#i know bo katan goes to save din at the start of the season and that would be her stepping up as a hero

[beachesgetpeaches]

there have been random rumours about Pedro Pascal leaving The Mandalorian and I just

1) I wouldn't be quick to trust these + we'll find out when we need to find out.

2) Do not think they would let him go shoot TLOU, accommodate him so he doesn't even have to be on set, then write him out idk.

But ALSO imagine if they did. At this point, reading people's comments (and btw the fandom is key here bcs I promise you casual viewers don't consistently attribute to a show's popularity)... anyway, it kind of seems like it would be them shooting themselves in the leg. Because from what I've seen lots of people are still watching for Din and Grogu. And lots of people are still connecting to Din (and Grogu??) from our viewer side.

And honestly same goes for me so far.

I'm not saying I don't care about other characters at all, like it's cool to see Bo-Katan be a badass and all. And the rest of the Mandalorians are interesting to get to know. But the show has not made me connect with them. Bo was present briefly (kinda) in S2, with no selfless motives btw, and then my next view of her is clearly her downfall (which we haven't been shown, but told so eh I can't care much), which is supposed to be her low point before her inevitable come back. I have not yet connected with her "cause as a character", I don't quite get why I should be rooting for her. Hell, I care more about Greef Karga and the development of Nevarro at this point because over the seasons I've grown to like him as a character and respect what he is doing for his home.

Anyway, imo not having Din would cost the show a lot especially since this season still seems to be failing at having people connect with any other character other than Din.

[brujitaadinbo]

I'm posting again after a while; I was watching The Mandalorian, all seasons, again (sorry, I can't help it)

And I think I can answer some of the questions that "haters" of season 3 or the series have tried to bring up about "why if Bo Katan regrets her behavior before, she doesn't cry or they don't talk about Satine ??

For a start; I feel that in this season 3 the time of the series format passed very quickly, too quickly, to the other past seasons. This absolutely did not help the plot much, which was somewhat lost. BUT….

First, Bo has definitely been shown in very sensitive ways this season 3, it is not necessary for her to cry too much to realize that she appears sad, disappointed in herself and tired.

IT IS OBVIOUS that the pain of her past, her sister and her entire career are shown through symbolism, the Kryze castle, the throne, when they destroy said castle, all that, everything bad that she did or that she step, he leaves with the fire, with the destruction of those icons and symbols of his past.

The destruction of the saber that separates the Mandalorians and causes Bo Katan to lose herself in her power, Guideon himself talks about those talismans, all those symbols of power and empowerment that they show us must be destroyed because Bo Katan is a brave, confident woman. , formidable, just as Din Djarin tells her, she doesn't need any of that to stand out and she's going to prove it.

Although we are strong women, we also have our weaknesses, but true power, the empowerment that enriches us, is what makes us strong through our loved ones, our people, acting correctly and that makes us feel satisfied.

When he decides to walk with Din and Grogu it is because although they have not done things correctly, they are also looking for a way to fix the disasters and do it as best as possible. Din started this job and knows that Bo Katan is the one for Mandalore. she resurfaces, she is the daughter born of this place, she has sacrificed everything, she is the one who most deserves this opportunity. It bothers me a lot when they only pigeonhole their relationship as “somewhat forced”, “meaningless” or not “romantic” at all, sorry but… it doesn't have to be romantic, on the contrary, it is appreciated that it is. because their connection is emotional, their connection goes beyond something physical or superficial and they have worked on it to create a pure bond, a bond that takes them to something beyond if they want to give themselves the opportunity, they are partners. , they go hand in hand together, not at the wrong time, not as a competition, but as a journey for both of them, so in Plazir 15 that is the message they want to give us from these two Mandalorians.

Love in SW doesn't have to be shown with flowers or silly romantic quotes or stuffed animals. Love is demonstrated in subtle acts such as caring, saving, protecting, guiding, advising, consoling, something very human but that can also happen in any other galaxy and is real.

And I'm sure that the path of these Mandalorians will unite again, without the need for bombastic scenes, weddings or silly things. Love blossoms in them and we will know how to see it.

The fact that this green child has crossed their paths as a new hope, it is obvious that love seeks to stay in this new nucleus.

It also bothers me when they talk about Bo being pigeonholed as a mother or wife and that is misogynistic. Let's see the panorama clearly, at no time is there talk of "maternal instinct" because that would be pigeonholing us women and here in The Mandalorian 3 it never happened. That since season 2, both Din and Bo can be seen and notice that parental sense, the impulse or parental instinct to protect the child, is logical and normal because we all have developed that instinct, adult humans, taking care of the little ones, for love, affection, affection, responsibility, etc. Between brothers, cousins, family, father, mother or children, even with our pets, because we are sensitive, empathetic and sociable beings and it is scientifically proven.

That Bo becomes attached or has affection for the child is because Grogu is nice, he has earned his place in Bo's heart and because the two have a connection, it does not affect anything in the story or characters, on the contrary it contributes. And that's not why she is pigeonholed as a mother, there is nothing wrong with motherhood because it exists because it is okay if you want to live it or not and Bo Katan can do it if she wants to or not, it is her decision. But she can be a mother figure, she can be a figure of respect for Grogu, affection and appreciation, a guide and an important part of his life. She can serve something else and not just war and combat. He can do so many things and his knowledge of war should not limit him.

I really appreciate that they gave this interaction to the main characters. No matter what happens, I take away the best messages from the series and this season.

I hope the rumors about "it's the last of The Mandalorian" "Bo Katan will no longer appear in the movie or he will die" "There will be no more Din and Grogu material"

be that, just false rumors I await you with much love to Din, Bo and Grogu.

this is the way.

[kanansdume]

I just watched a video claiming that part of the reason that Din's "redemption" storyline in Mandalorian season 3 doesn't work is because they never told us why Din wanted to go back to the covert and so we never really understood it or were invested in that journey. And I'd actually argue that the issue with this storyline is the exact opposite.

Because we actually DO have plenty of bulid-up for why Din wants to go back to the covert, it just happens over the last two seasons of this show.

We see people literally calling him "The Mandalorian" or "Mando" as a name because he never even gives them his name and prefers to be identified by his cultural identity alone.

We got to see Din getting new armor back in season 1 and it's pretty clear just how important that is to him. We also get to see his people coming to help him in a fight in this big emotional moment where they sacrifice their own safety in order to rescue him and they spent an entire episode building up to that. We also see the moment he goes BACK only to discover that his covert was attacked and has since fled and the impact of watching the Armorer stand alone to try to protect what's left and the grief of that moment where neither Din nor the audience knows whether the Armorer even survives or if Din is now the last one left of his covert.

We see how much his cultural practices mean to him over and over again whenever the issue of taking off his helmet comes up. We see the way Din reacts to OTHER people who he thinks might be Mandalorians but don't act in the way he thinks they should and how quickly he decides that they AREN'T Mandalorians because of that, and how hard it is for him to start to accept that there might be other ways to be Mandalorian that don't look the way he's used to it looking.

We see it enough that it's massively impactful when he is forced to remove his helmet in season 2 in order to save Grogu. We see him go from just replacing his helmet with another helmet so that he can use the excuse that no one saw his face still, to removing his helmet anyway because he has to in order to get through the base, and then removing it a final time without anybody's life on the line just to say goodbye to Grogu. It's a sacrifice that DIN is making, knowing that he is potentially giving up his ability to call himself a Mandalorian and any place among his people in order to give himself and Grogu this moment.

None of this would work at all if we don't FEEL the connection that Din has to being Mandalorian, if we don't understand on a very visceral level how important it is to him. The sacrifice that Din is making over these three scenes are absolutely meaningless if we don't truly GET that Din is making a clear conscious choice to place Grogu's life as more important than his own identity as a Mandalorian and his place within his culture.

So with all of that in mind, there's no way we as the audience need to have it spelled out to us why Din wants to rejoin his people. We know why. We spent two seasons watching why. He gave it up for Grogu, but now that Grogu's life isn't in the balance, it's not exactly a shocker that Din would want to reclaim that identity once he knows it's possible. It's a show literally CALLED The Mandalorian, it's not like the audience isn't going to be invested in watching the main character go on a journey to become a Mandalorian again.

But then the show spent three episodes total on it and it's split between Din's storyline, Bo-Katan's storyline, and the New Republic storyline, so Din's redemption arc gets a fraction of the total time it should've had.

And to add insult to injury, the big climactic parts of both episodes 2 and 3 go to BO-KATAN. It's Bo-Katan who goes down to rescue Din and sees the mythosaur, and then it's Bo-Katan whose "redemption" and welcome to the covert is focused on at the end, while Din's welcome ends up more of an afterthought.

So it's not that the show forgot to get us invested by never giving us good enough reason for Din to WANT his redemption, it's that they spent TWO SEASONS telling us why this is immensely important only to never pay off on that investment in a satisfying way by spending no meaningful time on it and choosing to make it about another character's emotional arc instead.

[ladyzirkonia]

I hope I'm not reaching but I feel like Din essentially told Bo that he is spending the rest of his life with her. Din Djarin, the man who usually helps people and is on his way, told Bo that he will serve her until her song is written. He will be right by her side with Grogu who loves her too. Which usually would be after someone dies. If that is not setting up a clan of 3 I don't know what is.

I would love to hear your thoughts about how Bo's interactions differ from the other interactions he has with Pelli, Greef, etc. Because it's not lost on me that Bo acts like his mom. I would say that Grogu is so attached to her that he and Din cannot leave.

Hello my friend! And no you are absolutely not!

To understand this, one only has to look at what kind of person Din Djarin is. In season 1, he was an absolute lone wolf who roamed the galaxy to do assignments as a bouny hunter to support his tribe. Although he has always helped friends and acquaintances he met along the way, he has never committed his life to anyone other than his tribe. Some examples:

Boba Fett

I love Boba, he is my husband and I love the dynamic between him and Din. Din didn't hesitate for a second to help Boba Fett with his problem with the pykes. He didn't want payment, but just the fact that Fennec came to him to hire him suggests they have a different kind of relationship, although Din was absolutely willing to die for the cause when push came to shove. But that has more to do with the fact that honor is paramount for Din Djarin and when he promises something he keeps it.

I'm kind of sad there were no real interactions with Boba and Grogu I really would like to see that, because Boba knew a few jedi himself.

Peli Motto

First off I have to say that I adore Peli, one of my absolute favorite characters. And Grogu adores her too, as we found out this episode as he jumps into her arms with glee. Peli reminds me of my favorite aunt I got to spend time with as a kid and that meant lots of fun and action. She spoils Grogu, he gets his favorite food and has a lot of fun, yet a very different relationship than the one he has with Bo. Bo-Katan has spoken with Grogu on an equal footing since the beginning, not like a toddler or pet. Just think how much she talked to him in episode two and made a real connection. Bo explains, shows interest, and teaches him along with Din, taking on the role of mother rather than cool aunt.

Greef Karga

Grogu and Din share a special past with Greef. I really like the character, especially this season. Greef was Din's boss, then briefly his enemy. Grogu saves his life and it completely changes the relationship of the three. Din and Greef are friendly with each other, he doesn't hesitate to help when Nevarro needs help, but at the same time Din also has Greef's offer of a piece of land in mind. I love how Greef gives him a bottle... whatever that is... he reminds me of a good friend and he treats Grogu the same way. I would even say like a childless friend who appreciates the little one (after all, he saved his life!) but doesn't really know what to do with him. When Din insists on Grogu's name, Grogu doesn't seem to show any real interest.

Greef and most of the other acquaintances and friends call Din Mando. That's one of the first things I noticed, that Bo always calls him by his name. Both Bo's relationship with Din and Grogu was much more personal from the start. She shouldn't have taken care of Din or Grogu, but she did it and not just like that, but with interest and a lot of warmth that she never showed to anyone else.

Conclusion

I don't get the aunt vibes with Bo like some people say. I'm a mom myself and I've felt the connection between Grogu and Bo since the second episode. The way she treats him, how he is always close to her, how she protects and teaches him. Apart from the fact that Katee Sackhoff describes herself as a mummy and recently became a mother herself.

The same goes for Din Djarin. Yes, he is loyal and has so far helped all his friends without hesitation and would probably die honorably for most of them. But he has never committed himself to anyone so openly and without compromise and until his end. I'm pretty sure Bo-Katan understood what Din Djarin's words really mean is evident in her reaction. Astonishment, awe and full of emotion.

I realized too late that you were actually asking about the relationship between Bo and Grogu, now it's a mixture. Have fun with it and this is the way!

[intothecocoverse]

I finished The Mandalorian season 3. So many strong female characters, I LOVED IT AND I LOVE WOMEN AND ELIA KANE I AM READY TO FIGHT YOU IN DUAL I'M TINY BUT MIGHTY KATY O'BRIAN PLAYS HER SO WELL I WANNA FIGHT I HATE ELIA SO MUCH JDKDFNKDKD

When it came out, people had mix reactions; some were very happy that Grogu and Djarin have now their little house but others, if I remember well, were like "but why did he abandon the darksaber?" And so on. It didn't shock me. Djarin was right when he said that the robot weird general grievous thingy took it from him and that Bo-Katan was the one who retrieved it from the creature. I see Mando like this; he lived only by the Creed before he met Grogu. He didn't seem to be that social guy with a lot of friends. He just wants a calm life. After Grogu and everything that happened, he has now a son who is also his apprentice. He helps a lot of people and makes friends along the way. For me it would have been weird to see him on the throne of Mandalore at the end of the season. He is a leader but he doesn't want the power that goes with it or any type of power for that matter. So him not fighting for the Darksaber and going on adventures with Grogu is on point. And honestly, if they wanna do 10 seasons of the Din family going on adventures, saving people, discovering Jedi's secrets or just living a normal life, I'll watch it. The people being Animatronic Grogu, puppet Grogu and CGI grogu made an amazing job and Pedro Pascal plays so well that we can't but believe that Grogu is actually a living being. So thank you to them.

I can't wait for season 4 because yes, new Mando and Grogu adventures but also the Mythosaur!!! How will Mandalore prosper? And unfortunately, the creation of the new order....

The only thing that bothered me a bit during this season is the level-up of the imps. Everytime, we are seeing new droids that are almost impossible to kill but then, they are destroyed and we won't see them again DESPITE they're killing machines. It was the same in The Clone Wars or SW Rebels. I don't know how to explain it.

As a fan, I hope that, as long as good stories are written, we will see Din Djarin on our screens for a long time.

So yeah, The Mandalorian is done, waiting for season 4 impatiently and tomorrow I will start Ahsoka! Just like Star Wars Rebels, I know that The Mandalorian is a Star Wars series I will watch again and again. I have spoken.

(and if you wanna express your opinion about it, please do! I would love to talk about the series haha)

Here is my Grogu because why not

[greenreaper04]

So what's the point of Din and Grogu this season? What's the point of cutting away from Boba Fett's story to show how Din is struggling with the DarkSaber, without him overcoming that? We'll he doesn't want that responsibility, he just wanna be a ✨Space Dad✨. Bruh, he's already a space dad in the first season. He started as reluctant space dad in the first season. Then in season 2 he fully embraces his status as a space dad, yet he still has a goal to return Grogu to it's people, at the same time challenging his beliefs. Sure he doesn't wanna be a leader, fine, but at least give him something more than just a space dad, because he already redeemed himself in the first 2 episode of this, so what the fuck are his goals this season?

"I don't wanna have him be the leader, I just wanted him to have a space adventure with his son" They are already doing that in the first 2 seasons, and if that's what you only want from him in this season, then he's gonna be a stagnant and boring character.

"I'm tired of the reluctant leader trope, let him be a normal guy," I am too, but then again, what's the point of setting it up in Season 2 and BoBF, if your not gonna follow through. But if that's the original goal, then what's your plan with his character then. Redeeming himself? Bruh, we barely struggle with that one

"People missed the point, he just wanna be a background character, he doesn't want attention" Yes we know, and we love him for that, and that's what made him special, but even those times, he still has a motivation and story to tell, here, he was just being sideline, which goes back to my original question, "Why is he here?" I know that he's not a passive character, and his choices still affect the overall story, but so does other the characters. Give us a moment that we'll have us say, that, "Yup that's Din, and that's why he is here." Because the moment that he choose to save Grogu in chapter 3, and both times that he removes his helmet, are those moments that we realized why are we rooting for this guy. And so far this season, he doesn't have that moment yet.

"It's called the Mandalorian, not Din and Grogu show, it's Bo-Katan's turns since technically she's a Mandalorian" Then what's with the promotionals and trailers that you have released leading up to that season, which barely show Bo. And I know that it's probably for marketing, they knew that we are here only for those two, and basically bamboozled us. Have they called this The Bo-Katan show and have it package to us that way, I would have no issue with them being sideline.

And dont get me started with Grogu. He is no longer a plot device, he is not mc guffin anymore, it's time we gave him a character.

The reason why we fall in love with the show in the first place is because of the relationship between Din and Grogu. And the writers clearly forgot that part. Don't get me wrong if they don't want Din to be a leader and just a ✨ Space dad✨ I'm on board with it. But please give us that properly and not just the scraps and bare minimum just to justify them being in here. They're barely interacting in this season. We didn't even get to see Din's reaction when the armorer made the new piece of armor for Grogu with their clan's signet. Heck it was not even acknowledge by Din, making me wonder if that's only created for just merch. We didn't even linger on Grogu after the flashback, like after next scene it was already forgotten. Imagine how beautiful it would be when Din returns and sees how sad Grogu is, and how he tried to cheer him up by giving the ball (which for a very important object in their relationship from the previous season, was not yet shown here). We barely got a moment between this two, just hanging out and enjoying each other's company because they have to be dragged to a plotline that they're barely connected just to justify them being here. It's a problem when they have more intimate moments in season 2 than this season considering that they were separated midway through that season. If you're not interested in moving his character forward, and has barely shown the relationship that we cared about, I'd rather have their story ends now, instead of them being static wallpapers only here for merch.

I know that Bo Katan and other characters from the animated show are loved as well, but they wouldn't even be here without those two, and it breaks my heart, that they're being shafted for those characters. They deserved more than this.

[spacecadet-peanut]

Mandalorian s3 predictions/thoughts etc.:

-Din learning to wield the dark saber.

-I’m wondering if we’re going to see more of order 66 from Grogu’s perspective. I’m wondering if we’re going to see who saved Grogu. It definitely could’ve been a Jedi but I’d wonder if the Jedi survived after rescuing him. It could’ve also been a clone with a defective chip or maybe a droid.

-I’m also wondering if Din is going to see Ahsoka or Luke again. Din doesn’t know why he and Grogu were reunited and he spent all of season 2 looking for a Jedi to train Grgou. So I’m sure he’s happy to see Grogu but also confused on why he’s back.

-I’m also curious if attachment is going to be delved into more this season. I think people have been kind of unfair to Luke and Ahsoka about the attachment rule, I think it’s more complicated than they’re giving it credit for. I definitely have mixed feelings about the attachment rule and how it’s been explored in the SW media but it’s still a rule that exists for Jedi and can be dangerous for them and that’s something Luke and Ahsoka have to take into account. Especially since Ahsoka lost her master to attachment (Luke obviously affected by this as well.)

-Now that I’ve finished the clone wars I’m curious how Bo Katan will be handled in season 3. I think she’s a very interesting character (especially in the clone wars) but I can understand some of the criticism against her. It’s a little hypocritical that’s she’s so against the children of the watch when she was in a terrorist organization that helped lead to mandalore’s end (and her sister’s death but obviously she never intended for that). I’m not going to judge too harshly yet because points like these may be made next season. It just depends on how they handle Bo Karan’s story going forward. I predict she will not be the Mand’alor unless she goes through quite a bit of character growth. I like that she feels that mandalorians should stick together, but I don’t know how she’d do as a leader (especially with that past mandalores in mind).

-I also don’t really want Din to be Mand’alor. I think Mandalore needs democracy and not a sole ruler (just based on the past leadership).

-I wonder if Grogu’s going to speak/say his first words. That’s kind of what it looked like in the leaked s3 trailer.

-I’m also excited to see Din call Grogu by his name more. I also think Din is finally going to address Grogu as his son.

-I think Din eventually might start taking his helmet off around people he’s comfortable around (like Grogu). Since for the time being he’s been kind of disowned by the children of the watch. Either way, I’m interested and nervous to see what the reveal scene from Din is going to look like this season,

-Now that Grogu’s remembered a lot more of his training and past I think he’s probably a little more confident in his abilities.

-I’m curious to see Din’s (and Grogu’s) reaction to being around so many other mandalorians.

Those are my thoughts for now but after the Christmas trailer drops I’ll probably add a few more!

[the-beskar-alchemist]

I am once again back on my bullshit

- Okay so I really appreciate how realistic they're being with the Razor Crest. Do I enjoy the possibility of the ship being damaged beyond repair and Din possibly losing it for good? Absolutely not. I just think it's refreshing that they're not pulling some Fast and Furious nonsense where the ride keeps getting damaged but seemingly is indestructible. It really brings perspective to Din's overall situation: No matter what, any moment could be the final straw before he loses everything, so he tries to make his time count. If he’s going down, he's going down giving 110%, go big or go home.

- Din pulled a Captain Jack Sparrow, coasting his way to the dock, barely making it in before the ship goes under water, and handing the harbor man some money to take care of it

- Din seemed kind of entranced at the sight of the frog family reuniting??? I wonder if he felt lonely for a minute, missing that feeling of being surrounded by family

- Din referring to the baby as his "friend" is kind of off-putting, but when you think about it he's on the run he can't very well let it be known that he's traveling with someone who could be used as leverage against him because of a familial connection. Sentiment can be deadly if the wrong people know who is important to you. Safety first is Din's motto in this situation.

- POOR BABY AND THE FACEHUGGER

- I knew what that Cthulhu-looking was up to, but I was still surprised......also am I the only one how got Kraken vibes from that mamacore???? Space Davy Jones be like "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!"

- DIN BABY CAN YOU EVEN SWIM???????

- OMG THE GRATE SCENE, THE DREADED GRATE SCENE. POOR DIN MUST'VE BEEN SO TERRIFIED OF DYING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SAVE THE BABY

- DIN WAS SO SCARED FOR THE BABY, HE DIDN'T EVEN CARE ABOUT HIMSELF HE JUST WANTED THE BABY TO BE OKAY AND WHEN THEY FISHED HIM OUT???? DIN WAS SO RELIEVED, HOLDING HIM LIKE A NEWBORN (DO NOT THINK ABOUT DIN HOLDING HIS OWN HUMAN BABY DO NOT GO THERE YOU WILL EXPLODE)

- I've always read the "hiss" concept of removing the helmet in fics, but never actually HEARD it in the show (at least not that I remember, and I've watched the 1st season multiple times)....until now, so that tells me that Din's helmet is not designed to withstand underwater trips, hence his panic at possibly drowning

- BABY'S FACE AT THE SIGHT OF HELMETLESS MANDOS LIKE "FATHER???? DOES YOUR FACE COME OFF TOO??? FATHER PLS"

- So it's pretty much established that Din was a child of Deathwatch, but I'm not as immersed in SW 'lore to fully understand a number of things, but I DO know enough to realize the seriousness of this information, and the weight of guilt and potential existential crisis that Din may experience in the future.......it very well may shake his beliefs to the point where he will question the purpose of continuing with the Creed.....possibly even joining a different faction/tribe?

- It's possible that the baby is avoiding using his abilities to deter any unwanted attention. If he keeps using them at every turn, it's going to become even MORE difficult to hide from the Empire

- Din truly believed that retaking Mandalore was a wasted effort, but is this the result of general gossip or the Deathwatch trying to avoid any possible members reuniting with the more pacifistic mandos, thereby decreasing their following? Is this why they were so keen on rescuing Din all those years ago? A pre-emptive strike at gaining enough numbers to challenge the new "way"?

- Din is very adamant about following the Creed in regards to wearing the armor and covering his face, but he's a bit lax on some other aspects of it, for example: He's quick to dismiss Bo-Katan's request to help her team retake Mandalore by seizing the weapons, but then he turns around and uses the Creed to get assistance in helping him find the Jedi

- Empire goons always give me Nazi vibes with their outfits, but then again that's the point isnt it?

- BO-KATAN REALLY OUT HERE WITH HER ASSASSINS CREED HIDDEN BLADE

- Din always seems like such a badass, Leroy Jenkins-ing his way through every fight, but compared to the other mandos he's kinda.....I don't want to say slow, but he's definitely lacking their level of finesse

- I really want to know how Din feels about this new method of "the way", how personalized it can become depending on the mando/tribe in question. Was this the first time he ever disliked hearing the phrase spoken?

- BRUH THAT CAPTAIN REALLY WENT "HAIL HYDRA" AND TRIED TO TAKE THE SHIP DOWN

- So they couldn't be affected by the ship suddenly ascending from the port, but they sure as hell felt it start to DESCEND

- GODAMMIT DIN THAT ARMOR DOESN'T MAKE YOU INDESTRUCTIBLE

- I can't help but notice that despite Din's name having been revealed in the last season, the subtitles still say "Mandalorian", while any other named character (including the other mandos) have their names listed

- Bo-Katan saying "This is the Way" at the ended kinda sounded like an olive branch like "Sorry about the bad first impression, and for taking advantage of our deal, but you're still a swell guy, hopefully we can be allies", and Din's "This is the Way" was like "I've had enough bullshit for today, but I'll play nice for your sake", every time I hear him say the words it sounds like he's just repeating them back, like there's no true emotion behind them

- DIN GIVE YOUR SON A FRIEND/PET TO PLAY WITH I BEG YOU HE NEEDS PLAYTIME AND COMPANIONSHIP

- The Crest is literally being held together by zip ties and ductape at this point

- I love hearing Din curse, he's become so much more vocal this season in regards to how he's feeling in various situations, I love that his emotions are evolving with each new episode

- Din SEEMS nonchalant about having a lead on the jedi, and possibly the baby's home, but I feel like maybe he was trying to distract himself from the fact that he's having an identity crisis.....and that he's getting closer to the day he'll have to give up the child

[totallyclevertitlehere]

I’m optimistic after ‘The Mandalorian’ S2 Finale

I’m honestly surprised by this strain in fandom that’s depressed that “The Mandalorian has fundamentally changed” or “this is the end of Din’s arc“ or “we won’t see Grogu again.” Or people thinking the Book of Boba is going to replace Din/Grogu’s story?

Uh...no. Emphatically no! The season finale set up some pretty neat plot lines that all converge on Grogu and Din being both the focus of the show, and eventually being reunited.

The following things personally make me quite optimistic.

Let’s not forget who is actually ‘The Mandalorian’

It’s not between Din or Boba.

Din Djarin and Grogu are the titular character(s). Grogu is just as much ‘the Mandalorian’ as we’ve seen it defined by The Children of the Watch as Din is - he’s a foundling equally as he is a potential Jedi.

So let’s dispel with the notion that anything is happening to Grogu. He ain’t getting offed by Kyle Ron. He’s not disappearing from the show. Grogu is Disney and Star Wars most valuable intellectual property right now. He represents a species that lives for millennia and is a magic user who is portrayed by a puppet and whose image Disney/SW can milk for years to come without needing to pay actors, worry about aging out of stories, or ANY of the traditional challenges that come with live action. I saw on Twitter a comment that ‘well, Disney didn’t expect Grogu to so popular so they didn’t intend to have him stick around.” lol whut. Werner Herzog was obsessed with Grogu. Literally everyone who interacted with The Child fell in love. Disney/Favreau & Filoni know exactly what they’re doing and are planning on banking on Grogu’s marketability for years to come.

Grogu’s Training

Why did Grogu go with Luke? Two reasons.

Within the narrative, we can see Grogu feel/be awed by Luke’s presence in the force and his skill in saving their lives. The camera lingers on him feeling Luke’s presence multiple times. That’s purposeful! By showing us that, Favreau and Filoni are signaling why Grogu chooses to leave - he knows that he needs to become stronger so he can protect his Dad!

On a meta level, F/F knows pairing him with Luke gives us a direct connection to Yoda, the Temple, Grogu’s past - it’s a chance to give backstory. Not to mention it certainly seems like R2 knows Grogu! I predict we’ll get to see a montage of Luke training Grogu as a call out to ESB/RoTJ, and we’ll learn about what actually happened the night the Temple was attacked.

Now, I don’t think they’ll make Luke stick around for too long/many scenes, but with R2 there is a natural vehicle to explore Grogu’s past. I think with Grogu learning to better use his abilities, we’ll see an inverse of this season, with Grogu coming to Din’s rescue at some point.

Din Djarin is Mand’alor, and Bo-Katan is Not Happy

Din Djarin’s arc is over? lol

Din Djarin’s arc is only just beginning. Now, Din has to come to terms with what it means to be Mandalorian - in every sense. He’s given up his foundling, but he’s not alone - there’s a room full of people who have seen his face, which goes against his code but not others. He’s Mand’alor, but he has no idea what that means.

Unfortunately for him, he’s about to face questions from every side about who a true Mandalorian is (as foreshadowed by the dialogue between Boba and Bo-Katan). AND he’s going to have to deal with two antagonists: Gideon and Bo-Katan.

Bo-Katan is a mess; she’s supposed to be. She was a villain the majority of her time in The Clone Wars. She’s at best been an anti-hero. Rebels was the only show she was shown to be more explicitly on the side of the heroes, but a driving force of her character has consistently been her own selfish views of Mandalore and her role within it. And next season, she’s going to be a driving antagonist for Din.

But where I think this all leads is that Din is going to come to terms with claiming the Darksaber - not to be Mand’alor, but to break the tradition of the sword by ultimately gifting it to his son, Grogu (which would parallel Jango giving Boba his armor).

Basically, Grogu’s gonna be the second Mandalorian Jedi and wield the Darksaber to protect his Dad, the Mand’alor.

Gideon, Pershing, and Cloning

I don’t think it’s accidental that Bo-Katan explicitly linked Boba to his clone lineage in the finale. Meanwhile, we also see Imperials explain that Pershing is a “high value” target of the New Republic. With both Gideon and Pershing alive, the exact nature of the experimentation on Grogu and to what end is a story line that reunites both Din and Grogu’s paths.

In fact, both potential plot lines (the nature of the cloning experiments and the Rulership of Mandalore) also potentially converge with the other announced shows Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic, which falls in line with what was reported at Investor Day that the finale of S3 would be a major cross-over event. (Ahsoka is connected to both Clones and Mandalore, and the New Republic is probably super interested in what’s happening with cloning and also probably gonna be a bit surprised when Bo-Katan decides to start flexing her small fleet of IMPERIAL SHIPS).

Why did the finale have to be so bittersweet?

For the same reason Aang died in the Crystal Catacombs and the S2 finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender ended with the line “The Earth Kingdom has fallen.” Because it sets up the central character conflicts for the next season.

Yes, it’s so bittersweet how Din and Grogu are apart. But Din said himself - they’ll see each other again! This is a necessary step to give both characters space to grow more before reuniting them. It seems clear everyone working on the show knows how central that relationship is to it. They aren’t scrapping that next season.

so tl;dr Grogu and Din aren’t going anywhere, and they’ll be reunited soon. Keep the faith, may the force be with you!

[legobiwan]

The Mandalorian, “The Tragedy” (S2, E6/14)

Shortest episode of the season and by far the best one.

First of all, Dave Filoni, you had better be taking notes on this episode. That is how you direct an action scene. I adored the Boba Fett sequence - he was a badass, fought with a personal style, and managed to destroy the Stormtroopers without it looking too easy and too stylized.

Good gods, I love her. Ming-Na Wen is an icon. 

Also, the (not-quite) bisection? The orange-red-black color scheme?

Reminds me a little bit of this guy:

Anyway, interesting bit here. Do you think Grogu actually wants to go with a Jedi? My bet is on “no.” Which would be attachment. But the Order is dead and buried, Luke saved the galaxy because of his attachment, Kanan wasn’t exactly unattached, and Ahsoka is a wildcard in that department. Port-Order 66 Jedi aren’t exactly a shining beacon of the “old rules” (which isn’t a bad thing, per se), so I have my doubts that Grogu will turn out to be Yoda 2.0.

This is some top-notch Mortis bullshit right here:

Which, I don’t know how I feel about yet. The “world between worlds” was (in my mind) a gigantic cop-out. Mortis itself was fine although upon closer inspection, flawed. We’ll see how this goes. 

But Din’s question at the beginning here is hilarious

Random rocks with mysterious powers in the chaparral? Yup, that’s Jedi for you.

Holy crap, I was not expecting to enjoy Boba Fett’s storyline as much as I did. I mean, they already resurrected Maul (and Ahsoka, although that’s another story). But Boba Fett? I was initially content to leave him to the sarlacc, but this was well-done. He doesn’t overpower the storyline and his presence fits in well with the exploration of Mandalorian culture. Plus, you know, the fight sequences. 

Speaking of which,  I think this fight sequence had the first original music on the second season that I can remember. Everything else to date has been (I think) a retread of Season One’s soundtrack. Now, the Season One soundtrack is spectacular and I was really looking forward to new sounds. Up until now, I had been disappointed in the unoriginality of it all, but this episode cranked it up. (Which also makes me wonder how much last-minute filler they were coming up with for the previous episodes. Because this one is leaps and bounds above the others, perhaps excepting the Frog Mother episode and most of Cobb Vanth.)

WHO ARE YOU, CODY-RESEMBLING STORMTOOPER???

Speaking of Stormtroopers, this exchange had me rolling on the floor. Very reminiscent of the TCW battledroid humor of yore:

Hooooly crap, Baby Yoda taking apart those Stormstroopers. HOLY CRAP Moff Gideon going full-evil.

Here’s my thing. I could have done without the majority of the previous episodes (or perhaps have combined them). We’re six episodes in and only now do I feel the plot is moving forward at all. (Yes, we needed Cobb Vanth to get to Tatooine and we needed Frog Lady for some needed character development.) But Bo-Katan? Ahsoka? I’m not sure what their purpose is/was. (I mean, Bo-Katan I can undersatnd in terms of Mandalorian culture. I really don’t know what the Ahsoka episode was supposed to be about, however, aside from, “hey, here’s Ahsoka fighting some random evil lady we’ll never see again but the stakes are high, believe us.”) But Moff Gideon, Fennec Shand, Cara Dune, Cobb Vanth, even Boba Fett? This is interesting to me. These characters live and breathe and aren’t bogged down with volumes of canon behind them. The Mandalorian was fun because it was new, because the characters were new, because we were watching interactions without the shadow of the Jedi. 

And Grogu is great, I love him, but in a way, he’s almost felt incidental to the plot this season up until now. I’m hoping they go in a very different direction with the Jedi/Force stuff (like, what does a not-even-half-trained do without the Order? I suppose Ezra Bridger would know. Which is a name that has been floated as a mysterious interloper at the end of this season which again...I’d have to see how they executed it but my hopes aren’t high.)

Anyway, by far the best episode of the season, great action, plot points, character development in 38 whole minutes. My only quibble is that Madno’s Beskar is starting to look like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card when it comes to blaster fire. 9/10

[skullsandwineglasses]

Unpopular opinion: While I loved Luke’s entrance and how it paralleled Vader’s hallway scene in Rogue One, I also kind of wished it was a jedi who wasn’t a Skywalker. As much as I love them, they’re just so...overused. I guess they want to make amends for what happened to Luke’s character in the sequels, but still. Can we move on?

After having a good cry in front of our family Christmas tree in the living room where the TV is, I’m starting to think a bit more clearly now. I can see why it was necessary for Grogu to be sent away. Din’s identity has been tied Grogu for 2 seasons. It seemed like Din was only living for Grogu. He was willing to break all the rules for his green son. I understand why Favreau and Filoni would want to start fresh with season 3 and re-evaluate and re-define who Din is as a character without Grogu. This also means that there will be new villains and new conflicts in the next season. It’ll be interesting to see where the show goes. Din is a bounty hunter in a space western. He doesn’t care about politics or the grand scheme of things, unlike Ahsoka or Bo-Katan. Like other people have explained, he’s a minor character trying to filter out all the noise of the “major” characters. So I’ll be curious to see the next conflict that Din is given to try to resolve. Will it make him as single-minded and as determined as his arc with Grogu? What else could make Din care as ardently and as feverishly in order to risk it all? 

But I guess what I’m currently hung over about is how the end of the finale (or rather Din’s arc) happened so abruptly. Grogu gets kidnapped by the Dark Troopers 2 episodes ago, Din goes through an identity crisis trying to save his son, and then Din barely gets any time to process having saving Grogu when they have to separate again. He was finally beginning to accept the idea of being a father and how important Grogu meant to him, and then he had to let go. This is why I’m emotional. We finally see Din openly talking about how much Grogu means to him and not as a mission he needs to complete, and now he’s left without a family again. Can you not just let this battered man have a moment of peace and happiness? And Grogu barely has any alone time with his metal father before he has to leave again. The last private moment they had was right before they landed on Tython when he was playing with the ball and Din was still chuckling over finally knowing Grogu’s name. (I know you can argue that Din taking off his helmet for Grogu was their “private” moment, but that was just such as unprivate goodbye, I’m sorry)

[popwasabi]

“The Mandalorian” S2 is a power fantasy with mini Star Wars trailers

The term “Plot armor” is often used by readers and viewers to describe the myriad of ways writers keep their heroes away from any real danger no matter what choices or actions they make in the narrative. It’s typically a derisive phrase for the way a writer’s hero seems to escape death no matter what is thrown at him for the sole purpose of moving the plot forward.

In Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” this term takes a far more literal description in the form of our main anti-hero, played by Pedro Pascal, in his beskar armor which seems to be, by all accounts the most indestructible material in the galaxy far, far away.

(I mean, it still looks really cool too, of course.)

The result of this narrative decision in this series is that action scenes often don’t have real tension to them. In another series you might be able to reasonably believe the hero might be in danger with blaster fire shooting all around them but with beskar it’s almost comically not the case at all. Stormtroopers fire laser blast after laser blast at The Mando and each time they bounce harmlessly off him as if he were fucking Superman. It makes scenes feel devoid of stakes and danger no matter what situation they are in.

The show thus becomes a power fantasy, as action scenes serve as extended highlight reels for the Mando. Where season 1 of the show mitigated the power of the Mando’s plot armor by putting him more often in situations where his beskar alone wasn’t enough to save the day, season 2 goes mostly full power fantasy as The Mando rarely runs into a situation he can’t just quite literally walk through.

(“Aim for his armor, men! That’s his weak point!”)

This isn’t to say the season wasn’t without its high moments or even that it wasn’t enjoyable plenty of times but the series’ devotion to fan servicey action and callbacks to “Hey remember ____” makes it a fairly shallow story. At least for myself.

Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” continues the story of Din and his small Yoda-like companion, The Child (later known officially as Grogu), as he looks to complete a quest to return the burgeoning Force wielder to the Jedi. As he seeks to reunite The Child with the ancient Order, he encounters other Mandalorians who are on a quest to retake Mandalore and right on their tail is the nefarious Grand Moff Gideon who is still bent on capturing Grogu for whatever it is he has planned for the Empire.

Let me start this review by saying power fantasies aren’t inherently bad to watch or read. They can be good, cathartic junk food for the soul and can also be compelling, artistic, or even deeply metaphorical in their own way. A movie series like “John Wick” for instance is a power fantasy that aims to reinvent the wheel in action film-making with Keanu Reeves performing perhaps the best gun kata of all-time onscreen. Another film like Paul Verhoueven’s “Total Recall” can satirize the power fantasy to show how ridiculous it is in concept.

So, making your hero an unstoppable killing machine isn’t necessarily always a bad thing if used properly.

(Seriously, this is one of the smartest action films ever made. Don’t @ me.)

Now that that’s established, however, “The Mandalorian” season 2, despite some strong moments here and there, is a power fantasy that lacks these elements for a more interesting narrative. If you believe killing dozens of stormtroopers onscreen while never suffering so much as a scratch for eight episodes equals compelling storytelling then boy does Disney have a series for you.

Through the first four-ish episodes, the new season is mostly just fine and even quite enjoyable. We have the Mando getting a fun side quest with Timothy Olyphant on Tatooine where they get to wrangle a sand worm in a callback to the Westerns that inspired much of the franchise’s aesthetic. The Mando gets to escort a frog lady to her home planet to give birth to some tadpoles and they run into some actual danger in this episode in the form of kyrnknas/space spiders. And we get the return of Bo Katan from Dave Filoni’s “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” cartoon series, with Katee Sackhoff herself reprising the role in a fun Mandalorian team-up episode.

(I’m just so happy to see my girl, Starbuck, again more than anything honestly ;_;)

But the wheels started officially falling off for me in the next episode.

Episode 5 marked the live-action debut of fan favorite Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson, and she meets the Mando by getting the jump on him with her lightsabers. In virtually any other situation we have been told lightsabers can cut through virtually anything. Now, beskar has been shown to be plenty durable throughout the series so far but lightsabers? Surely not.

Well…

It is an overall good episode despite this but it marked the point for me where I badly wanted The Mando to just go the rest of the series without it. Obviously, the writers aren’t going to actually kill our hero, afterall The Mouse needs more money and he can’t have it unless we get 50 more Mandalorian episodes and spin-offs, but at some point I gotta feel like there’s a possibility at least that our hero might actually die or at least is in danger. It is actually super funny to me each time The Mando ducks or seeks cover in a shootout when I know, and the viewer damn well knows, he can literally walk right into the middle of it and shoot all these motherfuckers at his own leisure cause his actual plot armor is the stuff of adamantium and vibranium combined.

Episode 5 is mostly good though, it’s a nice callback to old school samurai flicks and for an old fan like myself it was enough to ignore beskar again saving the Mando’s ass.

(This was cool...This...was...cool.)

If episode 5 marked the point in which the wheels began to come off though, episode 6 is where the show really spun out into the ditch for me. Perhaps, this series worst episode, personally, episode 6 reintroduces fan favorite and series inspiration Boba Fett back officially into the fold and the result was perhaps the most self-indulgent entry of the series.

(I mean, it was directed by Robert Rodriguez so...)

Boba arrives to demand his beskar from The Mando who promptly tells him “no” before they are ambushed by a platoon of stormtroopers. Alongside Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand, the three do battle with the stormtroopers with ridiculous ease. I’m aware that stormtroopers exist to be on the highlight reel of our heroes in this franchise and have a long history of not being able to hit the broad side of a bantha but again, I can only watch these guys die by the dozens onscreen over and over again while our heroes get away without suffering even a bruise before it starts feeling boring and repetitive.

It only gets worse once Boba actually puts on his armor. In a sequence that I would describe as “gratuitously” fan servicey, Boba wastes just about every last stormtrooper in this scene culminating with him destroying their two get-away vehicles in a single shot with a rocket. Considering he was killing them with ease just moments before with nothing more than a battle club and a bathrobe, it seemed almost hilariously needless that he donned his iconic armor.

(It would be tempting to say the stormtroopers fought as ineptly as the Putty Patrol here but even the Power Rangers have struggled a few times against these guys...)

I get that Boba is really important to a lot of fans, based on their perceptions of him in the original trilogy and subsequent books and graphic novels that came out in the following years, but here’s a hot take; this series didn’t need him in it. Maybe they didn’t need to keep him rotting in the Sarlacc Pit but this episode, alongside Ahsoka Tano’s feels more like marketing choices for the story rather than narrative ones. I’ll concede that there is a bit more substance to having Ahsoka there to commune with Grogu but their additions to the plot don’t actually show much of anything about the Mando outside physically helping him in a fight.

The way they tease, in both cases, stories that exist outside the internal narrative between Ahsoka’s search for Admiral Thrawn and Boba taking over Jabba’s palace at the end of the final episode, it feels like Disney threw in mini trailers for fans to nibble on at the expense of telling the Mando’s own story and letting it stand on its own like the first season.

The choice to have these characters shoved into this season again appears to be market driven not narrative. Once more, I get that these characters are important personally to many fans, but the appearance of these characters alone DO NOT equal good storytelling.

(Me when a fan tells me “But Boba was such a badass in *obscurely titled EU book that a handful of general audiences have read*! He deserves this moment!”)

The final episode of the season is truly encapsulating of all these issues “The Mandalorian” has, however. Moff Gideon, played by the always sharp Giancarlo Esposito, has Grogu imprisoned aboard his ship. The Mando and his friends plan a rescue mission to save him and, just like nearly every episode before, it is stupidly easy for our protagonists.

The crew of five, again, walk through every Imperial on the ship. I don’t mean this metaphorically by the way, I mean this literally as Cara, Fennec, Bo Katan and Koshka Reeves (played by WWE’s Sasha Banks) without a single moment of real adversity just blast through every stormtrooper on the ship and never get hit once in the process.

A good action scene needs an element of danger, a sense that our hero might actually not come out of this alive even though we all know they will. An action scene without this has no tension and without tension it becomes booooooooring.

(Even John fucking Wick is capable of bleeding, guys...)

The finale had a chance, however, to add real stakes and danger to the scene in the form of this season’s new enemy; The Dark Troopers. These Imperial battle droids were foreshadowed as these super soldiers at the end of episode 4 and seemed to be billed as a real dangerous match for our heroes to faceup against. When the Mando finally gets himself face to face with one he finds they are not as easy to kill as the nameless stormtroopers from before. To see The Mando briefly face real adversity for a change snapped me out of my cynical mood so sharply for a moment I thought I had turned on another series by accident.

But of course, danger never lasts long in this series as The Mando’s armor again saves him first from getting pummeled to death by the droid’s super fists then he uses his plot spear, cause of course he has one of those too, to finish the job.

Danger over.

Moff Gideon doesn’t fair much better in this episode. This villain who had been built up for two seasons as this calculative monster gets stopped rather easily with Mando and his friends barely breaking a sweat. This character feels wasted because of this, even though I’m sure Giancarlo Esposito will return in the next season. He just feels about as much like a pushover as the nameless stormtroopers in this series.

The episode had one more chance though to show these Dark Troopers meant business toward the end as we found the heroes cornered on the command deck with nowhere to run and a dozen of these droids ready to blast and pound them into the floorboards. But help arrives in the form of a Deus X-Wing Machina.

Without having to face even one Dark Trooper, Luke fucking Skywalker arrives on the ship and kills every droid without breaking a sweat. It plays as inspiring in the moment but again I just found myself bored and irritated. A chance to see the series heroes actually use their wits and show their creativity in a moment of true danger thwarted to please fan boys.

I get that Grogu called out to him in episode 6 but creatively this felt like an extremley lazy way to solve the heroes’ dilemna.

(“Hello my name is Jedi. I enjoy doing...*computes script* Jedi things.”)

This season wasn’t all bad. It certainly had nice production value that made each alien world pop and beautiful to look at. Every actor and actress played their parts expertly well, with what they were given, and made for interesting characters at times. There are also nice homages to both Western and Samurai cinema throughout the season that fans of both will appreciate. And Pedro Pascal is just so good on his own, especially in tender moments with Grogu, that you forget that his character is kind of a Gary Stu.

But the main crux of the issue here that I’m trying to get across is the reason you need to remove the plot armor of your heroes is not just because action scenes need tension and stakes, it’s that when faced with danger these scenes reveal who these characters are. I used to believe that the reason Mandalorians and Jedi had such a fierce rivalry in the lore despite the obvious advantages of wielding the Force was because these famed bounty hunters were just that fucking good at killing. That despite being, on paper, normal people they had great martial prowess, athletic skill, and the tactical wit to outsmart people who can literally sense their feelings. But now with beskar and the way this series is written, it appears the Mandalorians were challenging warriors just because they happened to harness the most OP armor building material in the galaxy.

It makes you wonder how the fuck they were conquered to begin with…

(Maybe they just needed more knee rockets...)

This takes away from the mysticism of the Mandalorians for me. It makes The Mando less interesting to me in the way he fights. Yea he can shoot really good too but really it’s the armor that makes him the fighter that he is and I find that kind of boring. We occasionally get this character to remove the armor during the series, including a whole episode that was easily one of the best of the season, and in every case he’s more interesting once the helmet comes off. I get that fans hold a lot of reverence for that armor, yea it still looks really cool, but making it this impenetrable super material doesn’t add anything to the story.

If anything, it takes away from it.

(Plus how could you not love Pedro Pascal when he’s out of armor? uWu)

I wouldn’t go as far as to say I hate season 2, even though I spent 2000 plus words just now lambasting it but I guess I just want to say I am unimpressed more than anything. I feel like I’ve seen better Star Wars be it in the movies, cartoons, books, video games, etc and I’ve certainly seen better action in the franchise as well.

Considering fan reaction so far appears to be overwhelmingly positive, I am definitely in the minority here and you are welcome to enjoy this series as much as you want in spite of how unimpressed I am with the season. But considering all I have seen of this fandom the last few years, regarding complaints about fan service (“Rogue One”), easily defeated/underdeveloped bad guys (“The Last Jedi”), and Mary Sues (The sequel trilogy in general), I have to ask again what is it actually that fans like or don’t like about new entries in the franchise? It’s not that there isn’t valid criticisms there and “The Mandalorian” is enjoyable in sincere ways too but it has many of the issues I hear commonly said of more divisive entries in the Disneyverse. So why does it get a pass?

I’ve been told it’s not worth my energy to talk too derisively about the fans in one of my earlier write-ups, so I’ll leave it at that but it does make me wonder.

(“Rogue One” admittedly has a simarily self-indulgent action sequence though haha...)

Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” isn’t the worst piece of Star Wars media ever created, far from it, and for most part its solid enjoyable Saturday morning cartoon theater but if the series wants to really take steps to become more compelling in the future it might be good to stop bubble wrapping their heroes in plot armor. Literally.

Until then this is the way…I guess…

Me getting ready for the backlash...

[vaguely-concerned]

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 reactions; the ‘the sea is a harsh mistress’ edition

- on first watch this wasn’t really one of my favorite episodes. I think it’s something to do with... one of the many things I love about the mandalorian is how it made the star wars universe feel HUGE. big and surprising and unknowable, there could be fucking anything out there man we don’t know. so having first bo katan show up and then ahsoka being set up right after (quite aside from who’s rumoured to play her, which is an entirely different can of wormy beans) in additon to opening the season on tatooine... eh. I’m not that into it, it feels like shrinking the world. we haven’t even gotten to see any other type of force user yet. it is only early/mid season tho so they’re probably going to pull some unexpected twists on us 

my opinion might change with rewatches too, that happens quite a bit with this show!

- 

🎶I’VE COME TO TALK WITH YOU AGAIN🎶

honestly I had kind of a hard day yesterday and watched this the next morning and kept pointing tiredly to the crest like ‘it me tho’ 

- I was unreasonably happy about seeing the calamari flan again hahaha he’s been keeping that shit in his pockets for a season and a half now (didn’t he pay with some at one other point too?)! also the sound effects for them are SO EXCELLENT, I keep thinking about how well this show does texture which is wild considering how it’s filmed 

- the warm pat din gave frog lady’s arm when he thanked her and said goodbye 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I love the small ways he’s thawing 

-

my heart ached so much for him at this point, he just looks so small and tense and lost, like a kid who’s lost his parents in a supermarket

(he keeps his hand on the blaster the whole time too so he knows this is a bad scene but now they’re right out in the middle of the ocean already soooo) 

- din’s very very very dry sense of humour is so blessed. ‘a bowl of chowder for my friend’ faklhfsadkjlfhsadkjhfsd

the baby’s look when he poked the squid thing with his knife too -- yodito’s like ‘dad is a wizard??’ haha. some good baby & dad stuff in this one 

- oh din... side quest boy, side quest booooooyyy

- the shot when bo katan helped him out of the water is perfectly mirroring the scene of bb!din being pulled up to safety by the mandalorian in the flashback, which seems Very Intentional

I Extremely Do Not Trust Her in the larger scale tho. I think it’s important that din knows now that he was raised in a very specific offshoot of the mandalorians ant that there’s some Stuff he hasn’t been told, but I also think it’s crucial to remember that her pov is not unbiased either and she, in fact, already has an established tendency to selectively share information with him to manipulate him into fulfilling her goals. (which he realizes because he keeps saying ‘that is not my mission, my mission is the child’ and I could not love him more). hell, I’m not sure exactly how ‘the children of the watch’ were positioned within death watch, but she was fucking death watch too for the longest time! and she hardly left for particularly noble reasons, she just didn’t like maul! she already lost mandalore like twice, do we just have to trust that third time’s the charm or what! 

she lied to him about the scope of the mission to force him into a position to do what she wanted (fully knowing he’s responsible for a child!!) and she called that ‘the way’ just as easily as the thing about not letting his bravery be forgotten! big red warning lights, NO! I think the thing is that din is having to find his own ‘way’ of being mandalorian (/how does one be a person exactly help?? relatable content, and he’ll get there in the end I’m sure he’s so good), but her way is no less fucked up to me than the children of the watch from what we’ve seen so far. she’s good at killing imperials though which is of course a mark in her favour

(considering that the episode gives her the epithet ‘the heiress’... yeah that’s probably a hint that she’s loyal first and foremost to her entitlement, getting the position she considers hers by right of inheritance. guess we’ll see if the text agrees with her)  

- ‘mandalorians are stronger together’ yeah that’s probably why the cosmic balance makes sure they’re mostly engaged in being at each other’s throats lol 

- so I might be feeling kind of sketch about these guys but on the other hand... when that one lady saved the baby and then promptly took off her helmet to reveal she looks like t h i s ?

you better BELIEVE I was ready to fall down on one knee and propose right then and there holy shit

- ...wow if he didn’t have the jet pack din probably would have just sunk like a rock and drowned there huh 😨 that armour’s pretty heavy, turns out

- in happier news: din has become so good at reading what the child is expressing and responding/labeling the feeling for him! that’s so important to his development! ‘I know you’re hungry’ and both telling and showing him there’s a solution! still a bit of an issue that he thinks he can inform the baby of things like it’s a reasoned adult and have it understand, but we’re getting there we’re getting there lol

- that poor lady guiding them in for landing and sounding more and more worried fhkasjdlhfkjsdlahf (and he fucking TURNS OFF THE RADIO or whatever he’s using to talk to her through sdkfhaksdfhjs he takes a precious split second just to cut her off asfdjhaslkdfsdfhsda I love my salty dad) 

- when the fisherman asshole tells mando he knows where to find more of his people there’s the tinkling bell sound in the background music, I think it’s meant to convey almost childlike longing for belonging and connection, for finding someone who’ll know what to do? 

- when they took off their helmets and baby looked up at din like ‘???dad what the fuck? can you do that???’. (or like he just sensed his father taking a shitload of psychic damage all in one go)

- the way din didn’t start breathing again until they got the baby up from the water and he had him in his arms... the way he held him... sladfhasdklfhsjakdhfjsakldhfsakjldhfsjkadhfjaskdhfskajdhfjsdakhfslakhfskladhfsakljdhfjskadlhfkjsld

that whole scene was like a nightmare, so desperately unpleasant, in a way it mirrors the way the mandalorians have been hunted down and pummeled these last few generations, this must sort of be what it feels like to him subconsciously 

- din isn’t particularly inflexible as a person, after the initial kneejerk rejection he did listen to what they said and is carefully considering it (he did say ‘this is the way’ back at the end!)   

- the baby’s babbling when he wakes up and looks around in the beginning sounds half like ‘baba?’ and I almost had a heart attack

- loved how greasy and awful and dumb all the empire dudes were (and the comedy on board the ship too it was good for me) 

- the boob plates huh. shit they’ve shown with the armorer that they don’t have to do that in any way shape or form and they still brought the boob plates back :/ I guess it’s so they match up with the rebels/clone wars look, evoking that ~*era*~ and everything, but I don’t have to like it lol  

- I feel so validated in my theory that the razor crest is symbolic of din’s sense of self  (now with beautifully added commentary!) after this haha (and also so so scared now they might be ditching it for a new ship eventually). it’s in pieces, his world view is going to pieces and can’t be patched together the way it was before, from what he knows he’s about to deliver the baby to someone else who’ll understand/love/deserve him better (I do think that feeling is still in him) and he doesn’t even have the certainty of the code anymore to fill the void. oh buddy. 

the discomfort I felt when we got back into the cockpit -- into where it’s supposed to be familiar and safe! -- and saw all the ocean junk lying around, making it feel weird and changed and dirty (it probably smells like rotten seaweed in there now :( no likey)... I mean it was also very funny to see the pilot’s chair held together with a literal fishing net, but please favreau leave my dad’s car/ego alooooone 

- baby laughing his little bum off at din catching the small sea monster before it got him and then munching it......... the ‘there’s nothing in this world my dad can’t fix’ safe energy.......... I’m so scared we’re coming up on something din can’t fix 

- knitwear in star wars: I didn’t know I wanted it, but I am ELATED with having been given it

- moff gideon’s amazing evil voice... back in our ears, in our hearts, I gleefully hate him 

- at least din’s armour is clean again after that (awful) swim? one must appreciate some silver linings along the way I suppose

- din goes straight for the main pilot’s seat once they get the imperial out of it, so he must feel really secure that he’s probably the best man for the job; he is genuinely a good pilot! (and after this I am wondering even MORE who taught him. who raised you within the mandos din??)

- even while everything is new and scary and falling apart we can live safe in the knowledge that at least frog lady and frog husband had a good day and will have a good and happy frog life together with their frog children

couple goals tbh 

(I don’t necessarily know how it works for frog people but I uh. guess they got busy quickly huh hahaha good thing mando didn’t turn up again until later)

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Alright because clearly I haven't spammed my blog with enough posts about the Mandalorian, here are my thoughts written out.

The finale has left me very conflicted. The simple fact of the matter is there won't be a resolution to this confliction until after Season 3 premiers and I see what they're doing with it from here. It's in a very raw and tentative spot for me, because it could very easily go bad from where they left it, but upon further-further thought, I've moved beyond being largely disappointed and into more of a "I hope to God they do it right" stage.

Initially, I was thrilled with the episode. I, being mostly distant from Star Wars minus the original 6 movies (which I'm by no means obsessed with) and this show, absolutely did not call that Luke would show up--or R2, lol. Grogu's tender touch of Din's helmet, asking to see his face? Destroyed me. It was a very cathartic ending and an emotional wrecking-ball. But even in my temporary euphoria, I remember being confused as to why we didn't get to see the moment when Din and Grogu were reunited.

Then I thought about it some more, and I became...much less pleased. Why didn't Din ask to go with Grogu and Luke (or at least ask where they're going)? Why did he voluntarily give him up so easily? Why did he take off his mask in front of a room full of people and a literal stranger, thus seemingly turning away from a tenet of his Creed? I was frustrated that the narrative allowed these things to happen when the issues could have easily been avoided by having a reunion scene with Grogu and Din alone before going back to the main room and by adding a couple lines of dialogue. This left me worried that Grogu's story was over, that Din was no longer going to follow the religion he has thus far steadfastly adhered to, and that the next season would be spent having him become the reluctant ruler of Mandalore (another man-becomes-leader-against-his-will story when literally all he wanted, as he stated several times, was to save his son. And he just lost him). I felt that the show used fanservice to cover over the fact that they simply didn't have a narratively satisfying ending.

Looking at it again, not all of my issues are resolved, but I understand a bit more of why they did what they did with the story arc. In all honesty, for as much as I treasure the father-son bond between Din and Grogu, the whole plot of the show thus far has revolved around Din finding a Jedi to give Grogu to. Without that "transaction" actually occuring, the previous two seasons would have felt largely pointless. (Well, isn't the real point of the series about Din learning that Grogu is his son and that he doesn't have to give him up?) That's what I'd thought, but really, if that was the plot of the show, it should have ended after season two (with some changes to the ending). Din should've kept Grogu, and that final moment of "No, he's my kid, and he's staying with me," wouldn't leave anywhere else for things to really go, so the show could end with the "dawn of a new day" feeling of potential (where will they go from here?) and that would be curtains. It would work wonderfully as an ending, and I would have been happy with it, but we have another season (which I'm happy about). This means that the plot has to continue to move forward, and that also means honoring the plot that you've already set in motion.

Additionally, I'd like to emphasize what I've seen some people write about: ultimately, it was Grogu's choice to leave. Din refusing to let him go would be acting counter to all of what he had been trying to do--he was bound by Creed to deliver the child to one of his own kind, and that is what he did. Not only would Din refusing to let Grogu go ruin the trust they had established by denying him his choice, and also effectively invalidate the sacrifices he made on his journey (although he learned to see Grogu as his son, many of the sacrifices he made came as a direct result of attempting to fulfil his quest to deliver him to the Jedi, so refusing to do so would render those sacrifices useless to some degree), refusing to let Grogu go would also mean Din would be turning his back on his Creed. He delivered Grogu safely, and let him choose (as he chose on the Seeing Stone) to go with the Jedi.

And if Din were to go with them, there wouldn't really be much for him to do besides...stand around and watch? That's all he did when Ahsoka was working with Grogu--and that wouldn't leave any room for him to grow (nor make for an interesting show). He himself has expressed that he can't train Grogu and has always treated the situation as one that he can't participate in once he gives Grogu to the Jedi. Although they are ancient enemies, so it makes sense why he wouldn't want to just...hang around, I think it has more to do with the fact that in mentorship, you need to see your teacher as a parental figure, in a way (including in Jedi training--take Anakin and Obi Wan, for example). Din wouldn't want to be a distraction, nor would he fit in in that environment. His life wasn't nearly as fulfilling before Grogu came into it, but really, from both a character and a writing perspective, the only realistic choice is for them to part ways.

Also, it is a little short-sighted to assume that the show is only as good as the Din-Grogu bond is. We now have an opportunity to get closer to Din as an individual, which could be interesting, if they keep his character consistent. I think it would be a huge mistake not to bring Grogu back (preferably next season--maybe Ahsoka is right and he isn't good for training since he is too attached to Din? Luke delivers him at one of Din's lowest moments and we get a joyful reunion?? I would take that), but I don't think it's out of line to try to explore Din's character apart from Grogu.

In fact, it might ultimately be better. If the show can prove to us that we're not just there for the bond, but for the characters and their bonds, that's infinitely superior. And the show does need to avoid getting locked into just one thing. In branching out, it's trying to establish a stronger base for what it should build on later. It also keeps things varied, which makes them interesting.

The trouble is, where they go from here is what will determine a lot of the validity in that last statement. Changing the story entirely is a big risk, but that means the characters need to stay the same, at least largely, so that the audience feels that they are watching the same show. And some of the decisions made in the finale can go either way. When Din takes off his helmet, is he honoring his son's request, but thus putting love or emotion above his faith? Is he following his Creed by protecting his child (albeit only emotionally)? Is he turning away from his faith altogether and returning to the broken, lonely man he was before, but now without his Creed to guide him? Is he proving Bo-Katan right? Does he consider those he's with to be family (as they all just saved his child), including the Jedi stranger (because Din is giving Grogu to him, trusting him to mentor him and act as his parental figure), thus allowing him to remove his helmet by Creed? Did he not think of these things at all, and simply acted because his son is precious to him? Really, what does that decision mean for Din's character? The answer ultimately won't be known until next season. The same goes for the plot about the Darksaber. Will this end up being another reluctant-hero story (with the traits of the protagonist being reworked to fit into it), or will this be a refreshing subversion of the trope? We can't know until next year. (And don't even get me started on the "foreshadowing of Grogu as evil" stuff. We had better not see that. I don't need that angst...)

The largest source of my anxiety comes from not being able to imagine how they can work with the show from here to maintain the primary aspects of why I love it. I don't want any romance (but without Grogu, will they feel compelled to add some in?) and I don't want Din to become a typical tropey figure (but with the plot about the Darksaber being set up as it is, will they have the guts to avoid that?). Most of all, I want Din to get his son back, but to walk back that decision after only an episode or two would again make everything that came before seem rather unnecessary.

In summary, then, after oscillating wildly between conflicting emotions, I am just left to say: I can't figure out how they're going to do it, but ultimately, time spent worrying is time wasted. I have to just trust that they've got some ideas. The people in charge have proven that they know what they're doing before (Chapter 15 was excellent, for example) and although they aren't perfect, it would be premature to say it can only go downhill from here--they may well have a larger arc planned out that this proves to be an essential part of. It may well be horrible. It could be great. But for now, let's just make the most of what we have.

[thymewayster]

I...did not like the Mandalorian season 2 finale.

Or rather, I liked many moments but not the last two minutes.

***SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY***

Love Luke, his entire scene is incredibly awesome and I love seeing him, BUT like...he didn’t even introduce himself. He literally waltzed in, took Din’s son, and left without even telling Din, you know, HIS NAME or WHERE TO FIND HIM AND GROGU.

Also it was kind of a bit too deus ex machina for me. Maybe if he’d come midway through the battle of taking the ship instead of at the end

How did Luke even know where to go to find Grogu? Wouldn’t he have gone to Tython?

Din and Grogu got like, no interaction once Din saved him. Like Din defeats Gideon, and then cut to him carrying Grogu / escorting Gideon. You’re not going to show us Din and the baby finally reuniting??? They made such a huge deal about the little ball surviving and Din didn’t even give it to him??? WHY would you not have had at least a 30-second scene with Gideon handcuffed outside the cell while Din goes in, frees the baby, maybe takes off the helmet, has an emotional hug or SOMETHING, and gives the baby back the ball??

That would have been a better place for the face reveal honestly

You’re telling me that Din has now lost his covert, his ship, all his worldly possessions, and his track record of not taking off his helmet and he doesn’t even get to keep the baby??

Have we gotten any indication that Grogu actually wants to be a jedi? Because like, it’s already established how attached he is to Din, and he didn’t seem to want to stay with Ahsoka. He was reluctant to even do force-related things until Din was involved (anyone else remember him tossing aside the rock Ahsoka passed him??) But now he’s just like, cool, I know I just barely reunited with my father but now I’ve decided I’d rather go off with this jedi?

Din promised he would get Grogu out of here and he didn’t even leave the ship with Grogu

What was the point of capturing Pershing? Like is he still chilling on the Slave I or

Good things:

A+ spear vs lightsaber battle, very satisfying, wish he’d killed Gideon but I get that Cara wanted him alive and he’s okay with Bo Katan getting the killing blow

Din. Wielding. the Darksaber.

I actually think the conflict of Din vs Bo Katan regarding the darksaber has a lot of interesting potential (although why Bo Katan won’t take it as a gift now when that’s exactly what happened in Rebels is beyond me. Maybe she’s trying to make up for her failure from last time??)

I love that Din is basically Mandalor, but he is just. Not Interested.

R2D2 and Grogu interaction: Adorable

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand taking over the Tatooine crime scene: Excellent, you love to see it. (Although...is Boba replacing Din as the main character? Because I am NOT A FAN OF THAT.)

Boba Fett vs Koska Reeves

I actually loved all the Mandalorian interactions at the start. 

Assuming season 3 is setting up a lot of darksaber/Mandalore conflict, and I am super into that, but like...I am so confused what they are doing now for season 3

Boba Fett:

While I would have loved to see him interact with Luke, I think it’s hilarious he’s the only one not there. Whatever happened to guaranteeing the child’s safety? He just kind of peaced out. I guess he came back later to pick them up?

Flat-out cheered when I saw Fett sit on the crime throne

But like again...is season 3 all about Boba now?? Because listen, I love Boba Fett, but like...I like Din more.

Listen, I had seen the movies but I only vaguely cared about Star Wars. Then I saw the first three episodes of the Mandalorian, and I was HOOKED and then I sunk deep into the shows and auxiliary Star Wars stuff. And the idea that Din is effectively sidelined now makes me just kind of...lose interest in the entire franchise.

Basically, the only way I could find any satisfaction in any of this is if season 3 has Din pick up Grogu from Luke before the theme song even plays. Grogu’s learned how to control his powers a bit better, and now he can help protect his dad while they go out on bounty hunting missions, or possibly helping Bo Katan retake Mandalore, or possibly fighting against Bo Katan for control of Mandalore. (And by that I mean, Bo Katan just constantly following Din, trying to duel him for the Darksaber. Meanwhile Din is just constantly like, I didn’t ask for this, please stop trying to kill me.)

[toxicfunkylittlecrazy]

The Mandalorian: Chapter 16

Okay here goes because I CANNOT FUCKING CONTAIN MY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW. tHIS FINAL EPISODE OF THE SEASON WAS EVERYTHING AND I AM STILL SCREAMING. 

Screaming spoilers beyond the line.

Okay so it’s going to be just about the last 10 minutes because honestly this is why I am screaming about. The whole fucking episode was aMAZING and omg how did they do it in just 40 minutes wTF it felt like one of the original movies like it does feel like it takes place there but with better vfx if that’s even possible because the original trilogy was aces for being in the late 70s and 80s but that’s another subject. 

This is not at all an objective review or post because I cannot stop thinking about how fucking gOOD THIS IS

AN ALL GIRL TEAM LEADING THE CHARGE AND TAKING THE WHOLE SHIP BY THEMSELVES?! OMFG BRILLIANT!!!!! THE WHOLE THING WITH THE SABER??? Haven’t caught up with Rebels or Clone Wars but I saw enough seasons to understand what Bo-Katan’s mission was and why her obsession with it and poor Din just being like “Take it” and not understanding a thing about how it works and Moff just taunting her, it surprises me how she didn’t kill him right there and then and omg it has so many potential for the next season I get so excited just thinking about it. 

But what really started this whole post is the last 10 minutes... The structure of that moment was so fucking spectacular *chef’s kiss* it’s so overdone but it gets me everytime because that is motherfuckin good storytelling. I know I give Jon Favreau a lot of shit but that man has it nail down. He’s slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite screenwriters (And director even tho he didn’t directed this one that was all the brilliance of Peyton Reed which wOW! ant man anyone????)  The overdone beautiful perfect storytelling im talking about is the “All seems lost” or “The Darkest Hour” memory serves me so bad right now but I’ve studied it in film school and I’ve seen it in enough films to know what’s coming. Now it may seem that what happens next its an ex-machina but it isn’t at least this doesn’t feel like this to me! 

We’ve made theories since the episode with Ahsoka when she says “There aren’t many Jedi left” we knew, we felt, we prayed and we hoped. Every indication was pointing towards him and still the minute it as announced the ship approaching was an X-Wing I knew. I’ve been let down so many times with endings of tv-shows and movies that I no longer held hope that he would show up but they said X-Wing and I knew it!!! 

Then the black cape, the green lightsaber! (though the first time the light saber appeared on screen it was white I knew that once the shot followed him it was going to be green) the black glove on the right hand, and the skills!! I never doubted for a second that it was Luke the one that came to save them. 

bUT THE WHOLE SEQUENCE OF LUKE DESTROYING THE DARK TROOPERS!! Was it just me or did it look like Darth Vader killing off every rebel in that last shot in Rogue One? Because it fucking looked like that, black cape and all and oh mY FUCKING GOD IT WAS BRILLIANT!! I can’t wait to see the gifs and the comparisons. 

AND THE WHOLE ENDING FUCKING DESTROYED ME! GROGU ASKING PERMISSION FROM HIS DAD!!! SOFT DIN TAKING OFF HIS HELMET AND FUCKING CRYING!!!!! THE BEBE BEING SO FUCKING CUTE WHEN HE FINALLY SAW HIS DAD’S FACE AND CARESSED IT SO SOFTLY??? MAN!! And just to make sure I was dead they show R2!!! COME ONN!!!! YOU KNOW HOW SOFT THAT LOOKED?!?!?!?! Luke (and Moff) recognizing the bond Grogu and Din have towards each other gives me feelings that I cannot write comprehensibly. It was just so goddamn beautiful. 

Now here comes a controversial opinion... 

I wouldn’t mind if the child doesn’t appear anymore... I LOVE HIM, I started watching because of the bebe but hear me out. I know it’s not going to be the last we see of him but I wouldn’t be bothered if we don’t see him again, because their story has been told. DIN FUCKING FULFILLED HIS PROMISE! He was charged with returning the child with his own kind and Luke is that, Luke can train him and we know how that can go. (And how it ended unfortunately) I might change my mind later and I am sad to see them apart of course I am sad, but right now, half an hour after I stopped crying watching the last episode I can tell you, I wouldn’t mind if the child never shows up in an episode again. Now, you take Din out of the show then that’s a big fucking mistake buddy. We saw Din changing so much through these last two seasons and it was because of Grogu. He’ll be forever thankful for that and like the absolute best father that he is he won’t let anyone stand in the way of him visiting his son, alright? Not even Luke Skywalker. akjsdfa

Okay I’m soft, I feel like I’ve got a lot to say still but this is all I can write right now. For me, I doubt anyone would read this lol but I’ve got no one to talk about this brilliant A+ show, it was just perfect!