Chapter 11: The Heiress

"Chapter 11: The Heiress" is the third episode of the second season of the American streaming television series The Mandalorian. It was written by showrunner Jon Favreau and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. It was released on Disney+ on November 13, 2020. The episode stars Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, a lone bounty hunter on the run with "the Child", in search for the latter's people, the Jedi. Katee Sackhoff guest stars as Bo-Katan Kryze, a character she previously voiced on the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. The episode received positive reviews.

"Chapter 11: The Heiress"
The Mandalorian episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 3
Directed byBryce Dallas Howard
Written byJon Favreau
Produced byJon Favreau
Cinematography byMatthew Jensen
Editing byDylan Firshein
Original release dateNovember 13, 2020 (2020-11-13)
Running time32 minutes
Co-starring

Plot

The Razor Crest, severely damaged,[lower-alpha 1] crash lands on the moon of Trask. The Frog Lady is reunited with her husband, who directs The Mandalorian to an inn, where he learns three Mandalorians have been seen, and the captain of a trawler of Quarren offers passage to find the Mandalorians.

Out at sea, the Captain shows them a Mamacore they are transporting. He suddenly throws the Child's carrier into the beast's cage. The Mandalorian dives in after and is trapped inside. The captain promises to kill him for his armor. Mandalorians come to their rescue, killing the entire crew. Bo-Katan Kryze and her teammates Koska Reeves and Axe Woves break taboo by taking off their helmets. The Mandalorian distrusts them, but she explains her Mandalorian heritage and that he is a Child of the Watch[lower-alpha 2], a group consisting of zealots who follow "the (ancient) Way (of the Mandalore)", which mainstream Mandalorian society does not. The Mandalorian leaves, stubbornly refusing Bo-Katan's help.

The Mandalorian is attacked by the brother of the dead trawler captain. Again, Bo-Katan comes to his aid. She later explains that Imperial remnants still plunder Mandalore and her team is raiding cargo ships to steal weapons. She promises the information he needs in return for his help in their next raid. Bo-Katan also seeks a Mandalorian relic which had been stolen from her: the Darksaber. The Child stays with the Frog Lady.

The team make short work of the stormtroopers on board the freighter and takes control of the cargo. Bo-Katan alters the mission, deciding to take the whole ship. The Mandalorian is reluctant. Bo-Katan mocks him saying, "This is the Way." The Captain alerts Moff Gideon, but it is too late for help. Gideon tells the Captain to sacrifice the ship to kill them all. The Mandalorian makes a dangerous charge at a group of stormtroopers, allowing Bo-Katan to take control of the ship in time. She presses the Captain to tell her the location of the Darksaber, but tells her she must already know and commits suicide.

Bo-Katan thanks the Mandalorian and invites him to join them in future missions, saying his bravery will be remembered. He declines, saying he must continue his own quest. While stating that the offer still stands, Bo-Katan directs him to the city of Calodan on the forest planet of Corvus, where he will find a Jedi called Ahsoka Tano.

Production

Development

The episode was written by series creator Jon Favreau and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. The character Bo-Katan Kryze was created by Dave Filoni and first appeared in 2011 in the animated series The Clone Wars.[1] Sackhoff found it challenging bringing Kryze to life, she wanted to make the character feel familiar but bigger and better than before. She said the experience felt like as if she was the animated character Roger Rabbit exploring the real world.[2] Sackhoff thought of Bo-Katan as regal and stoic and did not want her face to be too expressive, but also did not want her performance to be too stiff and wooden either.[3] Howard humorously compared her to Pinocchio and encouraged Sackhoff by saying "more real boy".[2] There were extensive discussions about what the hair would look like, it needed to be realistic but also familiar. As she was working on a series for Netflix Sackhoff could not dye her hair and had to use a wig.[4]

The atmospheric re-entry sequence was an homage to Apollo 13 directed by Ron Howard.[5][6] The harbor crane is a modified AT-AT.[7]

Costume Designer Shawna Trpcic commissioned sculptor Jose Fernandez and his Ironhead Studios to build Mandalorian armor for Bo-Katan and Koska.[8] Koska Reeves distinctive cross braid hairstyle was created by stylist Maria Sandoval.[9][10]

Casting
Katee Sackhoff appears as Bo-Katan Kryze.

On May 12, 2020, it was announced that Katee Sackhoff had joined the cast of The Mandalorian, and that she would be portraying Bo-Katan Kryze, a role she had previously voiced on the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels.[11] Other co-starring actors cast for this episode are Misty Rosas returning as the Frog Lady, Mercedes Varnado as Koska Reeves, Simon Kassianides as Axe Woves, Titus Welliver as an Imperial Captain, and Giancarlo Esposito returning as Moff Gideon.[12] Additional guest starring actors cast for this episode include John Cameron as the Frog Man, Norwood Cheek as a Mon Calamari server, Kevin Dorff as a deck officer, Alexander Wraith as a freighter pilot, and Philip Alexander as a security officer.[12] Lateef Crowder, Barry Lowin and Brendan Wayne are credited as stunt doubles for the Mandalorian. Caitlin Dechelle, Lauren Kim and Caitlin Hutson, Kofi Yiadom, and Con Schell are credited as stunt doubles for Bo-Katan Kryze, Koska Reeves, Axe Woves, and the Imperial Captain, respectively. "The Child" was performed by various puppeteers.

John Favreau saw Mercedes Varnado in an episode of Hot Ones,[13] and a casting agent reached out to her though Instagram.[10] Varnado welcomed the opportunity but was worried about making it work with her WWE travel schedule, and also nervous about her first time doing this kind of acting. Favreau and Filoni and Howard, supported her and answered any questions she had. Favreau reassured her "you do WWE every single week and you do that live. You are amazing. There’s a reason why I wanted you to be a part of the show."[13]

Actress Janina Gavankar, who previously voiced and performed motion capture for the game Star Wars Battlefront II, assisted Frank Ippolito in the puppetry performance of a Mon Calamari dock worker.[14]

Music

Ludwig Göransson composed the musical score for the episode. The featured tracks were released on November 20, 2020 in the first volume of the season two soundtrack.[15]

Göransson wanted to Bo-Katan's theme to be extremely energetic, because "shows up with such speed and energy" and gave her what he called an industrial heavily produced techno sound. He explains "With a lot of the show it's using all these different musical genres and combining them all through production techniques" and "With Bo-Katan it's a heavily distorted synthesizer sound running through a gate pattern effect."[16]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received an approval rating of 98% based on reviews from 47 critics, with an average rating of 8.32/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bryce Dallas Howard returns behind the camera to deliver an action-packed installment that has enough Easter eggs to keep diehards happy, while setting up plenty of exciting things to come."[17]

Noel Murray of The New York Times praised director Bryce Dallas Howard, "Both of Howard's Mandalorian episodes so far have balanced thrilling action sequences with quieter character moments. I've started to look forward to seeing her name in the credits." Murray enjoyed [18] Paul MacInnes of The Guardian wrote: "For me, the best bits of this week's episode were the descents. Two separate scenes of ships hurtling towards the ground looking very much like they were going to go splat -- those were some high-octane TV thrills right there."[19] Huw Fullerton of the Radio Times gave the episode 4 out of 5 and wrote: "Considering how sparse the storytelling for The Mandalorian was in season one, it's interesting to see how much more complex - and tied into previous Star Wars lore - it's becoming in season two."[20] Keith Phipps of New York Magazine gave it 4 out of 5, and praised the writing for connecting more deeply with the Star Wars lore while keeping those details purely optional for more casual viewers.[7] Katie Rife of The A. V. Club gave the episode a grade B. Rife praised the episode for adding new dimensions to the character of The Mandalorian, and the joy of watching Stormtroopers getting taken down, "flying around like wood chips off a chainsaw". She was disappointed that the Imperial Captain played by guest star Titus Welliver spoke with an American rather than a British accent like previous Imperials. She called the Frog Lady subplot sweet and heartwarming.[21]

Notes
  1. As seen in "Chapter 10: The Passenger".
  2. The Mandalorians seen saving Mando in his flashback in "Chapter 8: Redemption"—known as the Fighting Corps—bear the Death Watch insignia.

References
  1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) Season 4, "A Friend in Need"
  2. Baver, Kristin (18 November 2020). "Bo-Katan Lives! Katee Sackhoff on the Live-Action Debut of Her Mandalorian Warrior". StarWars.com.
  3. Tracy Brown (28 November 2020). "Q&A: 'The Mandalorian's' Katee Sackhoff has questions about Bo-Katan too". Los Angeles Times.
  4. Miller, Liz Shannon (25 November 2020). "'The Mandalorian': Katee Sackhoff on Bringing Bo-Katan to Life, and What Baby Yoda's Really Like on Set". Collider.com.
  5. Gemmill, Allie (14 November 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Director Bryce Dallas Howard Confirms 'Apollo 13' Homage in Episode 3". Collider.
  6. Kemp, Ella (27 November 2020). "Ron Howard reacts to Bryce Dallas Howard's tribute in 'The Mandalorian'". NME.com.
  7. Phipps, Keith (November 13, 2020). "The Mandalorian Recap: Squid Chowder for One". Vulture.com. New York Magazine.
  8. Barnhardt, Adam (November 17, 2020). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Costume Designer Shares BTS Look at New Mandalorian Uniforms". Comicbook.com. ironhead_studio (November 17, 2020). "We are really proud of the Bo-Katan and Koska suits ..." Instagram.com.
  9. STEVE RUSSELL (December 1, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Sasha Banks on Her Instantly Iconic Star Wars Hairstyle". CBR.
  10. Brian Davids (25 November 2020). "Why 'The Mandalorian' Star Mercedes Varnado Will Always Check Her DMs from Now On". The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 12, 2020). "'Mandalorian' Season 2: Katee Sackhoff To Play Live-Action Version Of Her 'Clone Wars' Character Bo-Katan". Deadline. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  12. Dumaraog, Ana (November 13, 2020). "The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 3 Cast & Cameos Guide". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  13. Otterson, Joe (17 November 2020). "Sasha Banks Compares Filming 'The Mandalorian' to Her 'First Time Ever Seeing a Wrestling Ring'". Variety.
  14. Hood, Cooper (November 16, 2020). "The Mandalorian's Secret Battlefront 2 Cameo Revealed". Screenrant. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  15. "The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Vol. 1 (Chapters 9-12) [Original Score]". Apple Music. Apple Inc. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  16. 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.
  17. "The Mandalorian: Season 2 Episode 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  18. Murray, Noel (13 November 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Season 2, Episode 3 Recap: Bigger Fish". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13.
  19. MacInnes, Paul (13 November 2020). "The Mandalorian recap: season two, episode three – steer clear of the seafood". The Guardian.
  20. Fullerton, Huw (November 13, 2020). "The Mandalorian season 2 episode 3 review: Mandalorians, everywhere!". Radio Times.
  21. Katie Rife (November 13, 2020). "Mando sails the high seas on a mythology-heavy episode of The Mandalorian". The A. V. Club.
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