Confession #1: I've watched it 3 times.
Confession #2: Seriously considering changing my user name to Fat Bib Fortuna
Some more organized thoughts
1) Felt like a nod to Kara Thrace and BSG watching the TIEs launch out of the tubes. Don't think I've ever seen that before.
2) Mando vs. the lone dark trooper had a real "fighting a Terminator" vibe. Like you just gassed yourself beating 1 of them, and there's 40 more behind it.
3) Loved seeing the Imperial shuttle at the beginning of the episode and the Imp taunting Cara Dune about Alderaan.
4) Gideon is a great villain, sowing discord wherever he goes. His only questionable move was going after Mando with the Dark Saber. He must have known it wouldn't cut through Beskar, although perhaps he thought Mando might not have had a 100% Beskar suit.
5) The Dark Saber question is a great move to advance the plot for Season 3. Bo Katan really walks that line between ally and adversary. She won't take the Dark Saber the easy way, and I doubt Mando wants to fight her. What's more important to her, retaking Mandalore or retaking Mandalore with herself as leader?
6) It's a really great thing that they had him take off his helmet last week because he had to. Then he took it off this week because he wanted to, and with zero hesitation. But he knows he can't go back to the Watch, at least not without being stripped of everything.
7) In my Star Wars lovefest mind's eye, I imagine the communication between Grogu and Luke on Tython being a lot of memories and images of Yoda as they both knew him being passed back and forth. That helps Grogu know Luke can be trusted.
8) On the flip side, is this a precursor to Luke's arrogance that he can train Ben Solo and rid him of the darkness? Ahoska clearly didn't want to train Grogu because of his connection to Mando. Does Luke think he's beyond that? Or are his thoughts clouded by his love for Yoda and seeing that face again?
9) Where was male model Mando for this one?
10) Cara Dune: "Great, one XWing, we're saved." Oh, if you only knew.
11) I find myself a little surprise to say this, but I favored the music they used over Luke's normal theme. This is Mando's party. That music is clearly "The Sorcerer" track from the leaked soundtrack list. The Dark Troopers look unstoppable and Luke's going through them like Swiss cheese. That modern mystical beat was fitting. And it kept the audience from 100% certainty until he took the hood down.
12) This is the R2D2 I got for Christmas in 1978 when I was 4 (and an early drawing by my daughter of Yoda behind it). He's the one SW toy I have managed to keep all this time. Seeing R2 with Luke and "recognizing" Grogu's species probably made me the happiest of it all.
