The Mandalorian season 2 episode 7 recap: Mando gets a new look

The Mandalorian season 2 kept on rolling on Disney Plus Friday, when episode 7 of the live action Star Wars show arrived on the streaming service. After Grogu was recaptured by the Imperial Remnant, Mando (Pedro Pascal) knew he’d need help from a former Imperial to track down Moff Gideon’s cruiser so they could rescue the little guy.

With backup from New Republic marshal Cara Dune (Gina Carano), bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and assassin Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), they go to spring one-time Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfeld (Bill Burr) out of prison.

Read more: Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Lando: everything Star Wars announced at Thursday’s epic Disney Plus event

Episode 7, entitled The Believer, is directed and written by Rick Famuyiwa (who directed two episodes of season 1, including the one Mayfeld appeared in). 

Be warned, SPOILERS are about to break out. This show is set around five years after Return of the Jedi.

Operation Cinder

At the Imperial Remnant refinery on Morak — with Mando in Imperial trooper armor — we learn that Mayfeld was traumatized by his role by Operation Cinder. This nasty Imperial attack was carried out in the aftermath of Emperor Palpatine’s “death” in Return of the Jedi — he left orders that satellites orbiting various Imperial planets cause electrical storms and other wild weather events to wreck those worlds, like immediate climate change

The reasoning was the Empire and its enemies couldn’t be allowed to outlive Palpatine, the big ol’ narcissist. It’s likely that the real objective was to sow chaos and disrupt the formation of a replacement government, in addition to radicalizing the remaining Imperials before they were reformed into the First Order (paving the way for Palpatine’s return).

Much of this event took place in Battlefront 2‘s excellent story mode and Marvel’s Shattered Empire comics.

Stupidly greasy Imperial officer Valin Hess (Richard Brake, whom you might remember shooting Bruce Wayne’s parents in Batman Begins) was Mayfeld’s commanding officer during Operation Cinder, and was seemingly in full support of the atrocities. Mayfeld wasn’t, so he shoots Hess dead in the middle of the Imperial mess hall.

He and Mando have the location of Gideon’s cruiser at that point, so all is well (once they escape).

Check out my recaps for all The Mandalorian’s Easter eggs and important Star Wars continuity references:

Chapter 9: The Marshal recap

Chapter 10: The Passenger recap

Chapter 11: The Heiress recap

Chapter 12: The Siege recap

Chapter 13: The Jedi recap

Chapter 14: The Tragedy recap

Chapter 15: The Believer recap

Chapter 16: Friday, Dec. 18

Join us for more Easter eggs and observations next Friday, after episode 8 of The Mandalorian season 2 hits Disney Plus.

This article will be updated shortly.