After last week's tense cliffhanger the stage was set for one hell of a final battle, which appeared to have consequences reaching far beyond the end of season three.
We did get some epic action this week - but my predictions that this finale would directly set up Ahsoka and the upcoming film set to conclude the "MandoVerse" fell short. Rather than welcome in Thrawn as the new big bad to replace Moff Gideon, the seeds were instead set for a fourth season far less sprawling in scale.
That's right, the season three finale seems to offer the big promise that, after a divisive season which jumped around several plotlines, the next Mandalorian outing will take us back to basics: Din Djarin, Grogu (sorry, *Din* Grogu) and their adventures across the galaxy. Y'know, everything that fans loved about the first two seasons.
How the finale sets up season four
Fans have complained that the father-son relationship between Din and Grogu has taken too much of a backseat to the rest of the action this season. Rick Famuyiwa, director of several episodes (including this week's finale), has previously spoken about how the title of the show no longer refers just to Din Djarin, but also to Bo Katan - but the finale seems to suggest they won't have equal narrative weight next time around.
With Moff Gideon's threat dealt with, Mandalore is now back in the hands of its people, which brings Bo Katan's quest to find and unite all Mandalorian tribes to fight for their home planet to something of an end. It's unclear just how central she'll be to the next season, considering that we end the episode by splitting up Din and Grogu from every main character we've spent more time with in this season.
Din (or is his first name Djarin?) wants Grogu to be his apprentice, adopting him as his son as he's too young to speak and take the Mandalorian oath. The Armorer grants his wish, and the two head off for space adventures, most of which will likely revolve around their new role as independent contractors for the New Republic, sniffing out any Imperial threats in the Outer Rim.
It all sounds like a return to the formula of the first two seasons, with more episodic adventures between the father-son duo and a whole host of wacky villains. The big overarching threat is gone - unless Thrawn or another heir to the Empire is looking towards the territory to seize power.
Where next for Bo Katan?
As for Bo Katan, she's staying on Mandalore to help bring the culture of the Mandalorians back to life. The big question here is whether or not this will play a key role going forward, now that Din and Grogu are no longer part of the same storyline.
With no mid or post credits teases about future projects - like how season two ended with a Book Of Boba Fett stinger - all we can do is speculate about where this character can fit in the future. Both of her central storylines come to a close here, as her possession of the Darksaber ends via Moff Gideon destroying it, a somewhat anticlimactic way of resolving that tension between the two.
With a new Mandalore in the process of being built, I'm intrigued to see just how central this could be to season four, especially considering how the two Dins have been granted a new home elsewhere. Would we still jump across the galaxy to give this equal screentime, the storytelling aspect that has caused some frustration this season, or would this be explored in a different show altogether?
Alas, we didn't get any answers this week, but at least we don't need to worry about the future of the galaxy for a while. Let's let Din and Grogu have a moment of peace as a newfound family before all hell breaks loose again.
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