Quote of the Week: “If you put one mark on him, there’s no place you will be able to hide from me.”

If there’s one rule when it comes to exploring foreign planets, it’s this: Never, ever touch alien eggs you find on the ground.

“Chapter 10: The Passenger” picks up on the transdesert voyage back from Mos Pelgo where “Chapter 9: The Marshal” left off, but it quickly changes tack. This episode is even more self-contained than the season’s premiere, but with more insight into Mando (Pedro Pascal) and The Child’s relationship and a few thrilling action sequences.

On its way back to Mos Eisley, our dynamic duo is ambushed by a gang of bounty hunters hoping to capture The Child. When one attacker holds a knife to The Child’s throat, Mando backs down and invites him to take any of his gear in exchange for letting The Child live. Over the course of the series, we’ve come to understand how meaningful a Mandalorian’s armor and weapons are to their owner; putting them all on the table to save The Child’s life speaks to how protective Mando has become. The bounty hunter chooses Mando’s jetpack and Mando complies, but only for so long: He recalls the device with the remote on his wrist and sends the would-be kidnapper flying. 

With the speeder destroyed in the ambush, Mando and The Child walk the rest of the way to Mos Eisley. There, they find Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), who gives them a new lead on a group of Mandalorians hiding out on another planet. Here’s the catch: Peli’s contact is the Frog Lady (Misty Rosas, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), whom Mando must take with him on the journey if he wants the full details of the lead. 

Mando is uneasy about the increased vulnerability that will result from Frog Lady’s presence, and his concerns are soon vindicated when two New Republic pilots stop him for the intergalactic equivalent of a broken taillight. Not wanting to be busted for the arrest warrant he earned last season, Mando takes off and tries to lose the patrol in the canyons of an ice planet. 

The escape works, but it costs the unlucky travelers the ship, which loses critical functions during a crash landing. It’s too cold outside to make repairs, Mando says, but the Frog Lady argues that they need to keep moving. Mando continues to refuse until Frog Lady chastises him for breaking his word, an immense violation of the Mandalorian code of honor. The Child registers her anger and looks up at Mando with pleading eyes. His disappointment is the final push that Mando needs; he gets up in a huff and begins making the repairs.

The Frog Lady sneaks off to a hot spring inside of a cave to keep herself and her eggs warm. Mando and The Child find her, but while she’s gathering her eggs and exiting the pool, The Child wanders into a patch of mysterious eggs. The Child promptly eats one, which causes the rest of them to hatch. Suddenly, hordes of giant ice spiders come flooding from the depths of the cave. The sequence that follows is terrifying and well-executed, although one can’t help but notice that it’s a bit of a “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” rip-off.

The trio is saved by the New Republic patrollers from earlier, who, despite finally having located the runaway ship, decide to let them go because they heard that Mando risked his life to save a New Republic guard on a prison ship. Their mutual respect is uneasy, but it’s strong enough to allow Mando to continue his journey. 

Mando’s new positive reputation as a merciful warrior is a far cry from where he started at the beginning of the series, but as he strives to protect The Child and set a good example for him, his fortunes are improving. Hopefully, his newfound caution will continue to keep him out of trouble as the season progresses.