Disney+'s The Mandalorian - Episode 1.03 "Chapter 3: The Sin"
The battered Mandalorian returns to his client for reward.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Disney+'s The Mandalorian.
"Chapter 3: The Sin" was written by Jon Favreau and directed by Deborah Chow
It's easy to fall in love with Baby Yoda. The animatronic figure is just a technological marvel because of its ability to express genuine emotions at the world around it. The plot of this season is very simple. The Mandalorian - or Mando as many choose to call him - was hired to track down the Child and deliver him to the Client, who has a mysterious agenda for the creature. Mando follows through on that mission here. He delivers the Child to the Client. And yet, the time that he has spent with Baby Yoda has had an impact on him as well. It's because of the audience's admiration for the character that it makes sense that Mando would risk his entire bounty hunting reputation and the fate of his people just to protect it. That is remarkable and incredibly rousing as it happens in this episode. Part of it is nothing more than a job to him. He trades off the Child in order to get the steel that can be forged into new armor for his body. That continues to hold so much reverence in his community of Mandalorians even though some lash out at him for using the items forged by the Empire, which nearly wiped out their people years ago. Mando is still clearly traumatized by those events as well. When he watches the Armorer crafting this new protection and form of identity for him, it harkens back to the days in which he lost his parents and needed this kind of protection to begin with. That's where his love for this culture comes from. He remarks that he has never removed his mask nor has anyone removed it from his head. That may be disappointing to some who want to see Pedro Pascal's face at some point this season. But it also helps the show stand out as unique because it requires Pascal to do things in a slightly different way. The emotion is still apparent between Mando and Baby Yoda despite just how stoic Mando always is. It's a breakdown of protocol when he asks the Client what he plans to do with this latest acquisition. The guild forbids asking those types of questions. It is instead focused on completing the job and moving onto the next. That is something that Mando tries to do here. He wants to move on to the next bail jumper. Throwing himself into work is the only way he can get this concern out of his head. But he still has to go back to retrieve this young creature who has done remarkable things in front of him. Sure, Baby Yoda doesn't help during the grand escape that Mando makes here. But it's still heartwarming to watch the troops rally as everyone tries to preserve the innocence of the universe despite the darkness that has fallen over the land. Mando doesn't trust the new authorities. He knows that the Client is still loyal to the ideals of the Empire. This action is seemingly the only thing he can do to maintain a sense of what's right in the world. It can be so dangerous for his fellow Mandalorians to emerge from under this world to help him escape. They have found sanctuary and safety on this planet by continuing to live in hiding. Mando has public responsibilities. But he also has to take care of his own community. People don't always appreciate the actions he is willing to take. And yet, there is such a strong amount of love and respect on display as well. All hope seems lost when the other bounty hunters come to collect the target from Mando. He is willing to fight his way out no matter what. He won't let anything happen to the Child knowing that the Client just wants to collect some kind of material from it before killing it. That also means Mando may not trust anyone in this universe. His friends help him escape to his ship and to a galaxy far away. However, Greef Karga is still alive despite taking a blast to the chest. Mando will still be hunted. Baby Yoda is valuable. Dr. Pershing may genuinely be trying to save it from the nefarious plans the Client has for it. But now, the Client has an army of bounty hunters willing to complete this mission for a lucrative reward. That's dangerous for Mando while also creating a very exciting narrative for the show as the season starts to heat up.
