Major spoilers for the latest episode of The Mandalorian, “Chapter 21: The Pirate,” lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
The third season of The Mandalorian has been a bit of a slow-burn up to this point, and viewers have been eager to learn more about the overarching narrative. Well, anyone eager for major developments is sure to have been satisfied by this week’s installment. “Chapter 21: The Pirate” dropped some serious surprises on viewers, and they’re going to have major ramifications moving forward. By putting these storytelling pieces in play, series creator Jon Favreau and his colleagues also really upped the ante for Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze and their clan, The Children of the Watch. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m so here for it!
This newest episode sees (High) Magistrate Greef Karga seeking assistance from the New Republic after the planet Navarro is occupied by a gang of pirates led by Gorian Shard. Karga is able to get in contact with Adelphi Ranger Carson Teva, who is ultimately unsuccessful in getting help from the republic. With that, he seeks out assistance from Din Djarin and, ultimately, the bounty – along with the rest of his tribe – agrees to join the fight. With the group's help, the residents of the independent planet are able to reclaim their home. And as a thank you, Karga offers the Mandalorians sanctuary and their own plot of land. All of this was nice to see, but the two biggest moments wouldn’t occur until the show’s closing moments.
Bo-Katan Has Been Tasked With Seeking Out Other Groups Of Mandalorians
For a while, I assumed that Bo-Katan wouldn’t fit into the Children of the Watch, given that she holds starkly different views. However, she’s proven herself to them, so much so that at the end of this episode, the Armorer gave her a very important task. Conscious of the fact that the residents of Mandalore remain scattered throughout the galaxy, she asked that Bo-Katan seek them out. The blacksmith realizes that Kryze’s unique upbringing makes her the perfect person to unite the various factions. And if she’s successful, their people can finally reclaim their damaged homeworld.
All of this is very exciting to me, because it opens the door for some significant world-building and specifically allows the series to expand upon what was established in the animated Star Wars series. Fans who’ve seen those shows know that there are plenty of clans that still exist in the galaxy far, far away at this point. And now that Bo-Katan has set out to locate them, we’ll really get a chance to dive deeper into the culture. Folks may even get to see some familiar faces (not unlike that awesome cameo that also popped up this week). The unification of the tribes would be a sight to behold. Of course, the second massive reveal makes that notion even more intriguing.
Some Familiar Foes With Ties To Mandalore Could Be On The Way
The epilogue of this week’s story shifts the focus back to Carson Teva, who’d previously expressed concern about the status of the arrested Moff Gideon, whose return has been speculated. Teva discovers a damaged transport, which he soon discovers was the spacecraft transporting Gideon after his arrest. The villain’s escape is wild enough, but the major detail to make note of here is that a fragment of beskar alloy was discovered on the ship. Which means that Mandalorians seem to have helped Gideon escape, and I’m hyped because I think I know who said warriors are.
Star Wars Rebels introduced audiences to the Imperial Super Commandos, a group of Mandalorians who were faithful to the Galactic Empire. The faction shown on that series was led by Tiber Saxon, who ultimately met his demise. Despite that, it’s very possible that another group of commandos is functioning and still assisting the remnants of the empire. I love the idea of bringing the group back into the fold and pitting them against the Children of the Watch. Plus, as far as we know, Din Djarin hasn’t encountered evil Mandos, and I’d love to see how he’d react to having to go to war with his Mandalore brethren.
There are only three episodes left in this season, and they have the potential to be some of the show’s finest. While I’d begun to question the role that the Children of the Watch have been playing this time around, I’m happy to see their story move forward in these meaningful ways. Here’s hoping Season 3 is able to go out on a high note!
New episodes of The Mandalorian stream on Thursdays for anyone with a Disney+ subscription as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Also, be sure to stay in the know when it comes to upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series.
