The Mandalorian season 2 episode 5 review: Way of the samurai – CNET [CNET]

Disney Plus show The Mandalorian. It’s set in the Star Wars galaxy, which is itself a mirror of the western genre. And season 2 episode 5 (Chapter 13: The Jedi) brings in other familiar elements: the Jedi Ahsoka Tano, iconic ’80s action star Michael Biehn, and a visual style that draws heavily on Japanese samurai stories. But the combination of these elements continues to feel fresh, vibrant and enormously entertaining. 

It’s perhaps the combining of the familiar into something new that makes The Mandalorian feel like such comfort viewing. That and Baby Yoda. Streaming now, Chapter 13: The Jedi sees the Mando and Baby Yoda continue their adventures on a planet ruled by a mendacious magistrate straight out of an Akira Kurosawa film. (Mild spoilers to follow.)

The Mandalorian has so far leaned heavily into westerns with its tales of gritty gunslingers facing off in dusty saloons. Episode 5 makes a stylish sidestep to draw on the other major influence shaping this famous sci-fi saga: the samurai epic.

There’s always been a connection between these two quintessentially Japanese and American genres, as westerns often updated the frontier fiefdoms of Japanese historical stories. The films of legendary director Kurosawa were directly translated: Seven Samurai became gunslinging western The Magnificent Seven, Yojimbo became A Fistful of Dollars and 1958’s The Hidden Fortress provided the template for a little movie called Star Wars (or Episode I: A New Hope, if you prefer).

Episode 5 wears the influence of samurai, wushu and martial arts epics on the sleeve of its flowing robe. Our space ronin hero arrives in a new world where orange-hued deserts are replaced with blasted forests and manicured gardens. Asian actors and styling nods fill this village, and Ludwig Goransson’s score shows a certain Asian influence in its sombre drums and lilting pipes. Best of all, the final showdown eschews six-shooters for sword and spear. Crouching Jedi, hidden badass.

The villainous magistrate is played by stunt performer and martial artist Diana Lee Inosanto, goddaughter of Bruce Lee, no less. She provides an intense presence that more than stands up to the other more showy cameos in the episode.

Let’s leave aside that big name appearance for a second. You may also recognize that grizzled henchman: It’s only Michael Biehn! Although he’s slightly underused as a one-dimensional baddie, the Terminator and Aliens star joins Carl Weathers and Nick Nolte in the show’s enjoyable exhumation of retro action icons.

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