The Mandalorian Chapter 9 Moment That's More Important Than You Think
One of the first things audiences learned about Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) was his hostility toward droids.
In the opening minutes of The Mandalorian's first episode, Mando, as he's known, refuses to board a ferry speeder piloted by an astromech droid. He asks instead for one with an organic pilot, which he takes despite the fact that speeder and pilot both seem to be in pretty bad shape. At the end of the first episode, he reluctantly teams up with an IG-11 assassin droid (Taika Waititi) to pursue a bounty that turns out to be The Child, but when IG-11 moves to kill the prize, Mando puts him down instead, with extreme prejudice.
Viewers learn via flashbacks that Mando's parents were killed by an invading army of battle droids, which would explain his antipathy. But some fans keyed in on the fact that his tune has changed by the first episode of the second season. "It's also nice go see how Mando seems to be tolerating droids a little more after IG's sacrifice," writes u/Seth4832 on Reddit.
What happened with the droids in the first episode of The Mandalorian season 2?
The key moment comes early in the episode after Mando returns to Tatooine, pursuing a lead on another Mandalorian who may be on the planet. He once again lands the Razor Crest in the hangar bay of Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), whom audiences met in the fifth episode of season 1. Then, he refused to allow her repurposed pit droids to work on his ship.
Peli remembers this, telling them to back off when they rush to work. But this time he gives the go-ahead, and doesn't seem particularly begrudging to do it. Peli notices. "I guess a lot has changed since the last time you were in Mos–" she says, before cutting off when he shows her the Child and disrupts the train of thought.
It's an acknowledgement of his character growth, and of what happened to him at the end of season 1. "None of them look like or serve the same purpose as the droids that killed his parents," adds u/BornAshes. "It's like he's healing bit by bit step by step from his PTSD."
Why is the Mandalorian tolerant of droids now?
Mando had what armchair therapists might call a breakthrough in the final episode of season 1 as a result of his relationship with the rebuilt IG-11. Mando is initially untrusting and unwilling to leave the Child in the reprogrammed assassin droid's care, but recognizes the droid's usefulness after IG-11 rescues the Child from Moff Gideon's (Giancarlo Esposito) scout troopers and returns him to Mando.
Their bond is cemented after Mando is wounded in the fight with Gideon's forces. He asks IG-11 to mercy-kill him while Cara Dune (Gina Carano) and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) flee with the Child, but the droid refuses. Instead, IG-11 convinces Mando to remove his helmet to allow it to treat him, pointing out that he won't be breaking the Mandalorian creed forbidding showing his face to another living thing since the droid is not alive. The loophole proves sufficient to Mando, and perhaps drives home the point to him that droids can fulfill roles other than as killers.
So when the group realize their escape down a lava river is leading them into an ambush, IG-11 proposes disrupting it with his self-defense function. Mando pleads with him to help them shoot their way out, but IG-11 says that only by sacrificing himself can he fulfill his purpose to protect the Child. He lowers himself into the lava river like a Terminator and blows up the waiting troops, allowing the others to flee.
Audiences will have to wait to see how Mando's change of heart will play out across season 2. When you accumulate as many enemies as he does, it's best not to add to the list simply by failing to have an open mind.