The Mandalorian The Mandalorian 3.01 - Chapter 17 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

They should have been wise enough to realize they couldn't beat the gator. That's what the audience should be able to understand on their own.

 

I'm wondering what Din wanted with IG-11. How would all of them get to Mandalore? Is Grogu supposed to sit in his lap while 11 somehow telescopes itself down small enough to fit in the droid socket? (As an engineer, I passionately hate the way telescoping equipment works in fiction and any kind of animation. They never leave enough room for things to work, and the structure would have to be way too weakened to have any integrity.)

I'm hoping the plan was to leave Grogu with Greef and IG-11 to babysit while he goes on to Mandalore alone.

 

Also Pedro's acting on The Last of Us has been amazing so it's kinda a bummer to see how limited he is on this show. It's always been limited and I accepted it but now that I can see what he's capable of it makes me wish he wasn't stuck behind the helmet all the time.

 

Wrong lol, grenades down the throat would have worked, just like the explosives down the dragons throat worked on the dragon in the season 2 opener that jon directed and i think wrote. This was just sloppily done.

 

I feel like I won't know whether I love or hate this episode for some time yet, possibly not until the season has finished. Maybe not for years. That green pirate thing honestly has me in shock.

But purrgils! Purrgils! Yeah it's obviously to set up the whole Ezra/Thrawn thing for general audiences going into Ahsoka, but still. Purrgils!

 

Yeah though I gave this episode a 7 I was tempted to give it an even lower score. Maybe it's because I am caught up in Last of Us right now which is incredible and am comparing things to it but this episode definitely felt underwhelming compared to how I remember the first two seasons. Definitely not as strong of writing as what I have been watching for the last couple months.

 

Could IG-11 ride outside of the ship? Also he could be broken down into pieces. Then it’s not a 7 foot tall droid anymore but more like a bag of golf clubs.

 

It’s a team of performers who bring the Mandalorian to life. There are entire episodes when Pedro isn’t in the armor at all. Just lending his voice like James Earl Jones did with Darth Vader.

I was actually amazed how much Pedro moves like Mando on The Last of Us. Apparently the performers who play the Mandalorian trained together before the show started to get down certain movements. Pedro has said in interviews he’s learned movements of the other performers as well which he’s mimicked when playing Mando.

 

I am so not on board with resurrecting IG-11. I was so relieved when he went assassin and they crushed his head and thought "ha, it was just a joke". But no.

And didn't Kuiil claim to have completely removed IG's assassin personality? Was he just incompetent or was he lying to make Din feel better? Or is this perhaps bad writing?

 

Do you keep up with spoilers? If so

Spoiler

We know that they will turn IG into a kind of conscious armor for Grogu to wear.

No, what's sloppy is the fans assumption about the story being told. It's clear that we're supposed to understand that this cult -- remember, this is a religious cult from a culture in decline -- doesn't often make the best decisions.

If you think the creators are making a mistake, then you are confused.

 

I wished for a moment Din was petty and less mature. Because I wanted him to pull that Dark Saber out and waive it around in front of Bo like, "Hell yeah I still got this weird god damn laser sword! What? You're so jealous!" But alas...

I thought this episode was good fun. I fully expect Andor season 2 to take time in its premier to establish where all the characters are at. That's what any season premier does.

Chapter 17 establishes the Armor and crew have been forced to take refuge where nobody else probably would because they are hiding out in a cave next to a freaking Mosasaurus lagoon and damn that sucks. Fortunately, Din Djarin shows up like The Demon Lord of the Round table to pull a big damn heroes to prove the point he is The Mandalorian. Clearly destined for more than hiding in a cave. His journey of redemption after taking his helmet off is just going to be a vehicle for him to realize both the Armor and Bo Katan are full of their own brands of **** and he has a brand to redefine in the galaxy. I am excited to go on his journey to discover as well a rediscover what happened in the Rebel's and TCW's parts of the timeline. Just wait until Din finds out about what Bo was part of on Carlac. We just need to find a memory board for the babysitter.

This is exactly the more mature, wiser Din Djarin, The Book of Boba Fett developed rather than its own protagonist that show helped me appreciate more. But he hasn't changed entirely. Greef may be more about diplomacy and go for disarmament. But Din doesn't bother with any of that and doesn't hesitate to make an example of the pirates bothering an OP Mandalorian's friend.

Din is also still a patient father to Grogu. It was adorable when he crawled into Dad's arms when he senses the Purrgil while in hyperspace. A fun callback to Rebels, and a call forward that we'll likely see Ezra in 2023. I found sick humor in Grogu seeming to be trying to restrain the Anzellan to get him to cooperate. I wonder if this could progress to Anakin Skywalker-style torture.

I liked the flying lesson too. Trace made it seem like anybody can get into a ship (or a secondhand fighter) and fly it. I guess that is fair. Like driving a car IRL. Most people probably only have to sit down, check the fuel gauge, put in the navigation, and hit a button. Bam! But that's most people who drive just well enough to make it to work and back every day. That is a great way to establish there are those who are better than everyday drivers like Han, Anakin, Hera (Its a feeling), Tech, and Din.

Through that part of the adventure, it seems if tomorrow you pass on from exhaustion, via a bus, or are just called into an isakai adventure in the GFFA the place you want to be is Nevarro although I don't know if Greef will be as optimistic as the season progresses. Seaweed beard The Pirate will have it out for Mando and probably still have the grudge he sent his minions to Nevarro for. I swear, we got Cad Bane last season. Come on, we need Hondo already. Automatic 11 of Ohnaka. I know it gets old to clamor for Hondo every time pirates come up but forget you. I want Hondo.

And then there is Bo Katan sitting in her castle pouting that Din has the dark saber and everyone left. I hope Sabine shows up this season just so she can express regret for giving it to Bo. Nice episode 9/10. Near perfect for me.

 

I liked the new pirate leader he has a great design, will be nice if he and his crew become a recurring enemy, I just hope they are made to look more threatening in the future as they didn’t feel very competent in this episode.

 

The pirate's ship is in the trialir on a planet if I recall correctly

 

I didn't think it was terrible... more meh - 6/10.

I do wonder if BOBF episode 5 was supposed to be the Mando S3 premiere originally. That would have been a much strong season premiere.

 

That’s your mistake right there. You go at it like an alligator. Same thing the Mandos did. That monster has to be fought like a turtle. That’s how you beat it. Gator tactics are just getting people hurt. Need turtle fighting techniques.

If instead of the Armourer and Mandos you had The Shredder and Foot Soldiers on that beach - that monster is barely an a inconvenience.

By the time Mando shows up everyone is already eating soup, wearing new boots and have their new luggage packed for a trip.

 

I gave it an 8. It was definitely the weakest opening of the 3 seasons but I still enjoyed it for the most part. I liked seeing more of the Mandalorian traditions in the beginning of the episode and I’m just itching for more things like that. I think I’d be happy with a show that is more about the Mandalorians as a whole, their traditions, culture and history/lore.
As for this episode, it was solid. It did its job. It set up the season. The rest of the season will be more interesting I’m sure. The only question I have right now is what exactly was Grogu looking at when they were in hyperspace? I’m guessing it was those space whales from Rebels? Perhaps it’s setting up something in Ahsoka? Or maybe it was just something fun for us fans to see?

 

Naw just throw the explosives down the throat because there's no armor anywhere in the stomach

 

That wasn't any gator. It was an armor-plated, swimming Giganotosaurus. A very Colin Trevorrow-looking monster right down to the messed-up-looking teeth. I felt like what was really lacking on the part of the Armorer and the gang was they were just going at on their own instead of fighting as a unit like Din achieved in season 2 on Tatoonie with Vanth's frontier townees and Tusken Raiders working together to defeat a similar large toothy armored monster. The Bad Batch worked together to drive out a toothy armored monster in their episode. It is a good measure of how Din has grown and matured past these guys who as stagnating in their creed. He's the right guy to have the Dark Saber and be a leader.

 

Oh no I just think the writer of this episode wanted another cool monster fight for season 3 like he had for the opening of season 2.

But hey do whatever mental gymnastics you have to do to explain it. But then also figure out why they didnt have a plan for the big alligator in the little small Lake. Bc they should have seen it swimming around from the air at some point. Unless your point is since they're a "cult in decline," they're also morons and incompetent. Then sure i will buy that.

The truth i think is jon just wanted another big monster fight and wanted mando to save the day. I would say however though that was a detriment to his fellow mandalorians with how the fight was executed.

Oh and bc he also had to write another exposition to explain why mando was out of his clan, for those that didnt watch tbobf. Since he basically had the same conversation twice with his leader. Once in that show then once in this show. That was a missed comedy opportunity to me because, once he brought the waters of mandolore again, she should have said, I know I already told you this in another show.

 

Great episode to start the new season. I gave it a 9/10. Grabbed my interest and didn't let go. It just ended too soon! Can't wait for next week!

 

I watched the episode again. Liked it even more the second time. This was three mini episodes in one. We haven’t seen that before. Mandos and the monster. Navarro and the pirates. And a rain day visit with Bo Katan.

This episode moves the story to step two with all of those sorry lines. It also give the series a slight pause from following a larger story arc as Mando regroups for what is next.

Greef Karga still cracks me up as much as his first appearance. His flower prose and push towards finery is somehow comical especially when juxtaposed with the fact he can really take care of business.

With pirates in the story, I hope get to see Greef and Hondo Onaka cross paths.

 

I love those little droids holding Karga's cape. Nice touch.

 

When I heard his name then saw his character design I wondered "Is this guy supposed to be a play on Swiss chard?"

 

A good episode and decent premiere. 7/10.