‘The Mandalorian’ Season 1, Episode 6 ‘The Prisoner’ Review: Breakout

The adventures of The Mandalorian take him to visit an old associate as he looks for a job. Compared to his previous ones, the new mission has different parameters. Here, Mando teams up with a group of mercenaries practically begging for trouble. Also, the job involves something that Mando does not usually do: breaking into a New Republic Prison Ship. Mando risks the Razor Crest, himself, and The Child in this trip full of unexpected twists and turns.

On Friday, The Mandalorian takes Razor Crest and The Child out on a search for a job. Mando ends up reuniting with an old colleague, Ranzar Malk  (Mark Boone Jr.). Mando receives a five-person job involving a New Republic Prison Ship Breakout. Mercenaries Mayfield (Bill Burr), Burg (Clancy Brown), the droid Q9-0 ‘Zero’ (Richard Ayoade), and Xi’an (Natalia Tena) make up the Breakout Crew. Lines of allegiance blur as the mercenaries show their true motives, risking Razor Crest, Mando, and The Child’s lives.

Risky Operation

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Mando has himself mixed up with a motley crew of different species with different motives. We have the smug former Imperial Sharpshooter Mayfield, who was willing to take the credits for himself at the cost of his crew. Burg, on the other hand, is a walking piece of ham-handed bravado, although his strength as a Devaronian makes up for it. Xi’an, the sneaky Twi’lek, is in it to free her brother, Qin (Ismael Cruz Cordova). They bring nothing but trouble throughout the op, refusing to be stealthy and making unnecessary kills. Mando is right to mistrust Zero, who not only pilots the ship recklessly but also almost kills The Child once he discovers Greef Karga’s (Carl Weathers) holo in the ship. Thankfully, Mando and The Child make it safely out of the mess with the Crest and themselves intact.

Space Combat

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The episode gives us considerably more space action in this one. Both Ranzar’s base and the New Republic Prison Ship float in the vast vacuum of space. Also, much emphasis was given to Razor Crest and its capabilities, mostly in flight. At the end of the chapter, three X-Wing Fighters show up following the tracking beacon, piloted by the show’s directors. Trapper Wolf (Dave Filoni), Jib Dodger (Rick Famuyiwa) [also the episode director], and Sash Ketter (Deborah Chow) take turns in destroying Ranzar’s floating base. The episode indeed gives us a visual treat that showcases ships and space dogfights along with a Tantive IVesque setting for the New Republic Prison.

The Child Dislikes Droids, Too

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One could not help but worry about The Child’s safety in this episode. Not only is the ship rigged with criminal-looking mercs, but the mission pushes them to further conflict with the law. Everyone could sense the tension when Mayfield picks The Child up, interrupted by Zero’s tactless piloting that rocks the ship. Zero finds out The Child’s worth as he decrypts the holo transmission from Greef and tries to hunt The Child. Luckily, Mando arrives just in time to kill the obnoxious droid and plan the elaborate escape from the mess he mistakenly took.

‘The Mandalorian’ Season 1, Episode 6 ‘The Prisoner’ Final Verdict

The Mandalorian introduces us to characters from his past that we barely know about. Unlike the previous encounters, his old associate proves hostile towards him, advancing with ulterior motives. Also, it excellently portrays what it is like to live the life of a mercenary in a galaxy far, far away. Exploring the personalities and traits of mercenaries outside the cantina is one of the shows’ assets. One cannot entirely trust one’s colleagues, especially if they are mercenaries, and the show makes this fact clear.

The Mandalorian continues Friday, December 18th, at the Disney+ Streaming Service.