Disney Plus The Mandalorian
The third episode of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus was amazing, and viewers are guaranteed to be talking about it for the next week until Episode 4 airs. The episode didn’t have the same amount of humor that we saw in Episodes 1 and 2, but some of the scenes that did happen were so unexpected and so beautiful (in a Western-meets-scifi kind of way) that they gave me chills. And of course, there was a certain adorable baby who stole quite a few scenes. Read on for a review and recap of The Mandalorian Episode 3. This article will have major spoilers for the third episode.
Disney’s The Mandalorian has exceeded my expectations so far, and episode three was no exception. From the moment the theme music that I’ve begun to love started playing, I knew I was in for another treat. Tonight’s episode was 38 minutes long, which was closer to the 40 minutes we enjoyed in the premiere. They packed every minute and accomplished so much in the episode, it felt like an hour-long presentation to me.
From the start, I just knew that Mando wasn’t going to give Baby Yoda away — at least not permanently.
Disney
There’s no way he could turn his back on the baby and hand it over to the old Imperial leader. But at first he did, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But I quickly surmised that he would be getting better armor and would come back for Baby Yoda. Even though I expected (and hoped) for it, there were still enough unexpected moments to keep me on the edge of my seat.
We Were Treated to a Deeper Look at the Mandalorian Culture
Disney Plus
I didn’t expect the other Mandalorians to be so angry about what he was doing. One of them said all the Beskar he brought back had been taken by the Empire during the Purge that wiped out their people and forced them into hiding. Now they must live underground, raising foundlings who will one day carry on their culture. They only surface one at a time to not reveal their location or numbers. And they believed that Mando was working with their enemy.
I loved the deeper look we got at the Mandalorian culture today. We learned a little more about the Purge, we learned that they have a high standard of ethics, and they’re united in the common cause of restoring their people. And it really is true that they never take off their helmets. Mando said he’s never removed his and never let anyone else remove his. (How do they eat? This question briefly came to mind, but I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.)
After Mando got his amazing new armor (and I don’t think I’ve ever found armor so intriguing before), he couldn’t just move on. He had to save Baby Yoda.
The Stormtrooper Fight Did Not Disappoint
We got some vague hints about their plans for the baby, when we saw the Imperial leaders talking about some higher power who wanted the baby alive, and how they needed to “extract” something from it. (Maybe they are extracting the Force or Midi-chlorians?) Whatever they were talking about, the show quickly treated us to an old-fashioned shootout between Mando and the Stormtroopers. I figured he would win because the Stormtroopers are notoriously a bad shot. But they gave him a pretty good run for his money.
But Mando bested them in a pretty major way.
It was a great Western-type scene that did not disappoint. I think the last time a scifi TV series really took on the Western feel was Firefly, which I also loved. The Mandalorian fills a lot of that Western-scifi void that Firefly left. (Obviously Westworld also has a Western feel, but it’s a completely different type of show.)
What I did not expect was for all the trackers to reactivate once he took Baby Yoda away. And if you thought the Western-style fighting with the Stormtroopers was tough, well that was just the prologue to a bigger fight with all the bounty hunters.
The Bounty Hunter Fight Was an Old-Fashioned Western Shootout with a Beautiful Plot Twist
It was interesting to see Mando’s morality conflict with the Guild’s ethics. But once he made up his mind to save Baby Yoda, he wasn’t going to waver again. He chose not to trust them by negotiating for the baby, but fought his way out. And when all seemed lost, we were treated to what might just be the most enjoyable deus ex machina scene that I’ve seen.
seeing those Mandalorians fly in live action was insaneeeee #TheMandalorian
All the Mandalorians with their Boba-Fett-like jetpacks came out from hiding to save one of their own, to stand behind him in support now that he was taking a stand against the very people that had played a role in purging them. It was a beautiful scene. They gave up a lot to help Mando and Baby Yoda.
#TheMandalorian #TheMandalorianSpoilers
Ok but seeing all those Mandalorians fighting together with THOSE weapons just like TCW times was mind blowing 😭
But in the words of their culture: “This is the way.”
And I can guarantee that “This is the way” is the new trending meme this coming week.
If you thought that was the best way to end the episode, well, Disney thought of an even better way.
That ending to the 3rd episode of #TheMandalorian 🥺😍
As Mando was flying away with Baby Yoda, he gave the baby a piece of the ship to play with. It was the same piece that, in the beginning of the episode, Mando had taken away from Baby Yoda. “That is not a toy,” he said sternly. But now he’s giving it to Baby Yoda to play with. Mando’s view of Baby Yoda has changed. He’s in it for the long haul now, and he’s going to make sure that the baby’s future is secured.
Disney
The episode was engaging, adorable, and it had a beautiful ending as the Mandalorians came together to save one of their own. I couldn’t have asked for more, and I can’t wait until next week. I’m glad I stayed up late to watch this one.