Season two of The Mandalorian has been great from start to (almost) finish, but the one episode that didn't really resonate with fans was "Chapter 10," a.k.a. "The Passenger." Directed by Peyton Reed, it was the season's only filler episode, and the heavy focus on Grogu and his love of Frog Lady's eggs ended up proving to be surprisingly controversial.
If you loved that episode, we have some good news for you. If you didn't, then... not so much!
In the video below, The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal confirms (around the 6:30 mark) that the Ant-Man and The Wasp helmer also directed tomorrow's season two finale, "Chapter 16."
The hope among fans was that Jon Favreau or Dave Filoni would direct the final episode of season two. Instead, Lucasfilm has turned to Reed, and in our review of his last episode, we said: "Even the worst episode of The Mandalorian to date makes for good television, but this average instalment highlight's the shows flaws and is redeemed only by The Child, solid action, and a stellar, horror-inspired final act."
So, yeah, we're pretty sure this news is going to end up drawing a mixed response. We'll just have to keep everything crossed that the filmmaker is able to knock it out of the park.
Take a look at the full interview with the Wonder Woman 1984 star below:
How will the season two finale of The Mandalorian play out?
Check out some of our predictions by hitting the "Next" button below!
10. Grand Admiral Thrawn Is Pulling Moff Gideon's Strings
During the latest episode of The Mandalorian, we learned that Ahsoka Tano is hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn. The villain disappeared alongside Ezra Bridger in Star Wars Rebels, but has clearly resurfaced and is attempting to regain the power he once had as part of the Empire.
While it appears Ahsoka's mission is separate to Din Djarin's, it wouldn't be overly surprising for them to be brought back together by the revelation that Thrawn is who Moff Gideon answers to.
The blue-skinned baddie was always loyal to his Emperor - and he seemed to have an affinity for droids - so that could explain both those cloning experiments and the creation of the Dark Troopers.
9. Din Djarin Slows Down The Emperor's Return
Not everyone in the Star Wars Universe has to save the entire Galaxy, and we already know that it's ultimately Rey and the Resistance who finally bring an end to Emperor Palpatine and the Sith.
However, how cool would it be for us to learn that Din Djarin's battle with Moff Gideon is what ultimately slows Palpatine's rise to power and forces him to spend decades in a decaying clone body? By keeping The Child out of the Empire's clutches, the bounty hunter could set back the Sith Loyalist's plans by years, leaving them with no other choice than to use Supreme Leader Snoke.
Many fans have wondered why Palpatine relied on the First Order when he had his own massive Sith fleet, but it could be that he had no other choice thanks to Din's intervention years earlier.
8. Asajj Ventress Finally Returns
When Grogu is taken to the Jedi temple on Tython, where he may be able to call out to another Jedi through the Force, what if it's not a Jedi who answers the call? There's anger inside the former student from the Jedi Temple, and another Force user could very easily connect to him as a result.
We saw that with Ezra Bridger when Maul became intent on making him his apprentice, and that's where The Clone Wars villain Asajj Ventress could come in (making her live-action debut).
In the current canon, Ventress is still alive, and the last time we saw her, she was a bounty hunter who actually helped Ahsoka Tano. Count Dooku's former student wanting to take Grogu under her wing could see the former Sith return to her old ways, especially if Ventress believes it could lead to her regaining the power she once so desperately craved. She'd make a good ally too, though...
7. Ezra Bridger Makes Grogu His Apprentice
If Grand Admiral Thrawn survived that trip into hyperspace, managed to escape, and regain some of his former power, then Ezra Bridger has to be out there somewhere too, right?
He can't be lost, that's for sure, though it is possible he's in Thrawn's custody. That idea doesn't really work if Moff Gideon does report to Thrawn because they wouldn't need Grogu's "M-Count." With that in mind, we're pretty sure Ezra could be a top candidate for who answers Grogu's call.
It would suck seeing Din Djarin and The Child separated, but a spinoff live-action or animated series with Ezra sharing the same lessons on Grogu that Kanan Jarrus once did on him? Sign us up.
6. The Jedi Who Saved Grogu
Last week's episode of The Mandalorian delivered a lot of answers, but also left us with a lot of new questions. For starters, who smuggled Grogu out of the Jedi Temple either before or after Anakin Skywalker murdered the remaining Jedi and younglings at the behest of Emperor Palpatine?
For some reason, The Child can't remember who his saviour was, and it's pretty obvious that there's a story there which needs to be told. So, what if that mysterious Jedi answers that call?
It would certainly make sense, and Lucasfilm could either make use of a familiar face we didn't expect to see again or an entirely new creation who could become an important addition to the Star Wars Universe. The latter option is particularly intriguing, especially if they're an Order 66 survivor who has been fighting the Empire in a different part of the Galaxy. What about Mara Jade?
5. Grogu Chooses "The Way"
It may be a little tough to imagine Grogu decked out in Mandalorian armour, what if he follows in the footsteps of his "father" and decides to follow The Way and become a member of his tribe?
He doesn't have to be a bounty hunter, of course, and a Jedi following the way of Mandalore could be a great way of bringing their people together and ending a rivalry that's lasted for thousands of years. Hell, The Mandalorian could even end with a flash-forward to an adult Grogu who has fully embraced that way of life and now also wears one of those iconic helmets.
It's a fun thought, and one which could lead to new stories being told hundreds of years in the future.
4. Supreme Leader Snoke's Origin Story
After that big reveal in "The Siege," it now seems inevitable that we're going to learn more about the creation of Supreme Leader Snoke in The Mandalorian. His "birth" may ultimately only be alluded to, but if Din Djarin does successfully foil Moff Gideon's plans, perhaps the best option he'll be able to present to his Emperor is a horribly deformed clone body he can use as a proxy.
It makes more sense for the First Order to have rallied around a new, Force-sensitive being like Snoke (who appears to be incredibly powerful and battle-worn) rather than a weak Palpatine.
Of course, we can't imagine the former leader of the Empire would be overly happy with this development, and it would probably mean that Gideon gets a gruesome death at the hands of Snoke.
3. Luke Skywalker Returns
Sebastian Stan remains a fan-favourite choice to play a post-Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker, and it's not hard to see why. The actor is a spitting image of Mark Hamill as he appeared in that movie, so he's a logical choice to bring the Jedi Knight back to the big - or small - screen.
The issue with Luke taking Grogu under his wing is that it likely means the Yoda lookalike was killed by Kylo Ren and the rest of the Knights of Ren when Ben Solo fell under Supreme Leader Snoke's influence.
There's no reason these characters couldn't cross paths for another reason, though; after all, it would be a lot of fun seeing what Luke was up to between Darth Vader's death and the day he decided to establish a new school for young Jedi. We'd love to see how he reacts to Din Djarin too.
2. The Battle For Mandalore
We find it hard to believe we won't see more of Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian, especially when she and Din Djarin have a common enemy in Moff Gideon (they just don't realise it yet).
Right now, Din doesn't seem overly interested in helping win back Mandalore, but if he and Bo-Katan have a common goal, that could change. Yes, she wants to get her hands on the Darksaber, but we find it far more likely that it will be the bounty hunter who scores that ultimate defeat over Gideon.
As for what that could mean for Mandalore, that ties into how the show itself could reach its end...
1. Din Djarin Rules Over Mandalore
There are a lot of twists and turns The Mandalorian could take between now and the end of its run, but as for how the show will end...well, we're pretty sure it will be Din Djarin sitting on Mandalore's throne.
Now, there's no denying that Bo-Katan Kryze deserves a shot at ruling, but it's obvious that there is something special about this bounty hunter. He's a noble warrior, and someone who changed the course of his life - and the Galaxy - forever when he decided to rescue Grogu from the Empire.
After defeating Moff Gideon and retaking the Darksaber, Din could bring "The Way" back to his home, creating a new era for the planet and his people...restoring the Mandalorians to their former beliefs and glory.