The Mandalorian 16: The Rescue. All references and quotes from the Star Wars saga
The events staged in The Rescue, in fact, can be seen as the conclusion of a first, long narrative arc of the adventures of Din Djarin, also useful for opening the serial world of Star Wars. But this is a topic to be dealt with elsewhere, now it is more interesting to find out what are the references and quotations present in this sixteenth chapter of The Mandalorian.
ATTENTION: The following contains a series of important spoilers on the sixteenth episode of The Mandalorian
Being Mandalorian
It is certainly not new that Mandalorian culture was an essential component of this series. If in the first season the cultural heritage of Din Djarin was barely hinted at, with the episodes of this fall we were able to investigate this aspect of the character more in depth. Thanks to the presence of other figures from the Star Wars saga who represent different ways of understanding Mandalorian culture.In The Heir we have seen the return of Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and no less important is was the 'resurrection' of Boba Fett, for years considered the Mandalorian par excellence after his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Different aspects of the same culture that in The Salvation comes to a direct confrontation, which contrasts the ideology of Bo-Katan with the different interpretation of Din and Boba.
What sparked the spark was the opinion they have of Boba Bo-Katan and his right hand man, Koska Reeves: an unworthy man, after all he is just a clone. This accusation is not taken well by the bounty hunter, but which we know to be true: his father, Jango, was in fact his matrix. Not surprisingly, Bo-Katan reminds him that he knows that voice well, referring to the fact that in the days of the Clone Wars he often fought both against and alongside the clones (as seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars).
Also in this cheerful Mandalorian reunion, Koska threatens Boba with him ending up in a bacta tub. It is a medical device mentioned often in Star Wars, which consists of a large tube in which you are immersed to be healed of serious injuries. The first appearance of this technology dates back to The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywlaker is inserted into it to heal the wounds inflicted on him by the Wampa at the beginning of the film.
Speaking of Mandalorian costumes, we can't ignore Darksaber. Craved by Bo-Katan to be able to use it as a means to be recognized as worthy of leading the Mandalorians to conquer their beloved Mandalore, this legendary weapon, which first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is in the hands of Moff Gideon. Fortunately, because it allows the imperial officer to engage in a sensational duel with Mando, who confronts him with a beskar spear recovered in The Jedi.
Conquering the Darksaber after a duel, however, would make Din Djarin worthy of lead the Mandalorians. An unfortunate situation for Bo-Katan, who cannot accept voluntary surrender from the bounty hunter, but to honor his will to possess it, he has only one choice: to face Din for the right to wield it.
In one of the most touching scenes, we arrive at the separation between Din Djarin and Grogu, a goodbye that affects both. When the little one caresses the Mandalorian helmet, Din does not hesitate to take it off and show his true face to Grogu. It's hard not to think back to the moment when, in Return of the Jedi, a redeemed Anakin Skywalker asks his son to take off the helmet that keeps him alive, so that he can see him 'with his own eyes'. A quote that comes just as a certain Jedi is present on the scene who has heard the call of Grogu launched from the temple of Tython.
So we all say
During the boarding of the cruiser of Moff Gideon, Din's team forces the Imperials to believe they are under attack, after they steal a Lambda-class shuttle to approach Gideon's spaceship. The Lambda class has been associated with Palpatine's arrival aboard the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi for years, when we first see this type of ship.Speaking of this assault, it's curious to see that the launches of the TIE-Fighters do not take place as seen previously, but the imperial fighters are launched from a sort of launch tube. Expedient made famous by both versions of Battlestar Galactica, in which the single-seat fighters (the Vipers) were launched in this mode. Launches we witnessed with shots identical to those used by Peyton Reed in this episode. Side note: in Battlestar Galactica 2004, Kate Sackhoff, aka Bo-Katan Kryze, known at the time as the insubordinate pilot Kara 'Scorpio' Trace, launched the Viper in this way. Worlds and Space Stations While capturing the Lambda shuttle used to board Moff Gideon's cruiser, Cara Dune (Gina Carano) comes face to face with an Imperial officer who recognizes her tattoo, a reminder of the loss of Alderaan, the world destroyed by the first Black Death in A New Hope.
The officer taunts her by claiming she was aboard the space station, a mockery to which Cara responds with a sardonic
" Which of the two? "
The reference is to the two versions of the Death Star seen in the classic Star Was trilogy, the first, in fact, in A New Hope and the second in The Return of the Jedi.
Return of the Jedi
When in The Tragedy Gorgu performed the ritual to call upon a Jedi to train him, inevitably we launched into speculations and hypotheses about who would answer the his call. In The Rescue we finally had an answer: Luke Skywalker.The arrival of the Jedi was a real emotional shock, with an effective entry on the scene, accompanied by three typical elements of the character: his X-wing fighter, the green lightsaber seen in Return of the Jedi and his trusty R2-D2. A rejuvenated Mark Hamill then came to rescue Mando's team, under siege by the Dark Soldiers, in a way reminiscent of Darth Vader entering the final scenes of Rogue One.
Boba Fett
Let's be honest, the post credit scene was yet another emotional peak of a spectacular episode, which further reconnects the series to the continuity of Star Wars. Above all, in the wake of what was announced a few days ago on Investor's Day, we have confirmation that Boba Fett will also have his own series, The Book of Boba Fett, arriving in December next year.To give this news, it was decided to return the bounty hunter to Tattooine, none other than in the palace of Jabba, where Boba, after killing the former Hutt chamberlain, the twilek Bib Fortuna, takes possession of the throne that once belonged to the gangster.
Above all, we finally see Boba retake his trusty EE-3 carbine, a weapon that has always accompanied him during his appearances during the classic Star Wars trilogy.
The Mandalorian: The Rescue
You could hardly have imagined a series finale as intense as The Rescue. As we said, many have seen in the narrative structure of this second season of The Mandalorian a slow dynamic, which often privileged the vertical plot to the horizontal one. And yet, starting with The Tragedy, events have been triggered that have led to the emotional climax of The Salvation.Read also: The Mandalorian 2: what, how and where to see it on Disney +
Reed found himself having to watch one of the most complex episodes of The Mandalorian. Not only because we are witnessing a long-awaited showdown, but because viewers are given a lavish feast of emotions with the entry on the scene of one of the symbols of the Star Wars saga. An arrival hypothesized and advocated by fans, which requires a scene and a visual story to the height: Reed and the team of The Mandalorian did not disappoint.
The Rescue is the perfect ending. Not just as a season finale, but as the final chapter of a sixteen-chapter story arc. The mission that Mando felt his own in Il Peccato, when he understood that he could not abandon that little creature to the imperials, has come to an end, now new adventures are ahead for Din Djarin. Will he join Bo-Katan? Will she follow Cara Dune or maybe she'll become Boba Fett's hunting companion? As the Investor’s Day announcements have shown, the serial future of Star Wars is uncharted territory that promises to be full of surprises. But we can be sure of one thing: this is the Way.
