'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Premiere Review
Chapter 17 doesn’t do anything new.
(L-R): Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), and Grogu in Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved
Spoilers ahead for Chapter 17 of The Mandalorian.
Everyone’s favorite space duo returned earlier this week, kicking off a new season with an enjoyable but not extraordinary first episode. The episode picks up with Mando (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu after their reunion in the final episode of The Book of Boba Fett. We journey with them back to the planet of Navarro to reunite with Greef Karga, whose lack of understanding of how the two are back together, why they’re on a quest, and what they need serves as a form of summary for viewers who didn’t watch TBOBF, which was essentially season 2.5 of The Mandalorian.
(L-R): Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
The episode opens on The Armorer (Emily Swallow) as she constructs a new Mandalorian helmet, given to a Mandalorian foundling (Wesley Kimmel), a sequence with implied reminiscence to the initiation of our protagonist, from what we’ve heard about his past. Things go awry when an alligator-like creature attacks and Mando + Grogu swoop in to save the day. While it’s been more than two years since we last got a new episode of The Mandalorian, it feels like it’s only been a week, and not in a good way. This episode feels scarily formulaic, with a basic A-B-C storyline that doesn’t achieve anything we didn’t see in the first 16 episodes. That’s not to say that the episode wasn’t enjoyable, with plenty of moments for Grogu-cuteness and easter eggs/worldbuilding to set up future shows and movies and connect to projects that have already happened. There’s some very questionable dialogue in the middle of the episode and at the very end (an appearance from Katee Sackhoff), but it somehow makes sense, given the story and characters. Additionally, there was no shortage of fan service, with a not-so-blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment teasing the Ahsoka series, which is heavily rumored to essentially pick up where Star Wars: Rebels left off.
(L-R): Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
One of the best things that this episode does is show off the versatility of Mando’s new ship, the N1-Starfighter, and help to get viewers on its side and let go of the Razor Crest (R.I.P.). We see the different uses for the N1, showcasing the combat advantages, and how it easily travels far distances while packing a solid punch. Unfortunately, this can’t distract from the fact that this episode doesn’t really do anything to contribute to the story and only aims to provide motivations and outlines for the rest of the season, which we already had by watching the show(s) that came before. If there’s one thing that Chapter 17 does well, it builds excitement for the future of this story and those to come directly afterward — not as well as the season’s trailer did, though.
Chapter 17 of The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.
