“Chapter 20: The Foundling” is a short episode. It’s like 25 minutes long in total, and in that we get all the exposition and everything else that’s going on. Seeing Grogu start any kind of Mandalorian training is dope, and I’m still a little bit angry by the time the credits roll.
It’s Wednesday, so you know what happens every Wednesday. This guy shows up. Baby Know-It-All poked her head in to say hi on this one, too.
What Happens in Chapter 20
Din Djarin introduces Grogu to Mandalorian combat training. Grogu wins a training match, but his opponent, Ragnar Vizsla, is captured by a large pterosaur. Bo-Katan gathers a hunting party, which includes Din Djarin and Ragnar’s father, Paz Vizsla, and leads them to the raptor’s nest.
The Armorer forges a new piece of Mandalorian armor for Grogu, a rondel bearing Djarin’s mudhorn signet. As she works, Grogu has visions of his rescue from the burning Jedi Temple by Jedi Master Kelleran Beq and sympathetic members of the Naboo armed forces.
Vizsla’s overeagerness to save Ragnar disrupts Bo-Katan’s plan and leads to a difficult aerial rescue, in which Bo-Katan and Djarin rescue the boy unharmed, killing the pterosaur, collecting its chicks, and earning the clan’s respect. As the Armorer replaces Bo-Katan’s pauldron, lost in the scuffle with the pterosaur, Bo-Katan reveals her encounter with the mythosaur, but the Armorer meets her account with indifferent disbelief.
Grogu Gets All Flippy
I swear, as the Armorer was starting to work on his little armor, I thought she was going to build in some kind of helmet. I’m still stuck on that. She’s going to have to build some kind of helmet so his ears can come out or something. I don’t know. But either way, they’re serious.
So this whole combat thing. Mando is like, come on, you’re going to learn somehow. Everyone’s making fun, because Grogu’s too little. Then Grogu turns around and starts doing what? Getting all flippy. That’s right, doing all them Yoda flips, you know the ones. And then he turns around and pops Ragnar Vizsla up, just three to the top, bam, nice little formation and everything. You’re like, ah, this kid is amazing.
So yeah, Grogu’s pretty dope.
Bo-Katan Eats by the Fire
Then you’re watching them go and chase the pterosaur, and you see Bo-Katan being what she is. As they’re making dinner on the campfire, she asks Din Djarin, how do you eat with your helmet on? And he goes, once you have your food, everyone goes off in different directions.
She’s about to do the same thing, and Paz Vizsla stops her. You’re the war band leader, so to speak. You get the honor of eating by the fire. And you’re like, okay. Sure enough, man, she’s starting to act like one of them. It’s kind of crazy, truthfully.
I think it’s mostly because she feels like she was abandoned. She was abandoned by her Mandalorians. So to see this group be so welcoming, and to be earning not only their respect, that’s doing something to her. Tell me in the comments on the video if you agree with me or not.
The Bird Throw Up Thing
So they go on this whole rescue after the kid gets unceremoniously yanked off the coast and taken. When they arrive at the nest, this giant pterosaur thing, I say bird, does the whole bird throw up thing, and a perfectly whole Ragnar pops out. And you’re just like, ugh.
All I could think of is Boba Fett in The Book of Boba Fett, when he crawls out of the sarlacc pit.
A Title That Works Twice
Last week’s episode was telling us a side story, which I believed was going to take us somewhere. This week’s episode continues that whole idea that they’re going to stay with the Mandalorians.
And just like last week’s title, I feel like this title is twofold. Foundling, because we’re looking at Grogu, but at the same time we’re looking at Ragnar Vizsla. When they get back, the Armorer tells Bo-Katan she should be honored, because she’s given the greatest gift any Mandalorian can give by creed, and that’s to rescue a foundling. That’s literally their job. Their deal is to rescue and find foundlings, train them up in the way, and keep the Mandalorians going.
So yeah, man, it’s so much fun. And seeing Grogu fit in despite his size, he reminds me of Yoda. By that I mean everybody takes Yoda for granted, but then you see Yoda all flippy floppy, flying around with his little lightsaber and everything else, and you figure we cannot take him for granted. Same thing here. I feel like we’re going to get us a really cool Grogu Mandalorian one day, man, and I’m down. Dude, I’m so down. He’s doing a good job. I love this whole line of story we’re seeing at the moment.
Is It Too Short? Absolutely
And as a result I’m almost angry, because I’m sitting here going, when are the real episodes going to start showing? We’re getting these little half episodes that feel like they’re parts of a story. And I’m not talking the way that most series are part of a story. I mean, like, part of the story.
The Verdict
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4, “Chapter 20: The Foundling,” lands at a solid 7 out of 10 on the Know-It-All Index this week.
It would’ve been higher if it was a longer episode. But I feel like we got parts of an A plot, so we’ll see what happens.
Let me know what you thought of this one. I love talking about all things Star Wars, Star Trek, whatever it is, so give me your take. The conversation lives in the comments on the video above.
