The Mandalorian season 3, episode 4 review: The Foundling

“Put down the rocks, kid. It’s time for you to learn with the other Foundlings.” Spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 4 follow.

The Mandalorian returns to form with a solid episode with very fun action and great characterizations, as well as that satisfying flashback.

In episode 4, The Mandalorian and Bo-Katan have arrived back with the rest of the Mandalorians and they’re doing what they do best. Train.

While they are though, one of the Foundlings is kidnapped by a flying creature, so they must scramble to find him.

The Mandalorian season 3 episode 4 review

Challenge

This episode starts off on a pretty fun note with Din having Grogu begin to practice fighting with the other Mandalorians. The others immediately are so confused as to what Din is doing, and even Grogu is, but it’s a nice fish out of water scene. Grogu has no clue what he’s doing, doesn’t know about the weapon he has, nor doesn’t know why he’s doing this. It’s such a fun scene, just in that sense.

It’s also great seeing Bo-Katan becoming an almost mother-like figure when she encourages him before the duel begins. She hasn’t had many, if at all, soft moments in any of her appearances across The Clone Wars, Rebels, or The Mandalorian, that’s just not who she is or what the story has needed her to be. But it’s nice to have one of those moments with Grogu after beginning to build a relationship with him after the events in the mines of Mandalore.

But Din being the proud dad he is and telling Grogu to believe in himself is so great and is the best part of this scene. Seeing him just being kind to Grogu and knowing that he can prove himself to everyone, and not yelling at him for getting shot, it’s really great. It gives off “proud of you, no matter what” parent vibes, which is genuinely the best characterization for Din that the series has.

Hunting party

The Foundling that Grogu fought was immediately kidnapped by a monster after their duel. The Mandalorians followed without hesitation, but lose the winged creature regardless. Bo-Katan though was smart and took her ship in order to follow the creature without running out of fuel. Just goes to show that she’s one of the few Mandalorians that thinks before acting, which is a smart characterization.

Sometimes though, it’s just fun to see Mandalorians fight a giant monster. There doesn’t need to be some deeper meaning to everything, which is where the show has often shined. And a lot of this episode is just that. Watching Mandalorians fighting a giant monster is fun. But, there is more to it. Din immediately helping find this Foundling, even after everything and the continued distrust by his fellow Mandalorians, allows even Din’s doubters to see the type of man that he is.

The Forge

While Din and Bo are off to retrieve the Foundling, The Armorer begins teaching Grogu about The Forge and that its purpose is not only to manufacture the things that the Mandalorians use, but to Forge who they are as a person. It’s very in line with what the show has always said about the Forge, so actually seeing it in both a metaphorical and literal sense with The Forger making Grogu his first piece of Beskar armor, with the mudhorn sigil, is wonderful to see.

While The Forger is talking though, Grogu has a flashback to Order 66. Shocker there, another Order 66 flashback in a Star Wars property. But this one is different. Seeing the trauma that Grogu went through in seeing multiple Jedi die in front of him, and he has no power to stop it, it’s haunting. But then something very satisfying happens. A new Jedi appears and saves him, but this Jedi is played by Ahmed Best, and there’s something very satisfying about seeing him return to Star Wars again.