Review: The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere – Catching Up with Din and Grogu


It feels like a long time has passed since we followed the travels of Din Djarin and little Grogu in a galaxy far, far away. But with the return of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus, we’re about to get more Mando and Grogu goodness. Although, a lot has happened in the Star Wars galaxy since the mic drop ending from Season 2 of the show. Not only are Din and Grogu back together, but a few other things have gone down that fans may want to be caught up on beforehand.

While it’s not necessary, it’s recommended that fans watch the two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett that featured Din Djarin specifically. They’re basically a prologue to the events of The Mandalorian Season 3 and will ease you back into this story and section of the Star Wars galaxy. Going from the end of Season 2 to the premiere of Season 3 will be jarring to some viewers without the context of what happened in The Book of Boba Fett. But if you decide to just go into Season 3, then you’ll be fine if you can accept the missing prelude.

The Mandalorian Season 3 begins with Din and Grogu saving the Armorer and her faction of Mandalorians on a new planet, during a ceremony to give a youngling their helmet and take the creed. After some review of why Din is no longer considered part of the clan, he is granted permission to travel to Mandalore with Grogu and repent for removing his helmet in the previous season, allowing him to be considered Mandalorian once again. However, the planet was devastated by the Galactic Empire and is considered by many to be a dangerous place to visit, with the possibility of Din not finding atonement there. To prepare for the trip, Din and Grogu visit Greef Carga, played once again by Carl Weathers, to get help. But as usual, distractions get in the way and will cause the Mandalorian to get a little sidetracked and set up a new adventure ahead.

The start of the season is filled with both action and a decent setup for what could be exciting for many Star Wars fans. A lot of things needed to be addressed in relation to where everyone is now after the time that passed since the ending of Season 2. Luckily for everyone, it’s not dragged out or made to feel rushed, but instead has enough to get viewers situated before things kick into high gear for later in the season. While we only see a few key characters here, there’s a big chance we’ll see more along the way in later episodes.

Greef Carga becoming the head of High Magistrate on the planet Nevarro is very interesting because it not only sets up the conflict for later in the episode but also shows a side of the Star Wars galaxy we seldom get to see. Things are getting better under new management for Nevarro, rather than worse or deflated like most other places within Star Wars stories. But this also puts Greef, and Din Djarin by association, at odds with pirates that cause trouble, leading to some tense moments and neat space fights with Din’s modified N-1 Starfighter.

We get to see his ship in action at the start of the episode when rescuing the Mandalorians with the Armorer, but it really gets to move toward the end of the episode. The space chase is the level of quality we like to see with The Mandalorian when the special effects really start to work out, not to mention a lot of the alien costumes and makeup for otherworldly enemies and allies.

The biggest elephant in the room for The Mandalorian Season 3 was how the series would address the absence of Cara Dune, played by Gina Carano in the first two seasons. The unfortunate reality is that no matter how things would go, not everyone was going to be happy with it. It’s a messy situation that puts the show in a weird position, especially with Star Wars fans who care a lot about the canon of the franchise. Luckily the status of Cara Dune isn’t harped on, nor is it addressed without taste or class. In a conversation with Din Djarin, Greef mentions that Cara Dune was recruited by special forces after her work in capturing Moff Gideon at the end of the previous season, meaning that the New Republic has her out in the galaxy fighting more of the remnants of the Empire.

It’s a small line of dialogue, but it does enough to work out the situation as best as the show can. It addresses things without giving Cara Dune a lackluster conclusion or sad outcome because of everything behind the scenes and outside of the show. This leaves things open for a revisiting of the character down the line should things go that way.

We also get a lot of other Star Wars nods and fan service that many will be intrigued by. The same conversation with Greef and Din also brings up that Moff Gideon is being held by the New Republic for war crimes, which may come into play later on in the season. But the biggest thing that will have Star Wars fans excited is the appearance of the Purrgil when Din and Grogu make the jump to hyperspace. Longtime fans of Star Wars Rebels will remember the introduction of the Purrgil, which are giant space whales that travel between systems through hyperspace.

With Grogu being a Jedi and attuned to the force, he can see the giant space whales outside of the ship while Din Djarin is asleep. Some viewers may not know what the Purrgil signifies and write it off, but fans of Rebels will believe that this could be one of many references to the animated show that could be significant in the upcoming Star Wars Ahsoka series for Disney Plus. For this story, it’s a completely irrelevant detail, but for the universe of Star Wars, it points to big things over the horizon.

For a start to Season 3, The Mandalorian is beginning on the right foot with a little bit of everything for Star Wars fans. Those who watch the series will be happy to see Din and Grogu back together again, while other hardcore Star Wars fans following the franchise will be excited at the promising things to come. While this premiere episode is not as strong as some of the better episodes of the previous two seasons of The Mandalorian, it is still a good return to this part of the Star Wars galaxy. If things keep going well, we might be heading towards another great season for The Mandalorian in an ever-expanding galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere
  • 70%
    Star Wars The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere - 70%
70%

Good

For the beginning of the new season, this premiere does a good job of easing everyone back into this story. Viewers may want to watch some episodes of other series to get all the details, but it’s not entirely necessary to do so. There’s a bit of action, plot setup, and easter eggs for Star Wars fans to talk about. A lot of details are given to set a direction for the season as a whole, with promises that look to be held by the end.

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Jakejames Lugo

Jakejames Lugo is a writer and content creator that has been covering video games, movies, and various sides of entertainment for over a decade. He has published reviews and articles on many different outlets and continues to make content for different platforms. Jakejames also makes video content regularly for places like YouTube and TikTok, and share daily posts about gaming on social media.

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