‘The Mandalorian’ Channels ‘Game of Thrones’ and Redeems Jar-Jar Binks

THIS POST CONTAINS spoilers for this week’s episode of The Mandalorian, “The Foundling.”

After a very long, off-format, and seemingly divisive episode last week focusing on the extremely minor character Dr. Pershing, The Mandalorian goes extremely back to basics with the Carl Weathers-directed “The Foundling.” The show clocks in at under a half hour, focuses on Mando, Grogu, and Bo-Katan in their new home with the Armorer and her covert, and is largely a collection of action set pieces.

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As interesting as it is to see Favreau, Filoni, and company expand the definition of what The Mandalorian can be, this is ultimately a very simple show that does best when it remembers that. Fights. Flights. A clear-cut problem to solve each week. Baby Yoda being adorable. It’s a formula, but one that all involved know how to make so well.

There is a difference between simple and simplistic, though, and “The Foundling” is certainly not the latter. There’s a lot of interesting material about the culture of the Watch, Bo-Katan’s apparent spiritual awakening, father and son relationships, and more. And there’s also a lengthy flashback to how Grogu escaped the Clone Troopers on the day Order 66 was executed, with the help of a Jedi named Kelleran Beq(*). But it’s first and foremost The Mandalorian doing Mandalorian things.

(*) Whether Beq appears again, what a great and long-overdue showcase this was for actor Ahmed Best. The guy spent so long eating dirt from fans who understandably found Jar-Jar Binks annoying, but he was doing exactly what George Lucas wanted him to. Filoni generally did better by both Best and Jar-Jar on Clone Wars, but that was a much lower-profile corner of the Star Wars universe. Putting Best out front without any makeup or CGI and letting him wield two lightsabers and take on a few dozen Clone Troopers? Whether he plays this role again or not, it was a great moment for him.