“The Mandalorian” Season 3 Thoughts
Din and Grogu, Together Again
Season 2 of “The Mandalorian ''ended all the way back in December 2020; so season 3 has been a long time coming.
Well, Chapter 24 and the finale of the eight-episode season have aired and…I don’t know.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it immensely. There are definitely future storylines being set up, ultimately, the rise of the First Order and the fall of the New Republic. But I kind of felt like this season was pinballing all over the place.
If you entered this season without watching “The Book of Boba Fett,” you were probably confused as hell. Season 2 ended on a very emotional note of Grogu going with Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi (I was in the hospital and in a lot of pain and on a lot of drugs when I first watched this finale, and I bawled beyond belief). Well, a seemingly random sidestep in Boba Fett’s story reunited Din and Grogu after Luke gave Grogu an ultimatum between the life of a Jedi or the life of a Mandalorian, specifically pointing out the Jedi’s viewpoint towards attachments (Has no one told Luke what all drove Anakin to the Dark Side? Like, maybe, Ghost Anakin?). Anyways, Din and Grogu are back to gallivanting across the galaxy and finding/causing shenanigans, leaving destruction in their wake.
First, I absolutely love everything about Greef Karga, and not just because Carl Weathers is playing him. I love his character progression and how much he does care about the people of Nevarro. He does still like his power and his treasures (The droids holding his cape up!!!), but Greef is definitely focused on doing right by his people.
Almost like…the Daiymo of Mos Eisley: Boba Fett (Both even have, obviously, former bounty hunter connections. Excuse me while I hide from a sect of the fandom). Boba probably has more inclination to his past life, though.
While nothing topped “Bad Baby, No Squeezie!” from the Anzellans (I’m telling you Disney, you need a plush Anzellan toy saying that stat. I’ll take one), Mando sitting in their shop while Greef is on the outside translating was absolutely hilarious.
Jedi, Rebels, Imperials, Cameos Oh My
This season didn’t have the cameos I was hoping for (Luke, Ahsoka, Thrawn), but we did get some fun ones.
Some were very opinionated on the celebrity cameos of Christopher Lloyd, Jack Black, and Lizzo, but I didn’t mind. Didn’t do a ton for the plot overall but did get some team building with Din and Bo-Katan and even a Count Dooku mention. Master Obi-Wan, however, would have been very cross if he had seen Grogu using the Force to win a game (Luke would’ve too, probably).
Jack Black playing an Imp turned New Republic’er who ends up half of a ruling couple on a planet that is basically all play and no work, at least for the majority of sentients, yea I can see it. There’s a meme that basically says Jack Black in any context makes sense. I believe it.
R5, famously the droid that lost its lid when Uncle Owen purchased him from Jawas in A New Hope to ensure R2 completed his mission, ends up in Din’s possession via Peli Motto. She claims the skittish droid is a Rebellion hero, which I thought was total bullshit based on Peli’s penchant for exaggeration and R5’s personality.
I was shocked when New Republic captain Carson Teva confirmed R5’s heroics. Also, I love that they gave R5 character growth; we see him a couple of times choose bravery over fear and he starts to get feistier.
I did not expect to see Zeb, the Lasat member of the Ghost crew from “Rebels,” to show up in any capacity, but his little chitchat with Teva was delightful. Live action / CGI Zeb is amazing.
Captain Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Zen Orrelios (Steve Blum) in The Mandalorian
Also, there’s no way, unfortunately, that Captain Teva survives up until the First Order. He’s asking too many questions. A few times, I felt like shaking the guy to tell him to go to Mon Mothma or Leia. With the inclusion of Zeb, I'm guessing he also knows Hera Syndulla. Like, dude, you are talking to the wrong people!!! Wouldn’t be surprised if this doesn’t also connect to the upcoming Ahsoka series.
Fun Imperial cameos included Captain Pellaeon, connecting us to Thrawn, and General Brendol Hux, the father of First Order general Armitage Hux. Delightfully, the older Hux is played by Brian Gleeson, the brother of the younger Hux actor, Domhnall Gleeson. Their father is Brendan Gleeson, who portrays Mad-Eye Moody in the Harry Potter movies. To any Star Wars casting personnel out there, I can’t be the only one thinking this, but WE WANT MAD-EYE!
Captain Pallaeon, only previously mentioned in the new canon, has been known by Expanded Universe/Legends fans since the early ‘90s, with Timothy Zahn’s acclaimed Thrawn trilogy. This was a really great inclusion and definitely helps build up more Thrawn hype.
The Imperial headscratcher to me is undoubtedly the Praetorian Guard, introduced in The Last Jedi as Snoke’s bodyguards and were ultimately defeated by Kylo Ren and Rey in a really awesome battle scene. So, Moff Gideon, who’s a freaking lunatic but more on that later, wanted Praetorian Guards. The rest of the Shadow Council thinks he’s paranoid, but he gets them.
While a really cool cameo and interesting connection to Hux, I don’t know why the Praetorians were included. They did have excellent dramatic music for their scenes. They bring down Mandalorian Paz Vizsla in a fight that is like six against one but are eventually defeated by Din and Grogu. Like…that was cool. But I felt like I was waiting for something. And, with faith in our storytelling leaders Filoni and Favreau, I don’t think their story is over yet.
But it’s the Jedi cameo that wins again.
Finally, we see who rescued Grogu from the Temple during Order 66. It might be the only flashback during Season 3 (I could be wrong), but we see Jedi after Jedi falling, trying to protect Grogu from the clone troopers.
Ultimately, Grogu is rescued by Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, played by none other than Jar-Jar actor Ahmed Best. Another interesting tidbit about Grogu’s rescue is that the freaking Naboo Royal Guard (no coincidences!) gives Beq and Grogu their escape from the clones.
Look, if you’re reading this, I can almost guarantee you are familiar with the absolute bullshit Ahmed Best had to deal with by “fans” who didn’t like Jar-Jar.
Anyone who attacks an actor based on the character they portray is no fan.
Some were saying that this was Best’s “redemption.” While I get the sentiment, Best did nothing wrong. We, the fans, failed him. I thought it was cool as hell when Best was announced to be a Jedi Master for the “Jedi Temple Challenge” show. Rescuing the beloved Grogu? Forever cemented in the Star Wars character Hall of Fame (that doesn’t exist). I hope we see more of Beq. Give him a comic series. Everyone else has one.
Official character poster for Kelleran Beq.
Who is the Mandalorian?
The first two seasons of “The Mandalorian” were pretty straightforward in plot. Din must save Grogu, Din must get Grogu to a Jedi. Check, check. Now, we have Din going to the waters of Mandalore to remove his exile from his sect because he removed his helmet. Check. We have some Mandalorian team building between Din and Bo-Katan Kryze, plus those two with the rest of Din’s sect, specifically Paz Vizsla. Cool. Then somehow, this leads to the Armorer convincing Bo-Katan it is time to retake Mandalore, and Din, Bo, and Grogu go to find more Mandalorians.
During all of this, we have a very random episode with Dr. Pershing’s attempt at redemption in the eyes of the New Republic by amnesty member/Imperial spy/Gideon lackey Elia Kane / Amnesty Officer G86 / Imperial TK-2755. While it does push the Imperial storyline along (and puts Captain Teva in Kane’s crosshairs), it is a strange fit.
Moff Gideon was definitely out there, crazier than before. Mad scientist vibes without being a scientist. Palpatine arrogance without the power. I’m not convinced that he managed to give his clones the power of the Force. Just because he said he did means nothing. One, I think that science-y aspect would be more controversial than midi-cholorians, and two, to quote Han Solo, “That’s not how the Force works!” I think. Plus, it didn’t appear that Dr. Pershing completed his research. Gideon isn’t smart enough alone. I did think after Chapter 23 that Gideon’s goal was to be ruler, Sith, and Mandalorian all into one. I don’t see him returning after his fiery end, and I would be extremely disappointed if he did return.
His clones were creepy as hell, and I can’t help but think “Snokes in a jar” as we see in The Rise of Skywalker every time I see them.
I enjoyed Paz Vizsla a lot more this season. One of my favorite moments was when it seemed like he was trying to convince the covert against joining Din and Bo-Katan for the fight in Nevarro and instead screams that they should fight for Nevarro simply because they are Mandalorians, and what kind of Mandalorian backs from a fight? A true Mandalorian until his untimely, unfair (Seriously, could one of those guards beat him one-on-one?) end.
Another surprise (to me, at least) was how Bo-Katan Kryze was pushed to the forefront of the series. I was not a Bo-Katan fan before this season, especially with how she bad-mouthed my dude Boba back in season 2 (although Boba telling her that his voice might be the last she hears in response was pretty funny), but she became one of my favorite characters.
Bo-Katan starts off very “woe is me” this season. But when Din needs to be rescued on Mandalore, she doesn’t hesitate. She even comforts Grogu and guides him when she needs him to be brave. Bo-Katan returns to Din’s covert and adapts to their helmet-always-all ways, and later leads the rescue of Paz Vizsla’s son.
Bo-Katan doesn’t have the Darksaber. But she is leading Mandalorians.
Of course, she ends up with the Darksaber a la Harry Potter-Elder Wand rules, but it is the symbol that is needed to unite the two factions. In a Star Wars Facebook group I’m in, someone asked how she could wield the Darksaber when it was the weapon that killed her sister, Duchess Satine, by Darth Maul during the Clone Wars?
Penance. It is her penance. I’m surprised Satine hasn’t been brought up, especially when we learned about how Bo-Katan negotiated surrender with Moff Gideon during Imperial rule. But the Darksaber is also a reminder of her previous failures. I don’t think it's a big deal that the Darksaber has been destroyed; Bo-Katan has proved her leadership with much more than wielding a sword. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, her role kind of reminds me of the ending speech of Rocky IV where Rocky unites the Soviets and ends/wins the Cold War. If you know, you know. (“We can all change!”) I would not be surprised, nor necessarily opposed, to the series focusing more on Mandalorians as a whole. Who are they, now, in this new era?
Also, Grogu sitting in Bo-Katan’s lap was absolutely adorable.
Speaking of Grogu…
A Jedi, Not a Mandalorian
One complaint I heard throughout this season was that Grogu wasn’t good for much beyond being cute. I think Grogu’s inaction is more than what it appears.
Grogu chose life with Din, but Grogu will never be a Mandalorian warrior. He is a Jedi.
Although, I’m not yet ruling out a Mandalorian Jedi destiny like Tarre Vizsla.
We did see Grogu using the Force when trying to rescue Din, both times he was captured on Mandalore. I’m seeing a pattern, Din. Sometimes I expected him to use the Force, like when the pirates were goading Greef Karga. Or pretty much the entire time during the Mandalorian’s take-back of Mandalore. When Din has Grogu face off with Ragnar Vizsla in a training session, Grogu easily wins by using the Force, but not until Din pushes him to.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda tells Luke, “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” While obviously that has not been the case throughout our galaxy, it seems that Grogu will not use the Force if he does not feel attacked. Even against the Praetorian Guards, Grogu mostly uses the Force to evade until Din joins the battle.
Besides using the Force seemingly to gamble, he is very selective in how he uses the Force (excluding any frogs). This is far cry from the past seasons where he tried to Force-choke Cara Dune or tossed stormtroopers like they were nothing. Grogu’s time with Luke did have some type of impact.
More significantly, I think is Grogu’s intervention during Paz Vizsla and Axe Woves’ fight using IG-12 to tell them, “No.” No one else intervened. Bo-Katan even said it was inevitable, But this toddler using a droid to speak, stopped these two warriors raised, essentially, on fighting, to stop.
As Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, the Jedi were guardians of peace and justice before the Empire…which Grogu lived. Luke told Ahsoka he felt Grogu was remembering his prior teachings, and I think this definitely proves that.
Grogu may now be Din Grogu, but I definitely see him returning to his Jedi path.
And, as we all know, as peaceful as the ending of season 3 seemed with the Dins content on Nevarro, we know that will not be the case for long. I just hope we don’t have to wait two and a half years for it!
