It may not seem like it, but Star Wars fans haven’t seen The Mandalorian in more than two years, since season 2 premiered in 2020.
Now that season 3 is now available on Disney Plus, audiences around the world may need a refresher on what happened last time with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Baby Yoda (who we now know is called Grogu).
The timeline of their narrative has evolved after the second appearance of the TV programme, as the characters both returned in The Book of Boba Fett alongside the eponymous character (Temuera Morrison) and assassin Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen).
But, if we go back to season two, Din and Grogu had many new experiences, including meeting new cast members such as Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff).
Let’s go on a journey down memory lane, shall we?
What happened in The Mandalorian season 2?
Having been advised that Grogu should be with Jedi to learn in the ways of the Force, Din begins on a trip to locate one who can take on the role, seeking for other Mandalorians for instruction.
Din travels to Mos Pelgo in quest of fellow Mandalorians, where he encounters Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant)… who is not of his faith, but does wear the ancient armour of a legendary Star Wars figure – Boba Fett.
Cobb, the marshal of the region, enlists the help of Mando to slay a krayt dragon that’s been terrorising his people, as well as the Tusken Raiders, who engage in the fight.
Din’s quest to discover fellow Mandalorians takes an unexpected turn when he is assigned to transfer a Frog Lady and her eggs from Tatooine to Trask in order for her to reconnect with her spouse.
They encounter various difficulties, including the Child devouring some of her eggs and Mando’s ship, the Razor Crest, becoming stranded on a country filled with scary snow spider monsters.
Of course, they ultimately manage to flee when the car is repaired.
Mando’s quest with the Frog Lady leads him to a gang of other Mandalorians, commanded by Bo-Katan, who previously featured in the animated Star Wars shows The Clone Wars and Rebels.
Din is surprised when Bo-Katan and her comrades refuse to follow his rule of never removing their helmets, and in order to earn their assistance, he has do something for them in return – aid them in capturing an Imperial ship.
Bo-Katan is pursuing an ancient weapon known as the Darksaber, which is held by the wicked Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).
Bo-Katan provides Mando with critical information: the whereabouts of a Jedi who could take the Child under their care.
They arrive at Calodan, Corvus, where Jedi Ahsoka Tano is at odds with the despotic judge, Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto).
Not only do Ahsoka and Mando partner together, but she reveals the Child’s actual name: Grogu.
They overcome the magistrate, and Din gains possession of a beskar spear to add to his amazing collection of armour and weaponry.
Mando brings Grogu to an old temple in the hopes that the stone at its heart may allow him to communicate with other Jedi.
Stormtroopers under Moff Gideon’s instructions strike when the Child is deep in meditation, surrounded by an impenetrable column.
Din, fortunately, has Boba Fett and Fennec Shand on his side, with Boba revealing that Cobb was wearing his armour and Fennec returning from near-death after Mando left the assassin for dead in season one.
Despite being a formidable opponent for the stormtroopers, Grogu is taken by Darktrooper battle droids.
Din infiltrates an Imperial mining centre with the aid of familiar faces Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), and Migs Mayfeld (Bill Burr), as well as Boba and Fennec, in order to hunt down Moff Gideon’s whereabouts and find Grogu.
As a result, he is forced to remove his helmet for the first time in public, with the exception of season one, when he only did so in front of a droid when he was on the edge of death.
The choice to remove his helmet emphasises how much Grogu matters to him, as he and Migs escape the mining hub by the skin of their teeth.
After making their way aboard Moff Gideon’s cruiser, the moment has come for Din to square off against the enemy.
With Bo-Katan and her companions along for the ride, Mando is instructed that Bo-Katan must beat Moff Gideon in order for the Darksaber’s loyalty to be transferred to her, making her the ruler of Mandalore, the Mandalorians’ homeworld.
As the deadly Dark Troopers attack Mando, it appears that he is doomed, but he destroys one with his spear and ejects the rest from the spacecraft.
Din leads his opponent to meet up with the rest of his companions after defeating Moff Gideon in a duel and thereby gaining control of the Darksaber without even realising it.
When Mando was ejecting the Dark Troopers, they managed to re-enter the ship… and are looking for blood.
But before they can execute the story’s protagonists, a mysterious Jedi arrives on the cruiser in an X-wing and easily destroys them all.
Following the events of the 1983 film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, mist runs forth as the Jedi removes his hood, exposing none other than the great Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
Din and Grogu cry as the Mandalorian removes his helmet, allowing the Child to see his face for the first time, before being whisked away by Luke and the Jedi Master’s faithful droid, R2-D2.
While this chronology may have caught you up on the major story events of The Mandalorian season two, there will be some gaps in your knowledge if you haven’t seen The Book of Boba Fett.
After all, Luke whisked Grogu away in the season two finale to be taught in the ways of the Force… Din and the Child were reunited in The Book of Boba Fett.
Grogu was offered the option of becoming a Jedi or a Mandalorian by Luke, and he selected the latter, much to the relief of fans of the finest father-son pair ever.
Nevertheless, if Star Wars fans haven’t seen the other spin-off programme, they may be perplexed when Season 3 begins… Unless the first episode includes a convenient catch-up collection.
The Mandalorian season 3 is available to watch on Disney Plus, with new episodes released on Wednesdays.
Source My Celebrity Life.