The Mandalorian: Chapter 3 (The Sin) Review - Beneath the Action and Grit, There is Heart
Initial Air Date: November 22nd, 2019
Directed by: Deborah Chow
**The episode reviews will contain no major spoilers, but be warned that I will be dropping little plot details and moments throughout the review. You have been warned.**
The Review
After a short, and seemingly meaningless detour, Mando and his young compatriot are back to the A-storyline. Chapter 3, the Sin, picks up shortly after the events of Chapter 2. Thus far, the episodes have been fairly linear and have been close to each other chronologically.
The third installment in the series was directed by TV veteran Deborah Chow. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has entrusted Chow with the entirety of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, and I was curious to see what she would do with a show and a character like the Mandalorian.
Right from the get-go, you can tell this is a different episode from the other two. While the prior installments have indeed had their merits and have been enjoyable to varying degrees, what we find in this episode is something that this show sorely needed in order to succeed: a beating heart.
The entire thirty minute episode is about a decision that Mandalorian makes. It's a classic tale of heart versus brain. Where does the money lead? Where does my heart tell me to go? Mando wrestles with the question for the majority, and when he finally decides to act and amend for his sins, he takes swift action.
That's yet another strength of this episode; the action underscores the internal conflict. Rather than being action for the sake of action, as it seemed in the previous two episodes, the action in this episode is driven by Mando's personal struggle and internal moral compass. Every single blaster shot feels intentional, and that's because they are all a a result of Mando making a choice. That choice, which we will all agree was the right one, still leads to disaster for him and for others throughout the episode.
In addition to the A-storyline, there was suitable intrigue that Chow and Favreau were able to intertwine within the story. There's a half-mystery element to some elements of the story, which make the motives behind each character all the more interesting. The fact that we are operating with a show in which almost no character can be trusted is what creates the highest level of tension.
However, while the vast majority of the episode was highly enjoyable and very meticulously, carefully crafted, I will say that the shorter runtime is EXTREMELY apparent in this episode. Because of the thirty minute running time, there is less of a slow burn to the finale, which by the way, is some of the action seen in any television, but rather a quick, quick buildup. Even the decision that Mando makes feels rushed a little. It almost felt as if Chow was trying to stretch it out for as long as she could before the budget dictated that she had to keep going and move the story forward. The action scene at the end could have been ten minutes ALONE, but again, because the episode had to be shorter, the action and the moment is undercut.
That being said, this is the type of episode that I believe the vast majority of Star Wars fans signed up for. There is tense action, great visuals, awesome character moments, and plenty of winks and nods to the Star Wars universe. But most importantly of all, this episode proves that the show, and Mando, have a heart. And that will serve Favreau and company very well moving forward.
The third installment in the series was directed by TV veteran Deborah Chow. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has entrusted Chow with the entirety of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, and I was curious to see what she would do with a show and a character like the Mandalorian.
Right from the get-go, you can tell this is a different episode from the other two. While the prior installments have indeed had their merits and have been enjoyable to varying degrees, what we find in this episode is something that this show sorely needed in order to succeed: a beating heart.
The entire thirty minute episode is about a decision that Mandalorian makes. It's a classic tale of heart versus brain. Where does the money lead? Where does my heart tell me to go? Mando wrestles with the question for the majority, and when he finally decides to act and amend for his sins, he takes swift action.
That's yet another strength of this episode; the action underscores the internal conflict. Rather than being action for the sake of action, as it seemed in the previous two episodes, the action in this episode is driven by Mando's personal struggle and internal moral compass. Every single blaster shot feels intentional, and that's because they are all a a result of Mando making a choice. That choice, which we will all agree was the right one, still leads to disaster for him and for others throughout the episode.
In addition to the A-storyline, there was suitable intrigue that Chow and Favreau were able to intertwine within the story. There's a half-mystery element to some elements of the story, which make the motives behind each character all the more interesting. The fact that we are operating with a show in which almost no character can be trusted is what creates the highest level of tension.
However, while the vast majority of the episode was highly enjoyable and very meticulously, carefully crafted, I will say that the shorter runtime is EXTREMELY apparent in this episode. Because of the thirty minute running time, there is less of a slow burn to the finale, which by the way, is some of the action seen in any television, but rather a quick, quick buildup. Even the decision that Mando makes feels rushed a little. It almost felt as if Chow was trying to stretch it out for as long as she could before the budget dictated that she had to keep going and move the story forward. The action scene at the end could have been ten minutes ALONE, but again, because the episode had to be shorter, the action and the moment is undercut.
That being said, this is the type of episode that I believe the vast majority of Star Wars fans signed up for. There is tense action, great visuals, awesome character moments, and plenty of winks and nods to the Star Wars universe. But most importantly of all, this episode proves that the show, and Mando, have a heart. And that will serve Favreau and company very well moving forward.
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