The episode consistently tugs on threads from The Mandalorian, showing the fallout from Din’s agonizing decision to remove his helmet in season two and expanding on the legend of the Darksaber. I love that Din continues to be both cool and hapless, the addition of the Darksaber to his arsenal hampered by him just not being very good with it. Sure, there’s a lore explanation about wielding the blade requiring focus, which retroactively makes every other Darksaber wielder cooler. But I also like to think Din’s just new at this. The opening fight scene with the weapon is energetic and competent, and Din not having the moral scruples of a Jedi means he can slice someone in half without missing a beat. Ever a man of the people, Din distributes the slaughterhouse boss’ money to the workers.

A second big melee action scene, the conflict between Vizsla and Din, really shows off the weapons and the setting, and had me really wondering whether Din might lose the new sword almost as soon as he gained it. Pedro Pascal has not lost any of his ability to convey both deadpan confusion and competence underneath his helmet and armor. That’s as true when he’s yearning to get back to Grogu as it is when he’s leaving his clan. I was pleased but surprised to find he doesn’t consider it much obstacle to see Grogu again. Maybe Luke gave him the Jedi Academy address off screen.

It’s also a surprisingly funny episode. The music perfectly accents a scene where Din has to unload his weapons to take public transportation. Peli and her droids are full of delightful movements and quips (although I did want her to treat her flock better). Din just slipping off a catwalk adds both physical humor and stakes. Even Din’s brief interactions with a Rodian kid mixed laughs and pathos.

In part, I accept that this episode was more fun for me than the rest of The Book of Boba Fett only because it leaned into The Mandalorian and Prequel instead of Original nostalgia. But it also has another major advantage: ending Boba’s flashbacks means this episode feels like it actually pushes the story of the larger galaxy forward.

The Armorer takes the bulk of the awkward exposition this time, filling in some gaps about what the Darksaber means to both mainstream Mandalorians and the orthodox covert clan. Din’s actions with the Darksaber will have political ramifications for the covert Mandalorians, the Imperial Remnant, and the planet Mandalore as well as for Tatooine, Boba, and Fennec. The Armorer’s dialogue worked better for me than a lot of the Tatooine dialogue because she had such a coherent perspective, and because The Mandalorian had already shown that different people (i.e. Bo-Katan) had different interpretations of the political history of Mandalore and how that affected the larger plot. Howard’s direction livens up those exposition scenes, too, though, with a mix of wide and focused shots and sharply contrasting color.

However, I do acknowledge that it’s just as much an episode about characters conveniently walking into frame, stage-like, as The Book of Boba Fett was last week. Did we really need such a long sequence of Peli and Din fixing up the old spaceship, or Pelli’s jokes about dating a Jawa, or Beggar’s Canyon, or the return of the New Republic cops? Maybe not.

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