REVIEW: The Mandalorian – Season 3, Episode 4, “The Foundling”

Television Reviews

***SPOILERS***

In “The Foundling,” Din encourages Grogu to train with the other foundlings. The child Grogu challenges (and defeats) is taken by a giant bird. Din, Bo-Katan, Paz Viszla, and others follow the creature to save the boy.

Many people theorized that this episode would have Grogu flashbacks based on the title, and they were right! However, much like “The Convert,” I think “The Foundling” could intentionally refer to multiple people. Grogu is the obvious choice, but the main story involves rescuing Paz’s foundling. This is the same boy who was initiated in the season premiere, “The Apostate.” From a certain point of view, you could even consider Bo-Katan a foundling, though that’s probably stretching the concept.

Despite taking up a relatively short amount of time in the episode, I think Grogu’s memories will be a major topic of conversation. The Jedi who saves Grogu, Calloran, is played by Ahmad Best, the actor who played Jar-Jar Binks in the prequels. The Mandalorian has never shied away from prequel tie-ins, which makes sense given Dave Filoni’s involvement – he co-wrote “The Foundling.” Best got a raw deal following the release of The Phantom Menace, with people bullying him for his role despite simply doing his job. The same thing happened to Jake Lloyd, the original young actor for Anakin Skywalker. As often as the topic of bullying actors comes up today, I’m surprised people don’t mention these cases. Both actors struggled with their mental health following appearing in the film, and it’s good to see Star Wars embracing Best. Maybe Lloyd can have a cameo at some point.

The scene itself is pretty much what we expected: everyone dies except for Grogu and Calloran, who escape on a ship waiting for them. But the action is exhilarating, and I like how they filmed it. It’s very frenetic, reflecting Grogu’s fear and anxiety. This is also another chance to see Coruscant, and the two even pass the Peak of Umate, which was mentioned and shown last week. I appreciate the introduction of a new Jedi as Grogu’s savior, as opposed to the “Obi-Wan saved Grogu” or “Vader spared him” theories. The latter is particularly dumb, which makes it surprising that it wasn’t shoehorned into Obi-Wan Kenobi. I wish this episode were a little longer because it felt like the flashback portion was rushed. I think this is what people have really wanted from this season, and that’s why some have expressed frustration with the Dr. Pershing interlude, among other things. “The Convert” is probably my favorite episode of this season so far, but I liked “The Foundling” quite a bit.

The junior Mandalorian sparring session is predictable, and I still think something looks off about Grogu’s Force jumps. The scene serves its purpose of humbling Paz’s son and bringing Grogu out of his shell with the Mandalorians. I liked the little phrase about not speaking if you don’t know. Grogu and Bo-Katan have interacted directly about once an episode this season, and I’m starting to see her almost as a mother figure to him. Speaking of Bo-Katan, we get a much-needed glimpse of vulnerability here. She mentions her father again, this time to Grogu as a means of encouragement. She also gets rescued by Din this time after being dropped by the bird-dinosaur-thing. She’s clearly touched by the acceptance the covert is showing her, which is in keeping with the way her own followers abandoned her. It’s probably a shock to see people who are loyal for loyalty’s sake rather than in the pursuit of power. I’m wondering if she will ever mention Satine, or if she’ll come up at all in this show. Katee Sackhoff references Satine’s tragic murder as a turning point for Bo in several interviews, which makes it even stranger that the show has avoided it. She keeps bringing up her father, who we have never seen, but not her sister, who was a major player on Mandalore during the Clone Wars. The Mandalorian has mostly done a great job of toeing the line between appeasing casual audiences and Clone Wars/Rebels fans, but if Bo-Katan is really going to have a redemption arc, this is mandatory. Causing her sister’s death, intentionally or otherwise, is the worst thing she’s done, and it needs to be addressed. Does she feel guilty? Does she intend to carry on her sister’s legacy in some way?

Bo-Katan also tells the Armorer about her encounter with the Mythosaur and adopts its image on her replacement pauldron. I’m intrigued to see where this goes, whether she will unite Mandalorians once more or stand back and allow someone else to rule. My biggest gripe with “The Foundling” is that, while Bo-Katan has a lot to do, there’s not much going on with Din. He pushes Grogu to engage with Mandalorian culture and helps rescue Paz’s kid, and that’s about it. How is he feeling? Where is he at as a character? Now that he’s been redeemed, what’s his goal? He’s still our lead. I’m more than okay with the focus on the New Republic and other characters, but Din and Grogu need to remain at the center of the narrative.

Did anyone else think, “There’s always a bigger fish,” when the alligator beast ate the bird? I was getting ready to say it when my husband blurted it out. The creatures and effects look even better than before in this season. Aside from the wonky Grogu backflips, I have no technical issues with the look of “The Foundling.” Speaking of creatures, though, it’s a little cheesy for the bird’s babies to join the covert. I assume they’ll ride them or use them for livestock, but the scene where Bo calls them foundlings just made me cringe.

Overall, “The Foundling” is an enjoyable action/adventure episode with added insight into Grogu’s life. I’m concerned about the show’s focus shifting too much from Din to other characters and stories, but for now, I’m still having a good time, and I eagerly await more.