The Mandalorian: Mando’s Face and the Season Two Finale

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Seeing the face of Din Djarin or Mando was uncomfortable in the last two episodes of season two (episodes seven and eight), but Mando's conversation with Mayfield early in episode seven foreshadows it effectively. Of course, the writers wanted to emphasize how far Mando was willing to go to save Grogu, but they wanted it to have a deeper significance.

Prior to episode seven of season two, Mando had only revealed his face to a living being once. As Grogu's repurposed "nurse" droid IG-11 points out earlier in the series, Mando letting a droid see his face long enough to heal his wound does not count. In a shocking move, Mando shows his face to one of the former empire’s commanders in season two’s penultimate chapter to avoid blowing his cover and thus sabotaging his effort to find out where Moff Gideon is holding Grogu.

Besides, the vow of never removing one's helmet in front of anyone is outdated according to the Bo-Katan and the Mandalorians whom Mando teamed up with a few episodes back. One must also consider the behavior of Jango Fett and Boba Fett in other Star Wars stories. The relevance of Mando’s vow is debatable, no matter how closely he has tried to keep it. The show will probably give viewers clarity on the matter, parceling it out instead of giving it away all at once.

The sense of betrayal that some viewers felt about Mando’s unmasking might have been the audience reaction the writers wanted. That way, viewers would be allowed to see a vulnerable side of Mando that is emotional, not physical like his aforementioned wound. Mando channeling Kuiil’s “I have spoken” (but more emphatically) and becoming more forceful than Mando had been at any other point in the series seems sufficient at the end of episode seven. However, Mando’s message to Moff Gideon needed a complement. That message standing alone, no matter how powerful it is, would have come close to breaking the "show, don't tell" rule in visual storytelling. 

Ultimately, Mando rescuing Grogu in episode eight with the help of Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Koska, Boba Fett, and Fennec Shand is a fitting season finale. They fight valiantly, but due to the cunning of a seemingly defeated Moff Gideon and the reemergence of the virtually unstoppable dark storm troopers, it appears that Mando and his allies will fall short until Luke Skywalker arrives unexpectedly. 

Luke’s arrival signifies that someone has finally answered the “call” that Grogu had sent out from the mountaintop for a Jedi to receive him as a guardian and mentor to continue his training. Mando’s mission to return Grogu to the Jedi Order is now complete, but a deep bond has developed between Grogu and Mando. Sensing this, Luke waits for Mando’s approval before departing with Grogu. 

In a moment even more touching than Mando’s desperation in the previous episode, he shows his face once more (as his back is turned to everyone except Grogu and Luke). Surely, Mando and Grogu will meet again, but Mando does not take it for granted. This time, he cannot bear to be separated from Grogu without allowing Grogu to look upon his face for the first time.