“Being a Mandalorian’s not just learning about how to fight. You also have to learn how to navigate the galaxy, because you never know where you might be headed next.”
The Mandalorian entertains fans with epic action, cinematography, and creative characters. Star Wars fans love the series for its outstanding visuals, storylines, and amazing performance of its cast, especially Pedro Pascal, Carl Weather and Katee Sackhoff. With its combination of action, adventure, and a cute “Baby Yoda”, The Mandalorian has become a fan favorite and regarded as one of the greatest Star Wars shows.
The excitement continues as season 3 premiered this week on the streaming service, Disney+ with a skillfully executed episode re-uniting us with our favorite space Father and Son. There is so much to love in the premiere episode but here are some of my favorite parts of Chapter 17: “The Apostate”.
MANDALORIAN CEREMONY
The Mandalorian culture and history have been explored in various Star Wars books, comics, and video games, and they have become a beloved and iconic part of the franchise’s lore and are known for their distinctive armor and weapons, code of honor and loyalty. Mandalorians are often hired as bounty hunters, bodyguards, and soldiers, and they are renowned for their skill and tenacity in battle.
In the episode, we get a glimpse into a ceremony of a young boy receiving his helmet and beginning his training as a “warrior”. I felt the serious tone and display was similar to that of a Baptism that one might see in a church setting which further showed a “religious” aspect to their beliefs.
“AVAST, THERE BE PIRATES”
Pirates have been a popular theme in pop culture due to their stylized Hollywood swashbuckling, adventurous lifestyle and their association with treasure and the high seas. This was especially made popular in recent times with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” starring Johnny Depp. In the episode, a Nevarro school is set upon by pirates and confronted by Din Djarin (Mando) and “High Magistrate” Karga.
The quality of the alien character costume/makeup design is amazing, and movie quality and what a Star Wars series should excel in. I thought the “pirate speech”, “Avast, Mandalorian!”, said by one of the ambushing pirates during the space battle scene, was fun and gave the episode some humor. We are also introduced to the menacing pirate Captain, Gorian Shard, who gives a “Pirates of the Caribbean” Davey Jones feel.
DIVERSE SPECIES
Numerous alien species live in the Star Wars galaxy. These beings come in a variety from humanoid to, reptilian to amphibian and more. Each species has its own unique traits, customs, and societal norms that make them exciting and distinct. There have been previous Star Wars series that lacked a diverse amount of species, so it was nice to see a variety of alien species represented in the episode, including Twi’leks, Mon Calamari, Gran and one of our favorites, Kowankian Monkey Lizards.
Anzellans
Yes, I know these are another alien species, but they are awesome enough to have their own spot on this list. Despite their size, they are master droid smiths with an affinity for technology. The most famous Anzellan among fans is Babu Frik, first seen in Rise of Skywalker.
In this episode, we are treated to an entire droid workshop of tiny brash Anzellians in a hilarious scene where they try and help Mando rebuild IG-11, but the bounty hunter droid is, “Too broken”. And who didn’t find it adorably funny when Grogu grabs onto one of the Anzellans?
PLANETS AND PLACES
The Star Wars universe is incredibly diverse when it comes to the variety of planets and places throughout the saga. From the deserts of Tatooine, to the forests of Endor, and the frozen terrain of Hoth. In the films and streaming series’, I have always love the scenes from space and wide shots of the terrain. It give you perspective of a large and live in universe. I also love the adding to my computer desktop wallpaper library. I only wish that the showrunners would post a name of the planet or place we are seeing like what is done in Andor. It would be helpful for casual and newer fans.
Related Article: The Mandalorian Season 3 Hollywood Event Photos Released
SPACE WESTERN and “PEW PEW!”
The Mandalorian is often compared to a classic western film for its story and visual style. The series features a lone gunslinger, the Mandalorian, who travels across the galaxy, taking on various bounties and encountering various characters. The show’s landscapes, shootouts, give a sense of the Wild West. We get to see more of this in the episode as Din and Greef stand-off against the pirates in a classic, blaster duel and the cool style of Greef, played by Carl Weathers, adds to that wild west tension.
And that Mandalorian fight in the opening scene against that giant crocodile-like monster attack! Between the heavy repeating blaster rifle of Paz Vizsla and the jet pack fighting Mandalorians was everything the kid in me wanted to see!
SPACE “PEW PEW!”
Space battles are an iconic aspect of the Star Wars franchise, featuring prominently in many of the movies and television shows. These battles typically involve the use of various spacecraft, such as X-wings, TIE fighters, and Star Destroyers, engaging in intense dogfights and strategic maneuvers in order to gain the upper hand. The battles are often visually stunning, with special effects and sound design adding to the excitement and immersion. Whether it’s the iconic trench run in the original Star Wars film or the epic space battles in later entries like The Clone Wars and The Rise of Skywalker, ship battles are an integral part of the Star Wars universe and a fan favorite element of the series.
BO-KATAN
Bo-Katan Kryze is a Mandalorian warrior and a significant character in the Star Wars universe. She was first introduced in the animated television series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” as the leader of the Mandalorian group called the Death Watch. Bo-Katan played a major role in the Clone Wars, helping the Jedi fight against the Separatists. In the series “Star Wars Rebels,” she continued to fight for the freedom of Mandalore, eventually becoming the planet’s leader. Played by actress Katee Sackhoff, her journey continues in The Mandalorian.
Bo Katan is not happy. After not securing the Dark Saber from Din Djarin in season 2, we see that hard times and the doubt of her leadership of her people has fallen on Katan. Her story this season promises to be a compelling tale. Will she get the respect back from her people and rebuild Mandalore? Will her path clash with Din, who holds ownership of the “sacred lightsaber”? We can’t wait to see the story unfold!
FATHER AND SON MOMENT
Over the past two seasons, we have seen the relationship between the Mandalorian and Grogu grow from “protection mission” to that of a Father and son. The growth of Din from a cold bounty hunter to that of a thoughtful warrior has been a warm transition for Star Wars fans. While they traverse a dangerous and chaotic universe, it is good to see that there is still space for a feeling of family.
The scene that brought that “father and son” feeling was when Mando and Grogu were traveling through hyperspace, after Grogu gets scared and sits in his lap, begins to softly teach Grogu about being a Mandalorian including how to fly the ship. Reminds me of me with my two daughters…minus the cool armor and ship!
What were YOUR favorite parts of the episode? LEAVE A COMMENT.
Watch The Mandalorian season 3, “The Apostate”, NOW on Disney+
