‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter Four Review: “Building a Bigger Universe”

The following review will contain spoilers for Disney+’s The Mandalorian Chapter Four, Sanctuary. If you haven’t read our review of the third episode, you can read it here.

The Mandalorian Chapter Four marks the halfway point for the first Star Wars live action TV series. It also brings the opportunity for a discussion on how the show is doing, and the hopes we can have for the show to move forward on. Chapter four brings us the introduction of the first main female character in Cara Dune, played by Gina Carano. Dune is a powerful warrior, a former shock trooper for the Rebel Alliance who is now a disciplined mercenary on the run. The Mandalorian and the child meet Dune on Sorgan, a forested planet where they are trying to hide.

Together, they work towards a greater cause of defending a village on Sorgan. This leads to battle scenes reminiscent of Return of the Jedi‘s Endor scenes. It is quite impressive the amount of time and effort director Bryce Dallas Howard put in to the similarities between the films. And in an episode with introduction of female characters Dune and Omera (Julia Jones), it’s a perfect fit as Howard works both in seamlessly. Both have different skills, and showcase different sides of women brilliantly. Though Omera has chosen to be a farmer, I really enjoyed seeing her be the only one in the village who knew how to shoot a gun! I would love to know more about her individual story.

Baby Yoda,  The Child, The Asset, or Yodito (as coined by Kate Sánchez) – whatever you would like to call him is absolutely adorable. The CGI and puppetry in the mix is superb, with the facial expressions surprisingly realistic. The story for him (or her) progresses quite nicely, with introductions of other characters built in quite well.

Sure The Mandalorian is taking its time, but it’s building the universe naturally; making sure not to force things into place. Sure things are connected, but when we already know The Mandalorian is going from planet to planet, we can’t find all the supporting characters at once, right?

The Mandalorian Chapter Four, “Sanctuary”, builds up the future of Star Wars quite nicely. It integrates some nostalgic features very well, without them being overpowering. –Katie Gilstrap

Rating: 8.5/10

With the conclusion of The Mandalorian Chapter  Four, that means we’re at the halfway point! What do you hope to see in the fifth episode of the Disney+ series? Let us know in the comments below!