Obviously, spoilers for the Mandalorian if you haven’t seen the entire series yet.

It was three years this past October from when the Mandalorian Season 2 premiered on Disney+. Since then we’ve been treated to Obi-Wan’s return, Ahsoka and Luke conversing onscreen, a prison breakout on Narkina 5, and much more. Season 3 of the Mandalorian is currently streaming even now, and it’s because of that third season that’s caused me to think back on the prior season, given my love of the second, and my distaste for the third. (Though I’ll get into those another time.)

Many older Star Wars fans will share their viewing experience of the original film in 1977, and we who were born decades afterward will think how great it must have been to watch the original film. Especially to have been a kid when watching Star Wars, and a year later finding the action figures from Kenner. So it mostly was for the Mandalorian. Due to the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker taking place around the same time, among other reasons that are pure speculation, there wasn’t as big of a push for Mando-related merchandise when the show’s first season premiered. Nay, that honor, almost as grand as the type which had accompanied the feature films since 2015, was granted unto the second season. Executives were surely wanting to cash in on the marketing success that was the Child.

Many more had become aware of the show as well, including myself. At first, I had passed off the show as intriguing, but not interesting enough to view. I was content with having watched only the first eight episodes of Star Wars (and to this day I still haven’t seen the ninth installment). My interest began to peak, though, when I became enthralled with the teaser trailer. I can remember when the shot of the damaged Razor Crest, and the male, brassy chorus over the Lucasfilm logo hooked my attention. So, after youth group that fateful Friday night, my mom invited me to watch the aforementioned episode: Chapter 9, “the Marshal”.

Some called the episode predictable, but I called it thrilling. The battle with the Krayt dragon was action-packed, IMAX-sized fun; the introduction of Cobb Vanth, the only man fit to wear Boba Fett’s armor besides the owner, captivating; the humanization of the Tusken Raiders long before we had a Book of Boba Fett, intriguing; the cameo of Boba Fett at the end, amazing. To put it simply before I run out of synonyms, I loved the episode. It was what made me a fan of the Mandalorian. Yea, I wasn’t made a fan by Chapter 1, Chapter 3, or even Chapter 8, though I loved all of those episodes when watching them after seeing the second season. Before you attack me for skipping the first season, I’ll remind you that everyone in 1977 technically watched the fourth installment without seeing the first three films.

Though I’ve seen twenty-three episodes of the Mandalorian afterwards, some I’ve enjoyed, like the epic Chapters 16 and 23 or the thoughtful Chapter 15, and others not so much, such as Chapters 10 and 21, and despite that it’s not the best critically, I’ll always have a love of Chapter 9 because of what it accomplished: creating a love for the adventures of the Mandalorian and his foundling Grogu. Though Season 3 took the series’s developments and crashed them in a burning ball of the flames of what I believe to be corporate micromanagement—ahem, anyway—nothing has been able to taint the second season with it’s excitement and Star Wars styled fun. Like those who watched Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, Chapter 9 “The Marshal” will remain a favorite of mine for years to come.

Until next time,

-Gabriel Coats