The Mandalorian Chapter 23 Review: The Empire Strikes Back

The Mandalorian Chapter 23: The Spies really got the third season back on track, at least, as far as I’m concerned. I was a bit worried after having watched Chapter 22: Guns For Hire. That episode, in my opinion, was dreadful, and I was somewhat concerned about season three’s final two episodes after having watched it.

That said, after having watched Chapter 23, I really needn’t have worried. This episode, which was written by Rick Famuyiwa, was bloody brilliant. He’s directed multiple episodes of the show before this point, and he’s proven himself to be an excellent director of this series.

The episode was also written by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, and I’s starting to wonder whether the episodes of The Mandalorian that aren’t as good as the other ones are the ones that are written solely by Dave or by Jon. That’s just a thought.

Last week’s episode was written by Jon Favreau, and it was a stinker, in my opinion.

The Mandalorian Chapter 23 gets the show back on track

Credit: Lucasfilm

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One of the things I really loved about this week’s episode wasn’t just that it showcased more of what makes the Mandalorians awesome, but it was because it brought back the show’s villain in Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon, who’s back and better than ever.

Esposito is a terrific actor, and I think that this season of the show has really lacked a good antagonist, and there’s not much better than Moff Gideon. It also teased the arrival of Thrawn, who’s going to be played by Lars Mikkelsen in the upcoming Ahsoka series.

I actually think we’re going to get to see him first in the final episode of The Mandalorian Season 3. The inclusion of Moff Gideon, and teasing Thrawn has really helped in getting this show back on track.

That said, I do love getting to see the Mandalorians come together and fight for their homeworld. There are some incredible battle sequences between the Mandalorians and Moff Gideon’s troops.

I don’t want to give too much away for fear of spoilers, but there is a moment in this episode that brings to mind Hodor’s iconic “hold the door” moment in Game Of Thrones. If you’ve seen the episode, then you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Excited to see what comes next from The Mandalorian

Credit: Lucasfilm

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This episode also showcases Din Djarin’s heroic qualities, which have been lacking this season. I’m interested to see what happens to his character in the next episode. He’s in a pretty tight spot.

One of the real highlights of this season so far has been Katee Sackhoff as Bo Katan, and she’s great in this episode. This whole episode did an awful lot to set up an intense and possibly heartbreaking finale. We’re going to have to wait and see what happens next.

I can’t wait for next Wednesday, which is when Season 3’s finale will land on Disney Plus. I’m sure you’re all just like me and very excited to see how it all ends and how this series will lead into Ahsoka, which is slated to be released on Disney Plus this August.

WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

Now, I’m going to go into real SPOILER territory here and give you my theory of what might happen in the finale. I think it’ll be revealed that the Mandalorians, or more precisely, Bo Katan and Din Djarin, were sold out by the Armorer.

I just think something’s been going on with that character all season long, and she’s been too quick to accept and help Bo Katan in her attempts to bring the Mandalorians back together again and retake Mandalore. I think she has made a deal with Moff Gideon, and I’m pretty sure he’ll end up double-crossing her in the finale.

The Mandalorian Seasons 1, 2 and the first seven episodes of Season 3 are available to stream on Disney Plus right now.

What do you make of this review? Did you watch The Mandalorian Chapter 23 on Disney Plus? If so, what did you make of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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