‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Episode 6 Review - Droids, Drinks, and the Dark Saber

Warning: Contains Heavy Spoilers for The Mandalorian Chapter 22

In the previous episode of our space opera, Bo-Katan embarked on a mission to bring the exiled Mandalorians together, while the disappearance of Moff Gideon at the hands of those same Mandalorians shocked everyone. As our story continues, we find ourselves aboard a Quarren freighter, en route to the Mid Rim.

However, their journey is interrupted when they come across an Imperial ship manned by Mandalorian privateers led by Axe Woves. Their mission? To track down the captain of the freighter, Shaggoth. But why? As it turns out, the Viceroy of Mon Calamari has hired the Mandalorians to retrieve her son who left her to be with Shaggoth, his love. He is then forced to leave with the “privateers” as the titles roll.

Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian, ‘Guns for Hire’, follows Bo-Katan, Mando, and Grogu again. This time they're landing on Plaizr-15, a planet that hired the exiled Mandalorians for protection. And, of course, Grogu is there to bless us with his adorable coos as the Mandalorians are greeted by Imperial droids.

It's like a sci-fi version of a bad blind date. The planetary democracy summons them, and it's clear our Mandos are not exactly thrilled. But hey, at least it's a new planet for us to explore! It's clear that the creators have taken care to differentiate all the different planets, as Plaizr-15 looks like the USA of the Outer Rim.

This episode brings us two major celebrity cameos: Lizzo and Jack Black. That's right, the real-life singer and actor play the roles of the duchess and Captain Bombardier, respectively, and they're not just there for show. It turns out that Jack Black's character has an Imperial past, and Grogu is easily won over by Lizzo's charms (who can blame him?).

It is revealed that the leaders of Plaizr-15 have repurposed old battle droids for civic duties, but now they've become a bit of a nuisance. That's where our Mandalorian duo comes in - they've been called upon to decommission any rogue droids that may be causing trouble.

Commissioner Hellgate is reluctant to shut down all the droids as the citizens depend on them for their daily needs, much like how we humans can't live without the internet. Thus, Bo-Katan and Mando will need to pick apart the rogue ones.

A lot of what happens next actually seems like it may happen in our real world. A corrupt charge, a drunk chase through a club, a drink that has been drugged. Doesn't it sound familiar? The gist of it all is that Bo-Katan and Mando discover that the rogue droids have been visiting a club called The Resister. Here they learn that the droids fear being replaced or scrapped by humans. It turns out that the rogue droids have all drunk the same batch of Nepenthe, a drink that reprograms them through nano-droids. They were actually turned rogue by none other than Hellgate.

Later, our Mandos face off against Commissioner Hellgate and his corrupt actions. He is subdued and exiled to the moon of Paraqaat. Meanwhile, Lizzo adorably bids Grogu farewell as the Mandalorians are honored for their efforts with a key to Plazir and the chance to meet the Mandalorian privateers. And to top it off, our little baby Grogu is knighted as a knight of the Ancient Order of the Independent Agencies.

In the thrilling conclusion, Bo-Katan and Axe Woves engage in an intense fight for leadership of the fleet, and Bo-Katan emerges victorious. Mando steps up to reveal that the Dark Saber actually belongs to her, ever since she rescued him on Mandalore. The other Mandalorians cheer and the emotional music swells as Bo-Katan takes her rightful place as leader. It's a satisfying end to an incredible episode and a well-deserved triumph for Bo-Katan's character arc.

This episode has left me in awe. It proved that the show can still hold its ground without the presence of Grogu, in all his cuteness, as the central character. The focus on Bo-Katan was a breath of fresh air and I cannot imagine the show without her now. The pacing was on point and the episode didn't feel too long. We also finally got to see the exiled Mandalorians together, which was satisfying to watch.

The storyline of the old Imperial droids and the planet of Plazir was well executed and added to the worldbuilding of the show. The inclusion of Lizzo and Jack Black was brilliant, though Lizzo's acting fell a little flat at times. Nonetheless, this episode delivered in every aspect, and the cameo was a perfect example of how to do it right. Marvel could learn a thing or two from this show. All in all, this may be my favorite episode of the season so far.

Final Score - [9/10]