21-05-23 | The third season of the wildly popular Mandalorian wrapped up a month ago. Now that the dust has settled let’s look at its critical reception. Din Djarin’s recent travels have been, dare I say it, divisive. Viewers seem to be either completely on board or sincerely disappointed. Season 3 finds Din Djarin and Bo-Katan attempting to unite several Mandalorian factions in an attempt to reclaim their home world of Mandalore. But Moff Gideon lurks in the shadows, awaiting the opportunity to claim the planet as his own.
Lindsey DeLuca at Nerds and Beyond felt that ‘after waiting over two years for the series to make its triumphant return, the third season of The Mandalorian is a welcome balm for the weary souls of Star Wars nerds.’ Samantha Nelson of IGN added that ‘The Mandalorian remains one of the most beautifully produced shows on television. It captures the wonder of Star Wars, from the glee Grogu experiences hanging out in the astromech port in Din Djarin’s new ship, to the ruins of the Great Forge of Mandalore hidden beneath a surface of fused glass.’
Bernard Boo at Den of Geek agreed, referring to the ‘satisfying ending to what has been a rock-solid season of The Mandalorian, with all of the show’s carefully laid-out storylines converging in spectacular fashion.’ Midlife Gamer Jason Brown was less positive, stating that ‘this season veered wildly in quality in terms of its episodes, with the writers not seeming to know exactly how to fill the time given to them across eight episodes’ Hoots the Owl at Hardware Zone added he felt ‘season 3 was shaky at times, further bogged down by cringe-inducing grandstanding in the finale’.
Maggie Lovitt of Collider agreed the series was uneven, calling it ‘a tonally disjointed season that was so focused on its destination that it forgot to enjoy the journey. The bar wasn’t raised, despite the concentrated attempt to make it seem like they did something monumental.’ Most critics, whether positive or negative, generally feel that with every season The Mandalorian seems to be losing some of the magic it had in it’s initial series. Questions have been answered and this has affected Din Djarin’s mystique.
And yet anticipation for a fourth season, interestingly, is another point upon which critics seem to agree. Bernard Boo captured the consensus beautifully: ‘[Din Djarin and Grocu] finally feel like they’re both where they belong, and this could be a fitting ending to their story. Thankfully, this won’t be the last we see of the Din Fam, as showrunner Jon Favreau has already confirmed he’s written a fourth season. We can’t wait to see what’s next!’ And neither can I, for one. A flawed season of The Mandalorian still triumphs over most current sci fi shows, it seems.
Read the full reviews here:
Lindsey DeLuca at Nerds and Beyond
Samantha Nelson at IGN
Bernard Boo at Den of Geek
Jason Brown at Midlife Gamer
Hoots the Owl at Hardware Zone
Maggie Lovitt at Collider