Jon Favreau Fails To Deliver On Promise That Fans Will Feel Resolved And Satisfied After ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Finale
The Mandalorian head writer and Executive Producer Jon Favreau promised fans that they would feel resolved and satisfied following the debut of The Mandalorian Season 3 finale. He did not deliver on that promise.
Speaking with Collider at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London, England, Favreau was asked, “What do you think the fan reaction or what do you think they’ll be thinking when Episode 8 ends of The Mandalorian Season 3?”
Favreau answered, “Hopefully, they’ll feel satisfied, they’ll feel resolved, and they’ll also feel a little surprised.”
One thing the episode did not do was provide a solution or resolve the dilemma among the two different Mandalorian factions showcased throughout the show specifically their wildly different lifestyles and varying levels of adherence to the Mandalorian Creed.
The conflicting levels of adherence to the Mandalorian Creed and who exactly are the Mandalorians was a conflict that Favreau and his team laid the groundwork for back in Season 2 when Din Djarin comes into contact with Bo-Katan Kryze and a number of her Nite-Owls.
In Season 2 Episode 3 “The Heiress” after Soska Reeves rescues Grogu, Bo-Katan, Reeves, and Axe Woves remove their helmets. Din Djarin reacts to this saying, “You do not cover your face. You are not Mandalorian.”
When Axe Woves says Din Djarin is “one of them,” Bo-Katan explains, “I am Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze. I was born on Mandalore and fought in the Purge. I am the last of my line. And you are a Child of the Watch. … Children of the Watch are a cult of religious zealots that broke away from Mandalorian society. Their goal was to re-establish the ancient way.”
Djarin retorted, “There is only one way. The Way of the Mandalore.”
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This conflict would be further explored in Season 3 when Din Djarin is tasked with a penance to bathe in the mines of Mandalore for removing his helmet. While making a pit stop to have a discussion with Bo-Katan at the end of the Season 3 premiere, Bo-Katan tells Din, “Your cult gave up on Mandalore long before the Purge. Where were you then? The Children of the Watch and all the factions that came before fractured and shattered our people. Go home. There’s nothing left.”
In “The Mines of Mandalore” when Djarin notes he must reach the Living Waters, Bo-Katan responds, “I honestly think that it’s adorable that you actually believe these children’s stories. But there’s nothing magic about the waters.”
Din then asks, “Without the Creed, what are we? What do we stand for? Our people are scattered like stars in the galaxy. The Creed is how we survived. You rescued me and I’ll always be in your debt. But I can’t go with you until I fulfill my obligation.”
Bo-Katan would then escort Din Djarin to the Living Waters. Along the way she told him, “I took the Creed and was showered with gifts. But the rituals were all just theater for our subjects. They loved watching the princess recite the Mandalorian tenets as her father looked on proudly. Such a heart-warming spectacle.”
When Din and Bo-Katan return to the Armorer and Paz Vizsla, Vizsla informs Bo-Katan, “Your House has fallen from the Way. You are both apostates.”
However, the Armorer would eventually accept the penance after testing a sample of the Living Waters and would even accept Bo-Katan into their covert given she had not removed her helmet since bathing in the Living Waters.
Eventually, the Armorer would even allow Bo-Katan to remove her helmet in order to recruit the other Nite-Owls who had previously abandoned Bo-Katan after she failed to reclaim the Darksaber from Moff Gideon. The reason given was she can walk in both worlds despite it being a clear sin against the Creed, one that requires Din Djarin to bathe in the Living Waters. Not only that, but Bo-Katan had also claimed she had seen a Mythosaur while in the Mines of Mandalore.
The conflict would continue when Bo-Katan attempted to recruit the Nite-Owls with Axe Woves telling her that she should be challenging Din Djarin in order to reclaim the Darksaber. In response, Bo-Katan says, “Enough Mandalorian blood has been spilled by our own hands. Mandalorians are stronger together.”
Woves responded, “A misguided zealot possess the blade. One, I might add, who has not one drop of Mandalorian blood in his veins.”
“Din Djarin took the Creed and chose to walk the Way just as our ancestors did,” Bo-Katan replied. “He is every bit the Mandalorian that they were. Certainly as much as any of us.”
This conflict would come to physical blows between Axe Woves and Paz Vizsla as they were traveling on a land boat while playing a game similar to chess.
The two would end up being separated by Grogu after they attempted to kill each other.
This conflict appeared to be completely brushed aside as they found themselves fighting a common enemy. However, after the enemy is defeated the Nite-Owls are still not wearing their helmets, but they are standing side by side with the Children of the Watch as they reignite the Great Forge on Mandalore.
It appears all is hunky dory and these significant ideological and lifestyle differences are just swept under the rug. It is not resolved one bit. There isn’t even a line of dialogue or anything. It’s just the Armorer handing a torch to Bo-Katan like it’s the Olympics.
What do you make of The Mandalorian not resolving the most significant conflict among the Mandalorians that the show introduced?
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