Welcome back to the blog readers. As you are already aware, I am a big fan of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, and I have been ecstatic that the third season is finally here. I enjoyed last week's episode, and it got us right back into the swing of things, not like we were gone for over 2 years. So what did I think of this week's episode, called "Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore," written by Jon Favreau, and directed by Rachel Morrison? Stick around to find out.
NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.
I always thought that the history and culture of Mandalore was fascinating, and we get a lot of that in this jam-packed episode. It was such a fun ride from start to finish, as we got a bit of action, a bit of character development, a whole lot of Grogu cuteness (as we should be getting), and a bit of backstory for Bo-Katan. This isn't really a show with too many compelling performances, but Katie Sackhoff is murdering it as Bo-Katan this season. She has a whole lot to do, and I love that she is getting so much screen time. From simple expressions to her line delivery, she is putting in some compelling work here.
I think the real meat of this episode is how much lore it adds to the mythos of all Mandalorians we have seen throughout the galaxy so far. we weren't on Mandalore too much throughout Star Wars media, but it pains me to see a once beautiful planet destroyed like this. It is a shame knowing the Empire was so ruthless (as seen in Andor) that they would demolish and ransack an entire planet to show their dominance. And it sucks that the planet they once helped to defend as the Republic is the one chosen for destruction. We don't get much in the way of explanation as to why though, other than a quick mention of the Empire wanting to punish the Mandalorians.
I love how Din is so dedicated to his mission to bathe in the living waters of Mandalore, but it seemed a few times like he was putting himself and Grogu in danger: from the initial interaction in the cave with those yeti-looking creatures to him getting captured by the M.O.D.O.K/Terminator wannabe thing. And it was nice to actually see someone listen to Pedro Pascal when he asks for help (If you have watched The Last of Us, you know exactly what I'm talking about). And I especially love how Grogu got some licks in as well in this episode. He is coming into his own and I love every second of it.
Grogu basically gets two tours of the civic center and the mines of Mandalore, one from Mando and one from Bo-Katan, and someone pointed out that he is basically getting the perspective of two different sources: one who grew up on the stories about Mandalore, and one who actually lived through it. It is a nice juxtaposition and could be the basis for the theory that I presented to you guys last week. I hope so, at least.
I love how Mando has basically embraced being Grogu's dad, and I am here for it. Their interactions are warm and you feel a sense of wonder in Grogu's eyes. When Mando is telling Grogu about the Mandalore system, you can truly feel that we're looking at a father teaching his young child about the world and how dangerous it can be if caution is not taken.
Going back on Mando's journey, it was a nice touch to see that Mando could not save himself this time, and had to rely on someone else to help him. When that M.O.D.O.K-looking thing had his back to the wall, he realized that he needs help and was willing to risk Grogu to get help. Can we also talk about Bo-Katan wielding that Darksaber though? She was handling that puppy clean as a whistle.
Bo-Katan kind of goes on her own little arc in this episode, at first believing that Mandalore was a cursed planet and that there was nothing there, but boy her entire mindset gets rocked in a short amount of time. So much so when she sees the legendary and fabled Mythosaur in the living waters. I wonder if Mando saw the beast as well. If he did, then maybe his faith in the creed will be strengthened. I know now that Bo-Katan's faith is after that.
The Mandalorian has become must-watch television again, and there are still 6 episodes left if you can believe it. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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