The Mandalorian season three finale concludes with Moff Gideon showdown, the fight for Mandalore, so spoilers ahead! Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian streak towards the base with their jetpacks, an impressive shot, followed by the Gauntlet fighters! Another aerial drop of Mandalorians along with The Armorer. Bo-Katan ignites the Darksaber, she’s the true leader of Mandalore!, and they descend to the base. The Imperial Armored Commandos fly to meet them, are they even a challenge?, the clash of both forces is a shot right up there with the Return of the Jedi Battle of Endor engagement with the endless TIE fighters! Bo-Katan slices through them! The door to Moff Gideon’s command center opens, Din Djarin walks in with his pistols followed by Grogu, he opens the door past the hologram map. Gideon announces the perfection of his clones, Grogu and Din take cover, he hoped to add The Force to them. That’s kinda not how it works. I guess he thought The Force was something that can be formulated. Mando comes out blasting and Moff Gideon sends a rocket that causes Din to pull back. Gideon puts on his helmet and Din hurtles at him with the jetpack. We have confrontations between the two of them before.
The Imperial Praetorian Guards come out, where were they?, on a coffee break?, and take on Mando. This is like the next to last level of a video game taking on the powerful henchmen, 1-UP life is you defeated them Din! He struck by their weapons, until IG-12 appears! He gives his droid war cry, “No no no!”, and the Praetorian Guards turn to him. Din rushes over to help Grogu, but Gideon strikes him down with a rocket. He continues, but Gideon lashes him back with a fibercord whip. The cave battle continues with The Armorer hammering commandoes. Bo-Katan slides on a platform and then turns to blast a few commandoes! The duel between Grogu and the Praetorian Guards continues, IG-12 is disabled by a staff and Grogu does a Force jump up to a circular ceiling platform with lights. The guards just kinda look at him running at Baby Yoda speed and Force Leaping across. Din takes out his vibro knife, Moff Gideon tries to bake him with his flamethrower, really he has to use new weapons. Physically, Gideon in his Dark Trooper armor defeats Mando. Bo-Katan continues the battle taking out commandoes with the Darksaber and then slams Gideon back. She tells Din to find Grogu. He picks up his pistols before leaving. It always has to be between Bo-Katan and Gideon.
Moff Gideon activates his electro-bisento, did he develop the Praetorian guard weapons?, against Bo-Katan’s Darksaber. Grogu is going all Cirque du Soleil, but a guard cut the ceiling light with his vibro-voulge and has trapped him in the fragments. He can slam them with his Force levitation of the debris. Mando saves the day with his blaster. The Praetorian Guards use their electro-chain whips to trap Din. One is thrown by Grogu using The Force. Bo-Katan scores several cuts to Gideon’s Dark Trooper armor at his chest. Din is knocked down, but Grogu holds the Praetorian Guard’s vibro-voulge with the Force. He finishes off the last Praetorian Guard with his blaster. From the skies comes the burning Class 546 Cruiser. Axe Woves informs Bo-Katan and Koska to get clear since he is going to ram the base! Flash Gordon was doing the same with Mongo City in the 1980 movie. Moff Gideon has sent Bo-Katan almost at the edge of the base’s platform. He asks for the Darksaber in exchange for a warrior’s death. This enrages Bo-Katan to continue her attack. He manages to catch her weapon hand and crush the Darksaber!
Gideon pulls off her helmet, he says Mandalorian are weak without their “trinkets.” He seems to be describing himself. She says, “Mandalorians are stronger together” as Din blasts him. Axe blasts the cockpit window and flies out. Other Mandalorians are also evacuating the battle ground. Like a heavy metal video, sparks start raining down as we see the end of Gideon’s base. Moff Gideon blasts Din and Bo-Katan protects him with her personal combat shield. Bo-Katan rushes at him with her shield, Gideon is knocked back by Grogu using the Force, he tries to reach for his trinket, but it is Force levitated away by Grogu. Din shoots Moff Gideon backwards and then Bo-Katan holds up her shield as the massive remains of the ship come crashing down. Gideon screams engulfed by the flames. We find in the inferno that Grogu is holding it back with the Force in a dome! This is like the finale of Ms. Marvel where she forms a dome to save them. A ceremony takes placce at the Living Waters, The Armorer is formally dubbing Ragnar. Din and Grogu watch from a corridor. The Creed is properly finished, The Armorer pours a tray of water on his helmet, and says, “This is the Way.”
Din places Grogu at the edge of the Living Waters. He wants his apprentice to take the Creed, but The Armorer says he is too young to say the words. Din asks if he can be taken as a Mandalorian apprentice. The Armorer says he will need the permission of Grogu’s family. None present, Yoda has been gone for some time, Din says he will adopt Grogu. She announces to all that Din has adopted his son and that Din Grogu is his apprentice. Now, we have a first and last name! The Armorer says Din, the other Din, Din-1, has to leave to journey with his apprentice. Din, Jr. looks into the Living Waters. We move into the darkness to see the Mythosaur and then its image on a banner. In another ceremony, The Armorer gives a torch to Bo-Katan, without helmet, she re-lights the Great Forge. It feels like the award ceremony on Yavin IV, but no trumpet fan fare. Now they can forge the One Ring? It blazes blue with the clanging of the other Mandalorian gauntlets. Axe leads the cheer, “For Mandalore!” We have the N-1 starfighter break from hyperspace, he heads to the New Republic base, then enters the bar to see Captain Carson Teva.
Grogu hops onto the bar to tuck into a bowl of snacks. He points out the head of a IG droid. Din explains to Carson that he is bounty hunter, but wants specific missions. The Adelphi Rangers spread thin in the Outer Rim to hunt Imperial remnants. Din wants to be an “independent contractor”, Carson has doubts it will be approved by the New Republic, but Mando wants this to be off the books. He start to walk knowing that Carson will take the job, asks for a “small advance”, and then points out the IG droid head. At Nevarro, Greef Karga gives Din the deed to a cabin “between adventures.” Din says he has a gift for Greef, IG-11 walks past the three Anzellian droidsmiths, the new marshal of Nevarro! At his cabin, Din Djarrin relaxes, it is like Obi-Wan’s hut, remote, but with a tree growing and a N-1 starship in the back. At a pond in front, Grogu suspends a Sorgan frog with the Force, then it irises in like a cartoon! “That’s all folks!” The ending feels rushed, with the finale, no further stories are really needed. Yes, there is the Shadow Council, Grand Admiral Thrawn, or no reunion of Boba Fett and Fennec Shand. I really like “Guns for Hire” and some of the Mandalorian covert scenes seemed to be in the way of the narrative. The finale of “The Return” is a good wrap up of season three of The Mandalorian!
Four Bars of Beskar Steel out of Five!
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