Chapter 24: The Return

"Chapter 24: The Return" is the eighth and final episode of the third season of the live-action television series The Mandalorian. It was directed by Rick Famuyiwa and premiered on Disney+ on April 19, 2023.
==Official description==
The Mandalorian and his allies confront their enemies.
==Plot summary==
===On the run===
As Bo-Katan Kryze leads the surviving Mandalorians to safety, she tells Axe Woves that Moff Gideon has set up base on Mandalore and is sending his starfighters to attack their Mandalorian fleet. She tells him via comlink to evacuate the capital ship and use it as a decoy. Since they cannot beat them in space, she says that they will have to fight on the ground. Woves says he is entering the upper atmosphere and will carry out her orders. Due to stormy conditions, communication was patchy. After retreating into the tunnels of Sundari, Kryze and her warriors exchange fire with Gideon's Imperial armored commandos. They use grav charges to slow down their pursuers.
While Din Djarin is being escorted by commandos through the corridors of Gideon's base, he breaks free of his captors and fights them. A third commando attacks him with a flamethrower but he manages to subdue him and trap him in a neckhold. One of the commandos manages to wrap his whipcord around Djarin's neck but Grogu, who is riding IG-12, shoots the commandos down. After spraying Djarin with a healing foam, IG-12 frees Djarin off his restraints. Djarin thanks Grogu before telling him that they must take out Moff Gideon or it will never end.
Meanwhile, Kryze has led her surviving warriors into the cave which they entered earlier. Djarin contacts her and tells him that he has found Grogu and plans to take on Gideon. Kryze tells them to be safe. At the urging of the Survivor Captain, the Mandalorians flee to the surface. Meanwhile, Gideon's TIE/IN interceptors and TIE/sa bombers depart for their mission to destroy the Mandalorian fleet.
===Fighting back===
At his command center, Gideon receives news from a commando that the TIE interceptors and bombers have launched and believes that the capital ship will soon be destroyed. Gideon however has learnt from the graphic diagram that Djarin has escaped. When the commando asks if he should engage, Gideon dons his Dark Trooper helmet and vows to deal with Djarin himself. Elsewhere in the base, Djarin contacts R5-D4, telling him that he needs to infiltrate the base and find the location of Gideon's command center.
R5 descends into Gideon's underground base using his rocket boosters. He avoids an MSE-6 series repair droid and accesses a network terminal. R5 transmits a schematic of Gideon's base and the command center to Djarin, who explains his plan to take out Gideon. He tells Grogu and IG-12 to stay close.
Meanwhile, Woves tells the Mandalorian capital ship captain that the scouting party has been ambushed by Imperial remnants. He tells the captain to send the Gauntlet starfighter and any available troops as reinforcements. He relays Kryze's orders to leave the capital ship behind as a decoy. Woves takes the helm while the other Mandalorians evacuate onto drop ships and the Gauntlet. They complete their evacuation just as the Imperial TIE fighters and bombers launch their attack on the former Imperial light cruiser.
Woves uses the ship's laser cannons and gun emplacements to defend the warship. Despite taking out some of the enemy starfighters and bombers, the capital ship sustains considerable damage. Djarin, Grogu, and IG-12 reach Gideon's command centre, which is guarded by more armored commandos and red barrier shields. Djarin tells R5 via comlink to deactivate the shields one at a time on his command.
After R5 deactivates the first shield, Djarin fights two Imperial commandos and takes one down with his own knife. He throws the other down a tunnel. At Djarin's command, R5 activates the second shield. He fights the two guards, who are armed with electro riot batons and shields. He defeats them and steal their weapons. Djarin fights his way through the third row of guards. Meanwhile, a mouse droid discovers R5, but the astromech droid fires an electric shot at the smaller droid. Despite the delay, R5 manages to unlock the fourth row of shields and Djarin shoots the remaining guards with stolen blaster.
The mouse droid summons three more mouse droids who flash their alarms. R5 manages to escape with his rocket thrusters and sends one of the mouse droids over the edge. Djarin, along with Grogu and IG-12 walk into Gideon's laboratory which is full of tanks containing clones of Gideon. When one of the clones awakes, Djarin tampers with the control, causing the tanks to explode and spill out water.
===Mandalore reborn===
The Survivor Captain leads Kryze and her followers into a lush surface cave full of plants. When Koska Reeves asks if they live here, the Captain explains that they survive using hideouts and food caches scattered throughout Mandalore. The Captain states that they have predators above and underground. When Kryze asks if they found underground gardens, the Captain answers that they planted farms. He explains that these are the old indigenous species on Mandalore, who have been dormant in the centuries before the Mandalorian Civil Wars. Once the planet was abandoned, they began thriving again.
Kryze says that she has only seen gardens in the domed cities and is amazed that the surface can still grow plant life. The captain says that the plants only need room to grow. The Armorer informs Kryze via comlink that reinforcements have arrived.
===For Mandalore===
At Kryze's command, her followers don their helmets and activate their jetpacks. Together, the Mandalorians fly to the chasm above the Imperial base and battle the armored commandos, who also don jetpacks. Kryze wields the Darksaber in combat and uses it to cut down several enemy soldiers. The Armorer also shoots several enemy soldiers.
Meanwhile, Djarin, Grogu, and IG-12 enter Gideon's command room. Gideon enters through a second door and is furious that Djarin killed his Force-sensitive clones before they could draw their first breath. Djarin fires at Gideon but his blaster bolts bounce off his beskar armor. Djarin charges at Gideon with his jetpack but Gideon hurls him aside. The two fight in hand to hand combat in a hangar.
The Imperial Praetorian Guards join the fight and attack Djarin. Before they can subdue him, Grogu arrives with IG-12 and distracts them. Djarin rushes to protect Grogu but Gideon uses a whipcord to drag him back. During the battle, Reeves shoots down several armored commandos while the Armorer eliminates more with her gravity hammer and magnetic tongs.
The Praetorian Guards hack off IG-12's arms but Grogu jumps to safety onto a pair of overhead platforms. Gideon burns Djarin with his flamethrower but is unable to scorch his armor. Gideon gains the upper hand due to his Dark Trooper armor. Meanwhile, Kryze takes down armored commandos in aerial combat and rams into Gideon before he can finish off Djarin. She tells Djarin to save Grogu.
Gideon asks Kryze if she is going to surrender or fight. Kryze draws the Darksaber in return, promoting Gideon to draw a purple electrostaff. Meanwhile, Grogu Force jumps but one of the Praetorian Guards cuts off part of the platform that he lands on, causing Grogu to fall. Grogu cries out in fright. Djarin arrives and shoots one of the Praetorians in the back. One of the Praetorians manages to ensnare Djarin with a electro-chain whip but Grogu uses the Force to hurl one of the Praetorians aside.
Back at the hangar, Gideon and Kryze parry with their weapons. He manages to throw Kryze against a wall. Meanwhile, Reeves fights with an Imperial armored commando in mid-air before throwing him down a chasm. While Djarin fights with the three Praetorians, Grogu uses his Force powers to prevent one of the Praetorians from striking Djarin with his electro-bisento. This allows Djarin to kick his attacker and shoot one of the Praetorians in the chest. Following a struggle, Djarin shoots the remaining two guards, with Grogu helping by using the Force to pull one of their weapons out of reach. Djarin compliments Grogu.
Meanwhile, Woves contacts Kryze and Reeves, telling them that he plans to ram the flaming Mandalorian capital ship into Gideon's base. He tells them to evacuate their forces. Back at the hangar, Gideon gains the upper hand over Kryze and pushes her towards the edge overlooking a chasm. He demands that she hand over the Darksaber but she launches a renewed attack. However, Gideon is indomitable and uses his gauntlet to damage the hilt of the Darksaber. He removes her helmet and kicks her to the ground.
Gideon taunts Kryze that Mandalorians are weak without their trinkets. She retorts that Mandalorians are stronger together. Djarin shoots Gideon from behind and forces him to the edge. Above, Woves escapes the stricken Mandalorian capital ship as it plunges like a dagger into Gideon's underground base. While the Mandalorians flee the doomed base, Gideon exchanges fire with Kryze and Djarin. Grogu uses the Force to hurl Gideon's electrostaff down the edge as debris rains down. Gideon is consumed by the inferno but Grogu uses the Force to create a Force bubble around both Djarin and Kryze.
===Father and son===
Following the defeat of Gideon, the Armorer holds a ceremony at the Living Waters in the Mines of Mandalore. Ragnar swears that he will walk the Way of the Mandalore and to follow the words of the Mandalorian Creed. She baptises his helmet with water, stating that this is the Way. Djarin arrives with Grogu and places him at the edge of the Living Waters. Djarin tells the Armorer that Grogu is no longer a foundling but an apprentice. He asks her to add him to the Song. Since Grogu is too young to speak, she thinks that he is too young to take the Creed. She says that he must remain a foundling.
When Djarin asks if his parents can give him permission, the Armorer counters that Grogu's parents are far from here even if they are alive. Grogu babbles sadly. Djarin replies that he will adopt Grogu as his own. The Armorer accepts the adoption and says that this is the Way. Djarin agrees and says this is the Way. The Armorer decrees that it be written in Song that Djarin is accepting this foundling as his son. Grogu smiles as the Armorer names him Din Grogu, an apprentice. The other Mandalorians chant this is the Way.
The Armorer tells Djarin that he must now leave Mandalore and go on his journey, just as his teacher did for him. Djarin says this is the Way in agreement. Grogu babbles cheerfully. Beneath the depths of the Living Waters, the mythosaur stirs. Later, the Armorer hands Kryze a flame to light the Great Forge. Mandalorians from both factions chant "for Mandalore" as the Forge is rekindled.
===Ally of the New Republic===
Djarin later flies his N-1 starfighter to Adelphi Base. There, he and Grogu meet up with Carson Teva, who offers to buy him a drink. Djarin replies that he is on business. While Teva serves him a drink, he thanks him for eliminating Moff Gideon. Grogu jumps up on a nearby high chair and gazes at several Imperial helmets including the head of an IG-series droid. Djarin tells Grogu that it is not IG-11 and explains that the droid's head reminds Grogu of someone he knew.
Since Grogu is his apprentice, Djarin offers a business proposition to work for the New Republic as an independent contractor. Since the New Republic lacks the resources to hunt down Imperial remnants in the Outer Rim Territories, Djarin offers to work as a hunter on a case by case basis hunting Imperials. Teva says that this is against regulation and will not get approved. Djarin tells him not to tell the Republic. Teva wants to think about it but Djarin says that it is a good deal. As an advance payment, Djarin asks for the IG assassin droid's head, claiming he needs it for parts.
===A peaceful life===
At Nevarro City, High Magistrate Greef Karga tells Djarin that the people of Nevarro appreciate what he has done in repelling the pirates. He gives him the deed to a new cabin on the outskirts of town. Karga says that Djarin can use it between adventures. The two shake hands and Karga also thanks Grogu. As a gift, Djarin gifts the town a rebuilt and reprogrammed IG-11, who will serve as the new Marshal of Nevarro. Several Anzellan Droidsmiths are also present. He is greeted by a clapping crowd. IG-11 says he is here to protect and serve the citizenry. At his new cabin, Djarin watches over Grogu levitating a frog.
==Credits==
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
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