The final moments of "The Mandalorian" season 2 ripped our hearts out. For two seasons, we watched our bounty hunter with a heart of gold, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), find connection and purpose through young Grogu, but we were not prepared to watch them split so soon.

As Mando and his allies are cornered by Moff Gideon's (Giancarlo Esposito) army of Dark Troopers, a familiar face comes to their rescue — Luke Skywalker (a de-aged Mark Hamill), who sensed through the Force that Grogu needed his help. But the Jedi also had his own agenda; our beloved hero is creating a new academy for Force sensitives and wanted Grogu to train under his wing. In one of the most emotionally poignant scenes in "The Mandalorian" series so far, Din says his goodbyes to baby Grogu, lifting his own helmet (something deeply against his own religion) so that he can properly take another look at his surrogate child.

"The Mandalorian" is returning for its third season on March 1, 2023. But in case you haven't been watching the other live-action "Star Wars" series on Disney+, it's crucial that you know that mid-way through "The Book of Boba Fett," that show became a mandatory interlude for Din and Grogu's journey. That's right, the father/son duo have already been reunited, and in a spin-off series no less.

Speaking in an interview for a special issue of Empire Magazine, "The Mandalorian" showrunner Jon Favreau explained his reasoning for resolving the season 2 finale's main conflict within a spin-off series. "We couldn't just hit a hard reset," Favreau told Empire. "It's going to be interesting to see how this unfolds for people who may not have seen 'The Book Of Boba Fett.' But I think 'The Book Of Boba Fett' offered time to pass."

The Mandalorian Is About Din And Grogu, Period

What Jon Favreau meant is that he wants "The Mandalorian" to have an specific focus on the relationship between Din and Grogu. Because "The Book of Boba Fett" was always meant to cross-over with "The Mandalorian," it made sense to the showrunner to reckon with the separation of these characters before stepping into season 3. Favreau explained to Empire:

"You saw what Mando was like without Baby Yoda and we saw what Grogu was like without the Mandalorian and neither of them was doing too good. So them coming back together was a really good plot point that allows us to jump back into season 3 while maintaining the central relationship."

To Favreau, there's no show without Din and Grogu. The idea of starting season 3 with Din moving on without his child was antithetical to the show he wanted to create. In the interview, Favreau emphasized that in "Boba Fett," it was important that we watch Grogu make an active choice to choose family over destiny or fate.

"I think you had to service both things," Favreau added. "Just because this kid has the potential and had training, does he belong away from the Mandalorian?" He continued:

"I saw it more like 'Paper Moon,' where the whole thing is about delivering the kid to the blood relative, only to realize that, whether genetically through her father or just through bonding, Tatum O'Neal has to end up with Ryan O'Neal. That ending feels really good to me. And this little kid [Grogu] is given a decision to choose. And the kid chooses the emotional relationship and wants to be with the Mandalorian, and passing up Yoda's lightsaber. Part of you wants to see him develop in that way, and part the other."

Grogu Didn't Just Choose Din, He Chose The Mandalorian Way

Jon Favreau also shared some thoughts on how his found family duo subverts the in-universe politics and status quo of the "Star Wars" galaxy. Grogu didn't just choose to live with Din Djarin, he's also chose the Mandalorian way of life. Going forward in season 3 of the show, Favreau wants us to be mindful of the tension between the Jedi and all other walks of life in the galaxy:

"You have this interesting character who has Jedi training to some extent, Force abilities, but also is joining the Mandalorian culture, which we've established is something that you can opt into. It demands a lot, it offers a lot. Historically, Mandalorians developed all of those tools and armor and weapons to be able to counteract the Force abilities of Jedi. So as a storyteller this offers tremendous opportunity."

On a pure emotional level, Favreau has nailed "The Mandalorian." Getting audiences invested in two brand new and largely silent characters in a world as nostalgic as the "Star Wars" galaxy is no easy feat. We get where he is coming from, prioritizing his characters first over anything else (which is why "Boba Fett" is not "Mandalorian" season 3), but it's still amusing to imagine Favreau trying to explain to casual "Mandalorian" viewers why they must watch a few episodes of a seemingly unrelated show before diving into season 3.

To reiterate: "The Mandalorian" season 3 will stream on Disney+ starting March 1, 2023.

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