Since its debut 2019 debut, the Disney+ original The Mandalorian has captivated Star Wars fans both young and old, as it takes them through the adventures of Din Djarin (The Mandalorian), played by Pedro Pascal, and his foundling, Grogu, who is more commonly referred to as Baby Yoda. 

Season 3 follows  Mando’s journey with fellow Mandalorian Lady Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackoff) to retake their home planet of Mandalore. Lady Kryze is tasked by The Armorer (Emily Swallow) to reunite the two rivaling clans of Mandalorians, who have been “scattered like stars in the galaxy” and execute one of the biggest missions in their history: retaking their home planet of Mandalore. This already complicated task becomes even more treacherous when it is (once again) discovered that Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is alive and using Mandalore to research cloning, mine Beskar, and create a new army of super troopers with the strongest Beskar-alloy armor, wielding high powered pistols, knives, and jetpacks. Not to mention, he also gave himself an extremely strong, robot-like suit made of, you guessed it, Beskar. Now, it is up to the two rival clans to put their differences aside and fight to regain their home planet after the Empire’s purge.

I can bring you in warm…

Season 3 of The Mandalorian is widely enjoyed by fans. It received an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is less than the 93% both seasons 1 and 2 received but still a high rating nonetheless. 

First, it answered several burning questions from Star Wars fans. “How did Moff Gideon get the Darksaber?” Bo-Katan explains how Gideon promised to spare the lives of the Mandalorians in return for the Darksaber but double crossed her and kept the weapon. “What makes the Living Waters so special?” While the waters themselves may not be living, the Mythosaur living beneath them sure is. “Is Mandalore cursed?” It is not. The atmosphere is breathable, people have been living on the planet for years, and there are even some beautiful underground gardens. Season 3 also took a dive into the memories of Grogu, which revealed he was rescued from the Jedi Temple by Jedi Knight Kelleran Beq (Ahmed Best) during Order 66.

While Star Wars is famous for its iconic and catchy score, something was different about this Ludwig Göransson project. Every episode started with an epic reprise of the original theme that grabbed the watchers’ attentions if they were not already hooked. Göransson also blessed the watchers and listeners with one of the best, most intimidating villain themes since that of Darth Vader himself with Moff Gideon’s theme. Complemented by stunning CGI visuals and beautifully choreographed fight scenes, season 3 may have been one of the most aesthetically pleasing seasons of any live action Star Wars installment.

…or I can bring you in cold:

While season 3 was viewed as an overall success by a majority of fans, there are plenty who believe the exact opposite. And while the former group have many reasons to enjoy the newest episodes, the latter also has its reasons to be upset.

While the final episode of the season was enjoyable, it felt very predictable. After his escape from captivity, Din Djarin and Grogu follow the basic action movie template of the “Hero vs Villain” fight. They sneak around the lair, find something they were not supposed to (Moff Gideon’s supply of clones) and destroy it, and enter a large room in which the door closes behind them, locking them in and forcing them to fight. Some spice is added to the fight, however, when the Praetorian Guards seem to have Grogu cornered and on the verge of death. Bo-Katan swoops in to fight Gideon herself, allowing Din to escape and helping to save Grogu’s life by killing the guards. In their fight, Gideon destroys the Darksaber (and Bo-Katan’s hand), and it seems that all is lost until Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) crashes the burning lightcruiser into the imperial base. The flames swallow Gideon, most likely not killing him, and Grogu uses the force to protect Mando, Bo-Katan, and himself from the flames. The Mandalorians retake their home planet, as the two rival clans now seemingly live in harmony. Din Djarin officially adopts Grogu as his son, giving him the name Din Grogu in order for him to be eligible to walk the way of the Mandalore. They return to Navarro, where now High Magistrate Greef Karga grants them a deed to live on Navarro, but not before Mando decides to ask for a job with the New Republic. The final ten minutes of the episode felt very cheesy, and they would make a very disappointing end to the show should this be the last season. While it is confirmed that this will not be the last time fans see the Mandalorian, this would be a terrible way to end such an iconic show.

While many questions were answered this season, just as many questions were either left unanswered or created just to be seemingly abandoned. Why did the New Republic not pursue the Mandalorians if evidence pointed to them helping Gideon escape? (Obviously, they did not, but what caused the New Republic to fully back off?). Who are “The Spies” mentioned in the title of episode 7? What happened to Dr. Pershing Kamino (Omid Abtahi)? How much training did Luke and Grogu complete? And most frustratingly, to both the fans and the members of the Shadow Council, what is taking Grand Admiral Thrawn so long to return? This will not be the last fans see of the Mandalorian, but apart from the new video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, this will be the last Star Wars fans will see until the release of the series Ahsoka in August of this year, meaning most of these questions will go unanswered for several months.

I have spoken.

Despite its flaws, season 3 of The Mandalorian is worth a watch for any Star Wars fan. As the Rotten Tomatoes reviews would suggest, seasons 1 and 2 of the Disney+ original are more satisfying watches than the latest season, but this does not undermine the highs of season 3, which will segue perfectly into the upcoming stories of Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and, of course, the new leader of Mandalore, Bo-Katan Kyrze. Finishing this season may leave a bad, unfinished taste in the watcher’s mouth, but rest assured, more Star Wars will be on the way, and all the burning questions posed by fans will be answered. As always, in true Mandalorian fashion, this is the way.