SPOILER The Mandalorian S3E5 Chapter 21- The Pirate

Alright, peoploids; this is a longwinded one, but I’ll get there in the end, I promise

Watching this episode and following the troubles and inabilities of the budding New Republic, while remembering Bloodline, I wondered if perhaps we might see a CGI Leia this season? (Or possibly more probable, feel her presence in some way).

I mean, in that book (Bloodline) Leia was starkly opposed to the de-militarization of the New Republic, and even though The Mandalorian takes place around 20 years earlier, we could potentially have a scenario where Leia makes her first overtures to re-reform the New Republic so as to better protect the fringes (a fight, I might add, she will eventually lose to Mon Mothma's aggressive pacifism campaign = hello there, Genevieve O'Reilly! Nice to see you again ).

Add to that the huge waves that The Mandalorian made by dropping a “CGI” Luke into the finale of the 2nd season, and LFL’s probable desire to dominate popular culture again for a spell (i.e., ka-ching!), might it not be likely that they would want Favreau to do it again, by putting Leia in the 3rd season?

Now, there’s a load of hoops and hurdles they’d have to jump to pull this off, but seeing as it has been done before (TRoS), and assuming Carrie Fisher’s family would approve, at least the ethical considerations might not be in the way anymore? I think it’s an interesting notion, to be honest


So, how would they do this? Well, it couldn’t be a sudden, finale-scene, out-of-the-blue appearance as it was with Luke, since Leia needs to have set up the politics for her to pay it off. So instead, we might perhaps hear Leia’s voice arguing in the Senate, and possibly see her from afar, as her plea to stop dismantling the fleets and instead send the ships to strengthen the Outer Rim, gets voted down. Cool cameo, right? Yay! Jon & Dave have done it again! Now, let's move on with the story…

…and then, with Leia and her place in the New Republic politics plot established, we get a second cameo appearance by her as, at the darkest hour in the final episode...

Spoiler: Spoiler tegged for dramatic effect

The Millennium Falcon swoops in to the rescue – CGI Leia & Joonas Suotamo’s Chewbacca in the cockpit and a de-age Han Solo (see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny for reference) in a gun turret – saving the day. Leia, frustrated with the state of the New Republic politics, makes a statement to the effect that even if the Senate doesn’t care about Nevarro and the Outer Rim (or whatever), she vows to gather all likeminded voices into an opposition to resist the corruption and stupidity of the Senate.

In this scenario, you get a long shot of the Falcon, a couple of seconds of Han, Leia, & Chewie, and whomever else they'd bring alone; C3P0 in the backseat, for certain. Plus, a short speach (hologram will do) of Leia to tie it all off. And you could even have a child-Ben & Grogu moment where the too feel each other out through the Force.

...the crowds would go absolutely wild

 

"I was like, uhm...."​

 

Great Ep.

 

This whole season has been really odd. Not necessarily bad, but definitely odd.

Darksaber? Much fuss is made over it in season 2, but nobody has given it the time of day in season 3.

Helmet off? Much fuss is made over apostates and such, esp. in Book of Boba Fett and early this season, then the Armorer appears to reverse her stance in this week's episode with Bo...although who knows with her. She's always been mysterious and I suspect plays her cards very close to her vest. I guess she has her reasons...

The mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore... Much heavy foreshadowing is done in Book of Boba Fett and early this season (not to mention season 1 episode 1), and then when the mythosaur rises up, the only person we pay attention to is Bo, because she happened to see it. But Din and Grogu were there too, and there's no reason the mythosaur couldn't be "rising up" for one or both of them too.

I kind of feel like I have Mando whiplash!

 

The internet would burn.​

 

So, Zeb literally got a minute or so of screen time. They wouldn't put that much effort into CGI if they don't use him later in the season right? I know he will likely be in Ahsoka, but that scene, now that I have had time to calm down, kinda a waste? Or at the very least a strange way to introduce him...

 

I think the show is going hard after the idea that ruling Mandalore/reuniting Mandalorians is not a job for one person. Din and Bo have been getting along like siblings on a good day...it will be interesting to see what happens on a bad day. Din has been really enjoying staying out of the limelight and just being regular old Mando, nothing to see here, but it's not going to last. And Grogu still has a role to play in all this too, I suspect. I will keep my neck brace handy.

 

It was so, I don't know.... like flying casual.

 

Zeb's portrayal from animation to live-action may be the best one they've done yet. Makes me wonder why they face-planted so hard with the Grand Inquisitor in the Kenobi series. An overall "good to real good" episode. I'm a huge Rebels fan so I'm hoping, now that we've seen Zeb, maybe Sabine will make an appearance now that Bo is commissioned to round up the peeps. I'm ready for next Wednesday already!

 

What they did with his appearance is like getting mowed down by nine straight pitches without swinging your lightsaber, once. And then they went & made Grand Marshmallow Face more stab resistant than Qui Gon Gin. Other than that, he was great.

 

But the animated versions of Dooku and others were "off model" from the pre-existing live action depiction. Why must it be completely faithful going the other way?

 

Season 3 episode 5 screenshots

 

Both for the Armorer allowing Bo to take her mask off, and for Din not waving the Darksaber : I see all of this as an actual change of mind in their head canon : Mandos are slowly moving away the old beliefs and dogma, to build the New Mandalore People from scratch.

 

Bo has displayed the example of give and take for the armorer to follow. Despite her differences and troubled past with the Children; she respected their ways when offered hospitality, showed leadership without imposing authority, fulfilled the most sacred part of the creed without needing prompted. And that example has shown up in the rest of the covert, between Vizla and Djarin and so on. So the Armorer has chosen to meet Bo halfway and respect her ways by giving permission to go without her head covered.

I think The Armorer may have sensed that this is at least partly the effect of Bo Katan seeing the Mythosaur. That it has begun to restore Bo's faith and this example could be the catalyst that's needed to unite the people of Mandalore.

 

What a slowburn!

Finally, the pace picked up, we've got some more view on how the New Republic rolls... It will be too Starkiller late, before you decide to act.
Because if the Empire threat is indeed as TIE Interceptors bigger than local warlord can be, well, there is no hope for those who won't learn.

Action was superb, I did like the pirate and his ship, it was cool that they wen't wild in George Lucas spirit and added someone who could've been just sitting anywhere in cantina in the old films.

But I have my share of criticisms of the overall story arc and it's villains and some weird and confusing writing.
Bo Katan was not in charge of her decisions pretty much in this season, beat down, so she just accepted what was going on, wearing the helmet, now not wearing it...
I wonder, what is going on in her head and how will that play out in her story as she will have to make some decision for herself and on her own and the armorer felt kinda flat with her proclamation and it needed some time to wrap my head around the confusing Mandalorian rules and exceptions...

Carson Teva's proclamation that the pirates and Empire remnant are linked... How? Based on what? The galaxy is huge and is portrayed as such in books like High Republic, where the huge threat of Nihil and their coordinated vicious attacks are pretty much overlooked and not taken seriously or understood at first...
And here the worldbuilding goes a bit on it's head: In Season 1, we are led to believe that the Empire remnant was small and had this small covert on Nevarro, pretty much in secret... In Season 2 there is this whole kinda huge cloning facility out of nowhere and in Season 3, we are lead to believe, that Gideon was in charge of Nevarro in fact and his presence was pretty much known... so did he fly that TIE in Season 1 finale willy nilly from that cloning facility (and presumably sent patrols on flybys regularly) and if the year estimates from Favreau are taken for a fact, Karga is around year later or so surprised that there is Empire facility on Nevarro???
There are countless retcons in Star Wars, but this somehow doesn't fit together for me as of now, so I'd be happy to get some different view on that from someone.
And then the pirates... it's basically a random pirate with clear intentions and history with Karga. How is he linked?
Will we get some flashback explanation, that Pirate King and Gideon were in some kind of a deal?
We did not saw any other Empire clash with New Republic, besides what Din encountered first hand, to suggest some huge threat from Carson.
Maybe, if he was involved with the Interceptors and Bomber fleet or saw Imperial and Pirate ships somewhere in clear cooperation, as I said, the galaxy is huge, there is countless of races, countless of pirates, smugglers, gangs and what not, to jump to such small boxed world conclusions standing in office on freaking Coruscant.

And the shuttle that transported Gideon? Wow... what a surprise! He did in fact escaped and is lurking somewhere, I had no idea before this bombshell dropped in the fifth Episode!

As much as the show looks better than ever and action sequences and visuals are stunning and make the world feel bigger, the writing does not, and this discrepancy and moving away from a small theatre in Season 1 makes the show feel like it's losing the juice and feel silly at times storywise.

Anyway Zeb in live action!!! I have recognized Steve Blum and was confused, because how the hell did Zeb became a pilot He's the grab and smash muscle guy. But he looked great and his appearance made me happy and I wouldn't even call it a fan service, because it was pretty subtle and felt organic.
Now I want to see him pilot a New Republic Starfighter and am a bit sad, that we didn't got him back in Squadrons with Hera!

I will wait for the next episodes and finale how it plays out, but I am bit tired from the Mandalorian format in this season...
We had small story, sidequests and it built up to Moff Gideon, then again the same in Season 2, even tho the first episode with Krayt Dragon was insane!
And all the others were fun and felt grand... then the weird cliffhanger, that got resolved offscreen, out of nowhere, Din in Book Of Boba Fett and then we went back to Season 3, to meddle on sidequests that feel kinda old and familiar and building up to Moff Gideon.
Feels like Power Rangers or Saturday morning cartoons a bit, this building up... Gideon has cool armor and no way, darksaber! but he is some small remnant moff... Season 2 - Gideon has all of that, but also a mystery facility, cool looking small star destroyer and no way, battalion of Dark Troopers!!!
Season 3 - Gideon is somewhere, because of course he is and now he's pulled a fleet of Interceptors and Bombers out of his ass!!!!

Sadly, how much criticisms I had for Bad Batch and even tho I wasn't much happy about another cliffhanger and getting pretty much nowhere with Tantiss,
there were twists and developments in the show and I won't spoil them here, that almost made my jaw drop.
Besides Mythosaur, I am still waiting for something big coming from Mandalorian, because I feel that except for hints and bringing in huge cameos like Bo Katan, Boba Fett, Ahsoka and Luke Skywalker or N1 Starfighter the show is nothing much on it's own in comparison to Stranger Things for example and I would expect probably more from Disney production, but with Willow and questionable things in Obi-Wan, sometimes I feel like watching CW type of syndication show.

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 30, 2023, Original Post Date: Mar 30, 2023 ---

I bet that Favreau or Filoni can tell in some interview, that Karga and others were chilling on the rocks for a month before Mandalorians came
Like Grogu training with Luke, or let's go for originals, the whole Luke training and Leia and Han drifting in space in Empire Strikes Back before meeting back again in Cloud City

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 30, 2023 ---

True that! But with Grand Inquisitor, the problem lies more in that he is supposed to be Pauan and we saw those in Revenge Of The Sith in live action and he doesn't look even close besides from the subtle lines on his baldhead and like a cheap make-up. Which is a shame, because the actor was superb and menacing, but his costume and overall look felt cheap.

 

I've heard some criticism about the R5 - Carson Teva connection, and I first I also thought it was one of those instances of lazy writing.

However, I now think it does makes sense! This episode show us that Teva was being literal in The Book of Boba Fett when he said he's being "connecting dots"; indeed he seems bent on finding more about the imperial remanents and Gideon, and he is aware tha Djarin knows something about them.

Teva last encountered Djarin over Tatooine, piloting a heavily modified N1. He is a resorceful guy and he probably tracked Peli easily (most of the N1's parts were stolen by Jawas!).

Now, he either recognized R5 and asked for help or... he likely struck a deal with Peli to plant R5 on Mando the next time she saw him (she really pushed on R5 to go with him and she's not squeamish about making some money).

Even if they never elaborate on this, that's my head canon

 

The Grand Inquisitor looked more like Uncle Fester than a live-action representation of an animated depiction. I can understand the two will look different. However, it's a bigger-picture issue for me, as it reflected on the overall production and TLC (or lack thereof) that was put into the Kenobi series when compared to Andor or Mando. The depictions can be varying degrees of faithful, but they shouldn't be poorly done.

 

Which is more believable: Teva working with R5 in secret or, Ben Kenobi not remembering R2-D2?