Warning: Rambling post incoming
So I've pretty much thought about the episode since I finished watching it, hoping to watch again tonight.
The opening scene really reminded me of the opening of the Ahsoka episode from Mando Season 2. I remember us all speculating when we'd see her and if we'd see her lightsabers, and Filoni delivered her in the first scene, just like BDH did here with Mando.
I usually judge my best reactions to entertainment by whether or not it makes me talk at the screen (usually doesn't), but I gave a "Yeah!" like a kid when I saw it was him, and then a "Damn, Mando!" when he cut the bounty in half. Then another "Yeah!" for the title "Return of the Mandalorian"
Kudos to Disney+ for being to keep so many secrets under wraps with Mando, I'm guessing it has more to do with being able to film in the Volume than anything - you're not on locations with a zillion people seeing everything you're filming.
BDH also directed "Sanctuary" in Season 1 and "The Heiress" in Season 2, so combined with this episode, she's gotten the reins on two episodes that really dive deep into the history of Mandalore the planet and connect Clone Wars / Rebels / Mando/ Fett together.
I love that he's using the Darksaber without really knowing how to use it. More of "I know this thing is going to kill everyone right away" choice. Sort of like using a bazooka in a video game when the game play calls for a pistol.
Have to echo that I was horrified that Anakin's pod was under that tarp. Although that gave the faint hope that he would disintegrate Amy Sedaris for trying to pull a fast one on him. That's definitely not a BH ship though, he was clearly living on the Crest. I suppose the N-1 has some sort of storage space you could put a carbonite block, but it doesn't have the facilities for the process nor anything else.
Will be interested to see what Mando does if he keeps being a BH. The fact that he'll not be giving the credits he earns to the Enclave would seemingly mean he'd be get really rich, really quickly and be able to find a replacement Razor Crest and outfit himself easily in a short amount of time.
Would it have been possible for him to accept the duel with Mando Grande but not use the Dark Saber? Or is a duel strictly with some sort of bladed weapon?
Is he really going to visit Luke and Grogu? More interestingly, will Luke allow this interaction to happen? Since we're assuming he's going to be in the last 2 episodes of BOBF, will that happen off screen and we have to wait until Season 3 of Mando to see it? I really wonder if Luke is adhering strictly to the code of the Jedi that taught him when it comes to attachments - he redeemed Vader through love, which is supposedly a forbidden attachment, will he forbid Grogu from keeping a relationship with Mando?
And in the uber-fanboy make-believe world, what if Mando visits Luke and says, "I heard you grew up on Tatooine. The Pyke Syndicate has taken control of it and is subjugating the entire population. Perhaps you could come home and help run them off?"