The Mandalorian season 1 episode 3 review: A change of plans
The Mandalorian’s third episode delivers on the action and suspense promised, while also painting a definitive picture of where the story is going.
Anyone who has seen the first two episodes of The Mandalorian can probably agree that they’re mostly comprised of setup. The first episode introduced the biggest twist thus far — we’re still calling him Baby Yoda — while the second mostly just highlighted why Mando’s employers want the child in the first place.
In “Chapter 3,” however, fans finally start to see the heart of this story. In this series, we’ll be seeing what becomes of a bounty hunter who goes against the code of the guild — showing empathy for the asset he found instead of forgetting the whole thing ever happened.
The episode opens with Mando and Baby Yoda traveling in Mando’s ship, and fans get an adorable instance of the child playing with one of the pieces. (OK, is any moment with Baby Yoda not adorable though?) Mando tells him that his ship isn’t a toy and places him back in his carrier, where we get our first Baby Yoda pout. The child definitely knows something’s coming, and it’s hard not to be angry with Mando for being the cause of it.
When Mando meets Werner Herzog’s character once more, the latter hands over a hefty payment and Mando actually gives him Baby Yoda. In an uncharacteristic moment of weakness, the bounty hunter does ask Herzog what the plans for the child are. He’s told it’s the way of the guild to forget all of this ever happened, and that’s the end of the conversation — or so it would seem.
Mando takes his payment and has new armor crafted for him. While this is happening, viewers get further insight into Mandalorian culture — and another glimpse of Mando’s past. The usual flashback now cuts off with a young Mando losing his parents, then being discovered by an Imperial droid. How he got himself out of that situation remains to be seen, but it’s a traumatizing look at why our main character cares so much about foundlings (and Baby Yoda).
When Mando returns to Greef Karga for another job, it’s clear the child is still on his mind. Again, he asks what’s going to happen to it — and again, he’s essentially told to mind his business. After some back and forth with the guild’s leader, he takes another job and leaves. But after finding the piece of his ship Baby Yoda was playing with removed again, Mando makes a decision — and he returns to the client’s quarters to steal the asset (again).
This sequence is where Mando’s fighting skills truly shine, and it’s easy to see why he’s considered the most valuable bounty hunter in the Parsec after watching him take out so many Storm Troopers. Even with a baby in hand, Mando manages to use every weapon at his disposal — and somehow walks away unscathed.
Of course, it isn’t long before bounty hunters across the region get a new notice — and set out to find Mando and his stolen friend. They corner him before he can get to his ship, and it seems like Greef Karga and the others will be returning Baby Yoda to Dr. Pershing and Werner Herzog. But then the other Mandalorians show up to help their own.
This moment offers viewers another great action scene, but it also emphasizes the way of the Mandalorians. It’s clear that they take care of their own people, and “Chapter 3” strives to show us that. Whether they’ll be involved in the coming episodes is unclear, but it was nice to see them all banding together, especially after coming to understand what happened to their people.
With Greef Karga and Werner Herzog’s “client” still alive, it’s clear that Mando will spend the rest of his time with Baby Yoda on the run. The real question is where he’s running to now that he’s a wanted man with precious cargo — cargo that could very well determine the future of the Star Wars universe.
Next. The Mandalorian season 1 episode 2 review: "The Child" feels like a lull. dark