Chapter 2: The Child

The Mandalorian, now in possession of his target, must face off against scavengers.

The episode commences on Arvala-7. Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, is on foot, heading back to his starship, named the Razor Crest, with the Child secured within a hovering pram. A trio of Trandoshan bounty hunters, armed with vibro-axes, ambush them. Using his Amban phase-pulse blaster, the Mandalorian swiftly defeats them and discovers a tracking fob on the ground.

Later that day, as dusk settles, the Child observes the Mandalorian attempting to cauterize a wound on his left arm. The Child moves toward the Mandalorian, extending a hand towards the injury, but the Mandalorian prevents this, returning the Child to the pram. He then proceeds to repair his chestplate, which sustained damage during the earlier combat. Again, the Child approaches and reaches out to the wound, only to be placed back into the pram by the Mandalorian. This time, he activates controls on his wrist, sealing the pram shut.

The next day dawns, and the Mandalorian and the Child arrive at the Razor Crest, only to find Jawas in the process of dismantling the ship for parts. After observing them through his scope, the Mandalorian fires his Amban phase-pulse blaster, hitting one of the Jawas and causing the group to scatter. The Mandalorian eliminates two more Jawas, one of whom tries to retaliate with an ion blaster. The Jawas then retreat into their sandcrawler, and the Mandalorian fires at its rear.

Continuing the chase, the Mandalorian ascends a maintenance ladder onto the sandcrawler's exterior. A Jawa notices him and alerts the drivers, who then maneuver the sandcrawler along a rock face in an attempt to crush him. The Mandalorian avoids this by pulling himself onto the vehicle's hull. The Jawas begin throwing random objects at him, while the Child follows the action in his hovering pram.

Evading the incoming debris, the Mandalorian uses a whipcord to reach the top of the sandcrawler. The Jawas throw even more debris, which he continues to dodge. As he reaches the top, the Jawas detach the metal piece to which his grappling cable was secured. However, the Mandalorian manages to hold onto the sandcrawler and throws a Jawa off the vehicle. Upon reaching the top, he is confronted by a group of armed Jawas who shoot him with ion blasters, causing him to fall off the sandcrawler and lose consciousness.

Sometime later, the Mandalorian awakens to find the Child nearby in his pram. They both return to the Razor Crest, which has been stripped of essential cables and parts. The Mandalorian attempts to power up the ship, but the Jawas have left it inoperable, leaving them stranded on Arvala-7.

The Mandalorian and the Child make their way back through the desert, traversing a plateau. They arrive at Kuiil's moisture farm, where the Ugnaught is repairing a moisture vaporator. Kuiil, who had presumed the Mandalorian to be dead, is surprised to find him alive. The Ugnaught examines the Child and expresses surprise that it was the cause of all the trouble. The Mandalorian confirms that the asset was indeed a Child, and Kuiil now understands why the Client had insisted on its live delivery.

The Mandalorian informs Kuiil that his ship has been vandalized and that he is now stranded. Kuiil clarifies that the Jawas are thieves, not destroyers. The Mandalorian dismisses this distinction, stating that the Jawas are protected by their "crawling fortress," making it impossible for him to retrieve the stolen parts. Meanwhile, the Child becomes fascinated by a frog. Kuiil suggests negotiating with the Jawas. The Mandalorian is skeptical, but Kuiil insists that he has spoken. The two then watch as the Child consumes the frog whole.

The pair travel through the night, with Kuiil riding a blurrg pulling a hoversled carrying the Mandalorian and the Child. The following morning, they approach the Jawa clan. The Jawas greet Kuiil, who communicates in their language, but they show hostility towards the Mandalorian. When Kuiil notices the Jawas' animosity, the Mandalorian admits to having disintegrated several of them.

Acting as translator, Kuiil informs the Mandalorian that he must relinquish his weapons. The Mandalorian resists, stating that weapons are integral to his religion. Kuiil counters that without compliance, he will not recover his parts. The Mandalorian reluctantly agrees. Kuiil also persuades the Mandalorian to leave his blaster behind. The Child observes from the sled.

The Jawas propose trading the starship parts for the Mandalorian's beskar armor. The Mandalorian refuses and exchanges insults with the Jawas in their language. One of the Jawas remarks that he sounds like a Wookiee. The Mandalorian loses his temper and attempts to intimidate the Jawas with a flamethrower. However, Kuiil intervenes and takes over the negotiations. Since the Mandalorian is unwilling to trade his beskar armor, he asks what else the Mandalorian can offer.

The leading Jawa suggests the Child, but the Mandalorian vehemently refuses. The Jawas confer, and an interpreter informs Kuiil and the Mandalorian that they will return the Mandalorian's parts if he retrieves the "Egg" for them. The Jawas begin chanting for the "Egg" in their language.

The Jawas permit the Mandalorian, Kuiil, and the Child to travel with them inside the sandcrawler. The sandcrawler halts near a cluster of rocky formations. The Mandalorian and Child disembark and proceed through the formations towards a cave. He pauses outside the cave and readies his weapon. The Child remains in his floating cradle while the Mandalorian enters the cave. Armed with a torch, he sees scattered bones. The Mandalorian then encounters a large horned creature known as the mudhorn, which forces him out of its den.

Outside, the Mandalorian stands his ground and rushes to reload his blaster. The mudhorn charges, knocking the Mandalorian into the mud. The mudhorn notices the Child's floating cradle and lunges, but the Child evades the attack. The mudhorn redirects its attention to the Mandalorian, who uses his flamethrower on the creature. This wounds the mudhorn, but it remains combat-ready.

The mudhorn retreats back into its den, but the Mandalorian uses a grappling line to latch onto it. The creature throws him aside and attacks with its horn and hooves, knocking him to the ground. As the mudhorn charges again, the Mandalorian draws a vibro-knife. The Child intervenes, using the Force to suspend the creature in mid-air. This provides the Mandalorian with the opportunity to drive the vibro-knife through its head, killing it. The Mandalorian further secures the kill by driving the vibro-knife deeper into the creature's skull.

The Mandalorian approaches the Child, who is overwhelmed by the exertion of the Force and falls asleep in his cradle. The Mandalorian then returns to the mudhorn's cave and retrieves an egg from the mud and straw. He realizes that the egg belongs to the mudhorn he just killed.

Back at the sandcrawler, Kuiil urges the impatient Jawas to wait. The Jawas ignore him and begin retracting their sandcrawler, preparing to leave. Just then, the Mandalorian and the Child arrive with the mudhorn's egg, much to Kuiil's relief. The Jawas are overjoyed and rush to receive the Egg from the Mandalorian. The Jawa chieftain slices the top off the egg with his knife. The Jawas then feast on the egg yolk while the Mandalorian averts his gaze.

The Mandalorian speaks to Kuiil, expressing surprise that he waited. Kuiil responds that he is surprised it took him so long. Kuiil, the Mandalorian, and the Child return to the Razor Crest with their blurrg dragging the sled, now laden with the recovered parts of the Mandalorian's ship. Kuiil then asks the Mandalorian if the Child is still sleeping or is injured. The Mandalorian believes the Child is not physically harmed. Kuiil admits he still doesn't understand what occurred during the Mandalorian's fight with the mudhorn. The Mandalorian concedes that he doesn't either. They approach the wrecked Razor Crest.

The Mandalorian laments that it would take him days to repair the Razor Crest without a proper maintenance facility. Kuiil offers his assistance, stating that there is much work to be done. Working together, they successfully repair and restore the ship's systems and parts.

Later, the Mandalorian expresses his gratitude to Kuiil and offers to share part of the reward. Kuiil declines, explaining that as the Mandalorian's guest, he is in his service. The Mandalorian suggests that Kuiil join his crew, offering generous compensation. Kuiil acknowledges the honor but explains that he has dedicated his life to escaping servitude.

The Mandalorian understands and thanks the Ugnaught. Kuiil reciprocates, thanking the Mandalorian for bringing peace to his valley before mounting his blurrg. Before departing, he offers a blessing for the Child, hoping it will bring a handsome reward for the Mandalorian. He affirms that he has spoken as the Mandalorian watches.

The Mandalorian heads to the cockpit with the Child. He starts the Razor Crest's engines. From outside, Kuiil waves goodbye as the Mandalorian's ship ascends into the sky and then space. The Mandalorian silently watches over the sleeping Child during the flight. The Child then begins to stir and cry in its cradle.

Jon Favreau penned the episode's script during the holiday break of December 2017, with the shooting draft finalized on November 26, 2018. Filming took place from November 30 to December 13, 2018, making it the fifth of eight episodes filmed during the first season's production.

Ludwig Göransson's musical score for the episode was digitally released on the same day as the episode's premiere.