REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian,’ Season 2 Episode 3 – “The Heiress”

With its third episode, “The Heiress,”  Season 2 of The Mandalorian takes a deep dive into Star Wars canon and lays the tracks for future stories. “The Heiress” picks up where “The Passenger” left off, with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) arriving on the planet Trask. He is soon directed to a cadre of Mandalorians, led by a very familiar face. In order to find a lead on the Child’s home planet, Djarin joins the other Mandalorians in raiding an Imperial cruiser.

“The Heiress” features some deep cuts for Star Wars fans, including species such as Mon Calamari and Quarren. However, the biggest has to be the return of a character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Not only was this a welcome sight, but it’s a character that happens to have deep ties to Mandalore. More information is revealed about the Mandalorian faction that Djarin joined, as well as the customs he follows. I found this to be really intriguing, given his upbringing and the Great Purge of Mandalore driving other Mandalorians underground. The fact that his people were fractured into different tribes gives Djarin’s customs a whole new meaning; put simply, this episode will make you look differently at the phrase “This Is The Way.”

This episode also sees the brief return of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). He introduces another phrase that may stick with fans: “Long Live The Empire.” Not only is it a chilling phrase worthy of a villain, but it also hints at the rise of the First Order. That regime was born from the ashes of the Empire, and viewers will see just how far some Imperials go to uphold the glory of the Empire.

Bryce Dallas Howard returns to the director’s chair, while Favreau pens the episode. Howard directed the Season 1 episode “Sanctuary,” which served as a homage to Seven Samurai.  While “The Heiress” doesn’t have any overt references to samurai films, Howard still packs it full of action. From the deck of a fishing boat to the inside of the Imperial cruiser, Howard’s action sequences are intense and brutal. Hand-to-hand combat is exchanged alongside blaster bolts and well-placed knives, giving viewers an adrenaline rush. It’s also a fresh breath of air seeing Djarin flying and fighting alongside his fellow Mandalorians. Fans of the Child may want to hold onto their seats as the Force-wielding tyke is placed a GREAT deal of danger this episode.

Another area where the episode excels is the production design by Andrew L. Jones and Doug Chiang. The world of Trask feels like a small fishing town in the vein of Maine, albeit with a Star Wars twist. Aliens wear cable-knit sweaters and the local bar serves chowder that happens to have wriggly, Alien-esque parasites in it. In contrast, the Imperial cruiser the Mandalorians hijack is all cramped corners and hard metal edges. Jones and Chiang manage to both capture the vibe of the Star Wars universe and add to the lore.

“The Heiress” kicks Season 2 of The Mandalorian into overdrive, not only delivering more insight into Mandalorian culture but also setting the stage for Season 3. Given that another Clone Wars character is name-dropped during the episode, I expect Djarin will be in for quite a shock when he learns more about the Jedi and what happened on Mandalore.

The Mandalorian Season 2 will air new episodes Friday on Disney+.