REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian,’ Episode 3 – “Chapter 3: The Sin”

The Mandalorian, a Disney+ Original Star Wars series from showrunner Jon Favreau,  has been superb. In the last episode, Mando secured his bounty, and now he has to turn it in. The Mandalorian continues to impress, as its third episode fundamentally upends the concept and perception of the series. Chapter 3, titled “The Sin”, opens with Mando (Pedro Pascal) delivering his young charge to the Client (Werner Herzog).

In return, Mando receives a payment of beskar steel, which he uses to forge a new suit of armor-which earns him praise from Greef Carga (Carl Weathers) and the scorn of his fellow Mandalorians and bounty hunters alike. Further complicating matters, the idea of handing over a child to an Imperial sympathizer weighs heavily on Mando’s consciousness, and in the end, he decides to storm the Client’s headquarters and take the baby back.

“The Sin” is directed by Deborah Chow (Iron Fist, Jessica Jones) and she proves to be an excellent addition to the Star Wars universe. Chow alternates between several action-packed sequences, including the raid on the Client’s headquarters and a shootout with multiple enemies. The former features Mando sneaking around, using the shadows and environment to his advantage. In stealth fashion, his enemies don’t know he’s there until it’s too late. The emotional impact is just as hard-hitting, as we see further glimpses into Mando’s past and how the events of the Clone Wars left him an orphan, which helped to forge him into the warrior he is today. And much like the previous episode, we see that  Mando isn’t completely cold-hearted as he is willing to turn his back on the bounty hunters’ guild in order to save a child.

Series creator Favreau continues to handle scripting duties, and under his pen, we finally get to see other Mandalorians. as well as an insight into their culture. Mandalorians pride themselves on honor, unity, and their warrior skill; these are all traits we saw Mando display during the events of the previous episodes.  In addition, we once again see the process of how a Mandalorian’s armor is forged, and that each set of armor is unique to its user. There are also references made to a ‘Great Purge’ that drove the Mandalorians underground, and some of them resent Mando for taking up bounty hunting, as it not only is seen as dishonorable but also runs the risk of exposing them all. But ultimately the Mandalorians value their bond with each other, repeating the mantra “This is the way,” This warrior’s bond ends up saving Mando’s life in the final firefight.

Pascal, as always, remains the highlight of this series. It takes a special talent to be a compelling figure when clad from head to toe in shining space armor, but he continues to make it work. Body language is key; before he takes off after a potential target, he notices that a knob the baby unscrewed from his console is missing. After a moment’s hesitation, he shuts down his ship’s engines and takes off in pursuit of the Client. Later, when the Mando and the child are reunited, he unscrews the knob from his console and gives it to the child. It’s a tender, funny moment that only serves to solidify the bond between this odd pair.

The third episode of The Mandalorian packs a physical and emotional punch, as the stakes are significantly heightened. Now that the Mando is the most wanted being in the entire galaxy, it won’t be long before other enemies crawl out of the woodwork to target him and the baby.

Episode three of The Mandalorian, “The Sin,” is currently streaming on Disney+, with episode four scheduled to debut next Friday.