I'd honestly be shocked if we didn't get a glimpse of Thrawn next week. It fits into the story and it's the perfect tease for his return in only 4 months. This was an incredible episode, and I think my only low-key disappointment was not having Rae Sloane finally make her on-screen debut in the Shadow Council.
I could see it being something relatively small at the end like the Chimaera appearing and we get a glimpse of the ventral hull art or something like that
I think Sloane, Cardinal and all the other ones were part of the Imperials who just wanted to build their own thing in the Unknown Regions as the First Order, while this Shadow Council is integrated by the Imperials who still are against leaving their old ways and ambitions behind
Blast of an episode! Grogu spamming “YES” was just the funniest thing. And the new fusion of the Imperial Remnants and the First Order is pretty great, with Hux talking with Gideon, the jet troopers having helmet facades fusing FO and Mando aesthetics and…Praetorian Guards! They were so chilling just walking in to give a Sekiro-style execution, then walking off. RIP Paz Vizla. You deserve a noteworthy seat in Force Valhalla for giving your all.
@@SkullMan19 Ah OK, thanks for the clarification on that detail. The design looks a little more updated from previous versions I’ve seen in clips. Guess it’s time to binge some Rebels before the Ashoka series!
The Andor parallels actually don't stop with the vibe of the underworld scene, the imperial remnant needing to appear like a bunch of disconnected factions actually reminds me a lot of Luthen's early rebel factions. The only difference is that the ISB had Dedra, who caught on to the connections, whereas the New Republic is wholly unprepared to deal with this kind of burgeoning threat. I love that they're setting up the First Order as a kind of counter-rebellion, using the tested tools of the very insurgents who dethroned them. It's all very cyclical, one might say that it rhymes.
The biggest question I had after the episode was "Where is Sloane? Is she safe? Is she alright?" With Hux Snr. there, it was a bit of a surprise she wasn't even mentioned or hinted at.
I think Sloane, Cardinal and all the other ones were part of the Imperials who just wanted to build their own thing in the Unknown Regions as the First Order, while this Shadow Council is integrated by the Imperials who still are against leaving their old ways and ambitions behind
@@DanielDaniel-wk1up Makes sort of sense, but then why would Hux be on the council, when he went with Sloane into the Unknown Regions at the end of Empire's End?
@@mathiaswalker350 To undermine the First Order attempts to build something beyond the old Empire and The Republic and use their resources to create the weapons to invade the known space again, like they told us in the Captain Phasma novel, in which the First Order people whom only were proud of building their own militar society were killed and replaced by the Huxes, Snoke, Phasma and their ambitions
If I remember correctly at the concept art at the end of the episode the "bescar stormtroopers" actually wore mandalorian super commando helmets from Rebels. I may be mistaken though.
the armor looks a lot like super commando armor but the difference is the new helmet is VERY reminiscent of clone troopers helmets. i think that’s just cuz these are cloned but sadly i don’t think they’re jango fett clones
It took 19 minutes and 45 seconds to go from uncontrollable laughing at Grogu repeating "Yes" and crushing a Meiloorun, to tears flowing down my cheeks with each Mandalorian that stood and stoically said "I will go". This is Star Wars.
To add to the suspicion of the boat Mandalorians: How did they not know about the imperial precense? I mean an imperial base does still need supplies to be delivered, Gideon coming in and out, probably the TIES from earlier in the season came from here aswell, ... So there must have been activity in the skies which they must have seen sometimes, so the knew about Imperial precense on Mandalore...?
10:30 I spent this entire scene asking Bo-Katan to remember that the Darksaber is literally the best door opener in the galaxy. I was so happy when she started cutting that hole in the door.
God, this episode was great. It truly felt like a culmination of the Disney canon. Seeing Brendol Hux in live action (Though I do wish it was Brendan Gleeson) felt so fulfilling. The Shadow Council is exactly what I imagined after reading Lost Stars back in 2015. I just feel like this episode is the peak of what a truly interconnected Star Wars franchise can be.
This is the only week of our lives where we've seen The Mandalorian Chapter 23 but not Chapter 24, with room for speculation and crazy levels of excitement. I say we enjoy it while it lasts!
The Armorer: develops as a character, works to unite mandalorian factions, cares for her people, looks after the wounded, has literally done nothing suspicious. The fandom: "The Armorer is super sus"
The argument that "she has horns. Gideon has horns" is super funny to me. Like. There is an entire faction of mandalorians there who had no problem working for whoever payed them the most credits. I'd bet the spy is one of them
@@MatthiasPendragon I think the spies are Koska Reeves or Axe Woves. The Armorer is too obvious and one of those two selling Bo out would hurt far worse.
My analysis of who the spies could be (assuming they spy on the Mandalorians for Gideon): The Armourer- probably not, as she had complete control over the Children of the Watch, so the only reason to reunite both factions is a selfless attempt to restore Mandalorians to their old power. Gideon wouldn’t want to destroy the fleet, and kill his spy, especially since the Armourer could easily take control of a large portion of the fleet. Axe Woves- a lot more likely than the Armourer, but he could have very easily left before the ambush, e.g. going with her to the fleet, which would have had the benefit of Gideon being able to seize a portion of the fleet, instead of destroying it The survivors- the most likely option, there are multiple of them, explaining the title “spies”, they come out of nowhere and can bring the Mandalorians to the forge, but haven’t noticed the massive imperial base right next to it. TL;DR: the Armourer and Axe Woves have to much authority for the entire fleet to need to be destroyed, so it’s probably the survivors
I really love how they are tying this into the Sequels! Like project necromancer clearly has some ties to Palpy in Exegol! The early Preatorian (I probably spelled that wrong) look so cool and it totally explains how they were able to be resistant to lightsabers in The Last Jedi
I didn't really get tlj vibes from the guard, aside from the glowy weapons. Looked more like Palpatine's guards from ROTJ with Mando armor. Kind of a mix between OT, Mando era with a little st.
They were literally FO lent by a guy named Hux lol. They are more definitely tied to Last Jedi. The weapon type is way more Praetorian than Imperial Guard Also the term Praetorian in the context of SW refers to the ones who appear in Last Jedi. Palps had Royal Guards This is a direct sequel tie. Plain and simple
@@Ingeneious It was definitely the other way around. ST Praetorians with a little ROTJ guards to make them older. Honestly, they looked straight out of TLJ minus their helmets.
My take on the the Mandalorians fighting against each other over the rules of a game, then coming together to fight against a common enemy show the foundation of Mandalorian society. They are raised and trained to fight. As Dinn told the security droid, who demanded he relinquish his weapons before boarding a transport: "Weapons are part of my RELIGION." That is the foundation of all sections, clans, and ideologies of Mandalore. Fighting is Life. It's a very SPARTAN way of thinking.
Personally, I’m suspicious of Axe and *maybe* Koska. But that’s probably just me really not wanting the Armorer to be a traitor. I find her character fascinating and if she’s a spy, I don’t think it would make sense.
@@DarthRelkewit makes more sense that the true spies are the surviving mandalorians and they only. Axe is needed to alarm the rest and get support. Armorer is the soul of the creed.
I was one of those that didn’t get the chance to watch the episode at Celebration, so after seeing this I can only imagine what the audience reaction there was because HOLY CRAP where to begin here. Advancing the Mandalore plot, return of Gideon, Paz’s heroic last stand, the prologue with the Shadow Council. Hux’s dad?!? Preatorian Guard?!? Pelleaon CANON?!? The buildup of THRAWN?!? Overall I felt this was a great penultimate episode that is building towards a climactic finale to the season and the foreshadowing of things to come with the Ahsoka show and the Filoni movie. Also as one who loved Dark Forces back then I love how they’re bringing in more of that by Gideon being in the Dark Trooper armor.
I don't see putting Grogu in IG 11 only as a fun thing. Ig 12 is Grogu's Mandalorian proto armor so he can act as true part of the clan as he did in the fight between Paz Vizla y Axe Woves. Grogu is the soul, and IG 12 is the armor around it
I'd love to see him slowly get upgrades to the armor (maybe add some beskar plating?) and even restore the weapons systems. I really want to see Grogu fight on his own two feet and have a tiny Mandalorian helmet, but IG-12 is a suitable alternative.
Would have liked to have seen him do something at the end there...use the Force, or freak out on the doors...didn't like him just standing there. Hoping we get to see him have a Luke like scene from the end of season two next week
Incredibly happy you took the time to point out the real-world analogs of groups like Gideon intentionally driving stakes between members of a society. Super relevant message for the current day, and I'm glad both this show and the people talking about it have something to say about it.
I was just waiting for the Armorer to exit the Atmosphere to see the fleet burning. And the whole time Din was on his knees I was worried it would end up being when he gets unmasked because I would love for it to be his choice to abandon it.
Some say the story followed her to suggest she was the spy, but like you, I think it was meant to maintain the tension. I kept waiting to see a coordinated attack against Mando space assets. Maybe they are saving it for the finale? 🤷
@@stevebreedlove9760 I definitely assume they want people to think it's the spy thing but I honestly can't believe she would completely destroy her culture by siding with Giddion. And yeah I can't imagine the episode not showing the fleet getting wrecked next episode though I would love if the spy was R5 contacting the NR to help somehow completely subverting our bad feeling
I liked seeing the "foundlings" birds from the nest in the evening feast scene. As for the other spy/spies... The convenient Mandalorians on the boat seem almost too obvious. What about Axe Woves? He left the battle to "get reinforcements" but they all came in on the Gauntlet which the Armorer used to evacuate the conveniently wounded Mandalorians and their comms won't work through the atmosphere.
As a weapon, an axe can have two sides = Axe is two-faced? Wove = weave (past tense) = Axe is a slimy “go with the flow” operator who has no true loyalties/convictions to anyone other than himself. So yeah, I can get behind the idea of Axe being a traitor!
You again give such good social commentary to your reviews! You are right division is taught. I love how you continually input social commentary into your video that can apply to real life! You are one of my favorite TH-camrs and this is another great video!
I loved the call out of Pellaeon in Rebels and the minor interactions with him in Thrawn: Treason in canon. However, actually seeing Pellaeon on screen is amazing. Now I just want to see him be the true Watson to Thrawn's Sherlock in at least 1 scene.
@@spinone-d2 There was also that female voice that was telling Maul to get to one of the gauntlets while he was in the standoff will Maul that disappeared when Ahsoka looked to the sky. Could’ve been Rook since you don’t see her in the battle iirc
I love/appreciate when you take the time to connect the allegories used in the show to connect to relevant real world topics we’re all familiar with. The beauty of many great shows is that they use experiences we’re familiar with and find ways to thread them seamlessly into good storytelling.
This episode was the best, tying it to the sequels with the praetorian guards was awesome an made the guard really intimidating!!! Also it makes sense now why the client in season 1 has beskar. Really love where this is going and all the lore!!! Best time for Star Wars!
Absolutely loved this episode - Paz Vizla's sacrifice was epically noble. Seeing the Mythosaur skull emblem painted on the bottom of the light cruiser just about had me tearing up - and what is it with GFFA dinosaurs, they just seem to get bigger and bigger. In my 'head canon' I'm naming this latest one Megamandaloriosaurus. Cheers Alex & Molly.
Every time Alex says "Tinfoil Hat" I can't help but chuckle. I loved the episode in general, and various points in particular. I shared a lot of the moments that Alex mentions and I honestly thought that the giant monster erupting out of the ground was the mythosaur.
I love the Armorer, but let’s face it-we’re pretty conditioned to assume that someone who is mysterious has something “bad” to hide. The timing of her departure from Mandalore was very suspect, though in truth, her focus has always been on her people, and saving a large number of them fits her character. A Thrawn appearance does seem to fit with the spectacle of last season’s finale, and as you point out, his reveal at Celebration was timed perfectly for that. The whole start date for this season, with its curious Bad Batch overlap, seems to have been planned around Celebration. Great episode; can’t believe we’re nearly at the end…again. 😢
Anybody noticed grogu squashing melurons ( that fruit from rebels where ezra and zeb bought for hera)? Second connection to ezra as grogus next master after purgils 😮
We need to find out what happened to Clan Saxon (an Imperial loyalist Mandalorian clan). Are they with the Remnant, or did they die off in the Purge? (For having outlived its usefulness to the Empire)
This episode was amazing. It must've been an experience being able to see it with all the fans. The imperial remnants scene really reminded me of the broken legions from Warhammer 40k, all trying to work together, but with daggers behind their back. Seeing Hux's dad was crazy. Did not expect him. Yes yes yes yes yes
I really had a feeling that these final two episodes were going to really pack a punch. I am getting a sense that the finale next week will be very dark and even possibly leave us on a cliffhanger until season 4. The fact that we get yet another character from the Zahn trilogy and it appears that another member of the Remnant Empire is Hux's father? I really can't wait for next Wednesday!!!
Well Brendol Hux is pretty much an stablished character lore wise, he appears in the Aftermath Novels, the Phasma book and we even witness his death in that same novel, which gets talked about in other media as well. Glad to see him on screen althhough I wished for Brendan Gleesom (literally Domhnall Gleesom's father) to be Brendol Hux. AAAAANd Palleon was named dropped in Rebels, Thrawn tried to contact him and he replied with a warning about the Purgill 'fleet' Ezra was leading to destroy the invasion of Lothal.
@@agustinbaletti The last novels I read were of the Rogue Squadron books so I've been out of the loop during the prequel and sequel novels. It's been a while since I watched Rebels so I didn't remember Palleon being used there first. It was just wild to see him in live action. I just know we are heading to the Thrawn trilogy that is long overdue.
@@eoghancon92 yes i know! Im glad they at least this that but i wish his father can come for a show or something years later, maybe for his on screen death.
I think if there IS another spy you'd have to suspect Axe Woves and put him at the top of that list. He lost his command, he hates the Children of the Watch and he cut out right as the battle was starting.
on second watch, I was paying attention to who was more suspect, the armorer or the survivors -- and the fact that Axe leaves in the middle of battle stuck out like a sore thumb.
Plus wouldn't it be fitting if Bo Katan told her story of surrendering to Gideon only to be betrayed, all while Axe think he's made a deal with Gideon for him to take out the Children of the Watch but leave the Nite Owls alone?
yea, and didn't Axe and his crew free Gideon? There was a shot of a NR pilot finding the shuttle that was transporting him, and there being beskar found in it...and then he's a mercenary using Gideon's shuttle...seems like the most logical, if obvious, option.
To add to the possibility of The Armorer bring a spy, Gideon's Mando helmet also had horns on it similiar to hers, and his was in the Super Commando colours. She had discussed Death Watch's splintering; perhaps he and the armorer were actually Mandalorian Super Commandos while Gideon went on to become an Imperial Super Commandos and The Armorer remained among Death Watch then Children of the Watch as a spy.
I wanted The Armoror to go to the Great Forge. As she flew closer and closer to the fleet I kept getting more worried that she was going to blow it up, some how.
I do really wish there were a few more episodes like this during this season. Watching the Imperial resurgence is such a treat, I really would like to see more of it. Of course, with Brendol Hux cast, and Rae Sloane having a voice actor from the Squadrons game, we might get a show about founding the First Order, which I think would be amazing
I find myself wondering why we did not get more episodes like this one. Only getting the main Villain at the 11th hour kinds of sucks. Wish we would have had Gideon and the Imperial Remnant more throughout the season.
@@eric4571 i agree somewhat. I also think it is already cumbersome. Andor started with imperials as main characters, not caricatures of villains. I think the imperial plot will be developed throughout the filoniverse. I would def appreciate sprinkling it across the season than having three fourths filler and then dropping all the good stuff at once.
I only got that chance with the Visions short and while that was definitely a fun and great time that got me grinning ear to ear, I am a little saddened that I couldn’t do that with the Mandalorian.
@@jamesmcneill7249they showed the entire episode to all of the people who managed to see the studio showcase. Unfortunately I missed out on that, and so couldn’t watch the episode. But I was lucky enough to be in the Ahsoka panel, so saw the full Thrawn reveal.
@@willfisher9758 I was able to see Ashoka from Twin Suns stage so yeah I saw the full Thrawn reveal too. Also attended High Republic at Galaxy stage so at least I saw Acolyte and witnessed the live action Vernestra reveal.
I think the episode title, “The Spies” is mostly referring to Bo Katan’s scouting party. This could be a biblical reference to the 12 spies from the 12 tribes of Israel Moses sent to survey Canaan, The Promise Land. The Mandalorian volunteers from different tribes are uniting to survey Mandalor, their Promise Land.
Other than Hux senior and Pellaeon, are any of the other hologram imperials named? Also I'm surprised that neither Din or Paz had their helmets ripped off in the ending as an added insult, especially given how Moff Gideon presumably knew which Mandalorians were from which group.
I am surprised no-one is mentioning how Paz and Axel reconcile as Paz covers his escape to try and warn the fleet. Or the fact that he could indeed warn the fleet.
Pretty sure the covert/night owl divide is basically gone now atleast on the night owl side. They watched din and paz show exactly what theyre about. Cant question their honor after that
I knew Moff Gideon would utilize beskar for his personal armor all the way back..his knowledge and pursuit to be a force to be reckoned with advanced research seemed it would leave to him having his own beskar armor. And, it eventually going to the dark troopers, also. I love the fact Grodu using IG-12 as a power suit. Things are really ramping up. I'm excited and nervous for the last episode of this season.
Amazing episode. Maybe Paz Vizsla knew he wont get out by that hole so he sacrificed. Very excited to see Pellaeon back (literally shouted) Grogu's spamming was so fun to see
I'm pretty sure the spy, really the traitor, is Grief Karga. In the Pirate, the main Pirate reminds us that GK was at one time under Moff Gideons protection. Very likely MG reached out to GK to get info from him. Also, how did MG spy get her Intel on the pirates failure? She even knew that DJ and BK joined factions to defeat the pirates. The only person that knew that, and has opportunity and the motives to betray DJ would be Grief Karga.
I think the episode's title is a reference to the Twelve Spies of Moses in the Bible. In the Book of Numbers, Moses sends twelve spies into the Promised Land to see if it is ready for the Israelites to return to it. The Mandalorian scout team is similarly examining a long-abandoned (well, ~10 years) homeland to see if it is ready for resettlement.
Our boy was laying some HATE with his repeating blaster before he started beating dudes with it. Kinda wish he would've taken out one Praetorian Guard before going down, or at least scuffed one up good. Either way, he went out like a true Mandalorian.
Gideon’s helmet also having horns…idk the Armorer is the likely suspect but these random “mandos” appearing on Mandalore and leading our group right to where Gideons forces would be seems very convenient.
I definitely thought Thrawn was going to be the big reveal at the end of the episode. Gideon as a Dark Trooper/Mandalorian hybrid was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Rest In Paz to big papa. He got so much development this season, I was worried for him the whole time. He went down with honor. This Is The Way.
Speaking of Imperials co opting Mandalorian armor for their own purposes, Legends Thrawn impersonated Jodo Kast, who in turn, was impersonating Boba Fett. 😂
The idea of the armorer as the spy doesn't really work since Gideon announced the destruction of the fleet where the armorer is. I'm pretty sure the armorer knew Gideon tried to make the jump on them and instead played it cool to not raise any suspicions. Axe Woves would not be able to return to the fleet without a ship unless the Armorer or someone else returned with it after delivering the wounded and sick.
Bro Imperial Super Commandos? Moff Gideon clones? Praetorian Guard? Holy W. Paz Vizsla has my respect as a Mandalorian. Went out like Commander thorn. W
I absolutely loved this episode! As soon as I heard Pellaeon’s voice and saw his face, I knew it was him, as I have seen several of yours and Eckhartsladder’s videos. I also loved the Mandolorians’s fleet. I counted at least three squadrons of Fang class starfighters, eight Gauntlet class starfighter transports, four Gozanti class patrol cruisers, and the Class 546 command cruiser. The fleet actually reminded me of the Phoenix Squadron from Rebels, with the flagship being a large frigate/cruiser, with a series of smaller ships. The part that made me sad was Paz’s death. It gave me Commander Thorn vibes, as he not only guns down the Imperials, and even hits them with his gun. Overall, the best episode in Season 3! Cannot wait to see the finale next week!
When Gideon said the best thing about the new dark trooper was that he was in the armour, I think he was saying that he has been cloned, and that his clones (in the cryo tubes) are wearing the new super commando style beskar armour.
Im only bummed out over Bo Katan only using the dark saber to cut through the door. She was fighting hand to hand, up close with her pistols, and with her vibroblade, but not the darksaber, which is better than all those options together
As for the monster coming out of the ground earlier in the episode they actually stated that the bombings had awoken many creatures that had slumbered under the surface so it was actually a payoff even though she may have primarily been alluding to the natives and the mythosaur
I am confident that this chapter entitled, “Spies” is making reference to at least 4 different people. 1. Elia Kane - confirmed obviously! 2. The survivors of Mandalore. I agree that if they have been living on this world after its destruction, there is no way that they couldn’t have known about Moff Gideon’s or Imperial presence on the planet. I believe that Moff Gideon had been keeping them alive as long as they were useful to him. 3. Axe Wolf. I believe his absence in episode 16 was due to his secretly working with Moff Gideon. In this episode, when he was on Bo Katan’s ship and scouting the planet Mandolore, he was not happy to see his home world destroyed like this. I believe deep down, he still blames Bo Katan for the destruction of the Mandalorians and working with Moff would be his revenge on her and her Clan. Also, why did the stormtroopers just let him fly away. No one thought to go after him? This last one is hard for me to believe because I think so highly of her but I believe that the Armorer is a spy of sorts. A. I believe that she has a soft spot for Din because I believe her family were the Death Watch Mandalorians that raised him. I keep wondering why his original armor in episodes one and two looked similar to hers. B. I believe that she too secretly still believes that Bo Katan is primarily responsible for the destruction of Mandalore and the separation of her people. I believe her statement about Bo walking both ways is good for reunification is a backhand statement. I think she feels that Bo is still wishywashy. I believe the Armorer still questions Bo’s loyalty. C. When Bo Katan revealed info such as surrendering the dark saber to Moff Gideon, the Armorer did not respond as if she was shocked. I believe she already knew what had happened to the saber and how Moff ended up with it. D. When Din brought the crystalized sample to the Armorer, Din stated that the Jawas got it from someone who claimed to have been on Mandalore. That person was either Moff Gideon or one of the survivors. I think this was a signal to her that things are going as planned by the Moff. E. Going back to the Armorer’s soft spot for Din. Notice that in this episode, Din wasn’t killed, just captured. Why? I think the Armorer feels that it is Din who will save their people. I think she believes the prophecy was about him not Bo. I think that by working for the Moff, she can have his life spared. F. Finally, I think the Armorer is just like Thrawn, a strategist. In episode 3 of season one, she stated that to be a Mandalorian , one is both a hunter and a prey. I believe by working with the Moff, as a prey, she can spare Din’s life and see the prophecy fulfilled. As the hunter, she is taking down Bo and eventually Moff Gideon himself.😊
I feel like the traitor has to be the Armorer. Her doing a 180 by telling Bo to take off her helmet, but she exiled Din for the same offense. Bo tells her they're going straight to the Forge, but the Armorer decides to bail with the wounded. She was salvaging the Besar armor on Nevarro alone; sure, she killed some Stormtroopers, but they might not have been informed of her status. Also, isn't it strange that her Covert was completely untouched even though Concordia should have been bombed as well?
@steven heckert Totally. I also remember Paz justifiably being pissed about Din working with the Empire, but the Armorer was chill about it. It would be crazy if the Armorer is in league with Gideon, and the whole hiding thing and cult rules is to gather any Mandalorian remnants, make them more divided, and keep them in hiding.
Bo saying the only people who have beat the Mandalorians is the Mandalorians themselves due to division… Someone in this current group of Mandos are definitely loyal to Gideon. Armorer is the obvious choice.
But also, she was the known leader before the planet got glassed and it seems clear they were just there and not aware she surrendered. Kinda like those old japanese soldiers on islands that never heard the war was over.
With the shift towards Bo leading I was wondering what Din's place was and his speech with Bo put it in place with Bo being the Queen and Din being the Knight of loyalty and honor (in literal shining armor among the rest)and I loved it. This episode was amazing for so many reasons but I loved that one
Omg. I never comment here. But you absolutely hit the nail on the head on why I personally love Star Wars. It’s a reflection of the real world. People in power dividing the rest of us so they can maintain control. Star Wars shows us examples of this constantly in galaxy far far away as to remove our personal bias and see the corruption for what it is.
The second spy is most definitely the Mandalorian Bo Katan dueled to reclaim control of the Night Owls. He jet packed out so quickly when the scout mandalorians engaged with the imperials.
Imo if the armorer is a spy it'd be a big retcon because her character has been nothing but a pain in the ass for Gideon. If she was working for him, why would she have helped survive so many mandalorians? why would she have let them help Din take off Grogu from Nevarro, why would she have stayed salvaging the bescar from their fallen brothers? why would she have quested Din with findind a jedi? and why would she have accepted bo Katan and the other factions? If she was a spy she'd be like Kane, stalling their efforts and gaining time, plus telling Gideon about all of their moves, so it really wouldn't make sense if she was a spy. I'm more sus of Axe from the way he just went out? when they don't have a ship? and the very convenient mandalorians in the planet? how would they have survived in a barren planet since the purge? HMM much to think about.
The armorer isn't a spy for Gideon, but could be a spy for Thrawn. She put the covert on Nevarro so she could keep an eye on Gideon and report back to Thrawn if Gideon started to get out of line.
What’s weird is that I’m confused as to the “Spies” are. But I’m so happy I was in the Celebration Stage! It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had
Yeah, that was my only gripe with the episode; the title. I was waiting for the mandolorians found on the planet to be the "spies", but no. If we need to wait for the next episode to see who the "spies" were, then that's a bad title for this episode. They should have just called it "The Return" or something. Would have way more sense.
@@plkrtn Yeah, but any evidence that says she is the spy is circumstantial at best. The title is just a bad choice, and I'm getting flashbacks to WandaVision, where people kept thinking Mephisto would show up, but he didn't. The title will just leave us chasing our own tails.
Gideon: We must act now!
Pelleaon: We must wait for Thrawn's return!
Brentaal Hux: We must wait for Palpatine's return!
The other Imperials: What was that last one?
Hux: Don't worry about it.
Shadow Council: I kinda feel like we should worry about it.
Klink: We must await for General Burkhalter's return!
@@saviorselfX29 Project Necromancy??
Captain Pellaeon is given 30 seconds of screentime and spends 20 of those seconds gushing about Thrawn.
Yeah that sounds about right.
literally all we heard from him on rebels was 5 seconds of reporting to Thrawn
@@enzovalencia2762 Yeh but we have whole books of Pellaeon
RIP Paz Vizsla, a true Mandalorian like his ancestors before him
He died a hero
He pulled a thorn🫡
Well, Pre and Tor didn't really
Can’t believe he’s dead I loved him and he was a vizla great lose for the mandos
I feel bad for his son
I'd honestly be shocked if we didn't get a glimpse of Thrawn next week. It fits into the story and it's the perfect tease for his return in only 4 months. This was an incredible episode, and I think my only low-key disappointment was not having Rae Sloane finally make her on-screen debut in the Shadow Council.
I could see it being something relatively small at the end like the Chimaera appearing and we get a glimpse of the ventral hull art or something like that
I think Sloane, Cardinal and all the other ones were part of the Imperials who just wanted to build their own thing in the Unknown Regions as the First Order, while this Shadow Council is integrated by the Imperials who still are against leaving their old ways and ambitions behind
I think he shows up and kills gideon and bo. And the armorer is phasma
Absolutely we will. Celebration or not they'd have held back the announcement of who is playing him if we weren't going to.
@@DanielDaniel-wk1upisn’t Hux also part of the first order tho? And he was there
Blast of an episode! Grogu spamming “YES” was just the funniest thing. And the new fusion of the Imperial Remnants and the First Order is pretty great, with Hux talking with Gideon, the jet troopers having helmet facades fusing FO and Mando aesthetics and…Praetorian Guards! They were so chilling just walking in to give a Sekiro-style execution, then walking off.
RIP Paz Vizla. You deserve a noteworthy seat in Force Valhalla for giving your all.
The Jet troopers are Imperial Supercommandos, they first appeared in Rebels
@@SkullMan19 Ah OK, thanks for the clarification on that detail. The design looks a little more updated from previous versions I’ve seen in clips. Guess it’s time to binge some Rebels before the Ashoka series!
Regarding Paz Vizla…This is the way!
if there is a star wars culture with a Valhala idea, its definetely the mandalorians
RIP in peace Paz Vizsla and Tech.
The Andor parallels actually don't stop with the vibe of the underworld scene, the imperial remnant needing to appear like a bunch of disconnected factions actually reminds me a lot of Luthen's early rebel factions. The only difference is that the ISB had Dedra, who caught on to the connections, whereas the New Republic is wholly unprepared to deal with this kind of burgeoning threat. I love that they're setting up the First Order as a kind of counter-rebellion, using the tested tools of the very insurgents who dethroned them. It's all very cyclical, one might say that it rhymes.
Hey now, the New Republic has a lone X-Wing pilot on the Outer Rim raising the alarm!
Why does the new republic not come after this people
It's like poetry
The biggest question I had after the episode was "Where is Sloane? Is she safe? Is she alright?" With Hux Snr. there, it was a bit of a surprise she wasn't even mentioned or hinted at.
My thoughts exactely!!
"It seems in your anger you killed her" 😂
I think Sloane, Cardinal and all the other ones were part of the Imperials who just wanted to build their own thing in the Unknown Regions as the First Order, while this Shadow Council is integrated by the Imperials who still are against leaving their old ways and ambitions behind
@@DanielDaniel-wk1up Makes sort of sense, but then why would Hux be on the council, when he went with Sloane into the Unknown Regions at the end of Empire's End?
@@mathiaswalker350 To undermine the First Order attempts to build something beyond the old Empire and The Republic and use their resources to create the weapons to invade the known space again, like they told us in the Captain Phasma novel, in which the First Order people whom only were proud of building their own militar society were killed and replaced by the Huxes, Snoke, Phasma and their ambitions
Love the visual similarities between the new troopers and tha Mandalorian supercommandos we saw in rebels. Not identical, but definitely similar
It looked to me like they used some TFA stormtrooper concept art as inspiration(specifically the helmet), which definitely helps
If I remember correctly at the concept art at the end of the episode the "bescar stormtroopers" actually wore mandalorian super commando helmets from Rebels.
I may be mistaken though.
the armor looks a lot like super commando armor but the difference is the new helmet is VERY reminiscent of clone troopers helmets. i think that’s just cuz these are cloned but sadly i don’t think they’re jango fett clones
I was thinking this too
@@crunchysalmons I think Gideon implies they are clones of him.
It took 19 minutes and 45 seconds to go from uncontrollable laughing at Grogu repeating "Yes" and crushing a Meiloorun, to tears flowing down my cheeks with each Mandalorian that stood and stoically said "I will go". This is Star Wars.
I love that Domhnall Gleeson’s brother, Brian Gleeson, is playing Hux Snr
To add to the suspicion of the boat Mandalorians: How did they not know about the imperial precense? I mean an imperial base does still need supplies to be delivered, Gideon coming in and out, probably the TIES from earlier in the season came from here aswell, ... So there must have been activity in the skies which they must have seen sometimes, so the knew about Imperial precense on Mandalore...?
10:30 I spent this entire scene asking Bo-Katan to remember that the Darksaber is literally the best door opener in the galaxy. I was so happy when she started cutting that hole in the door.
God, this episode was great. It truly felt like a culmination of the Disney canon. Seeing Brendol Hux in live action (Though I do wish it was Brendan Gleeson) felt so fulfilling. The Shadow Council is exactly what I imagined after reading Lost Stars back in 2015. I just feel like this episode is the peak of what a truly interconnected Star Wars franchise can be.
@@var67 I guess that makes it better
@@var67 That's perfect
yes
Exactly my thoughts too. OT connecting with ST, TCW, Rebels, Andor, u name it
The only bad thing about today's episode is needing to wait another week until the next one is out😂
This is the only week of our lives where we've seen The Mandalorian Chapter 23 but not Chapter 24, with room for speculation and crazy levels of excitement. I say we enjoy it while it lasts!
Imagine being Alex who got to see this episode early, having to wait even longer
Bo-Katan has a hard time keeping members of the Vizla clan alive 😳
But this time, Bo can do to Gideon what she couldn’t achieve against Maul: avenge the fallen Vizsla by decapitating their killer!
The Armorer: develops as a character, works to unite mandalorian factions, cares for her people, looks after the wounded, has literally done nothing suspicious.
The fandom: "The Armorer is super sus"
Well there are some Sus moments
Her being the only one left in season 1
Her leaving right before arriving a t the forge
And now Gideon has horns too
It's the horns on helmet that what makes her super sus maybe she worked for maul in the past and Gideon also has horns coincidence 🤔
The argument that "she has horns. Gideon has horns" is super funny to me. Like. There is an entire faction of mandalorians there who had no problem working for whoever payed them the most credits. I'd bet the spy is one of them
@@MatthiasPendragon the spy has been among nevarro since S1
Someone was giving Gideon close info on Mando
@@MatthiasPendragon I think the spies are Koska Reeves or Axe Woves. The Armorer is too obvious and one of those two selling Bo out would hurt far worse.
My analysis of who the spies could be (assuming they spy on the Mandalorians for Gideon):
The Armourer- probably not, as she had complete control over the Children of the Watch, so the only reason to reunite both factions is a selfless attempt to restore Mandalorians to their old power. Gideon wouldn’t want to destroy the fleet, and kill his spy, especially since the Armourer could easily take control of a large portion of the fleet.
Axe Woves- a lot more likely than the Armourer, but he could have very easily left before the ambush, e.g. going with her to the fleet, which would have had the benefit of Gideon being able to seize a portion of the fleet, instead of destroying it
The survivors- the most likely option, there are multiple of them, explaining the title “spies”, they come out of nowhere and can bring the Mandalorians to the forge, but haven’t noticed the massive imperial base right next to it.
TL;DR: the Armourer and Axe Woves have to much authority for the entire fleet to need to be destroyed, so it’s probably the survivors
I really love how they are tying this into the Sequels! Like project necromancer clearly has some ties to Palpy in Exegol! The early Preatorian (I probably spelled that wrong) look so cool and it totally explains how they were able to be resistant to lightsabers in The Last Jedi
I didn't really get tlj vibes from the guard, aside from the glowy weapons. Looked more like Palpatine's guards from ROTJ with Mando armor. Kind of a mix between OT, Mando era with a little st.
They were literally FO lent by a guy named Hux lol. They are more definitely tied to Last Jedi. The weapon type is way more Praetorian than Imperial Guard
Also the term Praetorian in the context of SW refers to the ones who appear in Last Jedi. Palps had Royal Guards
This is a direct sequel tie. Plain and simple
@@maton_n1 For sure. He had the voice down.
@@Ingeneious It was definitely the other way around. ST Praetorians with a little ROTJ guards to make them older. Honestly, they looked straight out of TLJ minus their helmets.
Thrawn has to have spies somewhere. There’s no way he’s getting out maneuvered by Gideon.
Plot twist: Kane was really a triple agent who’s spying on both the New Republic AND Gideon on Thrawn’s behalf. 😂
@@topnotchshinobi that would be funny as all get out. But it makes sense that she would spy for Thrawn
Absolutely!
My take on the the Mandalorians fighting against each other over the rules of a game, then coming together to fight against a common enemy show the foundation of Mandalorian society. They are raised and trained to fight. As Dinn told the security droid, who demanded he relinquish his weapons before boarding a transport: "Weapons are part of my RELIGION."
That is the foundation of all sections, clans, and ideologies of Mandalore. Fighting is Life. It's a very SPARTAN way of thinking.
Personally, I’m suspicious of Axe and *maybe* Koska. But that’s probably just me really not wanting the Armorer to be a traitor. I find her character fascinating and if she’s a spy, I don’t think it would make sense.
Axe makes more sense to be honest, but there is still the pirate the fled so who knows
@@DarthRelkewit makes more sense that the true spies are the surviving mandalorians and they only. Axe is needed to alarm the rest and get support. Armorer is the soul of the creed.
Axe did conveniently leave in the middle of a battle...
Not sure if it's Koska. I think she has loyalty to Bo. She tried to speak up fro BO when she was talking about her surrender.
I was one of those that didn’t get the chance to watch the episode at Celebration, so after seeing this I can only imagine what the audience reaction there was because HOLY CRAP where to begin here.
Advancing the Mandalore plot, return of Gideon, Paz’s heroic last stand, the prologue with the Shadow Council. Hux’s dad?!? Preatorian Guard?!? Pelleaon CANON?!? The buildup of THRAWN?!?
Overall I felt this was a great penultimate episode that is building towards a climactic finale to the season and the foreshadowing of things to come with the Ahsoka show and the Filoni movie. Also as one who loved Dark Forces back then I love how they’re bringing in more of that by Gideon being in the Dark Trooper armor.
Palleon has been canon for some years now, Thrawn called him in Star Wars rebels.
@@agustinbaletti Damn really kicking myself for missing that.
I like how they are bringing elements of the heir to the empire in without explicitly remaking it which clearly would be impossible
And tying into the sequels I wonder how new folks watching all of this chronologically would be feeling if they never saw it before
True that is Huxs father there was something about his father being a high ranking member of the former Empire.
I don't see putting Grogu in IG 11 only as a fun thing. Ig 12 is Grogu's Mandalorian proto armor so he can act as true part of the clan as he did in the fight between Paz Vizla y Axe Woves. Grogu is the soul, and IG 12 is the armor around it
I'd love to see him slowly get upgrades to the armor (maybe add some beskar plating?) and even restore the weapons systems. I really want to see Grogu fight on his own two feet and have a tiny Mandalorian helmet, but IG-12 is a suitable alternative.
Would have liked to have seen him do something at the end there...use the Force, or freak out on the doors...didn't like him just standing there. Hoping we get to see him have a Luke like scene from the end of season two next week
@@dankuehn8178 I was wondering why he didn't use FORCE CHOKE on Gideon and FORCE CRUSH on the commandos.
@@dankuehn8178 for a second I thought he might force shatter the door. I suspect he will play an important role in the finale.
Incredibly happy you took the time to point out the real-world analogs of groups like Gideon intentionally driving stakes between members of a society. Super relevant message for the current day, and I'm glad both this show and the people talking about it have something to say about it.
I was just waiting for the Armorer to exit the Atmosphere to see the fleet burning.
And the whole time Din was on his knees I was worried it would end up being when he gets unmasked because I would love for it to be his choice to abandon it.
Some say the story followed her to suggest she was the spy, but like you, I think it was meant to maintain the tension. I kept waiting to see a coordinated attack against Mando space assets. Maybe they are saving it for the finale? 🤷
@@stevebreedlove9760 I definitely assume they want people to think it's the spy thing but I honestly can't believe she would completely destroy her culture by siding with Giddion.
And yeah I can't imagine the episode not showing the fleet getting wrecked next episode though I would love if the spy was R5 contacting the NR to help somehow completely subverting our bad feeling
I liked seeing the "foundlings" birds from the nest in the evening feast scene.
As for the other spy/spies... The convenient Mandalorians on the boat seem almost too obvious. What about Axe Woves? He left the battle to "get reinforcements" but they all came in on the Gauntlet which the Armorer used to evacuate the conveniently wounded Mandalorians and their comms won't work through the atmosphere.
Axe Woves also conveniently dipped out during the fight also
could he be the other spy.
As a weapon, an axe can have two sides = Axe is two-faced?
Wove = weave (past tense) = Axe is a slimy “go with the flow” operator who has no true loyalties/convictions to anyone other than himself.
So yeah, I can get behind the idea of Axe being a traitor!
Also the fact he took control of the fleet away from Bo before and decided to divert their focus from fighting Imperials
maybe axe and the armourer are working together. don't trust her either.
He was also the first to start trying to stir up trouble by calling Paz a primitive
You again give such good social commentary to your reviews! You are right division is taught. I love how you continually input social commentary into your video that can apply to real life! You are one of my favorite TH-camrs and this is another great video!
The choir music coming in when the praetorian guards enter scared the hell out of me lol, genuinely scary
I loved the call out of Pellaeon in Rebels and the minor interactions with him in Thrawn: Treason in canon. However, actually seeing Pellaeon on screen is amazing. Now I just want to see him be the true Watson to Thrawn's Sherlock in at least 1 scene.
I think it’s a very interesting detail that both The Armorer and now Gideon have horns on their helmets. Is this a coincidence or something more?
I think she is Rook Kast
@@spinone-d2 There was also that female voice that was telling Maul to get to one of the gauntlets while he was in the standoff will Maul that disappeared when Ahsoka looked to the sky. Could’ve been Rook since you don’t see her in the battle iirc
Maul mandalorians also had horns coincidence
I think Gideon's helmet is meant to look more like a crown than horns, which would definitely fit his personality
I love/appreciate when you take the time to connect the allegories used in the show to connect to relevant real world topics we’re all familiar with. The beauty of many great shows is that they use experiences we’re familiar with and find ways to thread them seamlessly into good storytelling.
This episode was the best, tying it to the sequels with the praetorian guards was awesome an made the guard really intimidating!!! Also it makes sense now why the client in season 1 has beskar. Really love where this is going and all the lore!!! Best time for Star Wars!
Absolutely loved this episode - Paz Vizla's sacrifice was epically noble. Seeing the Mythosaur skull emblem painted on the bottom of the light cruiser just about had me tearing up - and what is it with GFFA dinosaurs, they just seem to get bigger and bigger. In my 'head canon' I'm naming this latest one Megamandaloriosaurus. Cheers Alex & Molly.
Every time Alex says "Tinfoil Hat" I can't help but chuckle.
I loved the episode in general, and various points in particular. I shared a lot of the moments that Alex mentions and I honestly thought that the giant monster erupting out of the ground was the mythosaur.
Absolutely loved this episode, especially the scene with The Shadow Council and the Praetorian Guards. Really excited for Thrawn.
I love the Armorer, but let’s face it-we’re pretty conditioned to assume that someone who is mysterious has something “bad” to hide. The timing of her departure from Mandalore was very suspect, though in truth, her focus has always been on her people, and saving a large number of them fits her character. A Thrawn appearance does seem to fit with the spectacle of last season’s finale, and as you point out, his reveal at Celebration was timed perfectly for that. The whole start date for this season, with its curious Bad Batch overlap, seems to have been planned around Celebration. Great episode; can’t believe we’re nearly at the end…again. 😢
Powerful female. Tied to the sequels. Captain phasma? Even the voice isn’t horribly different.
@@reddirtfit2872 far too short to be Phasma
4:16 Gideon does something even funnier. He points out that Hux is more obsessed with cloning than he is! And Hux doesn’t deny it!
Paz: "There's too many of them"
Me: "Say the line! Say the line!"
Paz: "This is the Way."
Me: "YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Anybody noticed grogu squashing melurons ( that fruit from rebels where ezra and zeb bought for hera)? Second connection to ezra as grogus next master after purgils 😮
Yes and loved it!! All I could think of was Ezra and Zeb hahaha
The Kaiju encounter is foreshadowing the Mythosaur - a wildcard - defeating Gideon's forces.
For a brief second, I thought it was going to be the Bendu!
The armour of those 'new' stormtroopers reminds me a lot of that of the Imperial supercommandoes. Especially the flair over the shoulders.
We need to find out what happened to Clan Saxon (an Imperial loyalist Mandalorian clan). Are they with the Remnant, or did they die off in the Purge? (For having outlived its usefulness to the Empire)
Right
They are gonna need a lot of them. Literally hundreds died compared to a cpl mandos.
Right--I'm like, "What do you mean 'new' stormtroopers. Are these not Imperial super commandos?"
This episode was amazing. It must've been an experience being able to see it with all the fans. The imperial remnants scene really reminded me of the broken legions from Warhammer 40k, all trying to work together, but with daggers behind their back. Seeing Hux's dad was crazy. Did not expect him.
Yes yes yes yes yes
If someone told me in S1 that I would be sad for Paz Vizsla come S3, I would not have believed them. But alas, I am. RIP to the realest one, 💙.
Facts
I loved this episode so much. Seeing the guards at the end, as a TLJ lover makes me even more appreciative
I really had a feeling that these final two episodes were going to really pack a punch. I am getting a sense that the finale next week will be very dark and even possibly leave us on a cliffhanger until season 4. The fact that we get yet another character from the Zahn trilogy and it appears that another member of the Remnant Empire is Hux's father? I really can't wait for next Wednesday!!!
Well Brendol Hux is pretty much an stablished character lore wise, he appears in the Aftermath Novels, the Phasma book and we even witness his death in that same novel, which gets talked about in other media as well. Glad to see him on screen althhough I wished for Brendan Gleesom (literally Domhnall Gleesom's father) to be Brendol Hux. AAAAANd Palleon was named dropped in Rebels, Thrawn tried to contact him and he replied with a warning about the Purgill 'fleet' Ezra was leading to destroy the invasion of Lothal.
@@agustinbaletti The last novels I read were of the Rogue Squadron books so I've been out of the loop during the prequel and sequel novels. It's been a while since I watched Rebels so I didn't remember Palleon being used there first. It was just wild to see him in live action. I just know we are heading to the Thrawn trilogy that is long overdue.
@@agustinbaletti Brendol is played by Brian Gleeson though, Domhnall’s actual brother!
Yeah I think we’ll be pressing f in chat for some of the characters next week
@@eoghancon92 yes i know! Im glad they at least this that but i wish his father can come for a show or something years later, maybe for his on screen death.
I think if there IS another spy you'd have to suspect Axe Woves and put him at the top of that list. He lost his command, he hates the Children of the Watch and he cut out right as the battle was starting.
I agree
armourer is more suspicious imo
on second watch, I was paying attention to who was more suspect, the armorer or the survivors -- and the fact that Axe leaves in the middle of battle stuck out like a sore thumb.
Plus wouldn't it be fitting if Bo Katan told her story of surrendering to Gideon only to be betrayed, all while Axe think he's made a deal with Gideon for him to take out the Children of the Watch but leave the Nite Owls alone?
yea, and didn't Axe and his crew free Gideon? There was a shot of a NR pilot finding the shuttle that was transporting him, and there being beskar found in it...and then he's a mercenary using Gideon's shuttle...seems like the most logical, if obvious, option.
Can I just say how impressed I am that this episode and it’s content didn’t leak anywhere online? Disney was playing no games
This is the way
To add to the possibility of The Armorer bring a spy, Gideon's Mando helmet also had horns on it similiar to hers, and his was in the Super Commando colours. She had discussed Death Watch's splintering; perhaps he and the armorer were actually Mandalorian Super Commandos while Gideon went on to become an Imperial Super Commandos and The Armorer remained among Death Watch then Children of the Watch as a spy.
I wanted The Armoror to go to the Great Forge. As she flew closer and closer to the fleet I kept getting more worried that she was going to blow it up, some how.
I kind of think we are going to see Grogu use the IG-12 suit to use the Darksaber.
I do really wish there were a few more episodes like this during this season. Watching the Imperial resurgence is such a treat, I really would like to see more of it. Of course, with Brendol Hux cast, and Rae Sloane having a voice actor from the Squadrons game, we might get a show about founding the First Order, which I think would be amazing
I find myself wondering why we did not get more episodes like this one. Only getting the main Villain at the 11th hour kinds of sucks. Wish we would have had Gideon and the Imperial Remnant more throughout the season.
This episode shows us what this season could have been, so much time was wasted sadly, I hope next season will be more balanced in quality
@@eric4571 i agree somewhat. I also think it is already cumbersome. Andor started with imperials as main characters, not caricatures of villains. I think the imperial plot will be developed throughout the filoniverse. I would def appreciate sprinkling it across the season than having three fourths filler and then dropping all the good stuff at once.
Can we call those 3 Pretorians Paz Dispensers?
12:45 Elia Kane and the Probe Droid are the two spies. They’re ducking with us.
Seeing Grogu use IG-12 as a mech was so goofy and unexpected and all I can say is "YES"
Well given that your options are “Yes” or “No”
Bad baby no squeezy
@@krizjamz9823 haha
It struck that important balance of being goofy and childish while also very endearing. We were clapping the whole time.
I loved this episode! So many tearful moments from Grogu’s “no” to Paz’s sacrifice! We loved a united Mandalore!
My favorite part of the episode was watching it with everyone at Star Wars Celebration.
Same here! It was v special
I only got that chance with the Visions short and while that was definitely a fun and great time that got me grinning ear to ear, I am a little saddened that I couldn’t do that with the Mandalorian.
How much of the episode was shown at celebrations?
@@jamesmcneill7249they showed the entire episode to all of the people who managed to see the studio showcase. Unfortunately I missed out on that, and so couldn’t watch the episode. But I was lucky enough to be in the Ahsoka panel, so saw the full Thrawn reveal.
@@willfisher9758 I was able to see Ashoka from Twin Suns stage so yeah I saw the full Thrawn reveal too. Also attended High Republic at Galaxy stage so at least I saw Acolyte and witnessed the live action Vernestra reveal.
I think the episode title, “The Spies” is mostly referring to Bo Katan’s scouting party.
This could be a biblical reference to the 12 spies from the 12 tribes of Israel Moses sent to survey Canaan, The Promise Land.
The Mandalorian volunteers from different tribes are uniting to survey Mandalor, their Promise Land.
Other than Hux senior and Pellaeon, are any of the other hologram imperials named?
Also I'm surprised that neither Din or Paz had their helmets ripped off in the ending as an added insult, especially given how Moff Gideon presumably knew which Mandalorians were from which group.
that was hux sr?!??! I guess I just imagine him as Brendan Gleeson lol
@@JoeyPeligro69 Yeah, i wished it was Brendan but the actor did a good job too
That was Domhnall’s brother, Brian Gleeson
@@bryanoneill4834 oh no way! that's awesome
@@JoeyPeligro69 Yeah man. He’s a really good actor but he hasn’t broken out of Ireland and the UK like his dad and brother have
Grogu gets his suit made from the remnants of a droid, as does Mof Gideon - an interesting parallel between good and evil I noticed in this ep.
I am surprised no-one is mentioning how Paz and Axel reconcile as Paz covers his escape to try and warn the fleet. Or the fact that he could indeed warn the fleet.
Aka “I still sort of hate your guts, but I despise the Empire even more.”
Pretty sure the covert/night owl divide is basically gone now atleast on the night owl side. They watched din and paz show exactly what theyre about. Cant question their honor after that
I was yes chanting when Grogu got the IG mech suit, RIP Paz Vizla he died a hero
I hope Rae Sloane is a part of the Shadow Council
Also, a live-action Brendol Hux! And played by Domnhall Gleeson's brother :)
I knew Moff Gideon would utilize beskar for his personal armor all the way back..his knowledge and pursuit to be a force to be reckoned with advanced research seemed it would leave to him having his own beskar armor. And, it eventually going to the dark troopers, also.
I love the fact Grodu using IG-12 as a power suit.
Things are really ramping up. I'm excited and nervous for the last episode of this season.
Amazing episode. Maybe Paz Vizsla knew he wont get out by that hole so he sacrificed.
Very excited to see Pellaeon back (literally shouted)
Grogu's spamming was so fun to see
Yeah, even as she was halfway done cutting it, I was like "Bo! There's no way Paz is fitting through that little hole!"
@@boc120 😂😂😂😂😂
I was yelling at my screen that whole scene for Bo to use the darksaber on the blast door IN FRONT OF HER and save Din while Gideon was monologueing!
Man the council meeting scene and then talking about Thrawn is cool and this was a great episode. Love your star wars content.
I'm pretty sure the spy, really the traitor, is Grief Karga.
In the Pirate, the main Pirate reminds us that GK was at one time under Moff Gideons protection. Very likely MG reached out to GK to get info from him. Also, how did MG spy get her Intel on the pirates failure? She even knew that DJ and BK joined factions to defeat the pirates. The only person that knew that, and has opportunity and the motives to betray DJ would be Grief Karga.
The only frustrating thing with all of this is that we know how most of it ends at least big picture … no happy endings lol 😂 for anyone
I think the episode's title is a reference to the Twelve Spies of Moses in the Bible. In the Book of Numbers, Moses sends twelve spies into the Promised Land to see if it is ready for the Israelites to return to it. The Mandalorian scout team is similarly examining a long-abandoned (well, ~10 years) homeland to see if it is ready for resettlement.
Love it when Alex gets going about the lessons for the real world in his reviews.
Our boy was laying some HATE with his repeating blaster before he started beating dudes with it. Kinda wish he would've taken out one Praetorian Guard before going down, or at least scuffed one up good. Either way, he went out like a true Mandalorian.
Gideon’s helmet also having horns…idk the Armorer is the likely suspect but these random “mandos” appearing on Mandalore and leading our group right to where Gideons forces would be seems very convenient.
I think Gideon's soldiers are updated Imperial Super Commandos, not Stormtroopers.
I definitely thought Thrawn was going to be the big reveal at the end of the episode. Gideon as a Dark Trooper/Mandalorian hybrid was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Rest In Paz to big papa. He got so much development this season, I was worried for him the whole time. He went down with honor. This Is The Way.
Speaking of Imperials co opting Mandalorian armor for their own purposes, Legends Thrawn impersonated Jodo Kast, who in turn, was impersonating Boba Fett. 😂
The idea of the armorer as the spy doesn't really work since Gideon announced the destruction of the fleet where the armorer is. I'm pretty sure the armorer knew Gideon tried to make the jump on them and instead played it cool to not raise any suspicions. Axe Woves would not be able to return to the fleet without a ship unless the Armorer or someone else returned with it after delivering the wounded and sick.
Bro Imperial Super Commandos? Moff Gideon clones? Praetorian Guard? Holy W. Paz Vizsla has my respect as a Mandalorian. Went out like Commander thorn. W
I also love his armor, Moff Gideon, reminds me of Mauls Commander and Gar Saxons armor. Easily one of the best
I absolutely loved this episode! As soon as I heard Pellaeon’s voice and saw his face, I knew it was him, as I have seen several of yours and Eckhartsladder’s videos. I also loved the Mandolorians’s fleet. I counted at least three squadrons of Fang class starfighters, eight Gauntlet class starfighter transports, four Gozanti class patrol cruisers, and the Class 546 command cruiser. The fleet actually reminded me of the Phoenix Squadron from Rebels, with the flagship being a large frigate/cruiser, with a series of smaller ships. The part that made me sad was Paz’s death. It gave me Commander Thorn vibes, as he not only guns down the Imperials, and even hits them with his gun. Overall, the best episode in Season 3! Cannot wait to see the finale next week!
Brendol Hux was amazing to finally be seeing
When Gideon said the best thing about the new dark trooper was that he was in the armour, I think he was saying that he has been cloned, and that his clones (in the cryo tubes) are wearing the new super commando style beskar armour.
the armourer and Moff Gideons helmets look similar could just be a coincidence.
Seeing The Praetorian Guards was super cool. It still feels really early to throw them in but they were still cool to see.
Im only bummed out over Bo Katan only using the dark saber to cut through the door. She was fighting hand to hand, up close with her pistols, and with her vibroblade, but not the darksaber, which is better than all those options together
As for the monster coming out of the ground earlier in the episode they actually stated that the bombings had awoken many creatures that had slumbered under the surface so it was actually a payoff even though she may have primarily been alluding to the natives and the mythosaur
"Bad baby! No squeezies" - Enough said 😂
I am confident that this chapter entitled, “Spies” is making reference to at least 4 different people.
1. Elia Kane - confirmed obviously!
2. The survivors of Mandalore. I agree that if they have been living on this world after its destruction, there is no way that they couldn’t have known about Moff Gideon’s or Imperial presence on the planet. I believe that Moff Gideon had been keeping them alive as long as they were useful to him.
3. Axe Wolf. I believe his absence in episode 16 was due to his secretly working with Moff Gideon. In this episode, when he was on Bo Katan’s ship and scouting the planet Mandolore, he was not happy to see his home world destroyed like this. I believe deep down, he still blames Bo Katan for the destruction of the Mandalorians and working with Moff would be his revenge on her and her Clan. Also, why did the stormtroopers just let him fly away. No one thought to go after him?
This last one is hard for me to believe because I think so highly of her but I believe that the Armorer is a spy of sorts.
A. I believe that she has a soft spot for Din because I believe her family were the Death Watch Mandalorians that raised him. I keep wondering why his original armor in episodes one and two looked similar to hers.
B. I believe that she too secretly still believes that Bo Katan is primarily responsible for the destruction of Mandalore and the separation of her people. I believe her statement about Bo walking both ways is good for reunification is a backhand statement. I think she feels that Bo is still wishywashy. I believe the Armorer still questions Bo’s loyalty.
C. When Bo Katan revealed info such as surrendering the dark saber to Moff Gideon, the Armorer did not respond as if she was shocked. I believe she already knew what had happened to the saber and how Moff ended up with it.
D. When Din brought the crystalized sample to the Armorer, Din stated that the Jawas got it from someone who claimed to have been on Mandalore. That person was either Moff Gideon or one of the survivors. I think this was a signal to her that things are going as planned by the Moff.
E. Going back to the Armorer’s soft spot for Din. Notice that in this episode, Din wasn’t killed, just captured. Why? I think the Armorer feels that it is Din who will save their people. I think she believes the prophecy was about him not Bo. I think that by working for the Moff, she can have his life spared.
F. Finally, I think the Armorer is just like Thrawn, a strategist. In episode 3 of season one, she stated that to be a Mandalorian , one is both a hunter and a prey. I believe by working with the Moff, as a prey, she can spare Din’s life and see the prophecy fulfilled. As the hunter, she is taking down Bo and eventually Moff Gideon himself.😊
well you were 99% wrong lol
I feel like the traitor has to be the Armorer. Her doing a 180 by telling Bo to take off her helmet, but she exiled Din for the same offense. Bo tells her they're going straight to the Forge, but the Armorer decides to bail with the wounded. She was salvaging the Besar armor on Nevarro alone; sure, she killed some Stormtroopers, but they might not have been informed of her status. Also, isn't it strange that her Covert was completely untouched even though Concordia should have been bombed as well?
Might also explain HOW she was able to survive back in season 1 when her mini forge was overrun
@steven heckert Totally. I also remember Paz justifiably being pissed about Din working with the Empire, but the Armorer was chill about it.
It would be crazy if the Armorer is in league with Gideon, and the whole hiding thing and cult rules is to gather any Mandalorian remnants, make them more divided, and keep them in hiding.
Bo saying the only people who have beat the Mandalorians is the Mandalorians themselves due to division…
Someone in this current group of Mandos are definitely loyal to Gideon.
Armorer is the obvious choice.
Planting Mandalorian ‘survivors’ who conveniently appear and are instantly loyal to Bo would be a very ISB move…
But also, she was the known leader before the planet got glassed and it seems clear they were just there and not aware she surrendered. Kinda like those old japanese soldiers on islands that never heard the war was over.
@@stevebreedlove9760 Most likely yes. I’m just hoping The Armorer hasn’t been Gideon’s deep agent keeping the Mandalorians divided until now.
With the shift towards Bo leading I was wondering what Din's place was and his speech with Bo put it in place with Bo being the Queen and Din being the Knight of loyalty and honor (in literal shining armor among the rest)and I loved it. This episode was amazing for so many reasons but I loved that one
I think they are setting up a romantic subplot with Bo, Din and Grogu eventually becoming the royal family.
The fact that Gideon's helmet has Maul horns....
and the armourer helm does to .
@@mylifethroughthelens2258 just had a thought that the armorer could actually just be a zabrak. So the horns on her helmet are needed.
Omg. I never comment here. But you absolutely hit the nail on the head on why I personally love Star Wars. It’s a reflection of the real world. People in power dividing the rest of us so they can maintain control. Star Wars shows us examples of this constantly in galaxy far far away as to remove our personal bias and see the corruption for what it is.
I’m telling you, Gideon probably knows about the Mythosaur and might be trying to clone it for his plans.
Mythosaur vs Zillobeast let's goooooooo
The second spy is most definitely the Mandalorian Bo Katan dueled to reclaim control of the Night Owls. He jet packed out so quickly when the scout mandalorians engaged with the imperials.
Imo if the armorer is a spy it'd be a big retcon because her character has been nothing but a pain in the ass for Gideon. If she was working for him, why would she have helped survive so many mandalorians? why would she have let them help Din take off Grogu from Nevarro, why would she have stayed salvaging the bescar from their fallen brothers? why would she have quested Din with findind a jedi? and why would she have accepted bo Katan and the other factions? If she was a spy she'd be like Kane, stalling their efforts and gaining time, plus telling Gideon about all of their moves, so it really wouldn't make sense if she was a spy. I'm more sus of Axe from the way he just went out? when they don't have a ship? and the very convenient mandalorians in the planet? how would they have survived in a barren planet since the purge? HMM much to think about.
The armorer isn't a spy for Gideon, but could be a spy for Thrawn. She put the covert on Nevarro so she could keep an eye on Gideon and report back to Thrawn if Gideon started to get out of line.
“He is too young…” “No.” “No, what?” “No.”
“It seems like he’s old enough to operate this.” “Yes.” “Yes, what?” “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
What’s weird is that I’m confused as to the “Spies” are.
But I’m so happy I was in the Celebration Stage! It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had
I’m thinking it goes deeper than that, it’s spies, not the spy.
Probably the armourer.. she conveniently pulled out before the trap
Yeah, that was my only gripe with the episode; the title. I was waiting for the mandolorians found on the planet to be the "spies", but no. If we need to wait for the next episode to see who the "spies" were, then that's a bad title for this episode. They should have just called it "The Return" or something. Would have way more sense.
Well one is Kane, but The Armorer is in the frame too considering she's the one who has driven the mission.
@@plkrtn Yeah, but any evidence that says she is the spy is circumstantial at best. The title is just a bad choice, and I'm getting flashbacks to WandaVision, where people kept thinking Mephisto would show up, but he didn't. The title will just leave us chasing our own tails.
The nature into industrial transition on Mandalore reminded me a lot of Kashyyk in Fallen Order and I loved it
A very good episode, ngl.
Also, Mandalorian Skinny Pete. Amazing.
I’m starting to think Grogu pressing the Yes No buttons could become a meme, similar to how Like A Bantha did in Book Of Boba