We’re a little salty that we’re now six episodes into The Mandalorian‘s third season and Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon is nowhere to be seen. But, if he’s still AWOL, we guess we’ll have to settle for the completely unexpected Star Wars debut of Jack Black and Lizzo as the Royal Family of an opulent planet with a droid problem.
This resulted in Din Djarin and Bo-Katan playing detective as they attempted to figure out what was sending helpful droids insane. That was bolstered by a fine performance from Back to the Future legend Christopher Lloyd, whose rant about how misunderstood the great Count Dooku was one of the high points of the episode.
The episode wrapped up with some Mando-on-Mando action as Bo-Katan and Axe Woves squared off in a duel, resulting in her regaining command of her fleet, holding the Darksaber aloft, and setting out to make Mandalore their home once again.
But, beyond all that, fans have been buzzing about Jack Black(!) and Lizzo(!?!) appearing from out of nowhere to blow fans away.
Nobody expected Jack Black and Lizzo in ‘The Mandalorian’
The Mandalorian has never been shy about celebrity cameos. Adam Pally and Jason Sudeikis voiced two Stormtroopers in the season one finale, Taika Waititi voiced IG-11, Richard Ayoade voiced a droid in season one, and Michael Biehn popped up as a grizzled veteran in season two. But it’s safe to say that today’s episode will take some beating in casting Jack Black as Captain Bombardier and Lizzo as The Dutchess.
Both actors are huge Star Wars fans, with Black previously taking to social media in a Boba Fett helmet and Lizzo dressing up as Grogu for Halloween 2021. Lizzo has a particular love for Grogu and a huge collection of merch featuring the little guy, so getting to cuddle him for real (kinda) must have been a dream come true.
As you’d expect, fans were blown away by the reveal. Up until the moment they appeared on-screen together, it had been a tightly guarded secret, as neither had appeared in any promo material nor announced cast list. The reaction has been mostly very positive from viewers, though a few aren’t happy that their immersion was broken by these very familiar faces. We don’t necessarily want The Mandalorian to become a celebrity-of-the-week cameo show, but hey, we’re not complaining about Lizzo now being a part of Star Wars.
Is ‘Star Wars’ taking unwanted cues from ‘Harry Potter’?
All that said, there are non-Lizzo things in this episode that have left some fans frowning. Back in episode two we theorized that Din Djarin being captured by a cyborg and stripped of the Darksaber, with Bo-Katan taking up the weapon to rescue him, meant she had a legitimate claim to having won the weapon in combat.
That proved on the money, as Din Djarin managed to successfully argue that he should give Bo-Katan the Darksaber to Axe and co. But this whole “winning the legendary weapon through combat” rule has reminded some fans of Harry Potter‘s Elder Wand and they’re not happy.
It’s also fair to note that this seems to slam the brakes on Din Djarin’s character development. In The Book of Boba Fett, we saw him struggling to train with the Darksaber and most thought his mastering its peculiarities would prove him worthy as a new Mandalore. Either that was never the case or plans have since changed behind-the-scenes, because as it stands, the only credible candidate to be the new Mandalore is now Bo-Katan Kryze.
Mando Mania continues with yet another merch reveal
But enough quibbling over legendary blades and arcane traditions, let’s get down to what really powers Star Wars. Yup, we’re talking merchandise. Disney and Lucasfilm have been gradually unveiling more and more The Mandalorian branded stuff over the course of the show, with yesterday seeing the reveal of stuff you almost certainly don’t need, but might for some reason want.
Whose life wouldn’t be complete without the Star Wars: The Mandalorian Crochet Set, which gives you the instructions to knit “12 adorable characters” from the show? Included is the wool needed to make your own Din Djarin and Grogu, but you can also crochet your very own Moff Gideon, Bo-Katan, and Ahsoka. Wow!
And if you’re having a shindig, why not add that super special Star Wars touch with the Razor Crest Geeki Tikis Punch Bowl (complete with bonus Din Djarin muglet). You can serve that up while wearing a Mandalorian-themed Hawaiian shirt to convey the full message to your guests of “I really, really, really like Star Wars“.
And finally, Hasbro has unveiled Mixin’ Moods Grogu, a toy with “soft moldable skin” that lets you decide what expression you want on his adorable face. Smiles seem mandatory here, as we don’t want to see the little guy with a frown anytime soon.
So if you have the cash to burn, why not feed the unquenchable thirst of the big Mouse?
As for The Mandalorian, let’s just hope that we finally, finally get some Moff Gideon action next week.