The Mandalorian (Season 3 Finale), Episode 8: “The Mandalorian” could just end here. Without mincing any words, let me say straight away that the third season finale is not nearly as fascinating as the second or even the first season. But it is very neatly done, with all potential loose ends being tied up properly. And not to mention overall, it is very satisfying to watch, thanks to the gorgeous cinematography and brilliant action choreography.
I have said before already that this season falls pale in comparison to the earliest two. And while the return of the evil Moff Gideon could not change that, the season still works mainly due to Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-katan taking center stage in most of the episode. Although in the finale, we do get some Din Djarin action backed by the great voicework of Pedro Pascal, Bo-katan still emerges as the one who fights the big bad.
The Mandalorian (Season 3 Finale), Episode 8 Recap:
Chapter 24
Picking right up from where they left off, we see Bo-katan and the other Mandalorians rushing towards finding refuge, with the Stormtroopers hot on their heels. While at it, Bo-katan also communicates with Axe regarding what has happened and asks for quick reinforcement. She also commands Axe to empty the mother ship and use it as camouflage while the fleet lands on the ground in the smaller drop ships.
Meanwhile, the Stormtroopers fail to hold Din for long as he soon takes care of the guards who were holding him, with a bit of help from Grogu strapped in IG-12. Din then decides to take on Gideon for once and all, as that seems like the only way, given Gideon is not someone who would ever stop. To find Gideon’s location Din takes the help of R5, who quickly leads Din and Grogu/IG-12 to Gideon’s command center. To enter the command center, Din does have to cross a lot of Stormtroopers’ huddles being guarded by shields which turn out to be far too easy with R5 controlling the shield as per Din’s command.
Din and Grogu are soon greeted with the biggest shock when they come across a galore of Gideon’s clones, all being preserved inside chambers. We can clearly understand how Gideon has pulled that off, of course. Din, clearly in a mood, decides to do the very thing which would further piss Gideon off. He destroys all the Gideon Clones before getting inside the Command Center to take on the real menace.
While Gideon’s troopers deploy the imperial bombing ships to destroy the Mandalorian fleet in the sky, Gideon decides to handle Din and Grogu all by himself. Visibly frustrated and mad about Din destroying his clones, Gideon expectedly goes full throttle in his new beskar steel armor, welding a purple weapon; similar to the ones the Praetorian guards are using. And he does prove to be really difficult to handle when he parties much trashes Din while his three red armor-wearing guards attack little Grogu.
Bo-katan, along with the others, are taken to a beautiful garden-like place by the Captain, and they are amazed to find a place like that. The captain explains that it has been their place of refuge, in between all the madness that goes on in the land and underground. As they keep marveling over how beautiful that place is, Bo-katan’s reinforcements announce their arrival. Just like how she predicted, Gideon’s troopers have attacked the mother ship. However, only after Axe has successfully managed to get everyone out do we learn that Axe himself is inside it and has planned to crash it into the planet, effectively killing the troopers.
The Mandalorian (Season 3 Finale), Episode 8 Ending, Explained:
What happens to Moff Gideon in the end?
Gideon continues to be troublesome for Din, and despite all his best attempts, the little one pretty much caves into the Praetorian guards. But like always, Bo-katan comes to the rescue and asks Din to save his kid while she faces the inevitable, Moff Gideon. Handing Gideon over to Bo-katan, Din rushes to save Grogu and quickly shows the Praetorian guards their place. Grogu uses his Jedi power to help Din do it as well, like a true apprentice.
Bo-katan continues to bravely fight Gideon, although the latter proves to be too strong for her, especially when he literally crushes the dark saber. Brimming with confidence that the Mandalorians can’t do anything to him, Gideon keeps taunting Bo-katan. But Bo-katan has a smart play for evil. She doesn’t need to take him out alone. Because she has all the Mandalorian on her side, and we all know that the Mandalorians are stronger together. Led by The Armourer, the Mandalorian fleet rages at the Stormtroopers and cleans them off. While about to crash the mother-ship right at the center of planet Mandalore, Axe warns everyone to steer clear before jumping out of it. The mother-ship finally crashes, which results in a vast, fiery explosion. And that explosion fire consumes Gideon and fries him to ashes while Grogu uses his Jedi power to shield Bo-katan and Din from it.
Moff Gideon is gone for good this time—no more comeback.
What happens after all the chaos?
As I have already said, the episode ties up everything very neatly. Ragnar finally takes the creed, following his dead father, Paz Vizsla’s footsteps. Bo-katan officially starts to lead the Mandalorians to glory. Speaking of official matters, Din finally adopts Grogu as his son, which makes Grogu an actual apprentice. Little Grogu is now Din Grogu, no longer a foundling. In a very interesting bit of plot development (most likely for the next season), we get a little glimpse of the Mythosaur.
Din visits Captain Teva of the Adelphi Rangers and gets himself a job as an independent contractor handling outer rim threats for Teva, which the New Republic wouldn’t approve, so they don’t need to know. He also plans to be selective about his work now that Grogu is his full-fledged responsibility. In exchange for his work, Din takes an advance payment, a scraped droid for an essential part. And why does he need a part? To fix IG-11 as a gift to our old friend, High Magistrate Greef Karga, and the people of Nevarro.
As Din finally sits outside his cabin in the city of Nevarro and looks at his son about to chomp a frog, most likely, the season draws curtains. But we already know new adventures are waiting for both of them. Until then,
This is the way.
