THE MANDALORIAN: SEASON THREE
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Katy M. O’Brian, Emily Swallow, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Creator: Jon Favreau
AMARÚ
You never realize how literal Mandalorians’ speech patterns are until they say more than four words (is this the way?). With Season Three of The Mandalorian focusing as much on Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) as Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu, the heavily expository dialogue makes the season initially feel long-winded and meandering. But when the full picture comes into sight, it’s an interesting journey deciphering to whom the title is referring. While the build to the trio’s collective adventure is not as exciting as previous seasons, a strong finish makes it a compelling one to watch unfold.
NICK
This season of The Mandalorian is easily its weakest. It's less focused, with more of an "adventure-of-the-week" style, and for a large portion, it puts Grogu on the backburner. I wondered if bringing him back during The Book of Boba Fett was the right call, and, to me, this cemented that it was not. He's not vital to the story, nor does he get a chance to really grow. In fact, Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) is the only character to get a quality arc. It still has all the trademarks of Star Wars, and it certainly ends strongly, but it doesn’t reach the heights of previous seasons.
QUENTIN
Despite the production values, special effects, and action set pieces being on par with previous seasons, if not better (especially in the last two episodes), the writing this season really punches The Mandalorian in the dick, bringing the series down to slightly above average territory. The main story, if you can call it that, revolves around re-establishing Mandalore, but it isn’t given enough attention to be compelling. Plus, random breakaway episodes completely halt any momentum that plotline tries to establish. Add in an ending that feels like a series finale, and I’m not sure I need to return for the already confirmed fourth season.
PAIGE
This season of The Mandalorian broadened what the actual title of the show stands for. While focusing more on the unity of rebuilding Mandalore, it pushed Din (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu’s storyline to the backseat. It isn’t bad television, per se, but it is the weakest of the three seasons, especially with the lack of depth and poor writing. That said, despite the inconsistent season, the final two episodes are amongst the best of the entire series, setting us up for many more adventures with our main duo. I'm still looking forward to what comes next because this is the way!
ADRIANO
After two knockout seasons, it seems like The Mandalorian has run its course after the third season. The entire season, I couldn’t really tell what Jon Favreau was going for, as each episode seemed to go from one side quest to another, only without a real purpose this time. I did like Katee Sackhoff, but the focus on Bo-Katan meant less focus on Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu, which is a choice that is a little confounding. I can’t say I had no fun, but I will not be rushing into Season Four like I did with this season.
