Chapter 14: The Tragedy
"Chapter 14: The Tragedy" | |
---|---|
The Mandalorian episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 6 |
Directed by | Robert Rodriguez |
Written by | Jon Favreau |
Produced by | Jon Favreau |
Cinematography by | David Klein[1] |
Editing by | Andrew S. Eisen |
Original release date | December 4, 2020 |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Co-starring | |
"Chapter 14: The Tragedy" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American streaming television series The Mandalorian.[2] It was written by showrunner Jon Favreau and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It was released on Disney+ on December 4, 2020.[3] The episode received critical acclaim, with praise towards Rodriguez’s direction, the action sequences, and emotional weight. Critics particularly highlighted the return of Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett.
Plot
The Mandalorian arrives with Grogu on Tython, and finds the ancient temple on top of a mountain. He seats Grogu at the center so that he may choose his path. Grogu meditates, and a protective Force field appears around him. Boba Fett arrives with the mercenary Fennec Shand, whose life he saved on Tatooine,[a] and demands the return of his Mandalorian armor.[b] Following a tense confrontation, the Mandalorian agrees to trade the armor for the safety of Grogu. Two Imperial troop carriers arrive, carrying stormtroopers who attempt to capture Grogu. Honoring their agreement, Fett, Shand, and the Mandalorian join forces to fend off the advancing stormtroopers, inflicting heavy casualties. Boba Fett retrieves his armor and uses it to wipe out many stormtroopers before firing a rocket that destroys the fleeing troop ships. As the Force field surrounding him disappears, Grogu collapses from exhaustion.
Production
Development
The episode was written by the series' creator Jon Favreau and directed by Robert Rodriguez, whose involvement in the second season was confirmed on May 4, 2020.[4] Rodriguez was not the first choice to direct the episode. Before directing The Mandalorian, Rodriguez worked with Pedro Pascal on the Netflix film We Can Be Heroes.[5] Rodriguez was surprised at the short length of the script and asked Favreau "Is it okay that my script is only 19 pages? Because I cut really fast and it's probably going to end up being 16 minutes" but Favreau explained that Rodriguez was there to fill out the action scenes and make the battle longer. He praised the script saying "It had all the good stuff in it. It was like a 'Greatest Hits' of all the good stuff; I couldn't believe it. To go play in Star Wars with all the toys and to get to play with Boba Fett." Not knowing if Boba Fett would be appearing in the series again, Rodriguez took the opportunity to "make him super badass in this moment [and] be that character that I imagined him being when I heard about him when I was 12. That was my mission, just to go satisfy that 12-year-old fascination with the character."[6] Rodriguez described the experience: "it's fulfilled all my... it's beyond my expectations, I mean, it was SO fun".[5]
Only six of the stormtroopers were real, the others were digitally added to the scene.[7]
Casting
The co-starring actors cast for this episode are all returning from previous episodes, and include
Music
Ludwig Göransson composed the musical score for the episode. The featured tracks were released on December 18, 2020, in the second volume of the season two soundtrack.[10]
Göransson and Rodriguez had music sessions over Zoom where they played with raw sound effects to develop a guide for what would become Boba Fett's theme. Rodriguez wanted Fett to be primal, like a barbarian, and included a war horn, which Göransson took inspiration from and distorted that sound with a didgeridoo and another unique sound. Göransson also added breathing sounds to the track "to make it feel like he's in your head".[11]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 45 critics, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Thrilling, confident, and utterly heartbreaking, "The Tragedy" is breathtaking television brilliantly realized by director Robert Rodriguez."[12]
Notes
- ^ As depicted in the season 1 episode "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger" (2019).
- ^ The Mandalorian confiscated the armor from Cobb Vanth in "Chapter 9: The Marshal".
References
- ^ Jirak, Jamie (December 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Kevin Smith Reacts to Clerks Cinematographer Filming Chapter 14". Comicbook.com/.
- ^ Razor Close (December 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6 recap – "Chapter 14: The Tragedy"". ReadySteadyCut.com. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Abdulbaki, Mae (December 3, 2020). "The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 6: Release date". Inverse. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (May 4, 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Season 2: Robert Rodriguez Confirmed As Director". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ a b Shepherd, Jack; Scott, Darren (December 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Robert Rodriguez discusses directing one of the Star Wars show's best episodes yet". SFX – via Games Radar.
- ^ Gemmill, Allie (December 7, 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Season 2 Director Robert Rodriguez on the Joy of Reviving Boba Fett". Collider.
- ^ IAN FAILES (December 22, 2020). "VFX notes from the ICG 'Mandalorian' s2 panel". befores & afters.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 7, 2020). "Being Boba Fett: Temuera Morrison Discusses 'The Mandalorian'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Dumaraog, Ana (December 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 6 Cast & Cameos Guide". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Vol. 2 (Chapters 13-16) [Original Score]". Apple Music. Apple Inc. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ Guerrasio, Jason (December 21, 2020). "'The Mandalorian' composer reveals how he used classic 'Star Wars' themes to create the dramatic season 2 finale score". Insider.
- ^ "The Tragedy". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (December 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Season 2, Episode 6 Review". IGN.
- Vulture. New York. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (December 4, 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Recap: The Bounty Hunter Strikes Back". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
External links
- "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" at IMDb
- "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki