The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook

With the instant success of Season One, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the would be a Season Two of The Mandolorian following soon after. But how does a creative team top an already perfect first season? Was it possible? It sure was where John Favreau, Dave Filoni, and others came back to bring another season of Mando that goes bigger, stronger, and faster in the best ways possible. Not only is The Mandalorian Season Two the Empire Strikes Back of this new series, but it also brings probably the best and most emotional episode of streaming television to date for people to experience. The Mandalorian Season Two is simply perfection. 

Taking place not long after the events of Season One, Mando and The Child are tag-teaming life again across planets. Favreau and Filoni continue to world-build the Star Wars lore by taking would-be villains from the original trilogy and giving them a spotlight to showcase their plight and direction in life. This is the case with the Tusken Raiders who team up with Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) to destroy ruthless gangsters in the area. Soon enough though, the overarching story becomes clear with Mando finding The Child's family for him to live. Meeting new characters such as Bo-Katan (Katie Sackoff), and the fan-favorite Jedi Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), amongst others - the new dynamic, unorthodox duo seem to have a bit of good luck. Between fights and battles in space, the child and Mando connect even deeper this season as the evil Moff Gideon (Gus Fring himself), tries to stop them at all costs. 

Also, leave it to Filoni and Favreau to incorporate those favorite characters from the animated shows into the live-action world that coincides with the original trilogy that excited every fan. It is also a testament to how well-conceived these narratives are and how much time and love goes into making each episode. Not only that, more is revealed about Mando's home world, the child's actual name, the return of Boba Fett, and more. But the best episode in streaming television comes with the Season Two finale where audible praises are yelled and tears roll down the cheeks of every Star Wars fan when the ultimate Jedi returns for his time to shine - finally in full form.

It's a bittersweet moment though that is delivered with grace, humanity, and magic. What a season two this was. Perhaps this was better than the first season, which it is, and that's saying something. The Mandalorian Season Two is one of the best seasons of television out there and let's all hope that the creatives can keep bringing the thunder in future installments. The added director efforts from Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez were stellar with Pedro Pascal turning in an award-winning performance here again. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Mandalorian Season Two fights its way to 4K with a glorious Steelbook set. The two discs are housed inside a Steelbook that features new artwork of Mando and the child, very similar to Season One. There are three new art cards wrapped inside as well. There is no Digital code or Blu-ray Discs included in the 4K set. 

The Mandalorian Season Two arrives on 4K in a lovely Steelbook set with HDR10. Much like what was discussed on the Season One Discs, this is also a big improvement over the Disney+ stream, proving the physical media has and will always reign supreme. 

Colors are richer and bolder with those nuanced greens, oranges, and yellows standing out better with the HDR10 enhancement. Black levels are inkier and stronger than in the streaming version for television. The grey steel looks impeccable in dark sequences as do the green lightsabers that mix with red gun blasts. Skin tones are natural as well.

The detail is sharp and vivid to a point where some background sets and green screen sequences are noticeable. That's how great this image looks. The banding and aliasing have all been removed from the streaming version, giving a crisp clean image that flows smoothly. Again, this is the ultimate way to view these episodes and it's exciting that Disney is acknowledging physical media once again. 

This 4K physical release delivers an uncompressed Dolby Atmos track, making this the better mix than what was on the streaming service. The dynamic of the sound design is opened up with every gun blast, vehicle engine, and train car sounding boisterous and robust. Those iconic Star Wars sounds breathe fresh air into this wide-open audio space where the smallest of sounds are heard. The low end of bass always kicks into high gear with a wonderful rumble. And Ludwig's score always adds to the intensity and melancholy of the season, especially that finale episode where familiar music comes into play. The height speakers bring in weather elements and some amazing noises from above during the dragon sequence and other battles in the air. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow. This is the best way to listen to the series and is a big improvement on the streaming service.

There are only 11 minutes worth of bonus materials included here. The over three hours of bonus content that is available through Disney+ did not import over, which is very upsetting. Couldn't there be a bonus disc added to include it all? 

• Designing The New Republic (HD, 5 Mins.) - Favreau and Filoni talk about the time frame of Season Two and how it ties into the original trilogy. They also discuss how the creatives made ships and weapons for individual characters to their likeness. 
• Forging the Covert Part Two (HD, 6 Mins.) - This short extra covers more information on the props, locations, characters, and more. 
• Art Cards - Three new amazing art cards are wrapped up inside for enjoyment. 

The Mandalorian Season Two is one of the best seasons of television ever and perhaps one of the most emotional and thrilling. It's hard to go bigger and better than season one here, but somehow, they did it with one of the most satisfying scenes of any character in any film taking place in the finale of this second season. The 4K image with HDR10 is leaps better than the streaming content on Disney+, and the uncompressed Dolby Atmos track sounds infinitely better. Sadly, there are only two small extras here, which are fun, but the three hours of bonus content from Disney+ should have been imported over. Still, with the amazing video and audio presentations, along with the beautiful Steelbook, this is a MUST-OWN!