The Mandalorian S2E8 "Chapter 16: The Rescue" / YMMV

Alternative Character Interpretation:
- When Gideon tries to blow his own brains out, it's unclear whether he's afraid of either Luke or his superiors, or that he just wanted to deny the Republic the chance to interrogate him.
- R2's excited beeping when he sees the Child can be interpreted in many ways:
  - He is seeing someone who looks like (and reminds him of) Yoda.
  - It is stated that Grogu was a Jedi trainee who was at the temple during the massacre. R2 probably knew him from there and is happy to see that he survived.
  - Grogu probably remembers R2 too, and R2 is assuring him that Luke will keep him safe.
- One of the last shots as Luke leaves with Grogu shows Cara with an adoring look on her face, swallowing a lump in her throat. Does she (1) realize she's going to miss Grogu; (2) sympathize with Din having to part with Grogu; or (3) feel starstruck in the presence of Luke Skywalker, the avenger of Alderaan?
Ass Pull: Bo-Katan got the Darksaber in the first place by Sabine peacefully handing it over, in front of numerous Mandalorian witnesses who had no problem with it. But suddenly it can only be taken in combat. While Rebels did indicate that it was the proper way to reclaim it (Sabine’s mother states that the Darksaber doesn’t truly belong to her daughter because she didn’t beat Maul to get it), Bo-Katan clearly didn’t care about the rule back then. The Book of Boba Fett explains that following the initial, peaceful hand-over, Mandalore itself was destroyed - as a result, Bo-Katan's choice became a cautionary tale about accepting the Darksaber under any means other than through combat, and the Darksaber was rumored to be cursed.
Catharsis Factor: After spending almost all his time on screen being a smug, arrogant asshole, watching Moff Gideon slowly crumble into complete panic is amazing.
Ensemble Dark Horse: The nameless Twi'lek slave girl liberated by Fennec has gotten some popularity, for obvious reasons.
Epileptic Trees:
- To explain why Bo-Katan suddenly cares about how the Darksaber is claimed, it's theorized that there were Mandalorians that refused to follow her because Sabine only gave it to her.
- That Bo-Katan and Koska’s anti-clone attitude towards Boba stems from a grudge against the Clone Troopers for helping subjugate Mandalore after the Clone Wars, considering Bo-Katan wasn't shown to hold animosity against them back in the Siege of Mandalore episodes.
Harsher in Hindsight: Chapter 16 builds up Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy as the place where Grogu belongs, only for The Book of Boba Fett to reveal that Luke requires him to let go of attachments. Grogu's inability to detach from Mando helps result in his training ending sooner than expected.
Heartwarming in Hindsight: Din's promise to see Grogu again someday feels less bittersweet after The Book of Boba Fett has Grogu receive Luke's permission to return to Din, removing any uncertainty over whether or not Din could keep that promise in future Mandalorian seasons.
Hilarious in Hindsight: Koska threatens to put Boba in a bacta tank, but as his own series shows, Boba spends half his time in one anyway.
I Knew It!: This episode vindicated fans who foresaw, either seriously or through wishful thinking, that Din and Grogu searching for a Jedi five or six years after the fall of the Empire would cross their path with that of Luke Skywalker.
Just Here for Godzilla: Even people who don’t watch the show tuned in for Luke’s cameo.
Memetic Mutation:
- Once again, his presence in an Imperial stronghold screams, "I'm Luke Skywalker, and I'm here to rescue you."
- Similarly, a man who spent the series in armor removes his helmet so he and his son can see each other face-to-face before they’re separated brings to mind “Just this once, let me look on you with my own eyes.”
- After the passing of Jeremy Bulloch, many fans expressed their sorrow through some variation of “he was worth a lot to us — dead or alive."
Most Wonderful Sound: Along with the look of Luke's Kenobi-style second lightsaber comes the classic deep low hum and whoosh of the Original Trilogy sabers when it's ignited or swung.
Narm Charm: The de-aging on Mark Hamill shows the franchise still has a ways to go before it can match the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this technology. But you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who cares that much, as it comes along with a Big Damn Heroes scene against a whole platoon of Dark Troopers like many were disappointed we didn't get in the sequel trilogy, plus the emotion of Din and Grogu's parting.
Older Than They Think: Game of Thrones fans expressed surprise when Lateef Crowder denied Pedro Pascal's involvement in the spear fight against Moff Gideon, even though Pascal didn't fight the Mountain alone; shots that obscure or hide Oberyn Martell's face swapped Pascal with stuntman Liang Yang^note.
One-Scene Wonder: Thanks to some digital de-aging effects and a couple of body doubles working together with Mark Hamill, the character's arrival in the second half of the episode is more than able to truly showcase how much of a Living Legend Luke Skywalker already is at the time that the series takes place. R2-D2's cameo counts as well, given that Grogu seems to take a liking to him.
Ron the Death Eater:
- Viewers who would've preferred Season 2 to end with Din keeping Grogu sometimes accuse Luke of kidnapping Din's foundling. This in spite of Luke only taking Grogu after both he and Din permit it, and never denying the chance of the clan reuniting someday.
- Before The Book of Boba Fett confirmed that Din got Grogu back, a lot of fans guessed that Grogu might have still been at the Jedi school when Kylo Ren rebelled. Meaning he would either be killed by or join the Knights Of Ren.
Shocking Moments: None other than Luke Skywalker himself coming to the group's rescue and taking Grogu to be trained.
Unintentional Uncanny Valley: The recreation of Luke Skywalker's face is a significant improvement over Grand Moff Tarkin^note and Princess Leia's infamous recreations in Rogue One, but the fakeness is still noticeable. Luke is given very flat lighting so the effects department wouldn't have to simulate any complex translucence or shine on his skin, and he's only shown for very short periods of time with minimal dialogue, movement, or emotions, unlike Tarkin who was a major character with many speaking lines and blocking. However, the uncanniness becomes especially noticeable when Luke starts speaking, as his lips, tongue, and jaw movements don't quite sync up with his dialogue.
Unexpected Character: Of all the people audiences speculated might appear on the episode, Bib Fortuna would probably be at the bottom of every list. Most people just assumed he died when Jabba’s barge exploded.^note
Win Back the Crowd:
- After Luke Skywalker’s polarizing portrayal in Disney’s Sequel Trilogy, many fans were delighted by his return being much more similar to his early Return of the Jedi characterization.
- While not hated by any means, many people felt that the previous episode Peyton Reed directed in this season was one of the weaker episodes of the series. By contrast, this episode drew in huge amounts of praise for Reed, thanks to its high stakes, the action sequences involving the Dark Troopers, and of course, Luke Skywalker's glorious return.

YMMV / The Mandalorian S2E8 "Chapter 16: The Rescue"

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