Every time an episode of The Mandalorian lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on the twenty-fourth episode – Chapter 24: The Return. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Jen Sopchockchai
As this finale unfolded, it became clearer and clearer to me that I had drastically overthought what could or would happen in the finale. I had spent most of my review last week, after all, theorizing about who could be the spy in the Mandalorian ranks. Would the Armorer turn against Bo? Who would secretly try to undermine the reclamation of Mandalore? The answer was no one. No one betrayed anyone else in this episode. They all sincerely worked together to defeat Moff Gideon and reclaim Mandalore. During her electrifying duel with Moff Gideon, Bo-Katan grits her teeth and says, “Mandalorians are stronger together.” She openly rejects the narrative Moff Gideon has crafted for her — the narrative that she once believed herself.
Considering hat every single Mandalorian faction or family did their part to win the day, this finale had a much more wholesome agenda than I ever would have expected. Then again, that shouldn’t be a surprise; a strong sense of hope and renewal is classic Star Wars. I especially loved that we ended with a mirror image of the scene with which we opened the season, ending on Mandalore, with Ragnar completing his pledge of The Creed in The Living Waters, just as Bo-Katan told Din she did as a child. These bookend scenes show us just how far the Mandalorians have come this season, from stars scattered across the galaxy to a hundred hammers ringing in unison.
I typically try to avoid comparing Star Wars to Marvel because, while I love both franchises, I like to think of them as unique and special in their own way. I’ve also said, though, that Marvel fans — myself included! — have to slow their roll with theorizing. We’re doing this to ourselves — overthinking the possibilities and then being disappointed when the answer was simple and straightforward. I still feel a little bit of that over-thinking sting here, in realizing how uncomplicated the story actually was. I set my own expectations going into the finale, and, however reasonable that was based on what we got last week, it’s still a dangerous undertaking that can interfere with someone’s enjoyment of a show. Irresponsible speculation is a favorite pastime of mine, and I often have to remind myself that this is just the cost of doing business when theorizing and predicting is your trade.
As I process my reactions to this season finale, I can’t help but see this as another step Star Wars takes towards becoming more like Marvel. There are certainly signs that this is how Disney and all the creators working within both production ecosystems have been conceptualizing the franchise’s future as well. We can’t forget what Jon Favreau was most known for a decade before he partnered up with Dave Filoni to create The Mandalorian: directing the very first Iron Man film in 2008. I could easily argue that his great work in Iron Man launched the MCU and forever changed franchise film — and now serialized — storytelling.
One of the three films announced at the recent Star Wars Celebration was for a film helmed by Dave Filoni that, according to StarWars.com, “will focus on the New Republic, and close out the interconnected stories told in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and other Disney+ series.” This sounds exactly like the technique that Marvel has had so much success with in the film space: telling individual stories focusing on specific characters, but then coordinating the plots of those individual stories to build towards a “crossover event” that potentially pulls them all together. That is, heroes like Thor or Captain America get their own individual films, but then every once in a while all those characters converge into an Avengers film.
To me, this is the model Star Wars seems to have planned for all the Disney+ series: Din Djarin, Grogu and this group of Mandalorians get their own story, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand get their own story, and Ahsoka and the Rebels crew get their own story. Even though it takes place much earlier, I might even add Andor to the mix here because we see a flash of an older Mon Mothma’s anxious face in the new Ahsoka trailer. And you could argue that even though they’re a part of The Mandalorian, The Amnesty Program on Coruscant and Carson Teva with The Adelphi Rangers of The New Republic are their own narrative threads as well. Oh, and we can’t forget series that haven’t even started yet, like Skeleton Crew, a Goonies in space style series starring Jude Law that takes place during the same period as The Mandalorian. By MCU logic, all these characters will join together in one culminating film to fight a common enemy, who will almost certainly be Grand Admiral Thrawn, whose absence was the main topic of conversation for Moff Gideon and the rest of the Shadow Council last week. (See, there I go speculating again…)
Perhaps, then, we can view Season 3 of The Mandalorian as a microcosm of Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU. We did, after all, take disparate groups of Mandalorians and “assembled” them together to fight Moff Gideon. This begs the question: will Star Wars, years from now, feel more like the end of Phase 3 or more like Phase 4 of the MCU? This is not to say that this finale didn’t bring me pure joy — it absolutely did. As I mentioned early on in this review, the conclusion of Bo-Katan’s arc, ending with redemption and victory, was extremely satisfying to me, even though I am a little sad that the Darksaber is toast now — RIP one of the coolest weapons in Star Wars. But what put me over the moon was the moment when Grogu unexpectedly saunters up to Din in his IG-12 mech so they can team up against Moff Gideon.
I’ve heard so many critics of this season citing Din and Grogu as the core, the soul of this show, complaining that there are stretches of this season that lose sight of that fact. Here, though, Din and Grogu’s inseparable bond is stronger than ever as Din tells Grogu that he’s going to have to be brave because they have to defeat Moff Gideon once and for all to be able to have the life together that they want. Grogu coos in acknowledgement and one of the best action sequences in all of Star Wars ensues. I actively fought back tears when the camera cut to reveal that Grogu had used the Force to create a protective bubble around himself, Din, and Bo-Katan. I think if I hadn’t been successful, I could have gone full ugly cry. This was such a clever use of editing because when I saw Moff Gideon engulfed in flames, I immediately worried about our Mandalorian trio, and there was just enough time for me to get excited that perhaps Grogu had saved them.
What’s more, the father-son relationship between Din and Grogu progresses in a major way by the end of this episode. Maybe it’s all too much to cram in at the end, but at least now it is clear that there was a central arc for these two all season — Grogu’s journey from founding to apprentice, and Din getting to the point at which he can formally claim Grogu as his son. Call me sentimental, but the “Din Grogu” naming bit had me hook, line, and sinker. (Though I did pause to think, wait, does that mean Din is Mando’s last name???) And that final shot of Din reclining on their new Nevarro porch while Grogu quietly catches frogs to eat could not have made me a happier fan of this series. Much like The Bad Batch, which also recently concluded a season, it’s all about fighting tyranny to, as Rose Tico says in The Last Jedi, “save what we love.” Who we love. To try to get to that quiet yard on Nevarro. To try to get to that idyllic seaside on Pabu.
Whatever the future of Star Wars storytelling holds — no matter how smoothly this series, along with newer series, and eventually newer films converge and collide — as long as creators can hold onto these character moments and remember that they are the beating heart of this franchise, it’ll all be okay.
(This is condensed and edited – with permission – from Jen’s The Long Take review, which you can subscribe to here)
Ross Hollebon
“The Return” is more than an episode title for the Season 3 finale of The Mandalorian, it is another smart, layered storytelling choice. I loved this 35+ minute tale of excitement and action so much more on my second – or return – viewing.
The title struck chords of quickening memories, flooding my mind with feelings from Return of the Jedi in 1983—as the fandom embarks on celebrations of that film’s 40th anniversary. Those days of my anxious, smaller hands puppeteering Kenner’s Wave 1 Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight Outfit) to take out a Gamorrean Guard came back to me. So I simplified my approach to this review.
I set aside theories and the trap of overthinking how every moment and decision could be tied to some other element of the Star Wars galaxy. My eight-year-old self empowered my current self to figuratively (pun not initially intended but embraced) stage my Hasbro Black Series characters for an epic battle and cheer as this action adventure unfolds to retake Mandalore.
The Mandalorians jetpacking back into the depths of their former city to vanquish Moff Gideon and his remnant Imperial forces, consisting of Beskar-clad Dark Troopers, was glorious. The hero moments for Bo-Katan Kryze and The Armorer seem like they could be straight out of a child’s imagination while orchestrating fun with a large collection of toys.
Din Djarin is rescued by Grogu, in his personal IG-12 fortress of yes and no, before they move to confront Gideon. The stakes rise as Bo-Katan joins the fray for redemption against the Imperial Mandophile who betrayed her and her people previously, leaving her friend to help Grogu against the three Praetorian Guards. More action figures, hand-to-hand combat, including the destruction of the Darksaber.
The “good guys” team up to thwart the “bad guys,” aided by Axe Woves plunging the massive burning cruiser capital ship into the Imperial remnant base. The devastating fireball from the crash appears to engulf everyone in its path, including Gideon. Everyone, that is, except Grogu, Din, and Bo-Katan—who are protected by the young Force user’s shield. I always found a way to make sure my favorite figures survived too.
With the action complete, it’s time to put away my toys and get back to my adult fan self reflecting on what it all means at face value.
The return to Mandalore is now real. The Living Waters are used to ceremoniously initiate Ragnar Vizsla to the Creed, the first of a new generation of “home-grown” Mandalorians. This is followed by Din officially adopting Grogu, recognized by the Armorer and written into song, so the newly-named Din Grogu can become an apprentice. And it is hinted that the smallest Mandalorian may have a connection with the Mythosaur (get to work on this figure, Haslab!) slowly waking from its extended slumber below.
The heart of Mandalorian culture is re-ignited as the Armorer hands Bo-Katan a torch to bring The Great Forge back to life. We also learn that the small pirate band of Mandos planted and cultivated farms of old species indigenous to Mandalore, nurturing regrowth. Like most aspects of Mandalorian culture, “All they need is room to grow.”
Din Djarin and Din Grogu are presented with their own space to grow at a new home on Nevarro and may be provided with opportunities for adventure thanks to a quick meeting with Captain Carson Teva of the New Republic.
And now the next return I’ll eagerly await is that of Season 4—as I collect a few more figures in the meantime.
Jonathan Hipkiss
The relationship between Mando and Grogu remains the heartbeat of this show and continues to provide powerhouse moments of emotional intensity. Grogu’s training with Luke finally paid off as his force-powers were imagined here is spectacular fashion. Din officially adopting Grogu as his son was incredibly heart-warming and this was Star Wars at its emotional best….a story of love between step-dad and son.
Dan LoI’ll get straight to the point. The season three finale of The Mandalorian was one big action set piece that was nothing short of spectacular. As far as how I personally enjoy Star Wars, I couldn’t have asked for too much more: We got a space battle, a huge midair skirmish between Mandalorians and Imperials, a well-choreographed energy blade duel, a myriad of close quarters fight scenes, clones, and a dash of droid humor. We even got some Force usage courtesy of Grogu, who saved the day like a miniature green Moses parting a sea of red flames. I also appreciated the visual nods to the original and prequel trilogies, as well as retroactive foreshadowing of the sequels. It was truly a fun ride packed with cinematic-caliber visual effects. The look of live action flying Mandalorians has well and truly been perfected. Have they always been able to fly in space? I could watch TIE Interceptors deploying from their hangars all day. Dual pistols and shiny Mandalorian armor? Always a winning combination. It all had smiling ear to ear from beginning to end.
Was it all perfect? Not exactly, but it hardly ruined the fun for me. For the sake of a complete review, here are a few minor gripes: IG-12/Grogu spontaneously showing up to rescue Din Djarin was strangely convenient, considering we last saw him escape with the other Mandalorians who didn’t seem to notice that he had gone missing. The apparent ease and swiftness of Din Djarin’s escape in the opening minutes made his capture at the end of the previous episode feel trivial in hindsight. He may as well not have been captured at all. A fleet of Gauntlet starfighters completely missing a squadron of TIE Interceptors that nearly flew through the same bit of clouds just moments apart made for a cool shot, but at the cost of believability. I liked R5-D4’s role (and the fact that he could fly!) in this episode, but allowing a mouse droid to interrupt his task of opening shields seemed unreasonable. What can a mouse droid possibly do anyway? As it turned out, not much. Grogu has always looked great while sitting or standing in one place, but still came across as a bit awkward while walking, running, or jumping around. And just like that, Mandalorian flight was restored with unlimited range again. Not an issue strictly within this episode, but it retroactively made a bunch of jetpacks sputtering out earlier in the season feel as strange as guns running out of bullets in a John Woo movie. And, well, there’s the Mandalorian surface portrayed in The Volume again.
Is it anti-climatic at this point to wonder if Gideon was actually killed? If so, his character has definitely served a purpose: From his connection to (and now destruction of) the Darksaber to proof of concept that creating force-sensitive clones is indeed possible. However, he was wearing Mandalorian armor at the time of his apparent demise, and Star Wars characters have historically had a knack for making highly improbable comebacks with far less protection. On the other hand, Gideon is indeed out of the picture by the time the sequel trilogy rolls around and Thrawn still needs to make his re-appearance. Time will tell if the galaxy is big enough for the both of them.
Since I have a bit of space left on this proverbial piece of paper, I’ll share some quick thoughts about the season. As a whole, I found this latest set of eight chapters to be entertaining and compelling. However, like most live action Star Wars TV shows that have come before it, season three of The Mandalorian suffered from an uneveness in quality and feel. The writing, visual effects, and production values were at times all over the map and it’s sometimes puzzling to me how it all made it into the same show. As Andor has demonstrated, a bit of consistency can really go a long way. On the other hand, it’s also made much more tolerable when I view the show as a giant experimental sandbox in which the limits of new ideas and technology are put to the test. While there were moments and even entire storylines that probably could have been left out, there were also some noticeable improvements in other aspects made over the previous seasons as well. It’s also interesting to speculate on how the rest of the timeline between now and The Force Awakens will unfold. The Mandalorians have taken a huge step forward in reclaiming their home world, yet will go on to be absent from the sequel trilogy. In the famous words of Dave Filoni, “Interesting, interesting.”
Paul Naylor
Oh dear. This ISN’T the way.
I expected more. Much more. The whole Din Grogu thing left me cold, and as for the closing scene with Mando and ‘son’ at the homestead and the 1920s style circle cutout of Grogu ending the season. Yuk.
Eric Onkenhout
From the first episode, Season 3 of The Mandalorian presented us with a broader scope story-wise and visually. We began to see deeper connections to existing Star Wars material and story threads that could and likely will lead to future stories in Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and the upcoming Dave Filoni movie. This season also spawned a new (to me) idea that the titular character is not who we assumed it was. Season 3 wasn’t without hiccups, but overall it was the strongest season thus far.
The title of episode 24, The Return, tricked me into thinking we were about to witness the return of Thrawn, a fan-favorite character dating back to the early 1990s, who has been visually MIA since the series finale of Star Wars Rebels other than two book trilogies. It wasn’t until after it sunk in that the return was Mandalore back to its rightful citizens. Still, seeing a sneak preview of Lars Mikkelsen as the blue-skinned admiral would be cool.
Din breaks free from the three Imperial Commandos escorting him with help from Grogu driving IG-12. Meanwhile, Bo-Katan leads a contingent through the underworld of Mandalore. A group of TIE Interceptors and Bombers launch into orbit to attack the lead Mandalorian fleet. Axe Woves orders the remaining Mandalorians to their ships while he remains and mans the large cruiser on his own, facing the Imperial fighters. Woves destroys several fighters, but eventually, the cruiser succumbs and crashes toward Mandalore in a fiery inferno. Woves manages to escape.
Gideon learns Din Djarin has escaped, dons his helmet, and vows to deal with Din himself. When Gideon placed the helmet on his head, he sounded a lot like Kylo Ren, the way his voice changed. And the way his armor shined also reminded me of Captain Phasma. Besides the obvious, this was one of the ways The Mandalorian connects to the sequel trilogy. It’s starting to show in the series’ aesthetics as well.
Seeing the Mandalorians all flying together as a group this season is something we would not have seen in earlier seasons. We’ve seen short stints, but not in such large groups for extended scenes. It’s something we’ve not seen since the animated shows. And the scene where they engage in an aerial battle with the Commandos was absolutely spectacular. The way each jet-packed character flew by in a blur was very impressive.
Speaking of impressive, how much expression Grogu shows on his face is incredible. How his eyes, mouth, and eyebrows move must also make it easier for the meatbags to act with him as they feed off those expressions. What makes it even more amazing is, given how small Grogu is, all of that technology is crammed in his little head. It makes Mark Hamill’s acting job with the Yoda puppet even more mind-blowing.
In an odd scene, at one point, R5, helping Din turn off some shield doors, gets surrounded by several MSE-6 mouse droids, and they start bumping into R5. Not sure what they were trying to accomplish. Eventually, Din and Grogu make their way to Gideon’s lab and discover several tanks containing clones of Gideon. Of course, one awakens as the camera closes, causing me to jump. Gideon is the only person who clones himself other than Palpatine. One must wonder what Palpatine would think if he discovered Gideon using clones in this way. Din tampers with the tanks, and they all explode, pouring water onto the floor. The clones are presumed dead.
Gideon confronts Din while the Praetorian guards attack Grogu (IG-12). The pain in Din’s voice as the door closes on Grogu is palpable. I think every viewer felt the same way. If they harmed a hair on his head, people would riot. But do not underestimate Grogu and his Force powers. Bo arrives and rescues Din from Gideon’s wrath. Bo and Gideon engage in a furious battle. This enables Din to help Grogu as the pair defeat the guards. The cruiser finally reaches land and crashes, the explosion consuming Gideon while Grogu uses the Force to form a bubble around him, DIn and Bo keeping them safe.
After the battle, the Mandalorians hold a ceremony in the Living Waters. Ragnar is baptized into the Mandalorian way. Din formally adopts Grogu, and Grogu is now known as Din Grogu. Weird, but okay. Why not Grogu Djarin? Reminds me of Steve Dave from Mallrats, who had two first names.
The Return was loaded with action from start to finish. It’s also loaded with questions. Is Gideon really dead? Or did his clones possibly survive? Where did he obtain his Commandos? I first thought they were droids until I heard them speak. Could they be clones? I have a new respect for Axe Woves, and I hope we see more of him. Sadly Koska Reeves was more of a background character in this season.
Din flies his N-1 to Adelphi Base, meets with Carson Teva, and offers his bounty hunter experience to the Republic, as they don’t have the resources to reach the outer rim. Teva says the Republic would never allow it. This wasn’t very clear. How does he expect to get paid if Teva can’t tell the Republic what’s happening? Din tells him to think about it, takes the IG head on the shelf, and flies back to Nevarro.
High Magistrate Karga offers DIn a deed to a cabin on the edge of town which he gladly accepts so he can settle down and breathe. Kargo also surprises Din when the newly built (courtesy of the Anzellans) IG-11 walks out. Then we see a Lucas-esque iris shot close out the episode happily ever after. Doing it this way really allows the show to go in any direction from now on.
It’s a satisfying end to arguably the best season of The Mandalorian.
Sander de Lange looks at all the reveals and easter eggs in The Mandalorian – The Guide: Chapter 24: The Return.
Mark Newbold and Mark Mulcaster discusses The Return on Making Tracks Reaction Chat: The Mandalorian S3 Ep 8 – The Return.
- Hardcover Book
- Scott, Cavan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 448 Pages - 06/29/2021 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
