Review - The Mandalorian: Season Three (2023)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're talking about some Star Wars again, and in this case we're wrapping up the Disney+ series The Mandalorian with its third and final season. 

         Airing on Disney+ in 2023, the third season of The Mandalorian sees Din Djarin, along with his ward Grogu, go on a journey for Din's redemption by way of the Mandalorian Creed. To do this, Din must bathe in the Living Waters on the planet Mandalore. Unfortunately, Din runs into some trouble, so Grogu is sent to get help from Bo-Katan Kryze, who not only rescues him, but also defeats those who captured him and is able to reclaim the Darksaber. Din and Bo-Katan track the Living Waters, and Din goes into the water, falls deep, and Bo-Katan saves him, and the two leave Mandalore, returning to Din's covert. 

        On the planet where the covert has made their temporary home, the Armorer confirms that what Din brought, was, in fact, a sample of the Living Waters, proving that both he and Bo-Katan went into said water, and are redeemed by Creed. And, despite the fact that Bo-Katan doesn't follow The Way, she is allowed to stay since she had not yet removed her helmet since entering the Living Waters. So, Din and Bo-Katan are both reintegrated with the covert, and they witness a flying beast abduct Ragnar, son of Paz Vizsla, and Bo-Katan leads a rescue mission, that includes Din and Paz, to save the boy. Meanwhile, Grogu state behind with the Armorer, where we see a flashback to the night of the Jedi Temple attack, and Grogu's rescuer was Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Now, for those who don't know who this is, Kelleran Beq is a Jedi Master, portrayed by Ahmed Best, from a children's game show called Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge that ran for a single season on the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel. So, to see this character from a Star Wars game show for children (which is basically Star Wars meets Legends of the Hidden Temple) appear in a Star Wars project like The Mandalorian was pretty cool. 

       Anyway, the rescue of Ragnar is successful, and the Armorer commends Bo-Katan for her actions. However, things on Navarro are getting bad, as a notorious pirate has come around, and Magistrate Greef Karga asks the Republic for aide. Republic Captain Carson Revan then finds the covert to send the help request to Din, and he and Bo-Katan speak with the covert on the possibility of a true home for them. Paz Vizsla ultimately speaks to fight beside Bo-Katan and Din, and the rest of the covert join in, as well. A epic fight ensues, and the pirates are ultimately defeated. The people of Navarro show their thanks to the Mandalorians, and the Armorer and Bo-Katan speak in private at the Mandalorian forge from the abandoned hideout. It's here where they discuss the need to reunite the Mandalorian people, both the covert and Bo-Katan's old crew, to reclaim Mandalore. And, for the first time, the Armorer allows Bo-Katan to remove her helmet, as she walks in both ways of the Mandalorian. 

       So, Bo-Katan and Din leave, with Grogu on tow, to find the Mandalorians that Bo-Katan worked with, and they are set up on the planet Plazir-15, where the local Duchess and her husband Captain Bombardier ask them to help solve a crisis involving a group of Separatist and Imperial droids which have been repurposed, but some are malfunctioning. The cause of the droid malfunctions, it seems, is due to nanodroids being distributed at a droid bae called The Resistor, and we're illegally imported by planetary security chief Commissioner Helgait, who was a former Separatist. The mystery resolved, and Commissioner Helgait sentenced to exile, the duchess grants Bo-Katan and Din an audience with the Mandalorians on Plazir-15. 

       The Mandalorians are now being led by Axe Woves, and he expresses doubts about Bo-Katan's worthiness to lead. But, Din reveals that Bo-Katan did, indeed, reclaim the Darksaber by defeating the one who defeated its previous owner. So, by right, the Darksaber is hers, and the Mandalorians are bound to follow her. So, both groups of Mandalorians are united, but keeping each other at a distance due to philosophical differences, and they all work together to reclaim Mandalore by reaching the Great Forge. It's here where we see that there were some Mandalorians on Mandalore's surface, and they repledge their loyalty to Bo-Katan. 

        Another plot thread we see is what became of Dr. Pershing. Apparently, he's having trouble readjusting to life in the New Republic, but seems to be getting help from another former Imperial named Elia Kane, who convinces him to accept her help in getting to a former Imperial ship being scrapped so he can get some lab equipment. But, he's caught and his mind is wiped, with Kane making the procedure worse. All the while, she's keeping communications with Moff Gideon, who has escaped his transit to prison and is furious at the Mandalorians plan to retake Mandalore, and is also frustrated with the Shadow Council's inaction due to their waiting for Grand Admiral Thrawn to return to lead them. 

         Some epic stuff goes down on Mandalore, where we see Imperial troops in beskar armor, and Moff Gideon also wearing a beskar armor suit. Paz Vizsla sacrifices himself to buy the others time to escape, and Din has his final showdown with Moff Gideon, ending the Imperial leader for good. The now united Mandalorian people bear witness to Ragnar taking the Creed, the Armorer and Bo-Katan reigniting the Great Forge, and a new age of Mandalore beginning. Din goes to meet with Captain Teva, offering to work as an independent contractor bringing in bounties for the New Republic, and then departs for Navarro. Now, I would like to point out that the previously destroyed IG-11 was slightly rebuilt as a means for Grogu to get around, and was instrumental in the defeat of Moff Gideon. However, IG-11 winds up completely restored and is the new Marshall of Navarro, where Din and Grogu make their home in a plot of land outside the city. 

        Okay, so the overall story quality of the third season of The Mandalorian was a downgrade from the show's first two seasons. But, that's not to say it wasn't entertaining. I mean, the most common complaint is that Bo-Katan gets more focus than Din Djarin, in spite of the fact that the latter is still the central character in the series. However, I do get where fans want the series to focus on its main protagonist as opposed to a secondary character. Also, there were a few episodes that felt just a bit lackluster by comparison to some of the more enjoyable episodes, with the episode set on Plazir-15 being called out the most. But, it's the performances that are pretty much the saving grace of the season. Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Emily Swallow, Giancarlo Esposito, and so forth were all fantastic, and some of the guest stars like Tim Meadows, Lizzo, Jack Black, and Christopher Lloyd were pretty enjoyable. 

        Overall, the third season of The Mandalorian wasn't awesome, but it was at least decent. The first two seasons are definitely better, but I still enjoyed a number of moments in this season.

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys in the next review.