Chapter 20: The Foundling
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into The Mandalorian season 3. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2024. |
| "Chapter 20: The Foundling" | |
|---|---|
| The Mandalorian episode | |
 Promotional poster featuring co-star Ahmed Best as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Carl Weathers |
| Written by | |
| Cinematography by | Dean Cundey |
| Editing by | Rachel Goodlett Katz |
| Original release date | March 22, 2023 |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Co-starring | |
| |
"Chapter 20: The Foundling"[1] is the fourth episode of the third season of the American television series The Mandalorian. It was written by Dave Filoni and showrunner Jon Favreau and directed by Carl Weathers. It was released on Disney+ on March 22, 2023 and received generally positive reviews.
Plot
[edit]At the secret Mandalorian enclave, the Mandalorian introduces Grogu to Mandalorian combat training. Grogu wins a training match, but his opponent, Ragnar Vizsla, is captured by a large raptor. The Mandalorian and Ragnar's father, Paz Vizsla, attempt to go after the creature, but their jetpacks run out of fuel, halting their efforts. However, Bo-Katan Kryze pursues the raptor in her ship and manages to track down the location of its nest, mapping out the terrain for a rescue mission.
Later, the Mandalorian and Vizla reunite with Bo-Katan at the enclave and they begin to devise a plan to rescue the child. Vizsla points out that if they use jetpacks, the raptor will hear them and kill Ragnar, so Bo-Katan suggests travelling to the nest on foot. The Mandalorians gather a hunting party and set off towards the creature's lair.
Meanwhile, the Armorer leads Grogu into her Forge and crafts a new piece of Mandalorian armor for him — a rondel bearing the Mandalorian's mudhorn sigil. As she works, Grogu has visions of the siege of the Jedi Temple during the initial enactment of Order 66 and his rescue from the Temple by Jedi Master Kelleran Beq and sympathetic members of the Naboo Armed Forces.
By the next morning, the hunting party manages to reach the raptor's nest, but they discover that the nest is empty. Vizsla's over-eagerness to save Ragnar disrupts Bo-Katan's plan and alerts the raptor to the Mandalorians' presence, leading to a difficult aerial confrontation in which Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian rescue the boy unharmed, kill the raptor and collect its chicks to be trained, earning the clan's gratitude and respect.
As the Armorer replaces Bo-Katan's pauldron, which was lost in the scuffle with the raptor, Bo-Katan reveals her encounter with the Mythosaur, but the Armorer meets her account with indifferent disbelief.
Production
[edit]![[icon]](/https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2024) |
Development
[edit]The episode was directed by Carl Weathers, from a screenplay by Dave Filoni and series creator Jon Favreau.[2]
Casting
[edit]The co-starring cast for this episode returned from previous episodes, including Emily Swallow as The Armorer and Tait Fletcher and show creator Jon Favreau as Paz Vizsla.[3] Additional guest starring cast for this episode includes Wesley Kimmel and Temuera Morrison as Ragnar Vizsla, Paz's son, and the voice of clone troopers, respectively.[4][3][5]
Ahmed Best reprises his role as Kelleran Beq from the 2020 web game show, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.[6][7] Best had previously portrayed Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, a character that received such a negative reaction from critics and fans that Best considered suicide.[8] Due to the previous experience and concern to how his character would fit in the story, Best was initially reluctant to appear. However, executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were able to convince him to appear.[9]
Music
[edit]Joseph Shirley composed the musical score for the episode, while Ludwig Göransson composed the themes.[10]
Reception
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has a score of 89% based on reviews from 19 critics, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Brisk and satisfying amid a season that's spent a little too much time dilly-dallying, "The Foundling" is an ideal Mandalorian installment."[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Carl Weathers [@TheCarlWeathers] (March 18, 2023). ""THE FOUNDLING is coming this week on Disney+ and is directed by Yours Truly. #TheMANDALORIAN #BePeace"" (Tweet). Retrieved March 20, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (January 16, 2023). "'The Mandalorian' Reveals Season 3 Trailer, New Directors". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Saavedra, John (March 1, 2023). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 Easter Eggs Explained". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Lang, Brad (March 22, 2023). "The Mandalorian Casts Temuera Morrison Again - But Not as Boba Fett". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Russell, Bradley (March 22, 2023). "The Mandalorian season 3, episode 4 review: "Where would this show be without Grogu?"". gamesradar. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Ross, Dalton (March 22, 2023). "Meesa back! Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best returns to Star Wars as a Mandalorian Jedi". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Peralta, Diego (March 27, 2023). "New 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Character Posters Feature Kelleran Beq and Paz Vizsla". Collider. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (January 5, 2019). "Jar Jar Binks Actor Ahmed Best Opens Up About Racism-Fueled Backlash". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ Chapman, Wilson (March 24, 2023). "Ahmed Best Thrilled Fans on 'The Mandalorian', but Didn't Know If He Wanted to Return to 'Star Wars' at All". Yahoo. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "Joseph Shirley Scoring 'The Mandalorian' Season 3". Film Music Reporter. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "The Foundling". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
External links
[edit]- "Chapter 20: The Foundling" at IMDb
- "Chapter 20: The Foundling" on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
