The Mandalorian Chapter 23 Review: An unexpected turn of events

The Mandalorian Chapter 23 (Season 3, Episode 7) “The Spies” is the best episode in the series so far. It has funny moments, great battles, epic music, and a nerve-wracking ending.

Recap of the story so far

Bo Katan is sent to unite all the Mandalorian clans. After a strange mission to say the least, she finally is able to meet with her former troops.

As tradition requires, she defeats Axe Woves in an old fashion 1v1 duel, regaining the leadership of her Mandalorian soldiers. Din Djarin also returned the Darksaber to its rightful owner by using the strange Mandalorian logic.

Captain Teva confirms that Moff Gideon has escaped. Many questions surged about the whole situation. Who rescued him? Why is there Beskar alloy inside the shuttle that was transporting him, and most importantly; Where is he?

Read the other individual episode reviews to make sure you are not missing out on some easter eggs and secret references or hints.

The review contains heavy spoilers from The Mandalorian Chapter 23!

Moff Gideon and The Shadow Council

Just a few minutes into the episode we see Moff Gideon talking to Elia Kane, the Imperial spy that fried Dr. Pershing’s brain. I thought we would only see him through the holo call but I was very wrong.

As soon as Gideon ends the call, he enters a room heavily guarded by a new type of trooper. Their helmets look like a combination of Mandalorian, Death Troopers, and First Order Stormtroopers which is super cool.

Then he walks past a small room that contains at least four cloning cylinders. This is not the first time that we see them in The Mandalorian but I have a feeling that these are more important ones.

Gideon then enters a room with the highest-ranked Imperial Officers, they might have a common goal but everyone’s greed for power is palpable. The most notorious officers in the room are Brendol Hux and Captain Pellaeon.

With Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return confirmed, the excitement and buildup are very real. I am wondering if he might even show up in the last episode of this season. He’s the only one who could put a leash on Gideon and or any other over-ambitious member of the Shadow Council.

Everyone seems to be too concerned with their problems but everything changes when Moff Gideon says the word that makes everyone in the room tremble: “Mandalorians”. Even after their planet was destroyed and their forces decimated, Mandalorian can still inflict fear in the hearts of their enemies.

Moff Gideon will take no chances this time, and neither will Bo-Katan. This is going to be a kill-or-be-killed scenario, the problem is that while defeating Moff Gideon would surely be a great victory, there are other enemies more dangerous than him.

IG-12

IG-11 was the deadliest babysitter in the galaxy but after its program defaulted it was no longer safe for anyone. The Anzellans stripped it from its memory circuit and made some sort of vehicle that Grogu can operate.

Din Djarin wasn’t a fan of the idea and I share the same opinion but the little green guy didn’t agree with his dad. It took just a few steps before Grogu got used to it, his obvious approval of the mecha suit was something very funny.

As someone who worked with children, I can relate to Din Djarin being less than amused when Grogu keeps spamming a button simply for the joy of it. This scene was brief but I enjoyed it a lot because of all the memories that it brought back.

While Din Djarin might not be fully on board with the idea he can’t deny that IG-12 is made of a metal that is incredibly resistant to standard blaster fir. It will protect him and the mobility that he gets with it will be very valuable with what’s coming next.

Uniting The Tribes

After recovering the leadership Bo-Katan brings back the fleet to Nevarro, where the two tribes will meet for the first time.

To be honest, I think that it went pretty well, Mandalorians have little patience, and being in front of those they once view as enemies is something easier said than done.

The good thing is that both The Armorer and Bo-Katan have finally learned that the similitudes between each tribe are bigger than their differences. It is a tense moment but it goes as well as it can.

Bo-Katan doesn’t lose any time, as soon as everyone is gathered she tells the plan to recover Mandalore. It is simple, move the fleet into the orbit of the planet and wait there until a recon team makes sure that the planet is safe for everyone.

She asks for volunteers from both groups and for a few seconds, everyone remains silent. As expected, Din Djarin is the first one to volunteer for this quest. His volunteering is important because he has earned the respect of members from both tribes. Koska Reeves, Axe Woves, Paz Vizsla, The Armorer, and a few other warriors offer to join the team.

I love the shot of the new Mandalorian fleet, it’s a great visual representation of how Mandalorians are slowly rebuilding their culture. Even if it’s not an entire army, their strength is now something to be reckoned and attacking them will not go unpunished.

The Survivors on Mandalore

I don’t know that to think about the Mandalorian survivors that find Bo-Katan and the rest of the recon team. They have become some sort of nomads and they look in pretty bad shape. The first thing that they ask is for food which is something completely understandable considering how hostile the planet has become.

After providing food for them, Bo-Katan finally reveals how Moff Gideon got the Darksaber. It is very surprising that she surrendered the planet, Mandalorians would gladly die in battle before submitting themselves but I guess things change when you’re a leader and millions can be spared if you surrender.

Some could consider this dishonorable, it is unheard of Mandalorians surrendering to an enemy. However, it looks like everyone at the table understood and empathize with her situation; giving up the Darksaber meant that she also gave up her honor as a warrior and most importantly, as the princess of Mandalore. She sacrificed everything she had to save her people, something only a few leaders would do.

This has increased the respect of Din Djarin, he was helping the former princess in return for her saving him twice but now, Din Djarin will devote himself to Bo-Katan until she restores Mandalore to its former glory.

Ambush

At this point, I don’t know if it’s funny or tragic that Mandalorians seem to attract the biggest and deadliest beasts. I don’t know the type of creature that attacked them but it was very scary, at least they were able to find cover immediately. Bo-Katan mentioned that dormant species were awakened by the bombings, I wonder what else is lurking on the surface of Mandalore.

After everyone enters what remains of the city they are ambushed by this new class of Imperial Trooper. Watching Mandalorians fight is always a visual delight, despite not being in the best position they are able to hold their ground without suffering many casualties.

Gideon’s fancy new troopers are probably wearing better equipment than anyone on the Mandalorian side but in terms of raw skill, they are no match for their fierce opponents.

Using their lariats to strangle the Imperials or attacking the spots that the armor doesn’t cover proves that wearing Beskar armor isn’t what makes Mandalorians so deadly, but their ability to adapt and exploit the weaknesses of their enemies.

Unfortunately, they didn’t realize that everything was a trick to lure them into the most obvious trap. I understand if Din Djarin and the others wouldn’t think about it but Bo-Katan has a lot of experience in combat and she fell for it like an amateur.

Now Din Djarin has been captured and the rest of the Mandalorians are right where Moff Gideon wants them, the hunters have become prey.

The Spies

This episode made me feel uneasy the moment Moff Gideon and the Shadow Council appeared, the title is also to blame for this. “The Spies” refers to more than one, we know about Elia Kane but who else is working for Gideon?

Out of all places, these mysterious survivors were at the right place at the right time. With such limited equipment and resources, it’s almost too much of a coincidence. One of Moff Gideon’s most lethal weapons is information, he said it himself. I believe it is very unlikely that a group of Mandalorians is wandering around without him knowing.

I have read that other people are theorizing that The Armorer might be behind it all. Some of the arguments are pretty reasonable; she pushed Bo-Katan to bring together all Mandalorians together in a very sudden way and the fact that she retired to the fleet right before the ambush would be more compelling if it wasn’t because she does it to help the ill.

While The Armorer is a very capable warrior, she is not someone that leads in battle. Her role is and always has been the protection of her fellow Mandalorians, their teachings, and their culture. I think of her more as a spiritual leader rather than someone that leads legions in battle. There’s no one else more suited to take care of the ill and injured.

To be completely honest I wouldn’t put my money on any of them being double agents. Sometimes we as fans can either look for something that simply isn’t there or overlook the most obvious thing.

It can be very fun trying to figure it out but I also want to be surprised. Whoever is the spy between the Mandalorian ranks (assuming there is one) it’s probably going to shock us. The good news is that we only have to wait a few days to find out.

The Heir Of Clan Vizsla

Clan Vizsla has a lot of history and legacy. The Darksaber was made by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi. Pre Vizsla was the leader of the Death Watch and Paz Vizsla shows why he’s the Armorer’s second in command.

After Din Djarin was captured, the retreat was the only choice. Bo-Katan uses the Darksaber to cut a hole into the blast doors so that everyone can evacuate but Paz Vizsla decides to stay behind and buy his brothers and sisters enough time to escape.

When was the last time that we saw someone so outnumbered and put up such an incredible fight in live-action Star Wars? I’m not sure how many soldiers he took by himself but it was amazing, sometimes brute force can be the solution and Paz Vizsla is the perfect example of it.

Not only did he put up a fight, Paz Vizsla actually defeated every enemy in the most Mandalorian way; well almost every enemy.

When the Praetorian Guards were mentioned it didn’t occur to me that they would appear so soon. It caught me by surprise to see them show up to deal with an already tired and injured warrior. He put up a decent fight but his size and slow speed were huge disadvantages against smaller and faster enemies.

It was painful to see Paz Vizsla fall like this but he died defending his fellow Mandalorians and the idea of a future where his son will no longer have to live in hiding. Let’s hope that his sacrifice was not in vain.

Chapter 23 “The Spies” Easter Eggs

Project Necromancer

Hux mentions Project Necromancer will be the solution for new leadership. Necromancy involves talking with the dead and most importantly, their resurrection. The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian are setting up for the rise of the First Order.

Praetorian Guard

Praetorian Guards were hand-picked soldiers that served the Roman emperor and generals as their personal bodyguards. They were amongst the best units in the Roman empire and were feared by both allies and enemies.

Pellaeon

Captain Gilad Pellaeon is Grand Admiral Thrawn’s right hand, he was introduced in the Legends novel “Heir to the Empire”. I love that they based the casting on the illustration of the novel.

Family Ties

Brendol Hux is the father of Armitage Hux, the future general of the First Order. Hux asks Moff Gideon if he’s worried about an assassination attempt, something quite ironic because that’s how he will die after Captain Phasma and his son conspire against him.

Fun fact: Brendol Hux is played by Brian Gleeson, the younger brother of Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux).

Star Wars The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode Reviews List

Reviews and Breakdowns of each episode from The Mandalorian Season 3. Each article details the events and analyzes how they affect and define the characters featured in the episode.

At the end of each article, there is a segment for Easter Eggs. There you can find interesting facts and references to and from other Star Wars media featured in the episodes of the show.

The reviews contain spoilers! We recommend watching the show first before reading the articles below.

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