What should we expect (and want) from Season Two of The Mandalorian?

By Pete Hernandez III

The season finale of The Mandalorian was the exclamation point on a spectacular first season and opened the door for new plot points and storylines in season two. What should fans expect (and want) for the future?

By the time season two of The Mandalorian hits Disney+ in the fall of 2020, Baby Yoda may very well be called “Toddler Yoda.” All jokes aside, despite filming already underway for season two, the return of Star Wars’ live-action series feels farther than ever, leaving plenty of time for fans to speculate what we can expect.

In Chapter 8: Redemption fans were treated to a satisfying finale that capped off an inaugural season that solidified our two main characters in Mando (aka Din Djarin) and “the child” (aka Baby Yoda). We were introduced to supporting characters that are possible to return like Greef Karga, Cara Dune, and the Armorer. We said goodbye to favorites like Kuiil and IG-11 and were left with mysterious adversaries like Moff Gideon, who is sure to play a more permanent role next season.

Season one leveraged a plot format that played out perfectly through each weekly episode, arguably imperative for a first season that was meant to build a new world in a galaxy far far away. We really saw that plot format broken in only one episode, but with season two on the horizon, look for the series filmmakers to be even more daring with our new favorite Star Wars duo.

More Reckoning

One of the intriguing aspects that many (or at least myself) looked forward to each episode was released, was the reveal of the title for each episode. With the exception of the pilot, the episode titles arguably gave a taste of what was to come. One of my favorite episodes came by way of Chapter 7: The Reckoning.

As much as it pained Baby Yoda’s newfound fans, what Chapter 7 achieved was essentially breaking the mold of the episodes that came before it. That mold being that Mando and the child would face a newfound conflict each week, but by the time the episode’s credits rolled, the duo had more or less came out on the winning side.

At the end of Chapter 7, with the child snatched by stormtroopers and Mando and others ambushed by Moff Gideon and his Death Troopers, for once there was a sense of real vulnerability. That vulnerability makes these characters more intriguing and creates higher stakes as the story progresses.

By no means would it hurt to see more of that in season two, and you can count on Jon Favreau and company to capitalize on it. Calm your nerves Baby Yoda fans, with this being streamed on a Disney platform you can be sure that no “real” harm will come to the child, but creating a larger sense of urgency in a few more episodes? That can’t hurt either.

Exploring the history of the Mandalorians

Among the memorable scenes of the first season has to include those in which The Mandalorian interacts with The Armorer. Aside from the visual appeal of witnessing the beskar steel be molded into the armor which our lead character dons for the remainder of the season, these scenes provide flashbacks and sneak peeks into the history of the Mandalorians.

There aren’t many of these scenes within the inaugural season, but we were last left seeing The Armorer single-handedly taken down a squadron of stormtroopers, leading us to believe she survived the events on Nevarro. We very well could see her return in season two, aiding our main characters on their new quest but more importantly providing more insight into the Mandalorian culture.

In the season finale, The Armorer mentioned that the Mandalorians battled with Jedi long ago, an interesting tidbit that connects these new stories on Disney+ to the stories of the original saga before it. Exploring the Mandalorians’ history in more depth is a great way to continue the story of something new while connecting to the past.

Connecting the past

Speaking of connecting to the past, it has been noted that the events of The Mandalorian take place five years after Return of the Jedi. And while Star Wars’ first live-action series achieves what any Star Wars fan SHOULD want (something new, fresh, and a story worth telling) it wouldn’t hurt to occasionally tie back to the past. And according to recent sources, Jon Favreau and the team may be thinking the same.

Per a recent report, insiders claim that the second season of The Mandalorian will see occasional appearances from a few established characters from the Skywalker saga. But if you’re hoping to see a Han Solo or Boba Fett, it might be best to tone down your hopes.

If the creative team is wise (which I believe they are) they would be quick to hold off on forcing a de-aged Han Solo or even Luke Skywalker to make a brief cameo for a mere episode. Acknowledging their existence and the events of the Skywalker saga is one thing, but they may be better off leveraging supporting characters from the big screen. It would not be far fetched to see Mando come in contact with fellow bounty hunter Bossk, for example. Connecting to the past is appealing, but by no means force the connection.

What made The Mandalorian so successful was the series keeping the core aspects of Star Wars, but exploring a story in a new way. Come season two, expect the live-action series to build off of its successes, but also explore new paths in the Fall of 2020.