The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Up To Lightspeed

The Mandalorian Season 3 has just dropped on Disney+. Unlike Netflix and other streaming services, Disney offers things in weekly format. This rewards patience and engrosses an audience far longer than the typical binge model.

As a result, the first episode of the Pedro Pascal-starring show arrived on Wednesday. The Mandalorian, Grogu and company were finally back on-screen for the first time since Season 2 ended in December of 2020 and since a few characters were seen at the end of The Book of Boba Fett.

The first episode drew viewers back in but didn't offer much otherwise. A lot has happened and Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni decided to dedicate this episode to bringing viewers up to (light) speed and setting the plot in motion (spoilers for all episodes of The Mandalorian ahead).

Mando, as he's affectionately called, is reunited with Grogu. The latter spent two years (as Favreau recently confirmed is the timeline) training with Luke Skywalker before choosing to pursue a Mandalorian lifestyle with Din Djarin.

The iconic duo head back to Nevarro, the same place Greef Karga has been operating in since the beginning. This time, it looks like a respectable planet and Karga is now High Magistrate.

Djarin wants to rebuild the only droid he's ever trusted- IG-11. The droid that (spoilers) sacrificed himself to save the bounty hunter and Grogu has a statue made out of the remaining parts.

Djarin, who needs to find the cleansing waters of the Mandalorian mines, needs a droid to help him scout the destroyed planet. Even though he's come a long way, the Mandalorian doesn't want just any droid.

Thus the first plotline of The Mandalorian Season 3 comes into focus. Djarin needs to redeem himself for removing his helmet, the cardinal sin for certain sects of Mandalorians. This can only be done by bathing in the waters of the mines of Mandalore.

To achieve this, he needs a trusty droid, but IG-11's memory processing unit has been destroyed, making him once again hostile towards Grogu. He can be fixed, but only with a specific part that Djarin and Grogu must find now.

The episode reintroduces Djarin, Grogu, High Magistrate Karga and other key players. It also explains the absence of the fired Gina Carano. Most of the episode is expositional since it's been a while since Season 2 ended.

Nevertheless, by the end of the episode, The Mandalorian Season 3 has everyone hooked once again.

The first episode doesn't do anything special in relation to other episodes of The Mandalorian. Season 3 begins with the protagonists needing something and going to look for it. This is a familiar plot line from the first two seasons.

What the show does so well is pull viewers in and give them what they want. There are a few excellent action set pieces, including the cold open, that rival any blockbuster movie.

The Mandalorian is so cool and Grogu is so popular that it truly doesn't matter what they do as long as they're on screen together.

There are some positively adorable Grogu moments, too. At one point, it appears he's using the Force to move his chair in circles rapidly. He then uses the Force to pick up and eat a piece of candy.

The relationship between the two protagonists has grown a lot, too. Djarin is much more fatherly to his adopted son. Looking back at the beginning of the series, there is a warmth between them now in Season 3 that just wasn't there before.

This season appears poised to jump fully into the lore of Star Wars and of Mandalorians specifically. Bo Katan returns and is seen on Kalevala. This planet is making its live action debut after first being seen in The Clone Wars.

The show has done a tremendous job of slowly bringing fans, many of whom probably weren't avid Star Wars nerds, into the fandom.

Now, they're too hooked to care. They may not have heard of Kalevala and they don't know the intricate lore of the Mandalorian religion. It matters not.

What started out as a very distant Star Wars project (no doubt designed to pander to less interested fans) is turning up the heat now. It doesn't matter, because this show is too good to skip out on.

The premier of Season 3 of The Mandalorian proves that. It's pure exposition with a bit of impressive action and it's done so well that that's all anyone needs.

There are plenty of Easter eggs and references for hardcore fans, but Filoni and Favreau have masterfully interwoven the intricate aspects of the universe into the most accessible property it's ever had.

Take a close look at everything in the episode, titled The Apostate and you'll see just how much is going on. Or don't, and enjoy the return of television's favorite duo.

There were probably some doubts as to what the best Disney+ show was and what the best Star Wars show was after Andor came out. Pascal, Favreau and the rest of the crew jumped back into the saddle to remind everyone that there should be no debate.

The next episode will go live on Wednesday, March 8. Be sure to get on Disney+ as soon as it does.