Let's Talk About THE MANDALORIAN Chapter 15 'The Believer'
The most recent episode of The Mandalorian was yet another kickass adventure that locks in all the pieces we need for the season finale which is leading to a showdown between Din Djarin and Moff Gideon. Djarin is coming for Grogu and nothing is going to stop him!
The Mandalorian Chapter 15 is titled “The Believer,” and it was written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who did an awesome job bringing this chapter of the story to life.
The episode starts out with Cara Dune visiting the Karthon Chop Fields to pick up prisoner Migs Mayfeld, who is on a work detail dismantling a TIE line starfighter. As you might expect, Mayfeld is reluctant at first because he has no idea what’s going on, but at this point, what choice does he have.
Mayfeld obviously has a lot of questions as Dune leads him to the Slave I ship where he is met by Mando, Fennec Shand, and Boba Fett. There was a nice surprise here with Boba Fett’s armor being refurbished and looking fresh. It was pretty awesome seeing the old armor get a polish.
It’s here Mayfeld learns that they need his help to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon because he is ex-Imperial. They need his Imperial clearances and protocols to get the coordinates of Gideon’s ship from an internal Imperial terminal. Mayfield thinks there is one on the planet Morak, which is home to a secret Imperial mining hub. Mayfeld promises to get them the coordinates if they get him there, so off they go!
As Mayfeld talks to Djarin he says that somewhere someone is ruling the galaxy before asking whether those people who died in wars fought by Mandalorians had a choice. Mayfeld then asks how the Mandalorians are different from the Empire, reasoning that people born and raised on Mandalore and Alderaan believe in different things. It’s then pointed out that neither one of them exists anymore. All the while Djarin remains silent. Mayfeld tells him that he’s just a realist and survivor just like him.
Djarin responds saying that they are nothing alike. Mayfeld then points out that Djarin's rules start to change when he gets desperate, using the helmet and the uniform change as an example. Mayfeld goes on to ask Djarin about his rule of not showing his face, whether it is because he can’t take off his helmet or because he cannot show his face. Djarin isn’t saying anything. Mayfeld then adds that everyone is the same because they have lines that they don't cross until things get messy. He explains that as far as he’s concerned, as long as people can make it through their day and sleep at night they are fine.
As they are driving the Juggernaut, they need to keep an eye on the temperature of the rhydonium cargo and speed so that they don’t blow up. Djarin reassures Mayfeld that as long as he drives steady, they will reach the refinery safely. Then they are attacked by pirates which makes their mission so much more difficult, but it sure does make for an exciting, action-packed sequel!
After a Juggernaut explodes in the distance a gang of pirate come racing after Djarin and Mayfeld. The pirates raid the Juggernaut and attack it in an attempt to blow it up with thermal detonators, but Mando won’t have it and he crawls out on top of the Juggernaut to fight back. There are a few waves of pirates coming after them, but they manage to get through it alive and roll into the Imperial refinery, and they are celebrated as heroes!
As they drive through the refinery, several Stormtroopers and Shoretroopers salute them and are cheering for them. Mayfeld salutes them back, saying he never imagined that he would be so happy to see stormtroopers. Mayfeld gets right down to business once they are inside and believes that the network terminal they need is inside the officer's mess.
Mayfeld gets spooked as he walks in the mess after recognizing an officer he served under named Valin Hess. He wants to the hell out of there for fear that Hess will recognize him. But Djarin insists they proceed and he takes it upon himself, Mayfeld explains that in order to access the network, the terminal has to scan his face. Djarin convinces Mayfeld he can get it done and take the datastick.
Djarin walks up to the terminal and attempts to log in to the network, but as expected it doesn’t work because he’s wearing a helmet. This is the point where Djarin takes off his helmet. This is the first time that Mando has voluntarily removed his helmet himself, which shows his commitment about getting Grogu back.
After his face is scanned, he manages to get the information he needs on Gideon’s light cruiser. As he removes the datastick he is met by Hess, who got up and walked over to him and he demands to know Djarin's designation. Djarin says he’s a transport co-pilot but the officer demands to know his TK number. Before Djarin can make up a number, Mayfeld jumps in and claims that Djarin is his commanding officer "TK-593." Mayfeld says he is Imperial Combat Assault Transport Lieutenant TK-111 and that Djarin sustained ear damage when his vessel lost pressure in Taanab. Mayfeld then tells Hess that Djarin has the nick-name "Brown Eyes" before ushering Djarin away under saying that they have to fill out TPS reports and recharging power coils.
The TPS reports comment is a hilarious tribute to the classic 90s comedy Office Space. So, that gave me a good laugh.
Anyway, after Hess finds out that they were the tank troopers who delivered the rhydonium, he commends them for successfully delivering the shipment and invites them for a drink. This turns into an intense situation as Mayfeld and Hess discuss Operation Cinder, which is a battle that Mayfeld fought in under Hess’s command. Hess recalls that was a "hard day" and that he had to make many "unpleasant" decisions. Mayfeld recalls that an entire city along with its inhabitants was destroyed during the operation. It’s revealed that his entire division of five to ten thousand people was also wiped out.
So, what was Operation Cinder? It was carried out by the Galactic Empire as “a means of devastating several Imperial planets in 4 ABY, only a few weeks following the Battle of Endor. The operation was part of the Contingency, a plan devised by Emperor Palpatine to ensure that the Empire and its enemies did not outlive him should he ever perish. The plan was put into action following the Emperor's death during the Battle of Endor. Imperial forces placed satellites in orbit of planets to form a climate disruption array. Electrical storms and other extreme weather events would begin to ravage targeted planets.”
Hess claims it was a small sacrifice for the greater good. Mayfeld disagrees, pointing out that there were civilians who died defending their homes and fighting for freedom. He asks Hess if it was good for them. Hess replies saying that his side outlasted saying that the survivors of Burnin Konn are "still eating themselves alive." Hess believes that the New Republic is in disarray while the Empire is growing stronger and then claims that the rhydonium they delivered is going to create chaos that will make Burnin Konn pale by comparison. His hope is that the crisis the create will cause people to turn to the Empire once again. Hess says that everyone wants order more than freedom and that people will welcome them back with open arms. As he says this, Hess toasts the Empire, and Mayfeld, who is fed up and extremely pissed off, shoots him in the chest with a blaster!
The shit has hit the fan now! Mayfeld proceeds to shoot Shoretroopesr and several Imperial officers in the mess hall. Mayfeld looks at Djarin and tells him that he did what he had to do before handing him his helmet saying that he never saw his face. Djarin puts the helmet back on and the two are gunning it out with Imperial officers and stormtroopers and they escape out of a window, which overlooks a massive dam.
As Djarin and Mayfeld embark on their escape, Shand and Dune are shooting down the Imperial troops who are chasing after them as well as the gunners manning the anti-air guns. Djarin and Mayfeld make it to the top of the refinery, and Fett comes flying in on the Slave I allowing Djarin and Mayfeld to jump aboard. As they flay away Mayfeld fires a cycler rifle at a parked juggernaut, igniting the rhydonium and causing a massive explosion that engulfs the refinery. Mayfeld tells Djarin that we all have to "sleep at night." Two TIE fighters race in pursuing the Slave I, but Fett takes them out easily with a seismic charge.
After this little adventure everyone has a new-found respect for Mayfeld, and instead of taking him back to prison to serve out the rest of his sentence, they let him go. What I’m really hoping is that Bill Burr’s Mayfeld will head lead the charge on the newly announced Mandalorian spinoff series Rangers of the New Republic. But, we’ll have to wait and see.
So, with the coordinates to Moff Gideon’s ship in hand, Djarin, Dune, Boba Fett, and Shand jump into the Slave I and fly off to get Grogu back. As they are racing to Gideon, Mando sends him a message saying that he has something that he wants and that he might think he has some idea about what he is in possession of but he does not. Djarin tells him that Grogu will be back with him and that he means more to him than he will ever know.
This episode was a ton of fun and was filled with some cool and exciting moments. Its main purpose, though, was to set up the season finale when we see Mando and Gideon face off with each other, and we’re all hoping to see a Jedi character show up in a desperate hour of need to save the day.
