The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Boring, predictable chapter

❘ Published: 2023-03-15T10:43:15

❘ updated: 2023-03-15T10:43:23

If that’s the case, I don’t want it: With Episode 3, The Mandalorian Season 3 has revealed its glaring shortcomings when it takes the story away from Mando and Co.

The first two episodes of the new season were a bit unsuccessful. Especially coming from the heights of Andor and his prestigious, mature treatment of Star Wars, it’s hard to shake the zero gravity of Din (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu’s adventures, even if they’re still an irresistible space daddy-and-son -Duo are.

After that lore bombshell in Episode 2’s closing moments, don’t look forward to Episode 3 addressing it or delving deeper into the living waters of Mandalore.

While we catch up with Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) in the immediate aftermath of their journey to the supposedly cursed planet, we spend most of our time with someone else: Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi), who used to serve as Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).

A rushing, exciting dogfight

We pick up right where we left off with Bo-Katan and Din sitting on the banks of the living waters. Bo-Katan asks Din if he saw “something alive” down there – aka an actual mythosaur in flesh that could confirm the prophecy of a new age of Mandalore – but he didn’t.

Disney+

As they set off, they are ambushed by a squadron of Imperial interceptors, starting a dogfight full of ships howling along the cliffs and cool explosive maneuvers that will have you nodding in satisfaction. When it comes to set pieces on the small screen, fans get fed up – Din even gets his own Batwing moment.

The sequence culminates with a huge backup squadron bombing Bo-Katan’s home on Kalevala. Her reflex is to retaliate, but Din persuades her to retreat and jump into hyperspace, “to a place where they won’t find us”.

dr Pershing returns in Episode 3 of The Mandalorian Season 3

The episode moves to Coruscant, where Dr. Pershing was accepted into the Amnesty program, an initiative reintegrating former members of the Empire into life under the New Republic. As he gives a speech about his past research and how simple organ cloning could have saved his mother and others like her, a familiar face appears in the crowd: Elia Kane (Katy M. O’Brian), an Imperial Communications Officer last seen in Season 2.

Afterwards, Pershing is congratulated and greeted by many high-profile residents of Coruscant before making his way to Amnesty Housing. There he meets some other amnesty officials, including Elijah. At first Pershing is surprised to see her and clearly balks at being around her, but over a few drinks (and some delicious-looking travel cookies) they soon become friends.

We also get a little tidbit that will bite Din in later episodes: Moff Gideon is believed to have escaped en route to the court-martial, but some say he was linked to a mind flayer (more on that later).

The block of flats looks strange very much like how Syril Karn lived with his mother in Andor, and his workplace looks exactly like his post under the Empire after his initial attempt to capture Cassian went awry. Whether this resemblance is intentional or not is unclear.

The Mandalorian is not Andor

The main tension of the episode is Pershing’s inner conflict: he is grateful to have been forgiven for working for the Empire and is willing to “do anything that is asked of him”, but he cannot continue his previous research release (for those who forgot, he wanted to study Grogu and draw blood from him to experiment with his high M number).

Here’s the thing: That style of storytelling has never been The Mandalorian’s forte, and Abtahi’s character doesn’t have enough to carry the best part of an entire episode. His day-to-day struggles with New Republic ways, his budding (but always suspicious) friendship with Kane, and his eventual decision to leave his perimeter to scavenge Imperial gear from a junkyard — all of this is so obvious from the get-go, but this Screenplay is not dense or layered enough to create real suspense.

Disney+

After being chased by a droid train driver in perhaps one of the least exciting scenes of Star Wars – it’s a small thing, but there’s no sense of how fast this train goes when they jump from behind – they make it to the Scrapyard and pack some supplies. Unfortunately, as we all knew, there’s a twist: when they’re arrested by New Republic officers, Kane turns out to be one of them.

Pershing wakes up while being prepared for the Mind Flayer treatment, renamed the Six-O-Two-Mitigator under the New Republic. No, it’s not the Stranger Things monster — it’s essentially electroshock therapy that, at low voltages, can “soothe traumatic memories.” However, Kane has no intention of making it easy for Pershing – she cranks the power to the max, which can completely screw his mind.

Before the episode ends, we catch up with Din, Bo-Katan, and Grogu as they arrive at the Children of the Guard home in Concordia. They are greeted by a cocky, cynical Kaz Vizsla, who refuses to believe they have bathed in the living waters of Mandalore. Din gives the Armorer his vial and he is quickly proved right, and despite Bo-Katan’s personal troubles with the cult, she is initiated into the ways of the Way. As her Mandalorians welcome her, she beholds a silver mythosaur skull—the prophecy awaits.

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 Rating score: 2/5

Overwhelming, unexciting, and even frustrating – with Episode 3, The Mandalorian abandons what it does best to explore the downfall of a character nobody cares about.

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episodes 1-3 are streaming now on Disney+. Here you can sign up. You can also check out our other coverage of the show here.

Please note that we may earn a small affiliate commission if you click on a product link on this page.