Main cast: Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), Misty Rosas (The Frog Lady), and Richard Ayoade (Zero)
Director: Peyton Reed
The Mandalorian is a beautifully packaged show. The cinematography, set pieces, credit screens, music… ni kar’tayli gar. If the Disney-owned Lucasfilm had pooped out some Star Wars movies, which of course they didn’t, this show would be a balm on the wounded soul. Since those films never existed to make this show seem far better than it is, it’s hard for me to avoid the hard truth: this show is just okay.
Mandy is once again looking for more clues to the whereabouts of the other Mandalorians, as those people are thoughtless enough not to put themselves on whatever is equivalent to Foursquare at that time and place. His latest clue comes from Peli Motto, who directs her to a new-to-the-setting frog-like alien that claims to know that some Mandalorians are present at the planet she is heading to. Of course, this knowledge comes with a price: she needs Mandy to take her to that planet. You see, she has laid the last batch of eggs in her lifetime, and she needs to bring these eggs to her husband, who went ahead to that planet to set up a home for them, so that these can be fertilized and become new frog aliens. Baby, fearing competition for the position of to-line merchandise, decides to eat these eggs, one by one, when no one is looking. Of course, the trip is never smooth sailing, as we need things to happen to justify the existence of this episode.
So yes, crashes, escapes, near-deaths, sparkles from wires, et cetera… The Passenger is like scenes from previous episodes, remixed and recolored for a brand new episode. What have I learned from this episode? Mandy has developed a sarcastic tongue—is a crossover between Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe imminent?—and there is a new species of alien in town. Sure, it’s another humanoid alien, but at least it isn’t Laura Dern in a dress pretending to be a snowflake alien. Oh, and Baby eats eggs, triggering the usual blue check-marked idiots on Twitter because the sight of a non-vegan on their screen reminds them that the world isn’t entirely Portland in an oyster, and that was unacceptable to them. I personally felt that the Frog Lady was dumb to leave her supposedly precious eggs unattended and if her line faced extinction, well, that was just good old Darwinism in action.
Anyway, this episode is the epitome of an acceptable kind of filler. It’s not exactly a terrible episode, as it’s still watchable, but at the same time, I will remember Baby eating those eggs far more than anything else about the episode. The story is forgettable, as it’s just another stop in Mandy’s journey as he goes… somewhere. I’m just along for the ride, sadly. It’d be great if this show had done more to engage my affections, but who knows, maybe things would look up soon. Yeah, I said that the last season too, but hey, new year, people. Some optimism won’t hurt… right?
