The Foundling” — opens with a summary of earlier episodes: showing us the formal joining ceremony for a young Mandalorian called Ragnar Vizsla (Wesley Kimmel) … and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), the Mandalorian himself, rejoining the Covert he’d been exiled from.
The scene shifts: to show us the Covert in combat training.
With Din eager to show Grogu’s skills off to his fellow Mandalorians?
Din enters his adopted child into a challenge match with Ragnar: something Grogu easily wins.
Tragedy strikes in the aftermath, though: as Ragnar as seized by a large flying raptor.
And cannot be rescued: as Ragnar’s father, Paz (voiced by Jon Favreau/performed by Tait Fletcher) fails to get to his son, in time.
Paz’s one consolation?
Is that the group’s newest member — Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) — launches her ship, traces the creature to its mountain lair, in very good time …
And return: with the knowledge of the creature’s lair, and a plan for Ragnar’s rescue.
The only problem … ?
Using jetpacks and craft will tell the creature someone’s coming.
The troop? Are going to have to do a sneak raid … up the side of a mountain …
~≈👽≈~
Now … …
What did I make of “The Foundling”?
And who was the Foundling of the title?
That second question’s the easiest to answer: it’s both the kidnapped Ragnar — the newest of the Covert’s members — and Grogu, himself.
Which brings me to a few points I should highlight.
I’ve said this before — and may say it again — that I’ve appreciated The Mandalorian’s short episodes, over the past few years.
This series?
The first three episodes average out to some forty four minutes, each.
Saying that? “The Convert”, episode three, did seem a touch long: at fifty-six minutes.
An extremely well paced fifty-six minutes: but fifty-six minutes, none the less!
By contrast?
“The Foundling” was thirty minutes.
“The Foundling” … seemed about five minutes too short.
And yes: I know.
That’s coming from a man who appreciates brevity in TV!
With all that said, “The Foundling” tells its tale very well.
It gives us more insight in Bo-Katan Kryze: Sackhoff gives us a great performance, showing us exactly how frustrating she’s finding her new life … just by the expression on her face, when she takes her helmet off.
It shows us more of the world — and universe — the Mandalorian’s are part of: and has a daring rescue mission.
And … ?
And gives us a little more insight into Grogu’s backstory: showing us, in flashback, exactly how he was rescued from rampaging Clone Troopers, by an unnamed Jedi*!
Granted?
I feel this episode could have benefited from an extra five minutes of run time.
But?
It’s very watchable, as it stands!
~≈👽≈~
I think we’ll leave that there, shall we?
Yes: I think we should … !
Except to say this;
I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds — “Ad Astra Per Aspera” — on Friday, 23rd June: and will be posting my written and video reviews of it on Saturday, 24th.
I’ll be watching the next episode of The Mandalorian — Chapter 21, “The Pirate” — 26th June: and have my written and video reviews of it up, on the 27th June.
I would love it if you subscribed both to Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar, and to my YouTube channel.
That way? You see my stuff as soon as it’s published!
I’ll see you then, I hope!
“The Foundling”.★★★☆
* OK, just as a little background? In one of the prequel movies — Revenge of the Sith — the Emperor orders the deaths of every Jedi his clone troopers can find. Many of the young trainees — including children like Grogu — were killed by Darth Vader, himself. Grogu is rescued by a Jedi that’s unnamed in this episode: but named as Kelleran Beq in some of the Wikipedia entries I’ve read.
No comments:
Post a Comment