The Grogu Show (also with a Mandalorian) – Season 3 Arrives

Exactly what is The Mandalorian at this point? I don’t mean that question to sound super-
philosophical, like “what is the sound of one hand clapping.” It’s more of a pragmatic question about the identity of the series that practically launched Disney+ in fall 2019, with its tale of Mandalorian mercenary Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his quest to deliver the little critter named Grogu that came to be popularly known as “Baby Yoda.”

But do we actually know the identity of this show?

That feels like an important question, since the creative team apparently felt the need for a reset built into an entirely separate series, The Book of Boba Fett. It was there that we got a de facto mini-season 2-1/2, with Din Djarin and Grogu reuniting and plenty of details that become crucial for the quest Din finds himself on as we begin season 3: Redeeming himself for violating the Mandalorian creed against removing his helmet in the presence of another.

Wasn’t Din’s decision to show Grogu his face an indication that he had found a “family” relationship that was more important to him than his abstract connection to the other Mandalorians? And if it’s now clear that nothing is more important to him than healing the rift that separates him from other Mandalorians, why does he need to have Grogu along for the ride?

Part of the answer for the latter question is kind of self-evident, I suppose, because Grogu
remains adorable. Virtually all of the most memorable bits from the premiere episode of season 3 (now streaming on Disney+) involve Grogu’s childlike behavior: using the Force to spin himself around in the office chair of Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) when he and Din visit their old friend in his new role as “high magistrate” of the now-gentrified Navarro; getting a little too cuddly with the tiny Anzellan droidsmith working to repair IG-11; gazing in wonder at the space-whales called purrgil during a trip through hyperspace. The opportunity for comic relief of any kind would seem to be missing if Grogu hadn’t been brought back into the fold, but at the same time, The Mandalorian quickly runs the risk of becoming The Grogu Show (Also With a Mandalorian).

There are also moments here when The Mandalorian shows signs of returning to its roots as a space Western, emphasized by the whistling notes of the show’s theme music that evoke Ennio Morricone’s The Good, The Bad and the Ugly score. We do get a vintage middle-of-the-street showdown between Karga and a pirate unwilling to accept that Navarro is no longer a lawless backwater planet, providing a perfect reminder of that vibe. It simply feels more like an afterthought than a focus, as Din is soon on his way once again to deal with more pressing matters.

Exactly how pressing those matters are, however, is part of what now feels unfocused in The Mandalorian. While we learn that Din apparently needs some sort of droid assistance for his mission to the now-ravaged Mandalorian homeworld—apparently to determine whether the atmosphere is too poisonous for him to proceed—it’s not particularly convincing that the only way to accomplish that goal is recovering the turned-into-a-statue scraps of IG-11 as the only droid he can trust. And when the revived IG-11 gets homicidal, that requires another quest to find some sort of spare part. Like the obstacles in the way of the central pairing in a romantic comedy, the challenges facing the hero in a story of this kind need to feel organic, not like he’s looking for excuses not to get down to his important business.

The season 3 opener does bring the impressive action that has always been characteristic of the series, most notably in the opening set piece where a Mandalorian initiation ritual is interrupted by a massive crocodilian-type creature. There’s no question that Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and the rest of the creative team can provide enough bursts of entertainment to keep folks watching.

It’s less obvious right now, though, whether they can provide a distinctive sense of purpose, something that doesn’t just make it feel like The Grogu Show (Also With a Mandalorian).

Let’s Hear From You

Will you stream Season 3 of The Mandalorian? With the dramatic turn of focus in The Mandalorian, are you as deeply invested in what happens with Grogu as with Din? Are you excited to see more of the series? Do you wonder what the story-arc of the Mandalorian was originally supposed to be before Grogu became a breakout star? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

More Mandalorian News

• The dynamic Mandalorian/Grogu duo have finally made their way to Walt Disney World as of today
• Season 2 of The Mandalorian makes Nielson’s Top 10 List

The Mandalorian and Grogu Arrive in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World!