'The Mandalorian' Season 1, Episode 5 Cliffhanger Has Fans Theorizing Up A Storm
Most prestige TV shows focus on a season-long arc, without worrying about individual installments. However, The Mandalorian is more of a throwback, an adventure-of-the-week style series with a different planet every episode. Other than "on the run with Baby Yoda," there is no overarching plot. That's why the ending to Episode 5, "The Gunslinger," has fans super excited. When The Mandalorian Season 1, Episode 5 cliffhanger was revealed, fans had questions about where the Baby Yoda plot might be heading. Warning: Spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 1 follow.
"The Gunslinger" featured a return to Tatooine, the very first planet ever seen in Star Wars, and the spaceport of Mos Eisley. Sitting in the very bar where Luke and Han Solo met so long ago, Mando picked up some under the table bounty work.
A young wannabe, Toro Calican, had been given an impossible assignment as his entry into the Guild: capture the famous elite mercenary/assassin Fennec Shand. Unable to do the job himself, he promised to pay Mando to help him, just as long as he got credit for the collar and into the Guild.
But after Mando managed to capture Fennec, he left the two together while he grabbed a ride. Fennec used the time alone to get into Calican's head. They could work together, take down Mando, who Cancan had not realized was the most wanted man in the Guild. They would get the bounty on the infamous Child, and Calican would get Guild membership and a hero's welcome.
Except Calican was so green, he didn't realize he needed Fennec to pull this off. So he shot her, dreaming of claiming all the glory for himself. When Mando returned, he saw Fennec's body and rode off immediately to chase down Calican.
But they weren't the only ones to find Fennec. As Mando and The Child leave Mos Eisley, having taken down Calican, the show cut back to Fennec's body. A pair of boots and cape strode up in the dark and looked her over.
Who was this mystery person? Fans immediately jumped to Boba Fett, who many refuse to believe died on Tatooine. The books and cape certainly look like a Mandalorian costume. And, as the character walks up, there's a jangling of spurs, which was the signature sound that Fett made whenever he walked into a room. Considering Fennec worked for the Hutts, as did Fett, this could be a rescue.
But the showrunners have insisted Boba Fett isn't going to be in the show. And these boots could belong to anyone. That's why others think this is Moff Gideon, a former governor under the Empire, and one of the upcoming guest stars of the season. Fennec may supposedly work for the Hutts, but she's wearing an Imperial outfit in this episode. She could have been in business with Gideon.
Could this be part of a larger plan to get back custody of Baby Yoda? Fans will have to wait and see.
