Wow.
One of the best episodes of the series so far, sure.
But I’d argue it is also an example of some of the best Star Wars ever made.
And to think people were ready to jump ship back when Dave made them pacifists in The Clone Wars, and to see the story of Mandalore unfold and come to this point? Dave has written Mandalorians into something so good and so perfect and so beyond what Karen Traviss (or any other writer) ever did when she was ruining them… I had my doubts about Sabine when the series began but I can confidently say that she is one of my favorite Star Wars characters ever written after this.
Every note hit, too. The history and heritage, the samurai feel, Kiner’s amazing score, Kanan’s training, Tiya and Freddie’s acting (holy shit), Sabine’s monologue… I’m having trouble processing it all right now, but I was just blown away. The animation and framing and production of this episode felt like they went just that extra mile, like it was created with reverence. Just… so good.
Such an emotional episode. Just wow.