The Mandalorian returns for season 3 on Disney+ as Din Djarin and Grogu continue their adventures across the Star Wars galaxy.

In what is an absolute first for the series, Disney sent the first two episodes with hours to go before the third season premiere. It may be a total shocker but let me tell you, audiences are in for a treat. While Disney+ will keep to their weekly release model, the first two episodes more or less go hand in hand together. Sure, they take us to different planets but there’s still the core journey moving the plot forward.

With that being said, I’ll talk some more about the new season below the logo.

It’s been some time since Din Djarin and Grogu reunited together on Tatooine in The Book of Boba Fett. My understanding is that some two years have passed since Luke Skywalker started Grogu’s training. How much time between the finale and the third season, I’m not so sure. What I am sure about is that Grogu is stronger in the Force than we last saw him. It certainly shows in his abilities in the first two episodes alone. In any event, The Mandalorian works best when Din Djarin and Grogu are together. I’m not sure how many more seasons are remaining but Lucasfilm was smart in not wasting time to reunite them.

We saw some glimpses of Mandalore in earlier seasons. This time around, we pay witness to the aftermath of the prior destruction. That’s not all. Kalevala, a planet referred to during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, makes its debut in live-action when we meet a despondent Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff). Without the Darksaber, you can sense her hurt. When she made her live-action debut, she was all about getting the Darksaber back. Now that Din has it, what can she can do? It feels like she wants nothing to do with him during their reunion. Mandalore might be a people but their home planet is no longer the same. It’ll be something that I hope gets explored more deeply this season.

Even in the darkest of times, Star Wars has always been about both hope and adventure. Din Djarin heads to Sundari on Mandalore for redemption after removing his helmet. We’ve seen the city before during Mandalore’s prior glory in animation. Will he find it and is Bo-Katan willing to help him? Is she ever going to return back to the character that we know and love?

Obviously, I know what happens in the first two episodes but again, no spoilers from me. I have some questions that I would like to see answered going forward but that might be a big ask for eight episodes. Episode 1 runs 35 minutes while Episode 2 is about 42 minutes in length. Several minutes alone are devoted to the credits. We can only hope that this season is able to answer some of the bigger questions and not leave us hanging until season 4.

Rick Famuyiwa and Rachel Morrison direct the first two episodes of the season. There are some easter eggs sprinkled into the new season, one that ties into Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. No spoilers from me but it’s quite the treat. Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, I’m almost sure that I saw a Star Wars Rebels easter egg in there, too.

As The Mandalorian returns for season three, the first two episodes promise bigger adventures and excitement ahead.

CREATOR/SHOWRUNNER/HEAD WRITER: Jon Favreau
DIRECTORS: Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey, Bryce Dallas Howard
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Karen Gilchrist, Carrie Beck
CAST: Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow, Giancarlo Esposito

Disney+ launches the third season of The Mandalorian on March 1, 2023. New episodes will follow weekly. The Apostate – Grade: 4/5. The Mines of Mandalore – Grade: 4/5

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