Titled "The Believer," today's episode of The Mandalorian was definitely a little different to what you might have expected.
At the end of last week's action-packed effort, Grogu was back in the hands of Moff Gideon, while Din Djarin realised that the only way to find that villain was to free season one antagonist Mayfeld from his New Republic captors. However, with Cara Dune's help, it's as simple as going and picking him up, and with that, they head to an Imperial base where the former Imperial sharpshooter will need to access a terminal and tell them Gideon's location.
Simple, right? Well, to infiltrate the base, Din and Mayfeld must disguise themselves as Stormtroopers and transport explosives to their final destination. That means ditching the Beskar armour, and donning a very different helmet. However, as his reluctant ally points out, does his Mandalorian creed mean that he must never show his face or always keep his people's helmet on? It's an interesting question, but not one the bounty hunter gets much time to ponder before the duo are attacked by local pirates, giving Din the chance to prove he's every bit the badass even without his usual suit. Before they're completely overwhelmed, some TIE Fighters arrive to "save" the day, and the duo get a hero's welcome in the base.
Unfortunately, Mayfeld is unable to perform the task he was freed to do because there's a chance one of his former Imperial commanders will recognise him and that would blow the entire mission. To access the terminal, the machine needs to scan a face...that means Din will have to remove his Stormtrooper helmet and break his creed.
Removing his helmet in front of the machine, the Imperials - and Mayfeld - see what he really looks like, and they're then forced to share a drink with the sharpshooter's old boss. The tension builds, and we learn that there's more to Mayfeld than meets the eye, because he's not on board with what the Empire did (killing innocents and thousands of Troopers during "Operation Cinder"). Shooting his old commander, Mayfeld and Din are forced to make a run for it, but get some backup from Cara Dune, Boba Fett - who has improved his armour - and Fennec Shand, making their escape aboard Slave I. Fett's ship is surprisingly roomy inside, and one of the coolest starships we've seen in Star Wars to date (in terms of its interior).
Before escaping, Mayfeld vows to never reveal that he saw Din's face, and his Mandalorian helmet is back on by the time the episode ends. However, another living person has now looked beneath the helmet, proving what lengths Djarin is willing to go to in order to rescue Grogu. Mayfeld is allowed to go free, and "The Believer" ends with Din sending a message to a shocked Moff Gideon, echoing what he said about The Child from season one. "He means more to me than you will ever know," the Mandalorian warns, using the villain's words against him and setting the stage for an epic finale.
If and when he does get Grogu back, can Din consider himself a true Mandalorian after breaking his creed?