Director: Bryce Dallas Howard

Writer(s): Jon Favreau

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sasha Banks, Misty Rosas

Synopsis: The Mandalorian braves high seas and meets unexpected allies.

In Episode 3, Mando learns a lot about himself. In my opinion, the best episodes come where Mando is having some sort of self discovery and learning about his history. This one continued that trend and managed to really impress me on so many levels.

First off, we finally find more Mandalorians. However, these Mandalorians are not typical of what we have come to know over the course of the show. These Mandalorians follow a different creed under the same banner of the Mandalore. They show Mando that there is more to being a Mandalorian and you can see, even while he is under the shiny helmet, that Mando is beginning to think differently in what he has been taught in the past. This also closes the story up with the Frog Lady in such a heartfelt and wonderful way that it makes up for how out of place she felt in the previous episode.

But of course, this show isn’t all drama, and the action that comes here matches up perfectly. Even Mando seemed a step behind at times as the group of Mandalorians tear through the ship. It was extremely impressive and fun to see a return to this kind of one on one action. It was also nice to see Mando being the one in distress, as multiple times throughout this episode there were moments that Mando was the one who needed saving. His vulnerability really showed and the depth of Mando’s character is growing.

I will say this as well, the easter eggs in this episode are some really good ones that Star Wars fans will really enjoy, including one very important name from another Star Wars show.

Final: After what I felt was a disappointing last episode, The Mandalorian comes back in full force with one of its best yet. This episode had everything you could want in this show, and Bryce Dallas Howard really impressed me with her directorial style here.

My Score:

2020 Rankings

Jacob is a film critic and co-founder of the Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Music City Film Critics’ Association and specializes in the awards season. You can find him on Twitter @Tberry57.