The Mandalorian season 2 finale's fantastic twist makes up for the damage done by JJ Abrams

This review contains spoilers of episode eight

It’s been a challenging several years for Star Wars fans, with the dreadful JJ Abrams-Rian Johnson “Disney” Trilogy retroactively ruining beloved childhood memories of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and the gang. But in the concluding episode of its second season, the wonderful Mandalorian (Disney +) has achieved the ultimate Jedi mind trick of erasing all trace of that disastrous triple-whammy of interstellar cash cows.

Showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni pull this off with a stunning twist – the return of a Star Wars icon whose reputation had been audaciously sullied in the new movies. For anyone who grew up on the saga set in that galaxy a long time ago and far, far away, it’s incredibly moving. Especially as it’s so unexpected.

The final curtain has also seemingly come down on the ultimate 21st-century pop culture bromance – between the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Baby Yoda. With the sentient Brussels sprout also known as Grogu increasingly growing into his Force powers, it has slowly become obvious that his and Mando’s time together was coming to an end.

And yet, even if their parting has been signposted, the scene in which the Mandalorian removes his helmet and hugs goodbye Baby Yoda is truly heart-wrenching. More emotion is squeezed into this 90 seconds than into the entire eight hours or so of Abrams’s Disney trilogy.

But what about that twist? We, of course, refer to the return of Luke Skywalker. Okay, the CGI recreation of a young Luke isn’t 100 per cent convincing. Still, how your heart leaps into your mouth seeing him come to the rescue of Mando and his crew – Bo Katan, Cara Dune, Boba Fett etc – and defeat Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and his indestructible Dark Troopers.

This is the Star Wars sequel fans have wanted all along. One built on George Lucas’s achievements rather than cynically regurgitating them. The Luke who came back in the Last Jedi was a crotchety betrayal of the character. This – wonky animation notwithstanding – is the REAL Luke. He has the brown cape, the green light saber, the artificial hand. And when he suggests Mando surrender the Child so that Grogu may complete his training, you know it’s the correct decision. Who could say “no” to Luke Skywalker?

The devastating final 10 minutes usefully overshadows what is, until then, a rather ho-hum Mandalorian episode. As anticipated, Mando and the gang track Gideon to his Light Cruiser, blasting their way to the bridge. But sneaky Gideon has made a sharp exit and is in the brig holding his Darksaber to poor Grogu.

He is duly defeated by the Mandalorian, who confiscates his weapon. However, there’s a nasty shock. The Darksaber is sought by Bo Katan (Katee Sackhoff) so that she may claim the throne of Mandalore. The sticking point, Gideon reveals with relish, is that the weapon can be legitimately gained only through battle. Mando can’t simply surrender it to Katan. What happens next is left unanswered and will presumably be resolved in season three (currently shooting and which Disney has promised will arrive in time for Christmas 2021).

The other question is whether The Mandalorian can continue without Baby Yoda. Perhaps Favreau and Filoni have engineered a plausible excuse bring him back. There is some closure, at least, regarding the fate of Boba Fett. In a Marvel-style end credits sequence, we see him return to Tatooine and gain the throne once occupied by Jabba the Hutt. And then it is announced that The Book of Boba Fett is coming to Disney + in 2021.

This is bittersweet in light of the death on December 17 of Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the original George Lucas films. It may comfort his family to know that the Mandalorian has honoured his legacy. For the rest of us, the huge relief is understanding Stars Wars is finally in safe hands again.