Mandalorian training, flying beasts, and crucial revelations abound in the latest episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Let’s break it down!
Chapter 20 of The Mandalorian, titled The Foundling, dropped on Disney+ this morning, bringing the focus back to Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan as they settle back into some “familiar” patterns. As Grogu’s training as a Mandalorian begins to come into greater focus, we finally learn a little bit more of his past and see quite a bit of Mando action.
Despite being a shorter episode, there’s still some interesting things to discuss. As always, we’re head first into spoilers, so if you haven’t watched yet…be warned. Catch up with my previous recaps here: Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19.
Training Time
Coming in just under 30 minutes, Carl Weathers (who also plays Greef Carga) gets right to the point in The Foundling. Taking place entirely on the secret planet where the Covert is operating out of, the episode is divided into two distinct parts. One, where we get to see more from Grogu’s past, and secondly, a dangerous rescue mission. Both keep the focus on the idea of protecting “foundlings” and why they’re so important.
Again, I’m not doing a scene by scene recap of the episode (you can watch it), so let’s talk about some of the interesting tidbits sprinkled throughout the episode. As things kick off, we get to see the extent to which the Covert has rebuilt itself…which is pretty neat.
During The Book of Boba Fett, when Din finally tracks down the Armorer, it’s pretty much just her and Paz Vizsla holing up on the ring colony. We got a taste of how they’d managed to rebuild in the first episode of this season, but seeing so many of them out on the beach training, makes it clear they’ve been busy. Of course, there’s no telling how much time has passed between all this (I mean there could be, but they’re playing coy with the timeline), but I doubt rebuilding the Children of the Watch happened over night.
Either way, the real focus of this moment, is having Grogu getting his hands dirty. The season so far has done a good job of showing how Din has fully accepted Grogu as his own child and is teaching him the ways of Mandalorians. Now that he’s “redeemed” and back in the fold, it’s time for Grogu to get some more official training like the other foundlings!
I loved this little sequence. Beyond seeing Grogu get in on the action and utilize his re-awakened Jedi skills, it was neat to see Grogu interact with others beyond his little circle of people. Aside from some playful moments in previous seasons, we haven’t really seen Grogu interacting with “peers” and being himself.
They’ve always been running from something, or hiding away to keep him safe. Without that looming, ever-present threat, Grogu is able to just…exist and engage with others on a level we haven’t seen before. Plus, it’s nice to keep seeing how Grogu isn’t helpless and is getting to the point of holding his own. I don’t know, something about these more familial moments we’re seeing in this season are hitting all the right buttons for me.
Not to mention it was hilarious to see Din as the “proud Dad” tossing his child right into the frying pan in true Mandalorian fashion.
Of course, training is rudely interrupted by the “raptor” (essentially a dragon) swooping in and snatching up Ragnar Vizsla, who we saw in the season opener. Personally, I thought it was humorous how the main reaction was, “not again,” but it leads to a pretty fun rescue mission that puts Bo-Katan in the spotlight once more. Plus, I’m LIVING for all the monster creatures we’re getting this season so far!
Memories
While Bo leads a hunting party to bring Ragnar back, Grogu is left behind in the care of the Armorer. While I can’t say she’d be my personal choice of babysitter these days, there’s no denying how much she genuinely cares for the foundlings. As she brings Grogu close and forges for him a new piece of armor (perhaps he earned it by showing his skill in the challenge), we get to learn a bit more of the child’s secretive history.
Once the Armorer starts hammering away, Grogu’s thoughts turn back to the fateful night of Order 66. I loved the setup here, as it’s a direct callback to the first season of The Mandalorian and Din Djarin’s flashback sequences. It ties things together nicely in a way that prepares audiences to go backwards, while also forming another thematic tie between the two characters.
At long last, we finally know who rescue Grogu from the Jedi temple during Order 66. There’s been tons of speculation over the last couple years (pretty much since we learned he was at the temple during that period of time in the second season), and it’s pretty cool to see that absolutely no one got it right.
Kelleran Beq! Holy shit. Never in a million years would I have guessed that, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. If you’re not familiar with the Jedi Master played by none other than Ahmed Best (yes, Jar Jar Binks), Kelleran made his debut in the short-lived Jedi Temple Challenge game show!
Premiering in 2020 on YouTube, Jedi Temple Challenge was a kids game show in the same vein as the old Legends of the Hidden Temple show. While it was a competitive show, it was still set within the Star Wars galaxy canon, where Kelleran served as a headmaster of sorts over the Jedi Trials. Through that show, we learned Kelleran had earned the nickname “Sabered Hand” and we get to see some of those skills in today’s episode.
Ahmed Best’s journey from Jar Jar Binks, a role that received so much fan backlash and vitriol the actor once considered ending his own life, to bringing life to a new character is all kinds of amazing. I’m so glad he’s finally getting “his flowers” and the love/support he deserves. Too often we forget how he was a pioneer of motion capture acting and helped pave the way for others like Andy Serkis.
Anyway, Kelleran manages to escape the Temple with Grogu in tow. After a quick chase through Coruscant, Kelleran mentions having “friends” waiting…Which turns out to be some helpful Naboo guards standing by with what appears to be an H-Type Nubian Yacht (which is what Anakin and Padmé used in Attack of the Clones).
Now, this brings up a whole bunch of questions; namely who on Naboo is helping Kelleran escape with Grogu? As we know from Revenge of the Sith, Padmé is unaware of what’s going down at the Temple and is worried about Anakin potentially getting hurt in it. Who might Kelleran know personally that would be able to help out on such short notice?
It’s an intriguing question and we still don’t know where Grogu and Kelleran escaped to. Hopefully we’ll get more answers during the remainder of the season. And that’s not to mention, why is Grogu getting a specific rescue while everyone else tries to defend the Temple?
As one mystery is solved, more being to pop up. Such is the way of Star Wars.
Bo-Katan’s Purpose
Meanwhile, Bo-Katan seems to be finding her stride among Din’s people. I’m still not entirely convinced she’s becoming a convert to the Children of the Watch, I think she’s enjoying finding purpose among her brethren once more. She even asks for the Mythosaur signet to be affixed to her new pauldron piece, showing her willingness to be more unified. Where this path ultimately leads her remains to be seen, but it’s clear she’s becoming more accepted and welcome among the covert.
Interesting enough, Bo-Katan finally feels comfortable enough to mention to the Armorer that she saw a Mythosaur while on Mandalore. The Armorer’s reaction to this news is…interesting. At first she seems to play it off as nothing more than a vision, but as Bo insists the creature was real and alive, the Armorer doesn’t seem all that surprised.
She’s an ardent believer in the Creed and prophecies of her people. After all, she’s the one who told Din “The songs of eons past foretold of the Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore.” For the Armorer, Bo’s revelation is just another point in her favor that their adherence to the Way of the Mand’alor is the “correct” way. With such info, and confirmation that Mandalore can be inhabited, perhaps this is what gets the Armorer and her covert moving towards taking the planet back.
What I’ve found interesting is that all four episodes so far have ended with a shot of Bo-Katan. The first couple times could have been coincidence, but four episodes in, it feels like a deliberate choice. As for what this means, it’s unclear, other than the fact Bo is serving an integral role in the story. Something to think about as we head into the back half of the season.
The Mythosaur in the Room
One thing that kept niggling at my mind throughout the episode, is what about the Darksaber? Din has atoned and been welcomed back to the fold. The Armorer knows he has the Darksaber in his possession and even told him the significance of the ancient blade…so what are they going to do about it.
It feels like a big thing to leave on the table as it essentially makes Din the de facto leader of all Mandalorians. While he may want to simply chill and enjoy being able to immerse his son in the culture he’d previously been unable to, I doubt he’ll get that chance. You can’t have the Darksaber and do NOTHING with it. Especially after returning to Mandalore!
The events of this week’s episode, and the speedy pace it set, didn’t give the characters time to address this, but it doesn’t feel like something that can be ignored for long. Paz seems far more amicable with Din than he was previously, moreso now that Din helped rescue his son from the raptor creature. It’s tough to see them being at odds once again over the blade…but the Darksaber and temptation of power can do strange things to people. Hopefully next week’s episode gives some clarity on what’s next for Din and his Mando family.
Also, what the HELL are they going to do with those three baby dragons?!
Easter Eggs
Aside from the aforementioned Kelleran cameo and H-Type ship, there were some other Easter eggs/fun connections in today’s episode.
Kyrimorut – During her battle strategy meeting, Bo mentions climbing the peaks of Kyrimorut during her training. The name pulls from the old Expanded Universe as a location on Mandalore where Kal Skirata and his clan/Clone refuges hid out during the events of the Clone Wars (as featured in the Republic Commando novels).
Shriek-hawks – The Armorer tells Paz to assemble his “Shriek-hawks” which is a reference to the clan Vizsla symbol they wear.
Temeura Morrison – Thanks to the Clones in Grogu’s flashback, we get to hear the sultry voice of Boba Fett once again.
LAAT Gunships – Just cool to see these Clone ear gunships back in live-action.
V-Wing Fighters – Same as the LAAT gunships, it was great to see these Revenge of the Sith ships once again. Meant as precursors to the TIE Fighters (the engine noise is the giveaway), I always thought this was a neat design.
I’m sure there are others I missed, so be sure to let me know other fun things you may have noticed!
All in all, The Fondling feels like a return to “normal” when it comes to The Mandalorian. In many ways it feels like an episode from the first season, as it eschews the larger story to give us some fun character insight and prepare us for what’s coming next.
Carl Weathers brought the 80s style action to bear, which made for some fun sequences. About my only issue in the episode, is something I also had problems with in Obi-Wan Kenobi…the Lightsabers. Once again, in many of the sequences where Lightsabers are used, it looks like they’re just utilizing the saber-forge style blades (which they’ve been doing since The Force Awakens for lighting purposes) without actually touching them up.
In some of the scenes with Kelleran, it was very obvious he was holding a prop saber, rather than the rotoscoped overlay that traditionally gives the blade it’s iconic glow. It’s just weird, and takes me out every time I see it (in both Kenobi and here). In the grand scheme of things it feels like a minor gripe, but something I hope other shows using Lightsabers (like The Acolyte) don’t follow.
