This review contains spoilers for The Mandalorian episode 2, “The Child.” To refresh your memory of where we left off, check out our Mandalorian episode 1 review, find out when The Mandalorian episode 3 comes out with our release schedule, and if you're confused about The Mandalorian's timeline, here's when it takes place in the Star Wars canon.

It was hard to predict what kind of show The Mandalorian was going to be, based on episode 1 - which had to do a lot of heavy lifting to establish the world, tone, and players of this previously uncharted corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

Whatever assumptions we had about the plot of the series before it premiered, it’s safe to say that Mando playing babysitter to a mysterious creature who looks like a baby Yoda wasn’t even on our bingo card. Episode 2 is such a delight precisely because it feels so at odds with our perceptions of bloodthirsty bounty hunters and lone gunslingers - while also managing to feel quintessentially Star Wars. This is the franchise that gave us adorable Ewoks, quirky droids, and delicious Porgs, after all - not to mention Force-sensitive kids with a penchant for attracting trouble. (Although if those aspects of the Star Wars mythos drive you crazy, it’s entirely possible The Mandalorian has just lost all of your goodwill. I personally found it completely irresistible.)

Check out our theory on how the "Baby Yoda" reveal could tie into Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker:

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Where the premiere laid its groundwork methodically, episode 2 of The Mandalorian comes out guns blazing - giving us a clearer sense of both the titular character’s identity and the show’s as a whole. That’s thanks in large part to the odd humor of seeing the stoic Mando trying to deal with a curious child from Yoda’s species, who is every bit as mischievous and mysterious as Yoda was - and apparently just as naturally gifted in the ways of the Force, judging by the way it lifted and knocked out that Mudhorn creature. It also seemed to be attempting to heal Mando after his battle with the Trandoshan bounty hunters, which adds another interesting facet to its abilities, even if the grumpy mercenary wouldn't let it finish the job.

We’ve already noted how the “baby Yoda” twist evokes the classic manga Lone Wolf and Cub - and is somewhat reminiscent of the plot of the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie (also directed by Dave Filoni) in which Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano must rescue Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped son. But the odd-couple pairing also has echoes of classic Westerns like The Searchers and True Grit (or, for a deeper cut, John Ford’s 3 Godfathers), juxtaposing our impassive hero with a more innocent character who’s designed to slip under his guard.

Episode 2, deftly directed by Dope helmer Rick Famuyiwa, functions much the same way for the audience. We entered into the show expecting an action-packed thrill ride - and we damn sure get it; between the dazzling fight between Mando and a group of Trandoshan bounty hunters in the opening minutes, Mando’s Mad Max-esque pursuit of a Jawa sandcrawler, and his mucky battle with that Mudhorn, episode 2 is even more thrilling than the premiere. But watching the Mandalorian attempting to protect this strange, vulnerable child is also designed to disarm us. It subtly challenges our expectations about our hero while also encouraging us to empathize with these two enigmatic characters, even though we know almost nothing about them.

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It’s a genius strategy, made possible because the baby Yoda creature is almost comically adorable, like a furless Mogwai, and the puppetry used to bring it to life is stunning. Between the movements of its giant ears and big, guileless eyes, you’ve got to imagine that Disney is already mass-producing interactive toy versions for the holiday season.

It also helps that the episode is just plain funny, recalling the comedic-action tone of Indiana Jones, especially when our long-suffering hero returns to his ship to find it dismantled by those tricksy Jawas and gives chase, with the baby’s floating pod bopping cheerily along behind him. Nick Nolte’s accommodating Kuill also adds an interesting dynamic in his return appearance, as we realize that the Ugnaught is a low-key Mandalorian fanboy who’s basically counting on Mando to live up to all the legends he’s heard about the warrior tribe and is content to keep testing his prowess. Seeing Mando through Kuill's eyes helps humanize and dimensionalize our hero just as effectively as Mando's determined attempts not to become attached to his young asset.

While episode 2 is obviously part of a larger serialized story, it’s also a neat demonstration of how the show could work just as well with self-contained storylines, showing Mando rolling into a new territory and solving a new problem every week, like Wanted: Dead or Alive or Have Gun, Will Travel. With the action confined to one location (which I guess we can speculate could potentially be Tatooine, given that Jawas are native to the desert planet and the Mandalorian poster seems to purposefully evoke the twin suns, moisture farms, and sandcrawlers of Luke Skywalker's homeworld), there's a much clearer narrative focus in episode 2, punctuated by kinetic bursts of action. In Famuyiwa's hands, each setpiece has a distinct personality and rhythm that keeps the episode from feeling repetitive despite its emphasis on action, which is a skill that a surprising number of blockbuster directors don't have. It probably also helps that episode 2 is a mere 33 minutes long - which keeps it moving briskly, and leaves us wanting more.

Was that Boba Fett we spotted in the background of The Mandalorian episode 1? We break down the possibilities:

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Still, it’s the lingering mystery that proves most compelling aspect here - we know that an Imperial officer and twitchy scientist probably don’t want to adopt this kid and make sure it grows up to be a well-rounded member of New Republic society - and Mando’s growing affinity for the little creature will no doubt cause some wrinkles beyond just taking out rival bounty hunters. It's pretty telling that so many other assassins have been enlisted to terminate the child rather than bring it back alive - and it's understandable that the remnants of the Empire would be fearful or antagonistic towards a creature with such powerful Force abilities at such a young age (relative to the rest of its species, anyway). Mando clearly doesn't know exactly what he's stumbled into, but it's big, even if size matters not. (Check out our theory on why Dr. Pershing and "The Client" want baby Yoda, and how it might tie into The Rise of Skywalker.)