This week's episode of The Mandalorian was the highlight of season 3 so far, as the Mandalorians made their way to Nevarro to help Greef Karga liberate the planet from its pirate invaders.
They succeeded and were granted a new home, whilst Bo Katan got an extra special thank you from The Armorer in the form of being allowed to take her helmet off, getting tasked with walking "both ways" and finding other missing Mandos throughout the galaxy. We can only imagine what Din's face looked like hearing that - ironically, we'd never know, as he still has to keep that helmet on.
After a few weeks where various plot strands have been scattered across different planets, this week neatly brought them all together, picking up the narrative momentum needed as the season heads into its final batch of episodes.
Where's Moff Gideon?
We had our first proper cliffhanger in weeks this time around, as Captain Carson Teva uncovered a derelict Lambda shuttle floating in space. Radioing Lieutenant Reed, he's told that it's been reported missing for a while, but further details are classified.
Heading inside, he discovers it's a New Republic Prison Transport vehicle, which housed Moff Gideon - only Gideon has escaped, presumably with the help of some Mandalorians, as a fragment of Baskar is also uncovered.
Could this be another tribe of Mandalorians, or is this all a set-up by Gideon? Now that they're once again trusted by a friendly planet - and crucially, a planet not signed up to the New Republic Charter - this does present a villain's perfect opportunity to get the people of Nevarro to turn against them, making them the Scapegoats whilst the Empire quietly plans a more effective takeover in the background.
Beyond that speculation, it's safe to assume that it won't be long until Gideon crosses paths with Bo Katan again. She's been asked to help reunite all Mandalorians, and she's got a strong lead here.
We doubt Gideon's plans haven't changed since the last time we saw him, so expect him to prepare for a rematch with Din to claim back his darksaber, and steal back Grogu in the process. First, we just have to work out where he's disappeared to in the meantime.
Elia Kane's Secret Plan
This week's episode saw a brief reappearance of Elia Kane (Katy M O’Brian), who we last saw a couple of weeks back. First introduced in season one as Gideon's communications officer, the third episode put the character front and centre, convincing Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) into continuing illegal research into cloning - before turning the mind flayer up to full blast on him when he got caught.
This all hinted that Kane was still very much loyal to Gideon, and that Pershing's newfound loyalty to the New Republic made him a threat, especially when he uncovered what was likely his top secret plans.
That episode briefly hinted that Gideon had escaped on his way to a war tribunal, which was brought up again this week. When Teva suggests the attack might be linked to him when approaching them for help, Kane quickly changes the subject to the fact that the planet isn't signed up to the New Republic Charter, saying: “Perhaps the leaders of Nevarro need to understand why becoming a Republic signatory is valuable".
Teva responds by warning that their methods mean that one day a threat could become too big, and they'd be too late to act if they handled it in the same way. But this seems to be exactly what Kane is banking on, barely hiding the fact that despite her amnesty badge, her loyalties don't lie with the New Republic.
The stage is set for a Moff Gideon return in the coming weeks. Can the Empire strike back?
The Mandalorian airs every Wednesday on Disney+
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