Mandalorian 3

By Joshua Xiang

The Mandalorian Season 3 gives way to even more stories to be told in the Star Wars canon. Partly aimless but always engaging, the Star Wars series cast a wider net at the cost of Grogu and Mando—and ended in a way that signaled it might be done for good. “The Foundling” is a fun little jaunt. (Critics Consensus, Rotten Tomatoes)

About: The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

The ending makes me ponder whether this is the best ending or not. There are a lot of wonderful setups for the relationship between Bo Katan and Din Jaran, but I didn't feel the director really used well on these two characters' relationship, their relationship hasn't been sublime or made a twist at last. The appearance of Moff Gideon seems a bit blunt, it gives me a sense that Jon Favreau is too intentional to add a bad guy behind the curtain

In an interview, The Mandalorian executive producer and director, Rick Famuyiwa, revealed that the show's title no longer exclusively referred to the bounty hunter Din Djarin, but could apply to any Mandalorian the writers chose to focus on. However, in season 3, with Din Djarin's role relegated to a supporting character or co-lead, depending on the episode, the series lost sight of what made it so compelling in the first place. While the story of the disparate clans of Mandalore coming together to reclaim their planet ultimately had a satisfying conclusion, the season lacked clear direction and struggled to balance numerous plotlines that attempted to connect what was once a stand-alone show to the broader Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian became a mashup of lore-heavy space opera and the episodic adventures the show was built on, while largely abandoning its original space western tone and theme.

In the last episode, the fighting between the Mandalorians and Darktroopers is glamorious. Personally I really enjoy the scene, it recalls me to the grand epic scene in end game when all the heroes are portaled into the main battlefield. Later on The shot of Grogu sheltering Bo-Katan and Din Djarin from the devastating fire of a capital ship crash encapsulates the wonder of the Force, a beautiful miracle used heroically.

Overall, the Mandalorian continues to impress with its exceptional action sequences and stunning scenery, season 3 felt disjointed as the focus shifted from Din Djarin and Grogu to Bo-Katan and her mission to reclaim Mandalore. Additionally, the season spent a significant amount of time interweaving with other Star Wars narratives, further complicating the already cluttered plotlines. However, the exceptional finale of the season offers a glimpse of the show's return to its roots in season 4.