It’s becoming increasingly clear with every passing week that the first episode of “The Mandalorian” Season 3 was the only bad episode because things have been going great ever since. Last week’s episode did begin with Din and Bo-Katan leaving Mandalore and going to the planet where the rest of the Mandalorians reside, but it didn’t follow them the whole time. Instead, we were taken to Coruscant, where Dr. Pershing was learning how to become a part of the New Republic. It also brought back a lesser-known character from the earlier seasons, Elia Kane, as Pershing’s ally. Soon enough, it became apparent that she was actually an agent of the New Republic who was testing Pershing’s allegiance. So, through this process, “Star Wars” taught us that, be it the Empire or the New Republic, any regime with too much power and control is going to have shades of fascism. However, this episode did get some flak for not taking us to the Mandalorians. And to them, I will say, “please, have some patience (and focus on what’s happening at the moment instead of what should or should not happen)” because this week’s episode solely focuses on that planet and on the Mandalorians.
Major Spoilers Ahead
Mandalorian Training Gone Wrong
This new planet that the Mandalorians are living on is absolute garbage. On the surface, it seems serene and sunny. But there’s a monster in every corner. The first episode had a crocodile-like kaiju trying to eat the Mandalorians, and episode 3 had a bat-like kaiju that also wanted to eat the Mandalorians. Before it arrives at the beach on which the Mandalorians practice, we do get a sweet scene where Grogu gets to show off his Jedi jumping skills to beat his opponent in a game of shooting darts. That opponent just happens to be Paz Vizsla’s son, Ragnar, thereby giving the whole competition an additional sense of tension because Paz dislikes Din Djarin and would’ve loved to see his son win against Din’s son. FYI, Paz and Ragnar have the same dark blue and sky-blue color patterns on their respective helmets. Anyway, the flying monster arrives, picks Ragnar up, and flies away. The Mandalorians follow it.
Since the flying monster goes on a long-distance flight, the Mandalorians’ jetpacks run out of fuel. That’s when we learn that this is a common occurrence and that this monster always comes to pick up a Mandalorian; the rest always go after it, and then they are forced to give up after a certain point. That said, since they have Bo-Katan Kryze with them this time, who has a ship, they are presented with the unique opportunity to go all the way to the monster’s nest and rescue Ragnar. Also, we get a cool callback to the TIE fighters flying in front of the twin suns from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which itself was a reference to the helicopters flying in front of the sun in “Apocalypse Now.” I think the reference in “The Force Awakens” made sense because it compared the Empire with the U.S. Army. Doing it in “The Mandalorian” probably insinuates that the Mandalorians are the invasive species in this situation because the flying monster is a native of the planet. Or am I looking too deeply into this?
Grogu’s Flashback and Kelleran Beq
While the Mandalorians are away on their rescue mission, the armorer starts teaching Grogu about the ways of the Mandalorians while making him a sweet piece of armor with the mudhorn signet, i.e., the same one that Din wears. The armor-making process triggers Grogu’s memories about the night of Order 66, i.e., when Emperor Palpatine made the Clone Troopers kill all the Jedi. Grogu was rescued by Kelleran Beq. So, what’s interesting about the introduction of Beq in “The Mandalorian” is that it’s played by Ahmed Best. Who else has Ahmed Best played in the “Star Wars” universe? That’s right, Jar Jar Binks. Now, I am guessing that since Binks was so reviled by the fans for no fault of Ahmed’s, he was given a second chance to contribute to the franchise as Beq. Now, Beq was limited to a game show called “Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge” that was exclusively created for children. However, his role has clearly been fleshed out with this particular appearance in “The Mandalorian” and made him a part of the “Star Wars” canon.
I think we are going to see more of Beq and Grogu since he’s the one who saved him. The episode shows them going into hyperspace after escaping Coruscant. So, the conclusion of their journey is pretty open-ended. To be honest, I don’t think Beq has made it out alive and is not going to show up in the present timeline. If he does, he’ll have to answer why he has been hiding, why he lost Grogu in the first place, and whether he is interested in joining the fight by teaming up with Luke Skywalker. I do not want to see a deep-fake Luke Skywalker. Hence, I will be satisfied if Beq either dies or decides not to be a Jedi again, thereby subverting the expectation that a Jedi will always come out of hiding to do something radical. Either way, I’m not sure how proud Beq will be if he sees that Grogu is on his way to becoming a Mandalorian, i.e., a race that has historically worked against the Jedi.
Season 3, Episode 4: Ending Explained – Is Bo-Katan Kryze Going To Tame The Mythosaur?
After climbing their way to the monster’s nest, the Mandalorians realize that it is about to feed Ragnar to its children. So, they put up an insanely well-choreographed fight to take down the monster and rescue Ragnar. Paz Vizsla and Din Djarin share this moment of peace as Vizsla thanks Djarin for saving his son. Upon returning to the beach, Din reunites with his son, Grogu. The armorer notices that Bo-Katan has a piece of armor missing and decides to make her one, thereby allowing her to take one step closer to abiding by the Creed, which Bo-Katan is already strictly following by opening her helmet only when nobody is around. The armorer asks Bo-Katan if she wants the signet of the Nite Owl on it. But Bo-Katan surprisingly says that she wants the symbol of the Mythosaur, which is a sign that is universal to all Mandalorians. Bo-Katan clarifies that she wants it because she has seen the Mythosaur in the flesh. However, I think the armorer refuses to believe it and, hence, categorizes it as a hallucinatory vision caused by her growing proximity to her religion.
Look, I am sure that Bo-Katan saw what we all saw because “The Mandalorian” has never used the “unreliable narrator” storytelling tool. But it’s weird and interesting that the armorer refuses to believe that the Mythosaur exists. Where’s this skepticism coming from? She has already seen that the Living Waters of Mandalore are real. So, why is it a stretch to imagine that an actual Mythosaur lives in those waters? I don’t know. What I do know is that Bo-Katan Kryze is hellbent on becoming the ruler of the Mandalorians. She has already wielded the Darksaber. She has come face-to-face with the Mythosaur. She has put the Mythosaur signet on her armor. Hence, it only makes sense for her to go all the way. My best guess is that she’s going to try and tame the Mythosaur with the Darksaber (which she has to win from Din Djarin, BTW) and reclaim the position she was born to be in. Going by her recent actions, I don’t think any of the Mandalorians will be against it as well. They are fans of old customs and traditions, and Bo-Katan is transforming from an atheist to a believer. The only thing that’s left to see—as hinted by the Mandalorians coming off as the invasive species on this planet—is if all this is going to lead to the rise of the Mandalorians as the new villains of the “Star Wars” universe.
