Season two of The Mandalorian took us to corners of the Star Wars universe we’d never seen before and prompted us to look at some familiar locations in a new light. It also saw the return of one major character from the original trilogy — and allowed him to be the badass he never got to be in the movies — featured a last-minute cameo from one of Star Wars’ greatest heroes, and introduced the live-action versions of some characters previously only seen in animated series. A lot happened, including a final scene (not counting the epilogue) that upset the status quo of the show itself. But that’s not the only unanswered question The Mandalorian left dangling as we wait for a third season. Let’s get into them, starting with the biggest question of all …
So, are Mando and Grogu split up for good now?
It sure looks that way, doesn’t it? The final scene, pre-credits, ends with Grogu wandering over to look, lifting up his arms like a toddler, then nestling against Luke before being whisked away alongside R2-D2. Jedi training isn’t a short process, and it looks like Grogu will be staying with Luke a while, even though Mando promised to see him again. So, has Grogu exited the show? As one of the most instantly beloved characters in Star Wars, that seems highly unlikely, but let’s at least consider the possibility. The series is called The Mandalorian not The Mandalorian & Grogu. (And even if it was called that, that didn’t stop Laverne & Shirley from carrying on without Shirley for most of its final season.) It’s possible that Mando’s adventures with Grogu have an expiration date and that future seasons will feature our Mandalorian hero having adventures without him.
There’s nothing in the rule book that says it can’t happen. Will it happen? Right now, probably only Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and a tight circle of collaborators know. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if season three at least withheld Grogu for a little while. Think how much that would make Mando’s eyes well up, given what we saw in the season finale.
About that: Din Djarin has taken his helmet off in full view of others two episodes in a row. What’s going on?
There are two ways of looking at this, and neither rules out the other. Both times were under extraordinary circumstances. In “Chapter 15: The Believer,†he had no choice but to take the helmet off if he wanted to rescue Grogu. In “Chapter 16: The Rescue†his bond with Grogu essentially left him without a choice for other reasons: He owed it to the little guy he’s treated like a son to look him in the eyes. It was a higher code even than the one he swore to adhere to as a Mandalorian. Which raises the other possibility: Mando’s started to stray from the Mandalorian code. Thanks to Bo-Katan and her companions, he’s learned there are other ways of being a Mandalorian. He’s a bit like someone who’s lived within a strict religious order who, after living among those with other beliefs, has started to question his upbringing. Is it significant that his helmet remains at his feet in the final(ish) shot, one that leaves him in the company of Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves, characters with whom he’ll likely be spending some time in season three? Maybe!
Where is Grogu going?
We don’t know much about Luke’s life between the end of Return of the Jedi and his reappearance on the distant planet of Ach-To at the end of The Force Awakens, but what we do know doesn’t bode well for Grogu. Luke tried to restore the Jedi order via Force-powerful students. But those students included his nephew Ben Solo (later to be known as Kylo Ren), and Ben’s murderous turn ended Luke’s efforts in dramatic fashion. Is that Grogu’s fate, to be murdered by Ben Solo? That seems like too dark a turn, but it’s not out of the question.
When is that third season coming?
The Mandalorian has inspired two confirmed spinoffs, Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic. Many have interpreted the post-credits scene of this finale as the announcement of a third spinoff called The Book of Boba Fett, thanks to a card reading “The Book of Boba Fett, Coming December 2021.†So are we getting a Boba Fett series then? TBD. Disney previously announced December 2021 as the premiere date for The Mandalorian’s third season, so it’s possible to read “The Book of Boba Fett†as the title for season three rather than a discrete spinoff. But who knows?
Jabba’s palace was looking a little underpopulated when Fennec Shand and Boba Fett showed up, wasn’t it?
Well, Jabba’s dead, Bib Fortuna’s an obvious buzzkill, and would you want to hang around a place whose previous visitors had a way of ending up dead? Besides, there’s no Rancor monster to entertain everyone anymore, so why bother?
Poor Bib Fortuna!
That’s not really a question, but don’t feel too bad for the guy. He should have known he was too weak-willed to sit on Jabba’s throne.
Getting back to those spinoffs, what do we know?
Not a lot. Ahsoka was announced as a limited series to be run by Favreau and Filoni with Rosario Dawson returning to the role. As good as her episode, “Chapter 13: The Jedi,†was, it also had the unmistakable feel of a backdoor pilot. And, hey, that’s what it turned out to be! We know even less about Rangers of the New Republic, another Favreau and Filoni venture. Will it feature the two X-wing pilots we met in the second episode of this season? That wouldn’t be a surprise.
Will these spinoffs be any good?
That’s, of course, unknown. But Favreau and Filoni have kept the quality of The Mandalorian remarkably high from the first episode on. There’s no reason to bet against them. On the other hand, creators sometimes spread themselves too thin, and they seem to have increased their workload considerably. One thing’s for certain: There will be a lot of Star Wars spinoffs, not all of them directly tied to The Mandalorian. CBS All Access’ strategy is to have a new Star Trek series of one kind or another running throughout the year. The announcement of nine new Star Wars series feels like Disney’s hold-my-beer moment.
Where is Ahsoka?
It seemed possible she’d show up in the finale, but no. She must be too busy plotting to take down Thrawn.
Where is Greef Karga?
We didn’t see as much of Carl Weathers as might be expected, did we? Weathers did direct one of the season’s best episodes (“Chapter 12: The Siegeâ€), though, so maybe that kept him busy.
Who named Grogu?
Ahsoka knows his name, but who named him? We really have no idea where the name comes from or what it means.
What’s going on with the New Republic?
The Mandalorian takes place in the Outer Rim, so it’s fitting that, like Outer Rim residents, we only get rumors and hints about what’s going on closer to the heart of the galaxy. The Imperial remnants suggest it’s a place of infighting and disorder. Whether that’s projection or not, however, we don’t know.
How did Boba Fett survive the Sarlacc pit?
That’s never been revealed. We know he seems to have lost his armor in the process. But his connection to the Clone Wars and clone technology raises other options. Maybe this answer is somewhere in the The Book of Boba Fett.
Will we ever see Omera again?
Remember Omera, the nice (and sharpshooting) widow who seemed to win Mando’s heart back in “Chapter 4: Sanctuary� It seems like we’ll have to see her again at some point, but not this season.
Will the Frog family live happily ever after? Did they end up with enough eggs?
They seemed happy enough with their spawn when last we saw them. Let’s just leave them there.
Will Mando get a new ship?
Here’s another detail in support of the possibility that Grogu is now Grogone: Mando lost his ship when the Razor Crest was blown up in spectacular fashion. The Razor Crest seemed almost as central to the series as Grogu, but now it’s gone forever.
What’s next for Migs Mayfeld?
The door remains open for Bill Burr to return as the amoral ex-Imperial. But will his political awakening continue?
What did Moff Gideon do with Grogu’s blood?
From the glimpse we got of Dr. Pershing’s lab on Nevarro, it looks like he and Moff Gideon were performing some pretty dark experiments involving clones. It seems likely they were dying to draw Grogu’s midichlorian-rich blood to create … something? Maybe soldiers even more powerful than the Dark Troopers? Both Gideon and Pershing remain alive, but they may not be willing to talk about their efforts.
What to do with Moff Gideon?
The season ends with Moff Gideon in the custody of Mando, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, Boba Fett, and Fennec Shand. Boba and Fennec seem to have struck out on their own. That leaves Gideon (and Pershing) in the hands of people who really don’t like them, though what they’ll do with them remains unclear.
Who will wield the Darksaber?
Mando doesn’t want it. Bo-Katan wants it, but can’t just take it as a gift. At some point, they’re going to have to fight, and fight in such a way that they create a story that leaves Bo-Katan the Darksaber’s true owner. That sounds like something season three will have to address, and pretty quickly. That Darksaber isn’t going to wield itself.