Recap: Struck Back, The Empire Has in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2, Episode 6: “The Tragedy”

Lindsey
12 Min Read
Lucasfilm/Disney

Last week on The Mandalorian, Din and the Child arrived on the forest planet of Corvus in search of Ahsoka Tano. Upon finding her, Din learned that the Child’s true name is Grogu and that he was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Din assisted Ahsoka in freeing the city of Calodan from the cruel grip of the Magistrate, and though she ultimately declined to train Grogu due to his attachment to the bounty hunter, she gave him another option. She instructed Din to take Grogu to the planet Tython, to the ancient ruins of a temple with a strong connection to the Force which will allow him to choose his own path. Keep reading to find out what happened in episode 6, “The Tragedy.”

The episode opens business as usual, with Din and Grogu in the Razor Crest on the way to their next destination. Despite the fact that he was almost apprehensive to use it at first, Din seems to be finding great joy in using the Child’s real name now, as he says it repeatedly and chuckles to himself happily every time that Grogu perks up in response. He takes Grogu’s favorite toy from him — the ship’s knob — and instructs him to take it back using the Force. Though Grogu does this easily, and it’s exactly what Din asked him to do, the bounty hunter’s reaction is not what he expected; he seems upset. Now that Din understands his relationship with Grogu through the eyes of others, it’s clear that he’s realizing that not only has Grogu grown attached to him, but he’s grown attached to Grogu as well. He talks to Grogu about how he has to agree to go with the Jedi if they want him to, because Din can’t train him, he’s too powerful. When he says, “I agreed to take you back to your own kind, so that’s what I need to do. You understand, right?” Din isn’t just talking to Grogu, he’s also trying to convince himself as well.

Courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney.

They arrive on the planet of Tython and spot the ruins of the ancient temple, which are set atop a steep hill. Din lands his ship at the base and they use his jet pack to ascend to the top. After placing Grogu on the stone, as instructed, Din paces around it, trying to figure out what’s supposed to happen next. Suddenly, a ship enters the planet’s atmosphere, one that strongly resembles the Slave I that belongs to Boba Fett. Din turns back to Grogu, saying that they need to leave, but he has begun channeling the Force and a force field surrounds him. The bounty hunter attempts to grab him, but the force field blocks him from doing so. Begging him to hurry up, Din leaves Grogu and ventures down to the hill to investigate the new arrivals.

Blaster fire rains down on him from above as a man approaches Din and tells him that he’s been tracking him. Din inquires as to whether he’s a Jedi or if he’s after the Child, and the man responds that he wants the armor that was taken from Cobb Vanth. The man is none other than Boba Fett.

DIN: “Are you Mandalorian?”
BOBA FETT: “I’m a simple man making his way through the galaxy, like my father before me.”
DIN: “Did you take the Creed?”
BOBA FETT: “I give my allegiance to no one.”

The two bicker back and forth and when Din threatens him, Boba Fett tells him that he has a sharpshooter up on the ridge that’s locked onto Grogu. The shooter? Fennec Shand. The three of them agree to stand down, and Fennec explains that Boba rescued her back on Tattoine, and she’s now in his service. Boba requests for his armor to be returned once more, and Din declines, as it goes against the Mandalorian Creed. Considering that the bounty on Grogu has risen significantly, Boba offers to guarantee the safety of both Din and the Child in exchange for his armor.

Courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney.

Before they can debate any further, another ship lands. Din races back up the hill to Grogu, attempting once more to grab him, but the force field repels him backward and seems to knock him out. Meanwhile, Boba and Fennec head closer to the new ship and watch as stormtroopers come pouring out. The two begin to pick the intruders off, and although the deserts of Tattoine have not been kind to the bounty hunter, Boba Fett has not lost an ounce of his dangerous edge. Yet another ship approaches and Din, realizing that he’s not going to get through the force field any time soon, heads back down to assist Fennec and Boba in order to protect Grogu. As soon as he leaves, the force field drops and Grogu falls to his side, exhausted.

Din and Fennec are fighting off the stormtroopers side-by-side when he tells her that she can leave, because he owes her from last time. She reminds him that they have a deal, though, and remains where she is. Just when it seems that, despite their skills, the two of them may truly be outnumbered, Boba Fett returns from his quick visit aboard the Razor Crest. Suited up in his old armor and back to his full glory, he effortlessly begins to take out the stormtroopers. Realizing what they’re up against, the remaining stormtroopers quickly retreat. Unfortunately for them, their escape is short-lived … Boba Fett blows up the ships shortly after they take flight.

Courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney.

Just as they’re recovering from the last attack, a rogue laser blast from Greef Karga’s ship — which has also now arrived at the scene from high above — decimates the Razor Crest. Four dark troopers, which were seen on Gideon’s ship previously, fly down and kidnap Grogu before Din and Fennec can get to him. Boba chases after them in the Slave I, but Din asks him to stand down because he doesn’t want Grogu to get hurt. Boba follows the dark troopers to see where they’re headed, and once he realizes that he’s looking at an Imperial cruiser, he darkly reports over the comm that the Empire is back.

Din picks through the meager, charred remains of the Razor Crest, finding Grogu’s beloved ball and pocketing it (I’m not crying, you’re crying). He also finds the beskar spear, which has escaped unscathed. When he returns to Boba and Fennec, Boba shows him the chain code that has been encoded in his armor for 25 years. Written in the Mandalorian language Mando’a, it indicates that the armor belonged to Jango Fett and then Boba Fett. Din realizes that Jango was a foundling. With this new information, Din concedes that the armor does indeed belong to Boba Fett, and he states that their deal is complete. Boba disagrees, saying that the deal included that he and Fennec would ensure the safety of the Child. Until Grogu is returned to Din safely, they are in his debt. Cue the ultimate team up.

The three of them return to Nevarro, and it appears that Cara took Captain Carson Teva up on his offer after all, as she is now Cara Dune, Marshal of the New Republic. Din requests that Cara locate a certain someone in the prison registry, his frenemy from season 1, Migs Mayfeld. He explains that he needs to spring him so that he can help him locate Moff Gideon’s light cruiser. Cara isn’t thrilled about the idea, because her new job means that she has rules that she needs to follow now. However, all bets are potentially off as Din solemnly informs her that Gideon has taken the Child.

Courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney.

We switch over to Moff Gideon’s cruiser, where Grogu is locked in a cell and using the Force to fight off the stormtroopers that are advancing on him. Gideon watches with a smile as Grogu force chokes them and throws them to the ground before collapsing in exhaustion. He comments that Grogu has gotten very good with the Force, but it makes him “oh-so sleepy.” Gideon takes out the Darksaber, showing it off to the Child, before he instructs the stormtroopers to stun him and put him in shackles. He tells one of his officers to send an encrypted message to Dr. Pershing to let him know that they have the donor.

Though “The Tragedy” was the shortest episode thus far this season, it was also one of the most exciting, carrying right on with the momentum from “The Jedi.” Fans were uncertain if Temuera Morrison’s brief appearance at the end of “The Marshal” would be expanded upon as more than an ambiguous nod, so it was a dream come true to truly see the legendary bounty hunter back in action this episode. Fennec Shand was a welcome return as well. The two of them are now guaranteed to assist Din in his mission to rescue Grogu from Gideon’s grip, which will make for a team up of epic proportions based on the tease that we saw from them working together in this episode.

Episodes 1-6 of season 2 of The Mandalorian are now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Check out the rest of our recaps here. Episode 7 will premiere Friday, December 11.

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By Lindsey
Lindsey joined the Nerds and Beyond team in 2018. If she's not writing or out and about with her camera, she's probably watching anime, nerding out over Star Wars, reading manga, and definitely forgetting to water her plants. And waiting for the Genshin loading screen to pop up. Contact: lindsey@nerdsandbeyond.com
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