The Mandalorian S3 season finale musings
Apr. 30th, 2023 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustHow are we already at the end of April? Anyway, I owe quite a few posts about what I've been reading and watching lately, but here's one thing I can write up at least.
So, my predictions were zero out of three, but that's fine, because Bo-Katan lives!
In fact:
(1) Everybody lives*
(2) Nobody is a traitor
(3) Din and Grogu settle down in a home of their own
* Moff Gideon "vanishes into a fireball". This is Star Wars. You're going to have to do better than that to convince me someone is really and truly dead. (Let alone the clone theory.)
It was a remarkably positive ending, after all the wild speculation and dark theories. I guess we've all been watching too much stuff where anything bad that can happen will happen. It's pretty refreshing to just enjoy something uplifting and satisfying.
That said, the first part of the episode felt like the stakes were a bit soft. Such a tense cliffhanger with Din being captured by the Imperials! And then five minutes later he just breaks free? It felt way too easy and convenient. I'm glad things picked up in the second part of the episode.
Highlights:
* Din and Bo-Katan and Grogu inside the fireball, them shielding him and him shielding them. A stunning moment: brilliantly dramatic and beautifully cinematic.
* When Din had Moff Gideon at a disadvantage, and then the three red Praetorian Guards showed up. I literally went, "Oh shit." We saw how they took down Paz Viszla so methodically last week. And then when Grogu showed up to save Din, risking himself, I was torn between "Yes!" and "NOOOO".
* Taking shelter in the garden that was grown by the survivor Mandalorians. What Mandalore looked like before the wars. What it could be once again.
* I did not know I needed flying Bo-Katan wielding the Darksaber and flying Armourer wielding her hammer, but it was magnificent.
Lowlights:
* Din being escorted by two stormtrooper guards. Seriously?! And weapons may be his religion, but his armour is also a weapon, and they basically leave him equipped with this pure beskar blunt instrument, that also shields him against their weapons, because - reasons?
* Moff Gideon giving an impassioned speech about the grievous loss of his destroyed clones - after doing fuck all to protect them from being destroyed.
Other stuff:
* I feel like Gideon was building up into a bigger threat than he ended up being, though I did like his final duel with Bo-Katan, and the message of how it's not about having the Darksaber, it's about Mandalorians being united.
* So is Din his family name now? Too late though, show, for me to call him anything else. (Though I guess we all managed the jump from "Mando" to "Din", and from "Baby Yoda" to "Grogu", so who knows.)
So, my predictions were zero out of three, but that's fine, because Bo-Katan lives!
In fact:
(1) Everybody lives*
(2) Nobody is a traitor
(3) Din and Grogu settle down in a home of their own
* Moff Gideon "vanishes into a fireball". This is Star Wars. You're going to have to do better than that to convince me someone is really and truly dead. (Let alone the clone theory.)
It was a remarkably positive ending, after all the wild speculation and dark theories. I guess we've all been watching too much stuff where anything bad that can happen will happen. It's pretty refreshing to just enjoy something uplifting and satisfying.
That said, the first part of the episode felt like the stakes were a bit soft. Such a tense cliffhanger with Din being captured by the Imperials! And then five minutes later he just breaks free? It felt way too easy and convenient. I'm glad things picked up in the second part of the episode.
Highlights:
* Din and Bo-Katan and Grogu inside the fireball, them shielding him and him shielding them. A stunning moment: brilliantly dramatic and beautifully cinematic.
* When Din had Moff Gideon at a disadvantage, and then the three red Praetorian Guards showed up. I literally went, "Oh shit." We saw how they took down Paz Viszla so methodically last week. And then when Grogu showed up to save Din, risking himself, I was torn between "Yes!" and "NOOOO".
* Taking shelter in the garden that was grown by the survivor Mandalorians. What Mandalore looked like before the wars. What it could be once again.
* I did not know I needed flying Bo-Katan wielding the Darksaber and flying Armourer wielding her hammer, but it was magnificent.
Lowlights:
* Din being escorted by two stormtrooper guards. Seriously?! And weapons may be his religion, but his armour is also a weapon, and they basically leave him equipped with this pure beskar blunt instrument, that also shields him against their weapons, because - reasons?
* Moff Gideon giving an impassioned speech about the grievous loss of his destroyed clones - after doing fuck all to protect them from being destroyed.
Other stuff:
* I feel like Gideon was building up into a bigger threat than he ended up being, though I did like his final duel with Bo-Katan, and the message of how it's not about having the Darksaber, it's about Mandalorians being united.
* So is Din his family name now? Too late though, show, for me to call him anything else. (Though I guess we all managed the jump from "Mando" to "Din", and from "Baby Yoda" to "Grogu", so who knows.)
