"Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
The Mandalorian episode
Promotional poster
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed byRick Famuyiwa
Story byChristopher Yost
Teleplay by
  • Rick Famuyiwa
  • Christopher Yost
Produced byJon Favreau
Cinematography byBarry "Baz" Idoine
Editing byJeff Seibenick
Original release dateDecember 13, 2019 (2019-12-13)
Running time41 minutes
Co-starring
Episode chronology
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"Chapter 6: The Prisoner" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American streaming television series The Mandalorian. It was written by Rick Famuyiwa and Christopher Yost, with Famuyiwa also directing it. The episode takes place in the Star Wars universe five years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). In the episode, the Mandalorian accepts a five-man job from his former partner Ran Malk to free a prisoner from the New Republic. However, he is betrayed by his teammates during the mission and has to find a way to escape before the prison ship jumps into hyperspace.

It stars Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, while the Child is created through animatronics and puppetry augmented with visual effects. The episode also features co-stars Bill Burr, Natalia Tena, Clancy Brown, Richard Ayoade, Carl Weathers, and Ismael Cruz Cordova. Favreau was hired to be the showrunner of the series in March 2018, while Famuyiwa joined the series to direct two episodes for the season in October. Favreau also serves as the executive producer of the series alongside Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson.

"Chapter 6: The Prisoner" was released on the streaming service Disney+ on December 13, 2019. The episode received generally positive reviews, with praise towards the performances (particularly Burr's) and the action sequences. It received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Plot

The Mandalorian contacts his old friend Ran. Ran has hired a crew consisting of ex-Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfeld, the Devaronian strongman Burg, the droid pilot Zero, and the knife-wielding Twi'lek woman Xi'an to rescue her brother Qin, a prisoner of the New Republic. Upon arrival on the prison ship, they fight through security droids and make it to the control room where an inadvertent escalation causes a New Republic soldier to trigger a beacon alerting the New Republic. Migs tries to kill the soldier, but is stopped by the Mandalorian who attempts to calm the latter, only for the soldier to be finally killed by Xi'an. The crew rescues Qin but they betray the Mandalorian, placing him in the cell where Qin was being kept.

The Mandalorian escapes by ripping the arm of one of the security droids which he uses as a key to open the door. He soon isolates, and defeats each crew member, then confronts Qin, apparently having killed the rest of the crew. Qin convinces the Mandalorian to spare him and complete the mission he was assigned in the first place. Zero who discovered the Child and wanted to capture him is destroyed by the Mandalorian, who manages to escape the prison ship with Qin and delivers him to Ran in exchange for the money. Ran attempts to send a gunship after the Mandalorian to kill him, but the Mandalorian having anticipated this placed the New Republic beacon on Qin after both escaped, leading a trio of X-wing fighters to Ran's station. The X-wings open fire on the hangar. Lastly, Mayfeld, Burg, and Xi'an are shown in a cell on the prison transport, nursing their wounds, having been spared.

Production

Development

Lucasfilm and Disney announced the development of a new live action Star Wars series that would be released for their streaming service Disney+ in November 2017.[1] The series would be focused in the Mandalorians exploring the "scum and villainy" of the Star Wars universe taking place five years the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983).[2][3] The series would later reveal its official title The Mandalorian alongside the official premise.[4] Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy saw the opportunity of the series to allow a diverse group of writers and directors to create their own Star Wars stories.[5] In March 2018, John Favreau was hired by Lucasfilm to be the head writer of the series,[5] while Rick Famuyiwa was announced to direct two episodes for the series by October.[6] The executive producers of the series include Kennedy, Favreau, Dave Filoni and Colin Wilson.[7] The first season's sixth episode titled "Chapter 6: The Prisoner",[8] was scripted by Famuyiwa and Christopher Yost from a story written by the latter,[9] and was released on Disney+ on December 13, 2019.[10]

Writing

Yost developed the story to create an episode focused on a prison break. The story took inspiration from the television series Prison Break, as both the series and episode focuses on the characters elaborating a plan to get one of the prisoners out of it. The episode also took inspiration from the opening scene of the western film For a Few Dollars More (1965), as it features a sequence where a gang of bank robbers, broke their leader "El Indio" out of a high security jail, which would serve as inspiration for where the group manages to break Qin out from the prison.[11] The Mandalorian also takes inspiration from Batman, for the part where he proceeds to capture his teammates, having been betrayed by them.[12] The Mandalorian continues struggling on taking the responsibility of taking care of the Child, as he leaves him allows stranger mercenaries to board his ship.[13][14] However, as the series continues about the increasing relationship of the lead, Yost developed the story to continue the increase of the relationship of the characters and the Mandalorian redemption, as he is now willing to take dangerous jobs for money with the intention of providing for himself and the Child, which represents the struggling of a single father.[13]

Casting

Footage shown at Star Wars Celebration in April 2019 revealed that Mark Boone Junior and Bill Burr were in the series,[15] playing Ran Malk and Mayfeld, respectively. Bill Burr is not a fan of Star Wars, but he ran into Jon Favreau at a birthday party, and was offered a role in The Mandalorian.[16] Other co-starring actors cast for this episode include Natalia Tena as Xi'an, Clancy Brown as Burg, Richard Ayoade as the voice of Q9-0 "Zero", and Ismael Cruz Córdova as Qin.[17][18][19][20] Carl Weathers also co-stars as Greef Karga.[21]

Additional guest-starring actors cast for this episode include Matt Lanter as Davan and directors Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, and Deborah Chow as X-wing pilots Trapper Wolf, Jib Dodger, and Sash Ketter. Lanter had previously voiced Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder are credited as stunt doubles for The Mandalorian.[22] Barry Lowin is credited as an additional double for The Mandalorian, while Chris Bartlett is credited as a performance artist for Q9-0. Chad Bennett, Katherine O'Donovan, and Justin Anthony Williams are credited as stunt doubles for Migs Mayfeld, Xi'an, and Burg, respectively.[23] "The Child" was performed by various puppeteers.[24]

Music

A soundtrack album for the episode was released by digitally by Walt Disney Records on December 13, 2019, featuring Ludwig Göransson's score.[25] On August 24, 2020, it was announced that Mondo would be releasing a limited edition for the complete score of the first season on vinyl edition, consisting of 8-CD discs for each episode with each one set pressed with a 180 Gram vinyl disc housed in it own jacked that features artwork by Paul Mann, while the box set is adorned with Mando's mudhorn Signet.[26] The pre-orders for the soundtrack started on June 26, and finally released on December 15.[27]

The Mandalorian: Chapter 6 (Original Score)
No.TitleLength
1."Welcome Back"3:49
2."The Gang"2:06
3."Greatest Warriors in the Galaxy"1:29
4."Let's Just Do It"1:22
5."Hyperspace"2:50
6."Little Mousey"2:54
7."Tracking Beacon"2:58
8."My Saviour"1:07
9."Mando on the Move"1:13
10."Nice Family"2:25
11."Mando's Back"7:15
Total length:29:28

Reception

Critical response

"Chapter 6: The Prisoner" received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode holds an approval rating of 84% with an average rating of 7.6/10, based on 31 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Prisoner opts for more world-of-the-week action, providing many fun moments but little forward momentum."[28]

In a positive review, Alan Sepinwall, of the Rolling Stone, felt that "like most of the series to this point, 'The Prisoner' isn't so much deep as it is fun. And that continues to work well enough."[29] Keith Phipps of New York Magazine gave the episode 4 out 5 and wrote: "Anyone who's felt like The Mandalorian hasn't featured enough dirtbags so far should have no complaints after this episode." Phipps compared the episode to the film Vera Cruz (1954).[30] Joe Skrebels at IGN gave it 7.6 out of 10 and wrote: "It's simple, effective, and offers us a wildly different set-up to other, more introspective episodes of the show because, of course, every heist needs a crew."[31] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club enjoyed the episode but was frustrated by the lack of answers, saying "Personally, I don't mind the X-Files-esque way The Mandalorian's first season has toggled between standalone episodes and a larger story arc so much, as long as the side adventures are exciting and full of cool aliens and planets."[32] Walter Chow from Decider, praised Famuyiwa's direction of the episode who stated that the episode points "to a direction this show could take in the hands of a gifted filmmaker more interested in story and pace than servicing the vocal minority", and considered it an improvement over the last four episodes.[33] Joe Skrebels rated the episode with a score of 7.6 of 10 for IGN, criticizing the supporting cast but commented that the episode is "another one-time experiment that makes viewrs appreciate that we’re getting something as willing to mess around", stating that better not piss off The Mandalorian.[34]

In a negative review, Tyler Hersko, of IndieWire, stated that "the last three episodes of The Mandalorian have been entirely interchangeable, and there's been zero plot developments to speak of since the titular protagonist escaped the Bounty Hunter's Guild with Baby Yoda in tow in Episode 3."[35] Dave Gonzales while reviewing for Thrillist, considered that the episode relied on easter eggs and considered that the series for the last two episodes "have been very slight, hewing close to the concept that any Star Wars content executed well enough to not be", and compared it to the prequel trilogy.[36] Megan Crouse from Den of Geek, gave the episode 3 of 5 stars, considered the story for the episode to be bland but praised the action sequences and musical score.[37]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Visual Effects Society Awards January 7, 2020 Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project Richard Bluff, Jason Porter, Landis Fields IV and Baz Idione Nominated [38]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards September 14–17 & 19, 2020 Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special Brian Sipe, Alexei Dmitriew, Carlton Coleman, Samantha Ward, Scott Stoddard, Mike Ornelaz, and Sabrina Castro Nominated [39]

References

  1. ^ Keane, Sean (November 8, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Everything we know about the new Star Wars show on Disney Plus". Cnet. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  2. ^ Breznican, Anthony (May 17, 2022). "'Star Wars': The Rebellion Will Be Televised". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ^ Breznican, Anthony (April 14, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' is described as Clint Eastwood in 'Star Wars'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 4, 2018). "More Details Revealed For 'Star Wars' Series 'The Mandalorian': Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard Directing & More; First Look Image Drops". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Breznican, Anthony (March 8, 2018). "'Iron Man' filmmaker Jon Favreau will create a live-action 'Star Wars' series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Tyler, Jacob (October 18, 2019). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian: Season 1 Writers Comprise of Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, & Chris Yost". GeeksWorldWide. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  7. ^ Stedman, Alex (October 4, 2018). "Bryce Dallas Howard, Taika Waititi and More to Direct 'Star Wars' Live-Action TV Series". Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
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  9. ^ "The Mandalorian – Episodes". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
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  11. ^ Cecil, Elisha (March 13, 2023). "10 Times The Mandalorian Took Inspiration From Classic Westerns". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  12. ^ Pinney, Dustin (December 17, 2019). "The Mandalorian Goes Full Batman During Its Prison-Break Episode". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Singer, Matt (December 13, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Is A Good Show About How Hard It Is to Be a Single Parent". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
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  17. ^ Romano, Evan (December 13, 2019). "You Might Recognize 'Mandalorian' Actress Natalia Tena from 'Game of Thrones' and 'Harry Potter'". Men's Health. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  18. ^ Winnell, Ben (August 22, 2021). "Clancy Brown's many roles in Star Wars you might not have known". Fansided. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  19. ^ Fogarty, Paul (April 17, 2020). "Yes, that is Richard Ayoade in The Mandalorian - explore Zero the Droid's episode 6 appearance!". HITC. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  20. ^ Vaux, Robert (November 4, 2022). "Who Was Qin in The Mandalorian and Who Played Him?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  21. ^ Boucher, Geoff (December 12, 2018). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Casting: Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers and Werner Herzog Join Disney+ Series". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  22. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (December 9, 2019). "So, Who's Really Under the Mandalorian's Helmet?". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  23. ^ Jonsson, Fredrik. "The Mandalorian – Chapter 6: The Prisoner". Star Wars Swedish (in Swedish). Retrieved April 15, 2023.
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  25. ^ "'The Mandalorian' Chapter 6 Soundtrack Released". Film Music Reporter. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  26. ^ Kreps, Daniel (August 24, 2020). "Ludwig Göransson's 'The Mandalorian' Score Set for Massive Vinyl Box Set". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
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  35. ^ Hersko, Tyler (December 13, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Review: The Series' One Plot Idea Wears Out Its Welcome in Episode 6". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 19, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  36. ^ Gonzales, Dave (December 13, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Piles on More Easter Eggs With the Otherwise Pointless 'Chapter 6'". Thrillist. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
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  39. ^ Rosen, Christopher (September 20, 2020). "2020 Creative Arts Emmys: See a Full List of Winners". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.

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