Mandalorian Season 3: These are 3 big questions I need to answer

Mandalorian Season 3: These are 3 big questions I need to answer

With only a few days left until the release of "The Mandalorian" Season 3, anticipation is building. The "Star Wars" series has become a cultural phenomenon since it first debuted on Disney Plus in November 2019, thanks to the winning combination of the fearless bounty hunter and the adorable green child who has become known as Baby Yoda.

Over the course of two seasons, fans have come to learn that the bounty hunter has a tender heart and that the child's name is Grog. In the most recent finale, Din Jarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grog were separated, the latter leaving to train in the Force under the one and only Luke Skywalker. But then they reunited (see Mandalorian Season 3 commentary for details) and are ready for a new adventure in a galaxy far, far away.

But as Season 3 is about to go into hyperdrive, I'm thinking about the future of the show. My colleague Henry T. Casey is worried about "The Mandalorian" Season 3, and so am I.

In an Inside Total Film podcast (opens in new tab), creator Jon Favreau recently described Season 3 as "the middle part of a much larger story," saying, "I love the way these stories continue. And these characters could potentially be with us for a while," adding.

As cute as Grogg is, "The Mandalorian" needs more than that to hold my attention. There are a few important questions I would like answered in the next episode.

From the beginning of "The Mandalorian," everything about Grogg was a mystery. First, there was his name. Mando called him "the kid," but we all called him Baby Yoda. Even after that was clarified, Grog's origins were not well understood.

Clearly, he is of the same species as Yoda, the respected Jedi Master who appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, and Yadol, the Jedi Council member who made a cameo in The Phantom Menace.

Little is known about this race. Where is their homeland, and what is it called? Are all of this unnamed race Force-sensitive, or only some of them? Have any of the races survived the Empire's harsh rule?

The origins of the Grog and its people have been a question mark ever since they first appeared in a floating crib in the first episode. Sure, Din Jarin has appointed him a Mandalorian foundling and dressed him in a Bescar Chainmail shirt, but there is no way the show thinks fans will be satisfied with leaving these questions unanswered. Why introduce another race without exploring the history of Yoda's race?

The events of the Mandalorian Season 2 finale and "The Book of Boba Fett" reveal that Din Jarin is determined to visit the planet Mandalore to seek redemption. Armorah declared (more than once) that he was "no longer a Mandalorian" as he took off his helmet. Furthermore, he continued to carry his dark saber after winning his duel with Paz Vizsla.

The dark saber is considered the rightful property of the Mandalorian leader, which is why Bo-Katan Kreise (Katee Sackhoff) wants it. As a member of the planet's nobility, she wants to reunite her people.

So it seems that Mandalore will get an even bigger focus in season 3, but I am curious as to why it has become such an important place. Is it simply because of the cool armor and jetpacks? Is it because Boba Fett was (temporarily) a badass in The Empire Strikes Back? Is it because the motto "This is the way" is used repeatedly?

One can only hope that the show will explain why this planet is so special in the Star Wars canon. At least we understand that Tatooine is the birthplace of Anakin Skywalker and the childhood home of Luke Skywalker (though it is still overused as a setting). If we are going to spend most of Season 3 there, we want Mandalore to feel important.

You are not alone in not seeing "The Book of Boba Fett," but I could not see Grog training with Luke. He was just beginning to understand the Force and chose to finish his lessons and reunite with his adoptive father.

When Grog arrived on Tatooine, his mastery of the Force was enough to save Din Jarin, Boba Fett, and the others from a tight spot. But it was also clear that the little guy had a long way to go to become a true master. Perhaps with repeated use, he would gain enough experience to use the Force to move large objects and defeat enemies.

But what exactly would Grog's future hold? Obviously, he will not become a Jedi. Nevertheless, it seems a shame to follow in Din's footsteps as a bounty hunter. Let's hope that season 3 of "The Mandalorian" will begin to lay the groundwork for Grog's growth.

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