MANDALORIAN 3x08 BREAKDOWN! Every Star Wars Easter Egg You Missed!
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Din Djarin returns to the spotlight! For this list, we're looking at the hidden details, callbacks, and Easter Eggs in "The Mandalorian" season 3 finale "Chapter 24: The Return". Beware of spoilers! Our countdown features the Praetorian Guard, Purge Troopers, Grogu's use of the Force, Moff Gideon, the Fate of the Darksaber, and more! What "Star Wars" details did you appreciate in the episode? Tell us in the comments!
Top 10 Things You Missed in “The Mandalorian” Season 3 Episode 8
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things You Missed in “The Mandalorian” Season 3 Episode 8.
For this list, we’re looking at subtle details like Easter eggs and references that you might not have noticed while watching “Chapter 24: The Return.” If you haven’t seen the Season 3 finale yet, beware of major spoilers.
What did you think of Season 3? Make your voice heard in the comments!
After defeating Moff Gideon and his forces, the Mandalorians are next seen by the Living Waters performing an induction ceremony for Ragnar. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Wait, didn’t Ragnar already get sworn in?” To which we say, yeah, almost. The season premiere opens on Ragnar similarly taking his oath, but doesn’t quite finish before a giant, crocodilian creature attacks. Now we’re finally seeing Ragnar complete the ceremony, which serves as a fitting way to bookend the season. And even though there’s a giant monster lurking in the water this time as well, they don’t have to worry about the Mythosaur attacking.
There’s nothing that spoils an Imperial party more than Jedi. Moff Gideon knows this all too well, and has ensured his forces are equipped to deal with something as pesky as a lightsaber. Indeed, on top of his new Dark Troopers being fitted with beskar armor, Gideon’s goons also have a series of electrified weaponry. Gideon himself wields an electrostaff, which was first seen in “Revenge of the Sith” as a way to combat Jedi. We’re not surprised Gideon has pulled out all the stops, you know, just in case this season finale also features a surprise cameo from Luke Skywalker.
It just wouldn’t be a Grogu paradise if there weren’t some helpless frogs for him to torment. Okay, that might be a little harsh, but seeing as we’ve seen the little guy swallow them whole before, twice, forgive us for being a little wary. The season wraps up with Mando going full-time daddy by officially adopting Grogu. The final scene shows them at their new homestead, with Grogu lifting a frog with the Force. This is something we saw him do in “The Book of Boba Fett,” but Luke wasn’t too pleased with his dietary preferences. Still, he’s clearly picked up a thing or two from his one-time Jedi master.
We geeked out when we saw the Praetorian Guards in the last episode. Their striking design and color scheme is unmistakable, coming straight from Snoke’s throne room in “The Last Jedi.” While we obviously covered that in our last recap video, their defeat here also harkened back to that film. As you’ll recall, the Praetorian Guards prove to be even greater adversaries than Snoke himself, giving Rey and Kylo Ren all they can handle. Despite being on opposite sides of the Force, they have to team up to take them down. Likewise, Mando too needs an assist from Grogu to get the job done, proving that the buddy system is recommended for taking down these overpowered henchmen.
This one’s had some fans a little confused coming out of the episode, but it’s no less interesting. After Mando takes Grogu as one of his own, the Armorer sees fit to make a little name change. Of course, it’s common for adoptees in the real world to assume their new guardian’s surname, but the Armorer doesn’t go for “Djarin.” Instead, she christens him “Din Grogu.” While it definitely sounds better than “Grogu Djarin,” we would’ve thought “Djarin” was the last name. After all, other common Mandalorian surnames like “Kryze” and “Vizsla” typically come second. If Bo-Katan adopted him, would the Armorer call him “Bo-Katan Grogu?” Let us know in the comments if you have an explanation for this.
While Season 3 gets away from the genre a bit, “The Mandalorian” at its core is a western. One of the most common motifs in the genre is the use of doors, symbolizing the barrier between civilization and the lawless frontier. “The Mandalorian” has made similar use of this shot, even as far back as the first episode, wherein Mando enters a cantina and brings some of his bounty hunter lawlessness with him. Here, Mando returns to the Adelphi base and enters the bar in a similar fashion. However, notice the difference in lighting. Here, the light flooding in practically makes Mando and Grogu look angelic, perhaps symbolizing the inner peace they’ve both found since the series premiere.
The IG droids come in super handy in this show, whether you need them to take out stormtroopers or serve tea. They’re also good for healing, as Grogu tries to do with IG-12’s bacta spray following Mando’s battle with commandos. Mando’s helmet is still on, so it doesn’t do much good, but it did in another season finale when we did see his face. Indeed, back in the finale to Season 1, IG-11 persuades Mando to remove his helmet so it can spray him down with bacta spray to treat his brain injuries. Grogu’s definitely a little overzealous here, but it’s endearing to him want to heal his Mando daddy so desperately. “Mando daddy?” Maddy? Eh, we’re sure we’ll think of a better nickname.
There are a lot of impressive set pieces in this episode, but any fan of the prequels will recognize the shield barriers. At one point, Mando fights through a series of commandos each separated by barrier shields. While the design of the shields isn’t exactly the same, the mechanics of the fight did remind us of the Duel of the Fates from “The Phantom Menace” when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon go up against Darth Maul. There, the shields are on a timed system, halting the fight at one point and forcing Obi-Wan to watch helplessly as the Sith deals a fatal blow to his master. Thankfully, no such tragedy occurs here, but being able to control the shields is hardly a significant advantage.
No, “Fire Force” isn’t the name of the new power metal band, but rather we’re referring to the moment Grogu shields himself, Mando and Bo-Katan from the ship explosion using the Force. It’s an awesome visual, but it isn’t the first time Grogu has fought back flames in this way, and in a season finale, no less. Back in Season 1, an incinerator trooper pins down our heroes in the Nevarro cantina. Just as it seems they’re about to be scorched, Grogu holds back the flames and sends them right back in the trooper’s face. It’s astonishing to see just how far Grogu has come, his abilities stronger than ever before.
Since we’ve been introduced to it, the Darksaber has been an almost everlasting symbol of Mandalorian legend. So it was quite shocking to see Moff Gideon crumble it during his fight with Bo-Katan. After all, it’s been a hot point of contention whenever it’s been onscreen, even symbolizing Bo-Katan’s leadership of the Mandalorians. But its destruction may symbolize something even greater. One of the themes this season has been togetherness, as the Mandalorians look to reunify their people. This has already caused friction between fractions with different customs. But perhaps the loss of the symbol of command represents a new way forward, one which sees the Mandalorians embracing a more democratic and utilitarian form of government.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things You Missed in “The Mandalorian” Season 3 Episode 8.
For this list, we’re looking at subtle details like Easter eggs and references that you might not have noticed while watching “Chapter 24: The Return.” If you haven’t seen the Season 3 finale yet, beware of major spoilers.
What did you think of Season 3? Make your voice heard in the comments!
#10: The End Is the Beginning
After defeating Moff Gideon and his forces, the Mandalorians are next seen by the Living Waters performing an induction ceremony for Ragnar. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Wait, didn’t Ragnar already get sworn in?” To which we say, yeah, almost. The season premiere opens on Ragnar similarly taking his oath, but doesn’t quite finish before a giant, crocodilian creature attacks. Now we’re finally seeing Ragnar complete the ceremony, which serves as a fitting way to bookend the season. And even though there’s a giant monster lurking in the water this time as well, they don’t have to worry about the Mythosaur attacking.
#9: Purge Trooper Weaponry
There’s nothing that spoils an Imperial party more than Jedi. Moff Gideon knows this all too well, and has ensured his forces are equipped to deal with something as pesky as a lightsaber. Indeed, on top of his new Dark Troopers being fitted with beskar armor, Gideon’s goons also have a series of electrified weaponry. Gideon himself wields an electrostaff, which was first seen in “Revenge of the Sith” as a way to combat Jedi. We’re not surprised Gideon has pulled out all the stops, you know, just in case this season finale also features a surprise cameo from Luke Skywalker.
#8: Grogu’s Frog Fascination
It just wouldn’t be a Grogu paradise if there weren’t some helpless frogs for him to torment. Okay, that might be a little harsh, but seeing as we’ve seen the little guy swallow them whole before, twice, forgive us for being a little wary. The season wraps up with Mando going full-time daddy by officially adopting Grogu. The final scene shows them at their new homestead, with Grogu lifting a frog with the Force. This is something we saw him do in “The Book of Boba Fett,” but Luke wasn’t too pleased with his dietary preferences. Still, he’s clearly picked up a thing or two from his one-time Jedi master.
#7: How to Take Down a Praetorian Guard
We geeked out when we saw the Praetorian Guards in the last episode. Their striking design and color scheme is unmistakable, coming straight from Snoke’s throne room in “The Last Jedi.” While we obviously covered that in our last recap video, their defeat here also harkened back to that film. As you’ll recall, the Praetorian Guards prove to be even greater adversaries than Snoke himself, giving Rey and Kylo Ren all they can handle. Despite being on opposite sides of the Force, they have to team up to take them down. Likewise, Mando too needs an assist from Grogu to get the job done, proving that the buddy system is recommended for taking down these overpowered henchmen.
#6: Din Grogu
This one’s had some fans a little confused coming out of the episode, but it’s no less interesting. After Mando takes Grogu as one of his own, the Armorer sees fit to make a little name change. Of course, it’s common for adoptees in the real world to assume their new guardian’s surname, but the Armorer doesn’t go for “Djarin.” Instead, she christens him “Din Grogu.” While it definitely sounds better than “Grogu Djarin,” we would’ve thought “Djarin” was the last name. After all, other common Mandalorian surnames like “Kryze” and “Vizsla” typically come second. If Bo-Katan adopted him, would the Armorer call him “Bo-Katan Grogu?” Let us know in the comments if you have an explanation for this.
#5: Entering the Bar
While Season 3 gets away from the genre a bit, “The Mandalorian” at its core is a western. One of the most common motifs in the genre is the use of doors, symbolizing the barrier between civilization and the lawless frontier. “The Mandalorian” has made similar use of this shot, even as far back as the first episode, wherein Mando enters a cantina and brings some of his bounty hunter lawlessness with him. Here, Mando returns to the Adelphi base and enters the bar in a similar fashion. However, notice the difference in lighting. Here, the light flooding in practically makes Mando and Grogu look angelic, perhaps symbolizing the inner peace they’ve both found since the series premiere.
#4: Bacta Spray
The IG droids come in super handy in this show, whether you need them to take out stormtroopers or serve tea. They’re also good for healing, as Grogu tries to do with IG-12’s bacta spray following Mando’s battle with commandos. Mando’s helmet is still on, so it doesn’t do much good, but it did in another season finale when we did see his face. Indeed, back in the finale to Season 1, IG-11 persuades Mando to remove his helmet so it can spray him down with bacta spray to treat his brain injuries. Grogu’s definitely a little overzealous here, but it’s endearing to him want to heal his Mando daddy so desperately. “Mando daddy?” Maddy? Eh, we’re sure we’ll think of a better nickname.
#3: Shield Barrier Fight
There are a lot of impressive set pieces in this episode, but any fan of the prequels will recognize the shield barriers. At one point, Mando fights through a series of commandos each separated by barrier shields. While the design of the shields isn’t exactly the same, the mechanics of the fight did remind us of the Duel of the Fates from “The Phantom Menace” when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon go up against Darth Maul. There, the shields are on a timed system, halting the fight at one point and forcing Obi-Wan to watch helplessly as the Sith deals a fatal blow to his master. Thankfully, no such tragedy occurs here, but being able to control the shields is hardly a significant advantage.
#2: Fire Force
No, “Fire Force” isn’t the name of the new power metal band, but rather we’re referring to the moment Grogu shields himself, Mando and Bo-Katan from the ship explosion using the Force. It’s an awesome visual, but it isn’t the first time Grogu has fought back flames in this way, and in a season finale, no less. Back in Season 1, an incinerator trooper pins down our heroes in the Nevarro cantina. Just as it seems they’re about to be scorched, Grogu holds back the flames and sends them right back in the trooper’s face. It’s astonishing to see just how far Grogu has come, his abilities stronger than ever before.
#1: The Darksaber’s Destruction
Since we’ve been introduced to it, the Darksaber has been an almost everlasting symbol of Mandalorian legend. So it was quite shocking to see Moff Gideon crumble it during his fight with Bo-Katan. After all, it’s been a hot point of contention whenever it’s been onscreen, even symbolizing Bo-Katan’s leadership of the Mandalorians. But its destruction may symbolize something even greater. One of the themes this season has been togetherness, as the Mandalorians look to reunify their people. This has already caused friction between fractions with different customs. But perhaps the loss of the symbol of command represents a new way forward, one which sees the Mandalorians embracing a more democratic and utilitarian form of government.
