This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3 finale.The Mandalorian season 3’s finale has generated something of a mixed reaction, with viewers generally seeming a little bemused. There’s a sense in which The Mandalorian season 3 felt like something of a pivot away from the Disney+ TV show’s traditional focus. Where previous seasons had been centered on Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and his ward (now adopted son) Grogu, The Mandalorian season 3 rushed through Din Djarin’s redemption plot and moved on to look at the fate of the Mandalorians as a whole.
This change in focus has proved somewhat divisive, with many viewers feeling The Mandalorian had lost the emotional core given Din Djarin felt almost like a supporting character in his own show. That was rectified in the season 3 finale, though, with Din Djarin going toe-to-toe with Moff Gideon while Grogu faced off against the heavily-armed Praetorian Guard. What’s more, the story ended in the most wholesome way possible, with Din Darin formally adopting Grogu. While these elements are winning universal praise, though, the general reaction is a little mixed.
Why The Mandalorian Season 3 Finale Has Surprised The Fanbase
The Mandalorian season 3 has always felt like a course-correction, with Din Djarin and Grogu even reunited in the spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett rather than in their main show. The first two episodes hurried through Din Djarin’s redemption story, and there were then a number of slower-paced chapters – ahead of a sudden, dramatic acceleration for the finale. This overall narrative approach has felt poorly-constructed, and it means a number of elements haven’t quite landed. Even those who loved The Mandalorian season 3’s finale are noticing some of these odd unresolved ideas.
As wholesome as the ending may have been, even some elements of the Nevarro subplot are coming in for some criticism. The main problem is that Lucasfilm’s course corrections have now removed the emotional impact of both previous seasons; Din Djarin and Grogu have reunited, and even IG-11’s death has been reversed. As enjoyable a character as IG-11 may have been, his sacrifice in The Mandalorian season 1’s finale provided it with emotional weight.
Rick Famuyiwa’s skillful directing is being called out by many posters, most notably for his effective handling of intense action scenes. There are some problems with the plot, but these can be overlooked due to the sheer quality of the action. Gideon is defeated in a fitting manner, by the combined forces of Mandalore, a perfect representation of Bo-Katan’s vision for her people. The destruction of the Darksaber marks a move away from the individualistic past toward a more communitarian future, a smart direction.
All in all, then, The Mandalorian season 3’s finale is an emotional episode skillfully directed with some tremendous action scenes. Its flaws are likely more to do with Lucasfilm’s changing plans, given the studio has pivoted toward an overarching narrative running through shows set in The Mandalorian era and a major movie likely featuring Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn. These changes in direction, creating flaws in the entire season’s narrative structure, explain the mixed reaction.
The Mandalorian season 3 is now streaming on Disney+.
