Tomorrow will bring the fifth episode of The Mandalorian’s third season and we’re hoping that we’ll get an idea of what the finale might look like. Star Wars‘ top show feels like it’s carefully lining up its pieces, with Bo-Katan and Din Djarin now firmly teamed up, mysterious teases of Imperial cloning projects, and some light being shone on Grogu’s mysterious past.
Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon is going to leap into the middle of this and shake things up, though we’re beginning to suspect another Star Wars big bad may finally make his blue-skinned, deviously tactical live-action debut ahead of Ahsoka. However it shakes out there’s going to be some major drama, and along the way we might even get to see Grogu finally start speaking.
But before we get ahead of ourselves the dust is still settling on last week’s episode, with one piece of casting in particular sending social media wild.
Ahmed Best posts a heartfelt video message to all Star Wars fans
Everyone loves a redemption arc and right now Ahmed Best rivals Anakin Skywalker. For years he was pilloried for playing Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace, with Best later revealing that the sheer volume of hatred led him to consider taking his own life. Now he’s back, with Jedi Temple Challenge host Kelleran Beq revealed to be the Jedi Knight responsible for spiriting Grogu away to safety during Order 66.
Fans loved seeing him back and now Best has posted a video thanking fans for their support and saying he’s just as excited as them about the franchise:
Best describes himself as a “Star Wars news junkie” in this video. So, if you’re reading this Ahmed we think you’re the bee’s knees. Here’s hoping we see more of Kelleran Beq and Grogu in The Mandalorian, especially as it seems that the pair’s next stop after Coruscant may well be Naboo. Could we see some Best meets Best action if Jar Jar makes a comeback? Stranger things have happened!
The Mandalorian stunt double teases what sounds like a major upcoming fight
Din Djarin and Bo-Katan might be BFFs right now, but trouble has been brewing between the pair of them ever since Din took possession of the Darksaber from Moff Gideon. Wielding this ceremonial weapon holds huge significance for the Mandalorian people and would legitimize a new Mandalore.
Now stuntman Brendan Wayne, who doubles for Pedro Pascal in the Beskar armor (and who’s also John Wayne’s grandson) has given an interview with the Star Wars Sessions podcast (via StarWarsNewsNet) teasing what’s coming and mentioned an intriguing-sounding scene between the pair:
“There’s a scene coming up with Bo and Mando, and it is – I don’t know which version they chose, as far as what was going back and forth between us, but I think it’s going to… I had a great time doing that, and it was a lot of varying emotions came here and there, and this, there’s just such a really cool quality that I felt that I was able to play around in as an actor – which most of the time you’re not aware of it, you’re in the moment and you go – but there’s something about that, and the do-si-do that we had, while physical and verbal, was super-intense, and I think it’s gonna be really cool. I think you’re gonna enjoy it.”
We’ll admit this doesn’t necessarily confirm it’s a fight scene, but a “physical and verbal” “do-si-do” certainly sounds like the pair are going to clash to us. With Bo-Katan apparently warming to life among Din’s Mandalorian comrades it’ll be interesting to see where their loyalties lie. If she can fit all the criteria to be the new Mandalore (while keeping her helmet on) they may be bound by the Creed to follow her, even if that means once again leaving Din out in the cold.
Fingers crossed for some answers tomorrow.
StarWars.com takes a deep dive into the franchise’s history in the United Kingdom
Star Wars is inextricably linked with the British film industry. That deep connection has been explored in a fascinating new article on StarWars.com that picks up with George Lucas’ first trip to London in 1971 and tracks the long production connection. A New Hope was famously filmed in the UK due to the country having an impeccably experienced film crew, with many actors in the film being Brits.
Both Lucas and the British film industry benefited, with the article explaining that:
“EMI Elstree even expanded thanks to Star Wars. A new stage — named for the series and pre-financed by Lucasfilm — was constructed especially for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). At 250 feet long and 45 feet high, it housed the full-size Millennium Falcon which had been made in pieces and trucked in from the Welsh coast.”
Much of The Phantom Menace was shot in the UK, as were the sequel trilogy, Andor, and the upcoming Disney Plus show The Acolyte.
The article also takes time to praise the UK Star Wars fan community, noting that:
“A passionate fan community grew quickly, and by the release of Empire, the energy was palpable. The day before the sequel’s release in May of 1980, stormtroopers roamed London passing out “Happy Empire Day” buttons.”
London will soon get a chance to shine once more, as April 7 sees the four-day Star Wars Celebration take place in the ExCel convention center. Rumor has it new movies will be announced, but the weekend is sure to be full of amazing cosplay, cool interviews, and exclusive merch. We’re hoping to see you there, so watch this space.
In the meantime, we’ll once again be burning the midnight oil to watch this week’s episode of The Mandalorian the moment it drops. Surely after four episodes, the return of Moff Gideon has to be on the cards, as this season doesn’t have a big bad so far and we want someone to mix things up a bit. See you tomorrow!