#mando 2

In that chapter, she presented the deal as “Help me get these stolen weapons off this Imperial ship so I can retake our planet and I’ll tell you where to find a Jedi for your baby”. (And I always thought that was a remarkably steep price for such simple information, but I digress). But we all know Bo-Karen changed the terms right after Din was successful in securing the weapons and forced him to help her take that whole ship.

And when Din goes back to her in the last chapter (whhhyyyy, show writers...but again, not gonna digress), she reiterates 3 things to him: 1.) She really wants that glowy stick to rule Mandalore and she still doesn’t have it, 2.) Moff Gideon is nigh impossible to find and so she herself has still not found him, and 3.) She really wants that glowy stick to rule Mandalore and she still doesn’t have it.

Din responds to what she says with basically “This thing again? Yeah fine, whatever-just help me get my baby back and you can have whatever you want. I just want my baby.”

And though Din is utterly uninterested in both her pursuit of her glowy stick and its supposed importance in ruling a planet that he says is basically a haunted graveyard...

...Din neither changes the terms of the deal nor goes back on his word. He keeps true. With his son back in his arms, he goes to give Bo-Karen back her glowy stick. He tries and tries and tries and I absolutely love that exchange. I rewind it over and over. Bo-Karen’s face is golden and delicious; Moff Gideon’s entire shit-eating grin is classic; Baby Yoda just chillin’, tired and content, against his daddy’s chest after so long is gorgeous; and even Din’s exasperated-as-hell “I yield” and “Just take it” are hot as hell.

I love it so much.

The writers could’ve gone another route by having Din somehow trick Bo-Karen once he had his son back, but of course that’s...not in line with Din’s character. He is a man of empathy, compassion, and generosity and also a man of honor, integrity and mercy (for god’s sake, he even spared Moff Gideon himself after everything). So of course he wouldn’t try to do to Bo-Karen what she did to him-and especially not with the stakes of the mission being so high as rescuing and liberating his only child.

He honored his deal and so honored his Creed as the Mandalorian he is.

And it’s not Din’s character that prevented Bo-Karen from winning her glowy stick, but the story line that supposedly demands that the glowy stick be won in combat to even work for its new owner.

So Bo-Karen double-crossed Din but he still got what he wanted-the name and location of the Jedi that could help him. Then, Din took the higher road and did not double cross her, but she was unable to get what she wanted-the dark saber.

He lives alone

Doesn't really have much of a love life

Likes to adopt smol innocent creatures

Wears the same thing every day

I wonder if I’m the only one who was genuinely holding their breath, poised on the edge of their seat and just feeling terrified Din was about to light both that marshal and possibly that whole bar up? Because Din absolutely 1.) don’t play about the cultural appropriation of his people’s helmet and armor, their very visage on those who have not earned it (and rightfully so), 2.) is used to going 1-on-multiple in fights and so going 1-on-1 with someone in Mando armor he’s familiar with just might be a treat, and 3.) ain’t about to feel any type of way about wiping the floor with you in front of his son, who has indeed seen worse and is more or less safely positioned behind and to the side of him, near that empty pot. 

Just...I was like Marshal boy, if you don’t take Boba Fett’s armor off and take it off yesterday...Din Djarin is a kind man but I tell you he’s not about to feel any type of way. 

You’re so lucky a krayt dragon came through and saved you and he chose to talk it out/make a deal with you. 

I’m not about that Bo-Karen, either. 

And I know this episode was directed by none other than Bryce Dallas Howard, who did my much beloved Chapter 4: Sanctuary, but...wow, I think so far this is the only episode out of both seasons that I can’t see myself re-watching and re-watching again and again for sheer enjoyment. 

Now, perhaps if I did rewatched I might change my mind, but I don’t...feel that Bo-Karen really caused Din an existential crisis. And I say that bc 1.) so much of her interactions with Din feels rooted in condescension, underhandedness, and general disregard and 2.) at the very least, we never got a scene in the episode showing Din going through such a crisis. Maybe later on in this new season we will. Let’s see. 

And Din being a Latinx man of color-a man of color who’s a single father-being talked down to by a white woman who has ambitions she is not transparent about with him from the beginning and overall have nothing to do with him (”That’s not part of my plan. I’ve been quested with returning this Child to the Jedi.”)?

Then Din was the one to pull that Imperial ship out of the deadly nosedive? Din was the one to take all of that fire from those stormtroopers? Din Djarin has balls of steely beskar and a heart of melted beskar, but I could barely breathe seeing gifs of that scene and I could hardly keep down my dinner finally seeing it in action. 

I just watched a single father of color being tricked by a white woman into a bigger, more dangerous job than he signed up for. And he still did the heaviest, hardest work of said job. 

...That’s some peak Karen energy and I truly didn’t enjoy it. 

Koska Reeves stays fine as hell, tho. I still want her to save me from a sea monster. And it was lovely to see Mrs. Frog Lady and Mr. Frog Gentleman unite and birth their children. 

A baby.