Grogu’s Mandalorian Return Happened Way Too Soon

Both episodes 5 and 6 of The Book of Boba Fett greeted viewers to the return of Grogu, Din Djarin’s adopted son and member of his Mandalorian clan, however, there are multiple reasons why Grogu’s return to the mainline story happened way too soon. With The Book of Boba Fett season 1 having concluded, Din Djarin and Grogu have parted ways with Boba and Fennec once again to pursue their own story. Despite this being a fun inclusion, it equally begs the question as to whether or not both Din and Grogu were needed for The Book of Boba Fett, or if some of this story was best left for The Mandalorian season 3.

Much to the surprise of Boba Fett’s viewership, the show spent considerable time dedicated to anything and everything that wasn’t Boba, including reuniting Din Djarin and Grogu, setting up The Mandalorian season 3. As heartwarming as it was to see the pair reunited again, it raises a few issues not just with The Book of Boba Fett’s pacing but highlights a potential future issue with The Mandalorian. While undoubtedly unintentional, these major plot developments that were either minor parts of Boba Fett’s story, or downright not relevant at all ultimately undermine the storytelling of The Mandalorian season 2, and threaten the integrity of season 3’s plot.

The entire plotline of The Mandalorian season 2 was Din Djarin seeking to protect Grogu and return him to his own Jedi kind, with his quest finally accomplished in the season finale thanks to the arrival of Luke Skywalker. The plot had set this event up to be an emotional toll for both characters, with each of them making the difficult decision thinking it was for the best. With the two already reunited, what’s next for each of the characters? The aforementioned emotional toll was briefly developed within Din Djarin’s episode of Boba Fett, and while it made for some plot points that viewers might find compelling, the point of this now seems lost and entirely negated thanks to the events of The Book of Boba Fett’s finale.

That is to say that, for both of the characters in question, this split-up should have been the storytelling catalyst to force each of the characters to emotionally develop separately from one another. Din Djarin’s struggles with his emotions, as mentioned in episode 5 of Boba Fett when training with the Darksaber, now seem to be far less relevant. The same goes for Grogu, who has made the decision to leave Luke as quickly as he made the decision to join him. With theories suggesting Grogu chose the armor and stole the lightsaber, it may well be the case that Grogu will straddle the line of Mando and Jedi. However, the lackluster training with Luke threatens any plot developments along these lines to seem unfounded and lacking a tangible set-up.

While it could contrarily be argued that perhaps Luke was the catalyst required to unlock many of Grogu’s memories, this is equally unconvincing. Ahsoka said herself in season 2 of The Mandalorian that he had spent many years hiding and in fear, suppressing his abilities and most likely his traumatic memories. As he begins to feel safe and comfortable around Din, it’s highly likely that these would too come back, such as the Jedi being killed in the Order 66 flashback. On one hand, it feels as if this brief escapade with Luke and the swift return has undone much of the already told story and threatens future seasons, while on the other hand, it feels as if this brief snippet into Luke’s Jedi temple has achieved nothing.

As much as viewers may have felt the need to see the now-iconic duo on screen together again, for the sake of their own development as characters, and for the plots previously told, it was perhaps a rushed move. With plenty of missed opportunities such as Ahsoka’s reunion, this feels like an opportunity spent far too fast. Ultimately, The Book of Boba Fett’s finale has undermined The Mandalorian season 2 and sabotaged the plot potential for season 3 due to Grogu’s Mandalorian return happening way too soon.