The Mandalorian Chapter 14 Recap: Boba Fett's Return and Star Wars Easter Eggs

The Mandalorian Chapter 14 just forced our hero into an unexpected third act for Season 2. It also delivered some epic action along the ride to a tragic ending. Last week's breakdown of The Mandalorian, Chapter 14: The Tragedy, was filled with tragedies and some were bigger than others. As we wrestle with hope for our adorable Child's rescue after the episode, it's time to grab a tissue box because we're about to cry our way through full spoilers for an Easter egg-loaded Star Wars recap.

The episode starts with Mando and Baby Yoda flying in the Razor Crest to Tython, but I guess we can call them Grogu and Din Djarin if we want to be all proper since we know both their names now. After they jetpack over to the Seeing Stone that Ahsoka told Mando about, Grogu doesn't immediately connect with it. Overhead, the Slave I ship flies back into action! We knew Boba Fett survived his Sarlacc Pit death because he was at the end of Chapter 9, aka the Season 2 premiere, we just don't know how (and neither does the actor playing him). It might've gone something like how Mando escaped the Krayt Dragon in that same Chapter 9 episode but, for now, it's a mystery.

Little Grogu connects with the Seeing Stone, creating a Force barrier which is unbreakable. Any number things can be happening here. Maybe Grogu is inheriting knowledge from the Jedi? Maybe he is connecting with a Jedi? Maybe the Jedi are finding him in a Professor X using Cerebro to locate mutants kind of way or vice versa?

While Grogu is doing his Seeing Stone thing, Mando meets Boba Fett for the first time. Boba wants his armor back, and I'm not sure why he didn't just take it from Cobb Vanth since that probably would've been easier, but he's trying to take it from Mando and he's got help in the form of Ming-Na Wen. You might know Wen as Melinda May from Agents of SHIELD or the original voice of Mulan - or maybe as this character, Fennec, from The Mandalorian Season 1. We last saw her shot in the stomach and presumed dead in Season 1 but now we know it was Boba Fett with those mysterious boots that approached before the episode ended.

When Mando asks Boba if he is a Mandalorian, he tells him he is "a simple man trying to make his way through the galaxy," which is a reference to what his father Jango Fett said to Obi Wan back in Attack of the Clones, and we also get a confirmation later on that Jango essentially handed down this armor to Boba. Not much time for chit-chat early on as a transport ships arrive, dumping Moff Gideon's Stormtrooper army on Tython because the Razor Crest has a tracking beacon in it for a couple of episodes now.

The trio unleash hell on the troopers. Boba Fett was always one of the coolest characters in Star Wars but mostly just because he has a really cool costume and if you say anything else you're lying. They never developed him - until now. He goes full cosmic John Wick on these guys, using a cycler rifle that he probably got off of a Tusken Raider in his time on Tattooine, plus a Tusken Gaderffi stick to just mango Stormtrooprs and leave them looking like an action figure after your dog chewed on it. He's officially cool now.

Boba sees his chance to get his armor back out of the Razor Crest and takes it, showing off new features like knee-pad rockets, ultimately sending the troopers running for the hills. Their aim is all still terrible, even a Super Trooper with a gatling-blaster couldn't land one shot. This gatling gun is an E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster and it first appeared in Star Wars lore in Empire Strikes Back. The dude using it, though... he just looked the boulder from Indiana Jones right in the eyes and just took it to the face.

Boba shoots the transports out of the sky, killing two birds with one rocket, and cements his coolness by not looking at the explosion. Takes notes if you want to wear that armor, Cobb Vanth.

Grogu's time with the Force barrier finally ends and he needs a little nappy. But, Moff Gideon sends a single blast from the clouds, the most accurate shot anyone from the Empire has ever taken, and it destroys the Razor Crest - which really sucks because I finally just unlocked it as a glider in Fortnite and I haven't even built the LEGO set yet.

More bad news, Gideon sends out four Dark Troopers to kidnap Grogu. These beastly mechs are the product General Mohc, a project he took on in his custom starship called the Arc Hammer, no relation to Marvel's Justin Hammer, even though you can bet he wishes there was. Long story short, Dark Troopers a equipped with tremendous weaponry and armor, plus some Force training and a bit of the Dark Side in them. It's going to be hard to take out one of these mechs, let alone the entire army that Gideon was revealed to have at the end of Chapter 12.

Boba follows them in his ship and is surprised to see that the Empire is back again, which, why does everyone get so surprised every time the Empire is back? The Empire literally returns like once a week in Star Wars lore but everyone is surprised every time. This ends up with Boba and Fennec declare themselves to be at the service of Mando because the deal they struck to get Boba his armor back included ensuring the safety of The Child. Since Grogu is not safe, they have work to do.

Every part of me (and ComicBook.com's Charlie Ridgely, too) hopes this squad teams up with Bo-Katan's trio and Ahsoka to take on Moff Gideon once and for all in Season 3 in a sort of Avengers Assemble moment. I think we all agree, that would be an epic team.

On Gideon's ship, Grogu absolutely demolishes some Stormtroopers but it takes a lot out of him, so when Gideon gets in his face with the Darksaber -- which is a weapon that clearly appeals to Grogu. Maybe because of its similarity to lightsabers which is the Jedi weapon of choice, but it also kinda looked like Grogu saw some energy in it? This is what Bo-Katan is after, so with so many people searching for Grogu and that Darksaber, our boy is not a lost cause. Not to mention, he probably connected with a Jedi earlier in this episode, so we might just see another Jedi show up later in this season or series. But, for now, it's nap time and Gideon sends a message to Dr. Pershing that they have their donor, so whatever they're trying to create with Grogu's blood or powers or whatever they need from him, is back on.

Ultimately, Mando is on a mission to get Bill Burr's Mayfield character from Season 1 out of prison because Mayfield can help locate Gideon's ship. But, if we look at the database that is scrolled through, we see a few interesting faces -- starting with a Star Wars version of Robocop, a dude who looks like Russian Roman Reigns, a random face I can't come up with anything for, and a character that is definitely Nick Frost - a known Star Wars fan and now one which will probably appear somewhere down the line in The Mandalorian.

Shout out to Robert Rodriguez for directing this gun-fu western style intergalactic space chaos, he's a great director and a great guy, humble brag moment for me here as I got to be directed by him at WETA for an Alita: Battle Angel event and it was the highlight of my life.

So, there are only two episodes left in The Mandalorian Season 2 and this ship is moving all gas, no brakes, into what might be a big showdown, a major team up, or a wild cliffhanger where Grogu is still in the hands of the bad guys. Maybe all of the above.

What Easter eggs and references did you catch in The Mandalorian Chapter 14? How would you rate it out of 10? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram!