If the first three episodes of The Mandalorian demonstrated just how effective a bounty hunter the titular character is, Friday’s fourth chapter offered some much-needed character building.
Up until now, Pedro Pascal’s so-far faceless hero hadn’t showcased much more than a ruthless streak – although his critical decision to (spoiler alert) rescue Baby Yoda set him off down a path that will put him at odds with the bad guys.
So it was to be expected that the fourth slice of this Disney+ original Star Wars show was going to give us more reasons to root for The Mandalorian.
If you’re still watching at this stage, it’s fair to assume that you’re going to see this series through. It’s with that in mind that a slower episode doesn’t do all that much damage to the overall pacing of proceedings so far.
Fresh off the back of that epic shoot-out in chapter three, The Mandalorian needs a place to lay low.
He opts for a quiet planet inhabited by peaceful fisherman, but soon butts heads with Gina Carano’s Cara Dune, who wrongly reckons that the famed bounty hunter is on her tail.
It’s from there that the pair strike up an accord and decide to take on a job protecting the villagers from raiders, who attack using the might of an imperial AT-ST walker.
There’s another decent shoot-out here, but Santuary is all about showing The Mandalorian’s softer side.
It’s through Julia Jones’ Omera that we get more details on his backstory, but you get the feeling that this is just a temporary calm before a sizeable storm.
Voice Verdict: 8/10 (reviwed on Disney+)
+ Welcome character building
+ AT-ST action!
+ Two solid side characters introduced
– First ‘slower’ episode may annoy some
