The Mandalorian agrees to transport an amphibious passenger and her special cargo in return for a lead on the location of others of his creed. But some Republic entanglement leads to a crash landing in a hostile environment.

Coming after last week’s action-packed fan-pleasing season opener, this regular length instalment may come across as a bit of a disappointment, which is a shame, because it’s still superior to most genre TV. It’s a simple, episodic instalment that doesn’t progress the plot and yet is still thoroughly enjoyable. Peyton (Ant-Man) Reed directs Jon Favreau’s screenplay with pace and wit, and he has some great monsters to play with.

This reminds me of the Archie Goodwin / Carmine Infantino Star Wars Marvel comic book of the late 1970s, set between the films and chronicling less significant, lower stakes adventures. Saying that, the production values are still excellent, there’s the appearance of a popular legacy spaceship and a cameo from one of last year’s guest stars. In summary, it’s a great – but not excellent – episode, and I’ll take that. Oh, and I’ve said it from the beginning – the Child (AKA Baby Yoda) is a monster and will eat your children if you’re not careful!

Verdict: ‘Sorry lady, I don’t speak frog’ – a solid episode that’s never essential, but always entertaining. 8/10

Nick Joy