The Mandalorian was the lifeline of the Stars Wars franchise at a time when it could be considered at its lowest. The show’s lone wolf bounty hunter protagonist and episodic, yet compelling storytelling was new and exciting. With no Jedi or Skywalkers anywhere in sight, Season 1 was a breath of fresh air and revitalized my enjoyment for the franchise.

Season 2 was good but not as strong as its predecessor. Despite that, its finale was memorable, emotional, and more importantly, full-circle. The immediate, driving story line of Mando reuniting Grogu with “his kind” — another Jedi — was resolved at the end of Season 2, culminating in a bittersweet farewell and opening the door for a darker and more serious storyline revolving around Mandalore in Season 3.

What came after, unfortunately, is far from what I expected.

The Book of Boba Fett was a dull outing whose titular character was a far cry from the brutal warrior who was reintroduced in The Mandalorian Season 2. Then, halfway through the show’s run time, Din Djarin completely takes over the show with two episodes centering around him.

While these episodes are great, they don’t belong in a show titled The Book of Boba Fett, and it undercuts the emotional finale of Season 2 by having Mando and Grogu reunite so soon. I think there’s a throwaway line about it being a year later, but the audience doesn’t feel any passage of time because they haven’t been apart for any significant time on-screen.

And then there’s Season 3. When Season 2 ended, I expected there to be a meaningful separation (at least a season’s worth of time) between Mando and Grogu while the story focused on the conflict in Mandalore. Season 2 smartly set up what could have been a very compelling conflict between Din Djarin and Bo Katan.

Now that he won the Darksaber, would he become the new leader? How would he handle the cultist nature of the Mandalorians he grew up with? Din Djarin started taking off his helmet more frequently in Season 2, so they had the perfect excuse for him to keep it off entirely in future seasons.

But instead, Season 3 did the opposite. There’s little to no conflict to speak of and no driving force to the story. In fact, the episodic structure of the story works against it as the episodes often meander and are incredibly disjointed. In addition, most of the run time is dedicated to Bo Katan. I like Bo Katan, but when I’m watching a show called The Mandalorian, I’m watching it for Din Djarin’s adventures and journey as a bounty hunter and Mandalorian.

Not only that, but Din doesn’t take off the helmet once, refuses to wield the Darksaber in any meaningful way, and he doesn’t step into any significant leadership role either, and it’s disappointing. And while you can make the argument that Din can’t take off the helmet because Pedro Pascal was busy filming The Last of Us and wasn’t on set for The Mandalorian, what it really illustrates is how butchered the character writing is.

For all of these reasons, The Mandalorian should have ended with Season 2. It had closure and would have been a satisfying conclusion had it stopped. Knowing where the story went in the trainwreck that is Season 3, I wish it had ended there.

What do you think? Should The Mandalorian ended after two seasons? Let us know in the comments, or join us on Boss Rush Discord!

Featured Image: Disney Plus

The Boss Rush Podcast: The Flagship Podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network

The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord. 

New episodes of The Boss Rush Podcast release every Monday morning on YouTube and all major podcast applications like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Patreon supporters gain one week early access. 

Listen on your favorite podcast application or watch on YouTube!
Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Twitch | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Amazon Music

Follow The Boss Rush Podcast on Social Media: Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group