In The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 2, Din Is The Best Worst Dad Ever
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the second episode of "The Mandalorian" season 3.
In "The Mandalorian," the evolution of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) from a by-the-book bounty hunter religiously devoted to his creed to a deeply protective adoptive father of the most sought-after Force-sensitive child in the galaxy is staggering. Din's lone-wolf lifestyle leaves little space for full-time parenting, but his endearingly genuine bond with Grogu over the course of time has led to Din assuming the role of a patient, loving father.
I mean, Din loves Grogu to the point that he is ready to part ways with the kid just so that he can be with his own kind, which fuels the events of the season 2 finale where Grogu departs with Luke Skywalker for Jedi training purposes. Although Din tries to ease back into his usual lone shenanigans, the man clearly misses Grogu and is visibly distressed when he is unable to see him, per the events of "The Book of Boba Fett." The two thankfully reunite, which triggers a fresh adventure for the duo in the latest season of "The Mandalorian."
But all is not well in episode 2, titled "The Mines of Mandalore," which is exactly where the two of them venture to fulfill Din's quest for salvation. Although Din is as protective and thoughtful as ever when they reach the seemingly "cursed" planet of Mandalore, a series of oopsies occur, leaving Grogu in a rather unsafe and vulnerable position. By now we're all aware of how hilariously bad Din is at wielding the Darksaber, which is proven yet again in a rather messy scuffle with the group of creatures who attack him at the entrance of Sundari. Dragging a child into a dreary-as-heck cursed planet is one thing, but choosing to explore dangerous caverns filled with lord-knows-what together counts as a rather baffling parental decision.
The tale of Mando and a jumpscare attack
Don't get me wrong: Din is a lovely father figure, especially considering the perennial unpredictability of the "Star Wars" universe. In the season premiere, Din goes to great lengths to fix IG-11, so that the droid would be able to detect possible dangers on Mandalore and shield Grogu from harm. However, this endeavor does not end up being fruitful, and Din has to settle for a meek, rickety R5-D4 droid that needs rescuing the moment it is sent inside to analyze potential threats. Din does everything a good dad must do before dragging his kid on a life-threatening quest: He relays key information to Grogu about planets and navigation tools and even throws in some lore. Din also keeps Grogu safe inside his modified N-1 starfighter before making sure that Mandalore's atmosphere is breathable, and only lets him out when he's sure it is safe.
This is where the best dad moments end because Din makes the himbo-esque decision to take Grogu along with him deep inside the caverns of a ruined city that is famously rumored to be cursed. The kid is naturally terrified of the dark but decides to be a champ and follow his father into the depths of the unknown anyway. Deadly reptilian creatures are seen lurking, and this is when Mando falls right into the trap of a menacing cyborg monster, who most definitely plans to torture and kill the Mandalorian. Thankfully, Grogu is able to hide in the nick of time, and skillfully evade the many monsters on his way to the craft. While Grogu is able to accomplish this due to the valuable guidance his dad provides, things could have easily gone left field, if not for the kid's seriously badass (and improved) Jedi skills.
Mando wins the best worst dad award
Sensing the impossible nature of escaping the cyborg monster, Din instructs Grogu to seek Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) by traveling to Kalevala. While this is a solid rescue plan, this involves Grogu literally fighting for his life and using the Force push to defeat many creatures and narrowly making it to the craft in one piece. As the R5-D4 droid is mostly useless, Grogu has to master interplanetary travel during an emotionally-distressing situation to save Din's life. And he does, flying straight to Kalevala and relaying the news to a stunned Bo-Katan with coos and hand gestures. Mando is seriously lucky to have such a goated kid.
The funniest aspect of the rescue sequence is how prepared and extra-vigilant Bo-Katan is in contrast to Mando. She gently urges Grogu to help her navigate as she knows he's scared, immediately notices the creatures waiting to ambush her, and pushes Grogu out of harm's way the moment she senses danger. This is not to insinuate that she's a better parental figure than Din — she is naturally more attuned to the ruins, given that she grew up in the city. And oh, she is undoubtedly better at hacking into baddies with the Darksaber. The contrast simply accentuates Mando's worst dad attributes in this particular episode, especially when he is in trouble again after he dives into the Living Waters and is attacked by a giant Mythosaur. As Bo-Katan jumps in after him without hesitation, we see Grogu worried about his dad again. The child is clearly shaken after repeatedly witnessing Din's inability to sense imminent danger.
Jest aside, Mando clearly wins the best worst dad award, where his kind, loving dad moments eclipse the series of dumb kid-endangering decisions he makes on Mandalore. This is the way?