The Mandalorian season three review: A lackluster spectacle
*Major spoilers ahead*
As the award-winning, widely acclaimed Disney Plus series The Mandalorian comes to a close on its third season, many fans feel a nagging indifference to the well-beloved property. Though not lacking in visual spectacle or an intriguing storyline, the epic story’s acting and pacing have become less than noteworthy. This may shock some, but the once critically acclaimed “rebirth” of the Star Wars franchise has descended from its heights and taken up its place with many of the other recent projects from the franchise.
Before approaching this topic, it’s best to know the minds behind this project. The Mandalorian was a series created by Jon Favreau, the actor responsible for the character of Happy Hougan from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in addition to the director and producer of several Disney projects, the Iron Man trilogy (2008-2013), The Jungle Book (2016), and The Lion King (2019). Favreau was assisted primarily by long-time Star Wars director and writer Dave Filoni, who is most notably responsible for the show The Clone Wars (2008-2022). Together, the two men decided to create a Star Wars story that brought fans back to the feeling of the original trilogy—a simple story full of action and adventure. This show would do better than either man had prepared for, becoming one of the most widely recognized pieces of Star Wars property overnight.
The story’s success didn’t just come from the visually-driven storyline, but also from the face of the series, its namesake—the mysterious Mandalorian, Din Djarin—played by Pedro Pascal. For two seasons we follow the story of one bounty hunter growing into the role of a guardian, taking up the mantle of father to a force-wielding creature named Grogu. Together they go on exorbitant adventures, fighting off against anything the universe has to offer. This was seen as a fresh start for fans, and a sign that the Star Wars Universe was going in the right direction. For the first time, these fans had something that re-encapsulated the feeling of Star Wars, and it could only go up from there.
This newest season tackled a plotline set up in The Clone Wars (2008-2023), bringing in many characters from the show to play central roles in this season’s narrative. Their objective is to reclaim Mandalore, the home world of the Mandalorians, which the Empire glassed after the Siege of Mandalore, to wipe out one of the Empire’s biggest remaining threats. This, though never explicitly shown in any recent Star Wars projects, was an act that forever changed how these people operated, reducing them from an unstoppable army to an ununified band of mercenaries separated by religious beliefs. This storyline holds so much potential for a compelling television season and could have made the series one of the most emotional pieces of Star Wars media. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and this highly anticipated story failed in its execution.
This intense and extensive narrative was crammed into an eight-episode weekly release as an attempt to pace out this extremely interconnected story. This was a mistake, as many plot points feel glossed over—events like Bo Katan reclaiming the Darksaber, accepting Din Djarins’ beliefs and her ability to cope and move on with her past mistakes, go undeveloped.
These are all major character developments necessary for Bo Katan within the narrative, and each of them happen within only two episodes. Other events, like the revival and reconstruction of IG-11, seem like mere fan service or product placement.
There were many glaring issues with this story and its execution, but the most egregious came from the character of Moff Gideon. This character has been a recurring villain in this series, making a reprisal for every season finale—but this time fell flat. His storyline feels forced, as if it only exists to fill the runtime with visuals. Though it makes sense within the narrative, especially with the players present during the reclamation, it wasn’t adequately built up in a meaningful way, excluding a few mentions during the episode “The Covert.”
These issues culminated in a less-than-satisfactory viewing experience, leaving many fans wanting more, which is the worst possible outcome for this season. Many fans feel this once acclaimed show has grown complacent and lost its steam with the expectation that it will draw in fans by the name and visuals alone. Additionally, across the internet, many fans complain about how the acting and pacing of this season varied heavily from seasons past, making it seem like this was a rushed production.
For these reasons and more, the consensus on The Mandalorian season three is a 6.5/10 as a promising premise that fails in the most quintessential ways; but don’t fret! This is an issue that both Filoni and Favreau have acknowledged, so when it comes to The Mandalorian season four, there’s hope for a more promising and compelling season of this well-beloved show.
Thumbnail Photo via Wikimedia Commons