In The Mandalorian season 2, episode 7, "The Believer", a village kid on the planet Morak stares at Din Djarin as he and Migs Mayfeld drive by in a transport tank. As Djarin and Mayfeld make their way through Empire-occupied territory, it's clear that the Imperials' presence has taken a toll on the planet's natives.
On their way to the Imperial Remnant mining facility, Mando and Mayfeld end up passing through a desolate village in the middle of the heavily-forested planet. They are not only disguised as Imperial tank troopers, but they're also driving through in an Imperial vehicle, so the villagers around them respond accordingly. As they pass the village kid, he stares at Djarin through the window, and Dajrin stares back, until he's out of sight. It's a curious moment that draws multiple meanings.
The easy answer here is that the village kid represents the devastation caused by the Empire. After all, Migs Mayfeld (played by Bill Burr) even says to Djarin shortly after the encounter, "Empire or New Republic, it's all the same to these people. Invaders on their land is all we are." Since the remnant base is a refinery dedicated to breaking down local rhydonium into usable fuel, it's safe to assume that these villagers were forced out of their homes by the Empire.
However, that line itself indicates that the village kid represent more than just a reminder of the Imperial military's might. It could also be a specific callback to the Mandalorian's own history with war and invasion. From flashbacks in previous episodes, it's evident that Djarin's home planet, Aq Vetina, was attacked by Separatist battle droids sometime during the fall of the Republic. Luckily for Djarin, he was saved by a sect of Mandalorians known as the Death Watch from almost certain death. Given the fact that both Djarin and the village kid linger on each other for a while, it's possible that this encounter reminded the bounty hunter of his own traumatic childhood experience.
There's also the chance that the village kid might reflect an alternate version of Din Djarin's fate: one where he wasn't swooped up by the Death Watch as a foundling. In the kid, Djarin sees another version of himself that might have been forced to grow up and adapt on his own. With the Empire well on its way to a full comeback, the kid on Morak serves as a warning to Djarin that there are countless children out there in the galaxy who will not be saved like he was.
Plus, fatherhood has been keenly on his mind since an older Ahsoka Tano that Grogu has formed a strong attachment to him. It's possible that seeing this kid reminded him of his own adoptive one (who's still in the hands of Moff Gideon), further fueling his drive to get Grogu back to safety. Moreover, all of "The Believer" leads up to Djarin accepting his responsibility as a father by declaring, "He means more to me than you will ever know," twisting Moff Gideon's own words against him. It could be that the stare-down with the village kid sparked this level of dedication.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/388CnhN
0 Comments