Today, we conclude our top ten moments of The Mandalorian with the final five.
Din’s Soul Does Right
In the Chapter 3 episode, ‘The Sin’, the true catalyst of the whole story truly begins. So far, we’ve only had set up. We’ve established who The Mandalorian is and there’s a mystery surrounding The Child. Din’s job is to deliver the Bounty to the hands of the Remnant Empire, get paid and be on his way. Lovely stuff. But there would be no story. So, in one of the truly early defining moments of the show, after Din has delivered The Child to the client’s hands, his conscious gets the better of him. He breaks the code of the Guild and heads back to save The Child from what is most likely to be serious harm. He’s come to care for the little one and now a deep, complex and nuanced lead character in the Star Wars universe has truly emerged.
“He Means More to Me…”
In the episode ‘The Tragedy’ in season 2, Grogu is separated from Din after Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers descended. The story now takes on a real level of urgency as Din, with some help of his new friends, launches headfirst into the little tyke back. At the end of the penultimate episode of Season 2, Din appears via hologram to Moff Gideon to inform him that Grogu… “means more to me, than you will ever know.” It’s a direct lift from a piece of dialogue that The Moff says in Season 1 to Din but the weight here is in every word as we feel the stakes rise higher than ever before.
Ahmed Best’s Glory
Season 3 of the show was a mixed bag. It had highs, the entire episode of The Spies being one of them, and some serious lows – Jack Black and Lizzo anyone? But one of the questions that kept returning in the build up to the third season was – who saved Grogu from the temple? One of the most fun things that Star Wars can do is offer little nuggets and let fans have fun with speculation and come up with theories. Was it Ahsoka? Was it Mace Windu? Yoda himself? Did Anakin spare the little on? Bail Organa? Everything was on the table, but when the episode unfolded and Ahmed Best was revealed, well, it was incredibly special. Ahmed Best did a phenomenal job portraying Jar Jar Binks. He did as he was asked by writer and director Geroge Lucas. Best is a gifted physical performer who in no way deserved the abuse he received. To see him return to cheers and thunderous applause was magic.
Din’s Helmet Comes Off
In the episode ‘The Believer’, which comes just before the ‘The Rescue’, the tension has never been higher. For a long time in the series so far, a big deal had been made about The Creed and how Din must never take off his helmet. Never. Ever. End of. Well, in this episode he does. And he does so of his own accord. As Din and Migs Mayfeld enter an Imperial Base, they need access to an Imperial Computer system. Migs tells Din that, though a former trooper, he won’t be able to do it as he’s concerned that he’d be recognised. So, Din himself takes to the computer and in the last second, he takes off his helmet and reveals his face. Not because someone forced him too but because he wanted to in order to save Grogu. Grogu, who has become like a son to him. Powerful stuff.
Luke Skywalker is Here to Rescue Us
I cried when Luke came to save the day. He not only saved our heroes in the story but he saved us. He united the fandom and gave us what he does best – hope. I wrote an entire piece about this which can be found here:
The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in cinemas May 22nd.
