The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Terminator Grogu steals the show as the series finds its lost footing
The Mandalorian finally gets its groove back with the penultimate episode of its third season. The episode delivers on emotion, spectacle, and surprises throughout the meatier runtime; bringing together disjointed narratives, delivering surprises and action sequences while expanding its lore to sizeable proportions.
The latest episode of Season 3 of The Mandalorian, Chapter 23, is a marked improvement from its hastily executed previous. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, this episode finally manages to tie up loose ends and deliver an engaging, nerve-wracking adventure that is visually stunning. While previous episodes have been hindered by disjointed scripts and underdeveloped storylines, Chapter 23 excels in fleshing out characters and creating a cohesive narrative.
The episode opens with Katy O’Brian’s Elia Kane, a double-agent who works for Moff Gideon, making her way through Coruscant’s underbelly. The atmosphere is captured masterfully with smart shots that stay on Katy O’Brian’s Elia Kane and make good use of the artificial lighting to create a fitting tribute to Blade Runner. Moff Gideon finally shows up and holds a Bad Guy Zoom call with the Shadow Council.
The Imperial remnants make their first on-screen appearance from Chuck Wendig's Aftermath novel with a rather lengthy prologue, and we get confirmation that they are more powerful and organised than anticipated. The subsequent scheming and Thrawn namedrop ties in with Palpatine’s Plan B over at Exegol, as well as Hux's "Project Necromancer", which involves cloning and botched attempts with Snoke, and the divisive revenant Emperor Sheev Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker.
The ensuing sequence diverges towards the Nite Owls and Children of the Watch as they engage in a tense standoff on Nevarro. The Light Cruiser bearing the Mandalorian symbol emblazoned on its underbelly looming menacingly over the cityscape is a regal sight.
#TheMandalorian spoilers
— Lalo #MoffGideonSweep (@clonehumor) April 12, 2023
This shot goes so hard pic.twitter.com/WA6ChAYtvg
Greef Karga comes through with a gift for Mando - a newly fixed IG-11. Pretty hilarious, considering Mando's anti-droid stance in the last episode. The only problem? This new and improved droid needs manual operation. And to make matters worse, Grogu is the perfect size to cockpit. Greef insists that Grogu operate IG-11, much to Din's chagrin, with Grogu basically just saying "yes" to everything with his newfound freedom. Grogu appears to relish this height advantage over Din in what makes for the most show-stealing moment in the episode.
#TheMandalorian spoilers
— Lalo #MoffGideonSweep (@clonehumor) April 12, 2023
Grogu was already a menace and they still decided to have him pilot IG-11 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/6M07c21V1y
The subsequent return to Mandalore is a testament to the show's artistic and cinematic prowess, particularly in the way its crew consistently manages to juxtapose expansive visuals with more intimate shots that effectively convey the magnitude of the overall spectacle. It's like they're saying, "Look at this massive world we've created, but also, check out this tiny detail that makes it all the more amazing."
The petty, school-boy altercation between Paz Vyszla and Axe Woves aboard the vessel is entertaining, albeit Grogu's intervention that adds a pleasant element of involvement. His union with IG-11 not only renders him more capable in combat, but also furnishes him with a new means to express his empathy, stemming from his past with the Jedi, which Din confesses is Grogu's own doings.
The Little Nod from Grogu is wholesome🥹#Themandalorian #Grogu pic.twitter.com/16jLdtOZZ2
— sanmeyo (@sandeep_sanmeyo) April 12, 2023
As the united tribes of Mandalorians direct their attention towards recapturing their homeland under the governance of Bo-Katan Kryze and her reclaimed Darksaber, the revelation of the Night of a Thousand Tears casts a dark shadow over the proceedings. Din pledges his loyalty to Bo-Katan, but before they can have a cozy heart-to-heart, a nondescript Star Wars dinosaur crashes the party which admittedly wasn't quite the Mythosaur we were expecting.
Finally, we get to the main event - the showdown in the Great Forge. The battle between the Mandalorians and the Beskar-armored Dark Troopers is the pièce de résistance of this fantastic episode. It's good old-fashioned Star Wars action, complete with violent crossfire and a phenomenal corridor shootout.
The Mandalorians tribe soon find themselves ensnared in a cunning trap set by Gideon and his formidable forces, with Din appearing to be the prime target. Isolated from his allies, Din is subdued and forced to kneel before his captors. Gideon could easily just slice off his head and call it a day, but he conveniently refrains from executing Din, choosing instead to take him into custody for interrogation, while simultaneously ridiculing Bo-Katan regarding her failed attempts at unifying the Mandalorian people with the Darksaber.
Me omw to save Din Djarin from the empire myself: #TheMandalorian #Mandalorian #DinDjarin pic.twitter.com/BbhjfxbLak
— 𝙶𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✖️✖️//💥⏳🥀🐉 (@giselleb1234) April 12, 2023
Bo-Katan leads a retreat to get the heck out of there before they all end up like Din. However, in order to ensure their safe escape, one of their own must remain behind to fend off the advancing troops. As fate would have it, the individual who sacrifices themselves in this valiant act is none other than Paz Vyszla, who mows through dozens of Troopers before ultimately meeting his end on the hallowed grounds of his people. It's a sad but glorious end for him, and we couldn't ask for more.
Rest in peace legend, went out like a fucking chad. #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/AReLYxTiDr
— The Admiral (@TheAdmiral117) April 12, 2023
Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian is an excellent episode of television and the perfect example of what this show is capable of when it's firing on all cylinders. This episode serves as a reminder of why Rick Famuyiwa is one of the best directors doing Star Wars television at the moment, and it bodes well for the season finale, which he will also direct.
New episodes of The Mandalorian stream Wednesdays on Disney+ Hotstar.