Chapter 20 of The Mandalorian titled, “The Foundling”, finally offered up an answer to one of the biggest mysteries from the franchise, which is how did Grogu survive Order 66. The reveal was handled in such a cool way using a character that fans may not recognize by name at first, but as soon as their face is shown, connections will be made and smiles will be had.
Make sure to check out the full review below, and also our breakdown on who is Kelleran Beq and other cool references from this episode.
Script
Hey now fans of cults and getting sucked into them, lets get to reviewing The Foundling, which dropped a major truth bomb on us about Grogu’s past, but first, can I get a Spoilers warning, alright let’s go.
The Mandalorian, via The Foundling once again showed, even with a short runtime, it can produce Star Wars canon that fans will love to devour and discuss for many rotations after airing. While we would have all loved to spend more time with Grogu’s past, or Din and Bo’s journey with the Children of the Watch, you can’t say that this episode wasn’t tight and on point and thrilling from start to finish.
Sometimes longer doesn’t always mean better, and that was on display today as we were treated to life with the cult, and a huge payoff in regards to Grogu’s past, and the question fans have been asking for years, who got him out of the temple!
While some fans may have wanted a bigger named Jedi, or even a Sith to be the rescuer, giving it to Ahmed Best’s Kelleran Beq was a brilliant move. Ahmed Best almost killed himself over how fans and the media treated him during his time as Jar Jar Binks, so it’s much appreciated to see him getting a second life in the Star Wars prequels as a Jedi character that is now as iconic as the rest thanks to his massive save during Order 66. It was a refreshing reveal, and as a human it was great to see another human get some redemption and hopefully some legit fan love now that he’s played a major role in a fan-favorite character’s past.
Grogu’s flashback was legit to behold, but the Mando quest to save Ragnar led by Bo-Katan definitely rivaled it thanks to getting a deeper look at cult life, but also at how proficient a squad of Mandalorian warriors are. It was just fascinating to watch them all fall in line behind Bo even Paz, who had just joined their cult recently and used to openly talk smack about it. It goes to show that the cult may not be so whacky after all, maybe there is something to living by the creed with other like minded mandos.
It was also surprising to see how grateful Paz was for the rescue of his son, who may also be a foundling. It’s hard now to envision Paz turning on Bo and/or Din, but I guess you never know what ambition may do to a Viszla, so time will tell, but for now it fully appears as if Din, Bo, and Grogu have been fully integrated, accepted, and even praised by the Children of the Watch, so their future together is wide open and full of exciting and potentially tragic possibilities.
How about some top moments.
We gotta start with Mando training school. It’ll never get old or not freaking awesome to see a screen full of Mandalorians. Getting a glimpse into their daily life is also a treat that never stops giving, because you truly get to witness why these people who follow the Creed and Mando culture in general have become some of the most fierce warriors and combatants in the galaxy. They train from childhood on, never stopping, always honing their skills and mindsets.
Of course, seeing Grogu best Ragnar was a joy, and at this stage I don’t know how anyone could hate the little guy or think he’s overused. He’s going through a full on arc of his own at this point as he continues his journey to becoming a full fledged Mandalorian foundling just like his Daddy Din. And that dart setup, get out of here, cuteness overload and I’m here for it.
Up next is obviously Grogu’s latest flashback. For one, we finally got a major answer about the guy’s past and now know that he was rescued by Jar Jar’s other self, Kelleran Beq. Getting new star wars lore is always the cat’s meow, so this whole flashback was pure star wars fandom joy. Seeing Ahmed with my man was picture perfect, and at this point I’m 100% running with the notion that his Naboo contacts are none other than Jar Jar himself, or Padme’s handmaidens, so here’s to hoping more light gets shed on where the two jumped after leaving coruscant.
As an added bonus, you had to smile seeing Grogu get his next piece of armor in that Rondel Armorer forged for him. Also, who wants to bet that Grogu is getting blasted right in the chest at some point this season?
Finally, Ragnar’s rescue rounds out this list. Again, mostly for just simply watching Mandalorians interact together during a legit quest to see just how competent they are as a unit, but it also featured a killer action segment in the Raptor chase.
Star Wars dogfights always kick ass, I just never thought I’d see one between jetpack where Mandos and something from Jurassic Park.
Also, we got firm confirmation that Ragnar is Paz’s son, but also a foundling, so who knows if he actually did the deed with his helmet on, or if Ragnar is an adopted son like Grogu. And, even with the save, I still could see a rivalry brewing between Din and Grogu and Paz and Ragnar. Let’s hope it stays friendly, but you never know what ambition can do to a person.
Nick and I will talk more about Chapter 20 on next week’s episode of the SWTS, so don’t forget to tune into the Star Wars Time Show on a weekly basis via our podcast platforms or via YouTube if you prefer the livestream angle.
