‘The Mandalorian’ Recap – ‘Chapter 23: The Spies’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(R): Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 307 of ‘The Mandalorian’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We like to believe that when we wish to bury the hatchet regarding old ghosts and bring people back together in doing so, that it will be a simple act. After all, good should trump all things, and great intentions should inspire, ergo… easy reunions and reconciliation. But alas, that hope is nothing more than a pipe dream. For we often forget that old wounds run deep when people separate for negative reasons and bitter blood oft remains. Making a reunion quite the exhaustive event in reality, as evidenced by the next episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+. An exploration that ‘Chapter 23: The Spies’ took part in… by bringing the old guard and the new guard together on Nevarro.
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For Bo-Katan’s mercenary friends reunited with the Covert on that world and well, the situation was tense. For those reasons outlined above, and Bo-Katan thought the best way to get around that bad blood… was to return to Mandalore post-haste and explore what it might take to revitalize a broken world and that too… proved to be difficult. Courtesy of infighting and old haunts that required more level minds to quell. Leaving all of us to wonder if by chance, it would be a long and painful road ahead for Mandalore, one that might take generations of rebuilding to bring forth unity and harmony. But alas… if there is one quick way to unite a people, it is a disaster and a common foe and that… made itself known in this tale.

Because while the good souls of Mandalore struggled to come together, beneath that world’s shattered crust was something quite horrifying. Specifically, Moff Gideon and the Imperial Remnant. For Gideon set up shop on this barren world for nefarious purposes. Such as planning for the future via a series of scenes that implied that much of the future of the galaxy will be set in motion on Mandalore. Since tanks of clones and experiments were in this place, ones that will likely give birth to Supreme Leader Snoke and the revitalized Emperor Palpatine. Not to mention, this was also a place where Gideon planned with other commanders from the Empire, including a man named Hux, who will likely find his way into the upper echelons of the First Order when it too arrives. 

But what mattered more here was that upon arriving at the Great Forge, our intrepid heroes, and the broken people they wanted to fix, found what they needed to unify by running into Gideon’s forces. A battle that proved quite costly. For the wily Moff managed to fuse Stormtrooper Armor with Beskar based plating. Not to mention, he himself was in a far more superior place as a warrior and used his might and the might of his forces, to bring down Paz Visla and even capture Din Djarin. Setting the stage for a grand fight for Mandalore, one that will require unity amongst its people and a resolve they’ve yet to find, after they of course… mourn for the dead. Since Paz was a tough loss here, especially when one considers how heroically he met his end.

When all is said and done however, this was… quite the incredible episode. One that really did lay down the groundwork for the dark future that Rey Skywalker and the Resistance will face when the First Order emerges from the shadows, with Palpatine pulling the strings, and it also set the stage for a powerhouse season three finale. Because the situation has never been this grim for our heroes, and it will take some serious fighting to save Din Djarin and cast the Imperial Remnant out, and it will be interesting to see if our heroes can or if season three of this storied saga, is going to end on a shocking note. One that will leave us in a worrisome and uncomfortable place when the dust settles from the battle ahead. Until next time.

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