The Mandalorian Chapter 3: The Sin Review – A Classic In The Making

Having successfully acquired his latest bounty, all that The Mandalorian needs to do is drop the child off with those who hired him… and get paid. However, the whole adventure has left a bad taste in The Mandalorian’s mouth. As if the distasteful nature of the payment itself wasn’t already an insult to his people, the knowledge that other bounty hunters were issued the same assignment is a reminder of the cutthroat nature of the job. And then there’s the child itself. Why would somebody put a bounty on an infant – even a Force-sensitive one that’s fifty years old – and what possible fate may await it?

As The Mandalorian continues to rise through the hierarchy amongst the remnants of his struggling people, he must also face his own conscience and forge a new destiny. Whatever decisions he comes to will shape his future, ultimately bringing him into conflict with forces he can’t begin to imagine… and altering the lives of all those around him.

Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen this show yet because it’s probable that you’re already aware of the “twist” regarding the identity of The Mandalorian’s bounty. It’s been all over social media and the news, spoilers be damned; hell, even wrestler Chris Jericho made reference to it on the latest live AEW TV show. So, with that said… sure. It’s a Baby Yoda. Why not?

Whether it’s a clone, Yoda’s biological child, or even just one of the little green runt’s species, it’s been dubbed Baby Yoda by everyone and that’s fine. And yes, the little sprout is absolutely adorable. So much so, in fact, that we’d hate to see any harm come to it

With that out of the way, it’s worth pointing out that, as cute as Baby Yoda is, being adorable isn’t the sole motivation for what happens in the episode. In fact, it’s unlikely the cute factor played any part whatsoever in swaying The Mandalorian’s emotions at all, because he’s got bigger issues.

While hardcore Star Wars fans know the rich history of Mandalorian culture and how it relates to the main character (and his people), his actions and choices throughout this episode logically stem from clearly-defined reasons. Well, except the cryptic ones. After all, there’s still lots about him that we need to know. But there’s enough here to sufficiently explain things for now. And while at times this episode may seem a bit thin and obvious in terms of story, the plot progression works wonders and it’s perfectly paced.

But like with most things Mandalorian, it’s the actions that count (even when they’re pacifists). To balance the story out, there’s plenty of action once things kick in to high gear. While it’s become evident that The Mandalorian isn’t as highly skilled as we may have assumed, he’s still got the edge over many and is at his best when he’s overwhelmed in a stand-off. We’ve been waiting to see him go toe-to-toe with old Imperials since the trailers for this series dropped, and that’s good for an appetizer… but it’s nowhere near as rewarding as the final battle here, one which points to even greater things coming soon.

Again, it’s solidly directed and acted, and is an all-round top-quality production that looks and sounds as fantastic as it’s supposed to. It owes plenty to the various movies, shows and genres which have inspired it, and it’s a fitting tribute to classics of yesteryear while still feeling fresh. The show carries itself with an air of confidence that seems earned, even if a lot of it is false bravado… much like the main character himself. To that end, it never overplays its hand in a desperate bid to be cool, nor does it rely too heavily on the built-in Star Wars gimmickry even though that would be the easiest way to go.

Is it going to please everyone? Probably not, and someone will always find fault – especially with anything Star Wars. No, it’s not necessarily like we imagined it was going to be; instead, it’s better than that and feels somehow right.