Gore Koresh (Leguizamo)
In the cryptic opening to The Mandalorian season 2 premiere “The Marshal” Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) meets with Gor Koresh (an underworld middle-man) to get info on where Mandalorians are hiding out. Gor Koresh is actually comedic actor John Leguizamo, and the cycloptic alien race (Abyssins) first appeared in Mos Eisley cantina in A New Hope.
Jabba’s Old Friends
Mando meets with Gore Koresh ringside at a fight between two Gamorreans. Gamorreans are pig-like beings used as hired muscle by the likes of Jabba The Hut. They were featured in Return of the Jedi‘s infamous Sarlacc pit scene on Tatooine.
Tuskens And Their Bantha
The Tatooine throwbacks continue with Mando once again having to deal with some Tusken Raiders (see “Chapter 5”) and we also got to spend some nice extended time with the Raiders’ trusty steeds, The Bantha. Both races have been iconic parts of the Star Wars franchise since the beginning.
Hello Again, Peli Motto!
Amy Sedaris is back as Peli Motto, who befriended Mando (and babysat Baby Yoda) in “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”. Her misfit crew of pit droids are also back.
Mos Espa to Mos Pelgo
Mos Espa (where Anakin Skywalker first appeared and podraced in The Phantom Menace) gets a shoutout as Mando searches Tatooine for a fellow Mandalorian. That search leads to the settlement of Mos Pelgo, where we meet “The Marshal.”
The Marshall
The titular Marshall turns out to be none other than Cobb Vanth, played by Timothy Olyphant. The in-joke here is that Olyphant got famous for playing a Western-style lawman in FX’s Justified – he’s also currently playing a US Marshall in Fargo season 4! Talk about great typecasting!
Iconic Armor
When Mando meets Cobb Vanth, he has an immediate problem with The Marshall, as the Vanth is wearing Mandalorian armor. But not just any Mandalorian armor. Season 2 is giving fans a major thrill right from the start, as this was Boba Fett’s iconic armor, last seen in Return of the Jedi. Granted, The Mandalorian trolled fans with the Cobb Vanth/Boba Fett fake-out, but there was redemption…
Will The Real Fett Please Stand Up?
The final scene of The Mandalorian season 2 premiere saw a mysterious warrior watching Mando ride off with Boba Fett’s armor reclaimed as his prize. That onlooker has a vested interest in Mando’s cargo, as we see actor Temuera Morrison return to the Star Wars franchise – this time as Boba Fett! Morrison was a star of the Prequel Trilogy films, playing Jengo Fett, the bounty hunter who was cloned to create the Republic (and the Darth Sidious’) Clone Army – as well as Boba Fett.