The crown jewel in the Star Wars television franchise, The Mandalorian is back for its third season, and it’s as sparkling as ever.
While the recent Andor made great strides in showing how to make an adult-skewed Star Wars show, there’s nothing quite like watching the chemistry of Pedro Pascal as the helmeted Mandalorian warrior Din Djarin and Grogu, aka Baby Yoda.
The end of season two was a triumphant jaw-dropper, as a certain Jedi Knight returned to the Star Wars universe, taking Grogu away for training. After that, Din Djarin and Grogu reunited in the slight misfire The Book of Boba Fett, hijacking the second half of the series.
The opening recap of The Mandalorian season three reminds us that Djarin is now in exile after removing his helmet, breaking the Mandalorian code. To be redeemed, he must travel to Mandalore and bathe in the living waters beneath the planet’s mines.
But these are said to have been destroyed in the Great Purge, when the Galactic Empire swept in and committed a horrifying genocide. Since then, Mandalore has been “ravaged, plundered and poisoned”, we learn, but that won’t stop Djarin in his quest.
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, episode one of season three truly starts as it means to go on. A young boy is inducted into the life of a Mandalorian warrior in a ceremony beside tranquil water. At least until a huge alligator-like beast leaps from the water, attacking all and sundry. It’s a fantastic scene — big, bold and a perfect blend of live action and astounding visual effects. Exactly what The Mandalorian does well.
By the opening credits, you’ll already be hooked right back into these interplanetary adventures.
Even though we’ve recently seen Pascal in HBO’s The Last of Us, in another story of a protector of a young charge, it doesn’t diminish the relationship he has with Grogu, which remains the show’s heart. Once again, one of the major pleasures of The Mandalorian is watching Grogu simply just be.
The puppetry of the green-skinned creature remains utterly charming, and Famuyiwa gives us real moments of beauty. Like in the scene where Djarin and Grogu are travelling in his vessel through hyperspace, and Grogu gazes up in wonder at the blue colours that streak past him.
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The show never lets us forget that Grogu is a child still (The Child, in fact). He's swivelling in a chair, then using his growing Force powers to pull a sweet from a bowl. Later, he’s trying to hug a droidsmith like its a pet, in a so-cute-you’ll-melt moment.
It’s another thing this episode does well, reintroducing familiar species. The droidsmiths belong to the Anzellan species, like the diminutive Babu Frik, introduced in 2019’s Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker. You’ll also see Kowakian monkey lizards hanging from trees, reminding us of Salacious B Crumb, Jabba the Hutt’s excitable pet glimpsed in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
There are also some old faces, too, as Carl Weathers’ character Greef Karga makes a return (now High Magistrate Karga, as he keeps reminding people) when Djarin takes a trip to Nevarro.
“A lot has changed around here,” remarks Pascal’s character, and Karga seems surprised that he’s still with Grogu, long after completing his mission. There’s also an appearance by IG-11, the killer droid, who has a particularly creepy moment of robotic malfunction. Katee Sackhoff is also back as the sardonic Bo-Katan, draped over her throne and telling Djarin “to go home – there’s nothing left.”
Scripted by Jon Favreau, the episode also doesn’t forget that this show is primarily a western, with Djarin facing more than one encounter with space pirates. The action is fast-flowing, packing in a tremendous amount across 35 minutes. With the tantalising prospect of Djarin visiting his devastated home planet to come, this season looks like it’ll be another sublime experience for Star Wars fans.
As they say in the show: “This is the way.”
New episodes of The Mandalorian season three will be released every Wednesday on Disney+
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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RESULTS
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How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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