The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Features Sad Bo-Katan, a ‘Bad Baby,’ and a Pirate Problem

The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Features Sad Bo-Katan, a ‘Bad Baby,’ and a Pirate Problem

(Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)
After a significant time away, The Mandalorian has returned to Disney+. But much has changed since Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) said goodbye to Grogu in the season 2 finale — including their reunion on a different show.
Naturally enough, the first episode of the program’s third season, “Chapter 17: The Apostate,” attempts to cover some of the material and update the state of the universe since we last saw Djarin and his child face off against a crime syndicate in The Book of Boba Fett , but there is still much to discuss about how it...

(Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)
After a significant time away, The Mandalorian has returned to Disney+. But much has changed since Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) said goodbye to Grogu in the season 2 finale — including their reunion on a different show.
Naturally enough, the first episode of the program’s third season, “Chapter 17: The Apostate,” attempts to cover some of the material and update the state of the universe since we last saw Djarin and his child face off against a crime syndicate in The Book of Boba Fett , but there is still much to discuss about how it all ties together and just how much time has passed between seasons. So let’s dive in and see if we can’t get our chronometers aligned. Spoiler alert: The following contains details about The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1,  “Chapter 17: The Apostate.” Stop reading here if you haven’t watched the episode and wish to avoid spoilers. The Cliffhanger That Wasn’t (Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Season 2 ended on something of a cliffhanger. Grogu left with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill, pictured in season 2 above) to train as a Jedi, but Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado), and Cara Dune (Gina Carano) were left aboard the Imperial Remnant cruiser to deal with the next problem: Bo-Katan’s claim to the Darksaber. Since Djarin won it in battle from Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), the only way she could take it and secure the right to rule over all Mandalorians was to best Djarin in a fight.
But when Djarin took over The Book of Boba Fett for an episode (or three), he still possessed the legendary weapon, a lightsaber forged by the first Mandalorian Jedi and the symbol of office for Mando royalty. Somehow, he left the cruiser with the issue unresolved. So much so, in fact, that when he finally caught up with the Armorer (Emily Swallow), he had to asked questions about Bo-Katan and the Darksaber. Something in the plan clearly changed. (Tait Fletcher as Paz Vizla fights Din Djarin for the Darksaber in an image from The Book of Boba Fett “Chapter 5” below.) (Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Granted, it is unclear what creator Jon Favreau originally meant to occur at the start of season 3 from the standpoint of where the program was two years ago — he has learned from fellow executive producer Dave Filoni how to evade questions — but we know from the 2020 Disney Day Investors presentation that The Mandalorian was supposed to expand in a very significant way. At the time, the series was to intersect with upcoming Ahsoka and a third series, Rangers of the New Republic in some grand, culminating event. By 2021, though, Rangers was put on hold indefinitely, The Mandalorian changed production schedules, and The Book of Boba Fett took its place in its traditional winter release slot for 2021/2022. We surmise that Boba Fett ultimately had to carry some storylines forward to get to where Favreau now wanted The Mandalorian’s third season to begin; hence, over several episodes of Boba Fett , we see Grogu training with Luke and Djarin wandering before the duo are reunited.
And in recent days, Favreau has added a new wrinkle: the two years between seasons are now part of the story, with Grogu’s training at the new Jedi Academy lasting nearly as long. Of course, the exact time the diminutive Force-user spent with Luke is unknown, but the expansion of what seemed to be a pretty tight timeline leads to questions and opportunities for the program going forward. “That’s High Magistrate” (Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd.)
One of the most obvious ways the show can reveal the progression of time is with its initial setting: the planet Nevarro. Originally depicted as a dusty backwater where bounty hunters found work and the Remnant could operate without fear of the New Republic, Djarin and Grogu’s trip ba...