Mandalorian Reaction: First-Time Watcher Sam Calls the Season 1 Finale Twist 'So Formidable' After Episodes 5 and 6

Sam and I burned through episodes five and six of The Mandalorian season one back to back, and by the end of it she was completely sold on how the show pulls off its twists. The verdict from both of us: these two episodes, especially the closer, were some of the best of the season so far, with Sam saying flat out about the finale beacon trick, "The way he did that, that was so badass, man."

Before we even hit play, Sam told me Return of the Jedi is still tied with Empire and the first film as her favorite Star Wars movie, and that the ending genuinely got to her. Talking about a fan who sent her a photo with Hayden Christensen, she said it "stays in my brain" and compared the whole journey to "a little like Game of Thrones for me." For me, Empire remains my favorite of the saga.

Sam Pieces Together Tatooine and Falls for Peli Motto in Episode 5

Once the Razor Crest limped into Mos Eisley, Sam correctly worked out they were back on Tatooine just from the mention of Mos Eisley and the desert scenery. She immediately took to Peli Motto, the mechanic looking after Baby Yoda, calling her "a babysitter" and saying "I like her though" as Peli scolded Mando for leaving the kid alone.

The Tusken Raiders standoff had Sam nicknaming one of the raiders "Lewis," and when Fennec Shand showed up as the target, Sam recognized the actress from Joy Luck Club and noted she voices Mulan. The episode's big gut-punch, Toro Calican turning his blaster on Baby Yoda before Mando drew on him first, had us both reacting to the kid's fear, joking he had picked up some serious "PTSD" from his time on the run.

Episode 6's Prison Break Crew and That Tracking Beacon Twist

Bringing in Mayfeld, Xi'an, Burg and the droid Zero for the Migs Mayfeld prison break, I pointed out to Sam that the guard killed by Xi'an with the detonator was voiced by the same actor who played Anakin in the animated series. Sam kept needling Mando's crew as untrustworthy, and when Quinn was left behind with a tracking beacon that drew a New Republic strike right onto the ship, both of us were floored by how far ahead of everyone Mando was playing it.

By the end, Sam named Kuiil ("I have spoken"), Cara Dune, and the village woman from the earlier episode as her favorite side characters so far, on top of her love for Mando and the kid. Two episodes are left in season one, and Sam is fully locked in for what happens next.

Did you also not see that tracking beacon twist coming, or did you clock it before Mando's crew did?