SPOILER The Mandalorian S3E7 Chapter 23- The Spies

I thought then same. Like ... why does Mandalore have these Emperial aesthetics all the sudden? Then BOOM!

Good episode. Only question is this: Wouldn't Gideon believe Din has the darksaber? Last he saw it was in Din's possession, right? He went straight to Bo for it.

 

- somewhat of a missed opportunity to not have Grogu get in one last "No" when Din got taken away

- Gideon's new helmet is great, love the Gar Saxon influences on it

- Bo Katan using the Darksaber to save her people, while simultaneously denying it to Gideon is just *chef's kiss*

- Paz frustratingly not following. Cool to see him just tossing stormtroopers over the ledge though, dude's a badass.

- Kinda figured he'd die, but still... wow, what an introduction to the Praetorians!

 

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 12, 2023, Original Post Date: Apr 12, 2023 ---

This is why I'm trusting the Armorer less and less. The episode was titled "The Spies," she has the same horns on her helmet as Gideon, Gideon seemed to know when they were coming, and she conveniently got off-planet before the ambush. Just a theory....

 

Paz was like live action Wrecker.

 

Thanks Meister Yoda!

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 12, 2023, Original Post Date: Apr 12, 2023 ---

Oh man, I was on the edge of my seat while the armourer was breaking through the atmosphere with the injured survivors. I fully expected the gauntlet to break through the clouds and see a full pitched space battle going on before we cut back and see a completely unaware scouting party on the planets surface.

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 12, 2023 ---

I am also curious what everyone thinks on the title of the episode and who those spies could be.

Some of the breakdown channels on YT are thinking its the Armourer as well, because of her Maul style horns, but I think that would be a bit insane given the way they have cast her as this central unifying presence to the fundamentally different clans. Although I agree her departure right before they come to the great forge seems suspicious.

Possibly the survivors that were on the sail barge? Maybe they broke down after so much time spent on this glassed out planet that they eventually caved and turned to the empire for food and resources?

 

I heard a theory yesterday that the Armorer might be Force sensitive. To build on it, I think it'd be cool if she's descended from the Darksaber's creator & is playing the long game to eventually claim the title of Mandalore for herself. In season 1 she says she "knows of such things" when talking about The Force/The Jedi with Din.

 

After what just transpired during THIS episode, it would be criminal to not include Saxon in the show.

Like, tell me how he died cuz there ain't no reason for me to not see him.

 

From the CW and Rebels, the darksaber was created by Tarre Vizla, so our boy Paz would be the descendant (RIP). But with what little we know of the Armorer there’s a chance she’s a Vizla as well?

I think her motivations are less personal and going off what Din said to Bo while on the sail barge this episode, the ones who follow the way aren’t as concerned with who holds the darksaber, and out more weight on honour, loyalty and character. Truly I think the Armorer wants to bring all the Mandalorians together and re ignite the old ways of the creed as she has been saying, it is not enough for a few to walk to way.

 

Haha, was I the only one yelling, "It's a TRAP!!!!" ? (No one on TV ever listens to me.)

Gideon might think that...unless there are SPIES among the Mandalorians. (Were there other spies besides Elia Kane in the episode?)

 

After Gideon’s speech to the shadow council, you’d have to expect he has more spies, But the more I think on it the less likely it seems that his spies are part of either the privateers or the covert. Starting to think more and more that its the survivors that our heroes encountered when scouting the planet.

 

Apparently there were, otherwise the title would have been "The Spy."

 

So the savages are soothed...
Not necessarily only talking about on Mandalore.

Chapter 23 The Spies finally finds that high gear that this season started off with. By the end of those first two episodes, they had completed what most of us thought would take the entire season to resolve. That led to four middle chapter episodes that were all too quickly dismissed as "meandering" and "filler", but now are starting to look like a much more cohesive story that is expanding the Mandoverse while aptly dealing with the hot topics of S3.

The Coruscant cold open was actually the perfect brief handling of that dangling plot. Yes, Elia Kane is loyal to the Imperial Remnant. Yes, she is working directly for Gideon. Yes, Gideon is alive and well. Yes, Gideon is in cahoots with Thrawn. Yes, he sent the pirates to Nevarro. Yes, he has been using Pershing on the down low for his own devious purposes. I love the inclusion of Paelleon and Daddy Hux here, and I assume there were other Legends Easter Eggs there as well.

That Mandalorian Fleet is most impressive, and I love the new paint job. I absolutely love IG-12. High five to @Darth Derringer who called this new "stroller" for Grogu. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes! Bo-Katan's rally speech and the encampment was a solid flashback to the Death Watch encampments from TCW and I love that she was able to unite the tribes for the journey without some grandiose gesture with the Darksaber. That arrival on Mandalore was touching and sobering, even though we saw it recently. The reactions from those survivors seeing the aftermath for the first time was heavy. Those on-world survivors were equally cool and suspicious. Again, several dangling issues resolved, and some well done world building, exposition and fleshing out of characters. "Your song is not yet written. I will serve you until it is." Beautiful.

Ok. I know that I even predicted it before this season, but... I really do not want the Armorer to be one of "The Spies" here. On my second viewing, after seeing that speculation, yeah, there are some clues to that. But I'm now hoping those are misdirection. I'm leaning more toward the pirate ship survivors. I really want the Armorer to be on the good side, especially now.

On to Gideon. The armor was impressive, and I love how telling it is of his character that HIS armor was Beskar, but his cut-rate imitation Commandos were obviously neither trained nor equipped with Mando-equivalent skills or gear.
I didn't like or expect Din being snared and captured like that, and I do not like where that is headed. I did love Bo going all Qui-Gon on that blast door and saving her people, and I loved the valor of Paz destroying all those troopers. I did not love, or like at all, the Praetorian Guard. I downright hate what they did. I guess we can say Paz Viszla's song has been written. Although I hate seeing him die, his arc, especially this season, has been excellent. I love how we know the Viszla Clan will continue, his legacy will be heroic, AND, his death creates a void in the Community that can be filled by any number of characters to increase their profile and status.

This season's finale has NO CHOICE but to be one of the most Epic episodes of the entire Series. Some "slam-dunk" vague predictions...
Somebody gonna show up, somebody gonna die, somebody gonna step up and somebody gonna be exposed.

 

THIS!!!

And THIS!!!

I felt sorry for Paz's voice actor who has gotten written out of the series. What a tough break for the guy! Since this episode was co-written, I'm gonna blame Dave Filoni.

 

I think Dave, Rick and Debra may have some ideas how to work him back into the show... For reals, though, I DO hope they find another role(s) for Tait Fletcher. He has been in this series LITERALLY, since the first scene.


Also, I was really hoping for a Skinny Pete/Gus Fring face off.
#justiceforCombo

 

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) "This is why I still internet after all these years."( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Paz Viszla died with his hand on an enemy's throat and it took three of them to finish the job. This is the way.

 

Oh, yeah....

WTF is Project Necromancer??!!!

They just slipped that in there.

 

"Sounds interesting...."​