Last week’s detour led us to the planet of Coruscant — and mostly away from the story of Din Djarin and Grogu. And whereas the previous installment was on the longer side, The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4 will be much shorter and likely focus back in on the series’ usual suspects.
In a rare occurrence for The Mandalorian, the title of Episode 4 has been revealed ahead of time. Based on this tiny nugget of intel, we can make some guesses about what’s to come. In a season that has, in part, focused on building out Star Wars lore, the disclosed episode title might hint that we will learn more about little green Grogu this week.
Ahead of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4, here’s everything you need to know, including its release date, start time, runtime, and a recap of what happened last week.
When is the release date for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4?
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4 (Chapter 20) premieres on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
What is the release time for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4?
The Mandalorian arrives at midnight Pacific, which is 3 a.m. Eastern, exclusively on Disney+ each Wednesday.
What’s the runtime for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4?
The episode reportedly runs just 30 minutes and 39 seconds long.
How many episodes are left in The Mandalorian Season 3?
Season 3 of The Mandalorian will feature eight episodes (Chapters 17-24) in total, which means we’re already halfway through the season. After this week, only four episodes remain.
What is the plot of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4?
Actor and director Carl Weathers (you’ll recognize him onscreen as Greef Karga) recently treated fans to a surprise by revealing on Twitter the title of the upcoming episode he directed. The title of Season 3 Episode 4 of The Mandalorian is “The Foundling,” which might give a big hint about the plot of this week’s installment.
Given that Grogu is Din’s foundling, it makes the most sense that the episode would focus on Baby Yoda. After all, we still don’t know exactly how he managed to escape the Jedi purge — and we did get some Order 66 flashback action hinted at in the season trailer. Perhaps this episode might even see Grogu inducted into the Children of the Watch.
Last week’s events could also frame Bo-Katan as a symbolic foundling, after her return back into a pack of fellow Mandalorians. Who the real foundling of Episode 4 is will be revealed soon enough!
Is there a trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4?
Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, the final full-length season trailer that Disney+ released features several shots of things still to come, including X-wing pilot Carson Teva, Mandalorians fighting together in battle, and Order 66 lightsaber-wielding Jedi. With the title of the episode in mind, that sneak peek of Order 66 might come into play if this week’s installment does in fact focus on Grogu.
What happened in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3?
Following his deep plunge into the Living Waters and rescue by Bo-Katan, Din wakes up pleased with himself: He is now redeemed, according to the Armorer’s version of the Mandalorian creed. While Din grabs a vile of the Living Waters for proof, Bo-Katan doesn’t tell him about seeing what was likely a Mythosaur.
Heading back to Kalevala, they are attacked by TIE Interceptors. Din and Bo-Katan make quick work of the enemies during an aerial dogfight, but more Imperial ships show up and bomb Bk-Katan’s castle. The good guys are forced to flee back to the Children of the Watch, where Mando earns back his spot. And as an added bonus, Bo-Katan is also invited to join the group — at least until she takes off her helmet again.
But the bulk of the episode takes place on Coruscant where Dr. Penn Pershing is now living as part of the New Republic’s Amnesty Program. He meets Elia Kane, a former communications officer for Moff Gideon’s ship. The program has Pershing working a boring desk job and attending mandated therapy sessions, but Elia convinces him not to let his scientific knowledge go to waste and instead continue his cloning research in secret for altruistic reasons (ven though cloning is banned by the New Republic).
Elia sneaks Pershing into the scrapyard full of decommissioned Imperial ships. He grabs the supplies he needs from a ship’s lab, but when they sneak back outside, they’re ambushed by New Republic police. Turns out Elia set up the doctor to be captured. Now in custody, the New Republic opts to gently zap Pershing’s brain to rid him of these evil thoughts. But when everyone else leaves the room, Elia cranks up the dial and zaps his head full of electricity. Is she still working for the Empire?
Will there be a Season 4 of The Mandalorian?
Yes! Showrunner Jon Favreau confirmed that the Season 4 script was completed during post-production for the current season. Although a fourth season has not yet been officially announced by Disney or Lucasfilm, Favreau has said that the script was finished to line up with upcoming Star Wars projects, including the buzzy Ahsoka series.
