Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 4.

Even though The Mandalorian has always shown a preference for the episodic format, with each new installment revolving around the adventure of the week, each season of the show also had a clear goal. Season 1 was about protecting the Child from the malicious Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), while Season 2 focused on reuniting Grogu with the Jedi tribe. However, halfway into The Mandalorian Season 3, we still don’t know what it is about. Caught between an episodic format and a serialized story, Season 3 of the fan-favorite Star Wars series seems to be completely lost, constantly introducing plot threads that never get resolved and aimlessly changing the focus of the narrative.

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'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Is Juggling Too Many Things

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) in Season 3, Episode 1 of The Mandalorian.
Image via Disney+

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. The first episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 was utterly a mess, stretching Din Djarin’s (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder) story in so many directions that there was no way to tie everything elegantly. Season 3’s premiere gave Din the explicit mission to bathe in the Living Waters of Mandalore while also trying to bring back IG-11 (voiced by Taika Waititi), underlining how Nevarro is in dire need of a marshal, and starting a dangerous beef between the bounty hunter and space pirates. It would be fair to assume that these plot points would somehow be relevant to Din’s mission. However, by Episode 4, Din has already found the Mines of Mandalore, washed away his transgressions, and is once more a proud member of the Children of the Watch. What about the pirates? IG-11? Nevarro’s law-enforcement problem? These plot points might return further along the way, but they didn’t serve any purpose so far.

While the remaining episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3 thus far have been more streamlined, they still contribute to the feeling the show doesn’t know where to go next. Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) is now a series regular, but we don’t know if she’s trying to use the Children of the Watch for her own purposes or if she’s thinking about converting and following the Way. Bo-Katan’s palace was also destroyed by an unknown enemy that wasn’t even mentioned in Episode 4. And as much as we loved to see Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) getting some time in the spotlight, the deviation from the main storyline only added more things for the series to juggle. Now, besides everything that’s happening with Din, fans also need to keep track of the failures of the New Republic and the constant threat of the Empire.

Oh, and Moff Gideon has escaped prison and is on the loose again. And did we mention Dr. Pershing’s research might lead to the cloning extravaganza of the sequel trilogy? Season 3 of The Mandalorian has just too many loose threads the series urgently needs to tie up, lest it might become another great Star Wars concept crushed under the weight of an ever-expanding galaxy.

The Lack of a Clear Goal Hurts 'The Mandalorian's Story

Grogu with the Mudhorn sigil in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4
Image via Disney+

Besides introducing many plot elements that get immediately dropped in favor of new story bits, Season 3’s lack of a defined goal is also hurting The Mandalorian's story. After Din and Grogu hijacked The Book of Boba Fett and turned the spinoff in Season 2.5 of The Mandalorian, it was clear that the next big adventure for our favorite intergalactic found family would be Din’s redemption. Shockingly, Din’s completed his mission right in Episode 3. So, if Season 3 is not about Din renewing his faith in the Way, what could it be about?

At the same time it plays with Din’s redemption, Season 3 of The Mandalorian also explores more of the Mandalorian culture while taking Bo-Katan on her own journey of self-discovery. That could make the season about different people finding common ground and sharing their hopes and dreams. Still, that doesn’t seem to be the theme that unites every episode. What about Grogu? Season 3 finally sees Din’s adoptive child becoming an official foundling and starting his Mandalorian training. Episode 4 even gives us an extended flashback that reveals Grogu was a survivor of the Jedi Temple massacre, which happened after Order 66 and marked the rise of the Empire. While this flashback helps to give justice to Ahmed Best, it doesn’t add anything to the developing story of the show. The Book of Boba Fett already solved the question of Grogu’s fealty, and it’s clear he’ll remain a Mandalorian, not a Jedi. So, that can’t be the purpose of Season 3.

There’s also the matter of the bigger universe around Din. Season 3 sometimes flirts with the political disputes of a galaxy far, far away, inviting fans to discuss the instability of the New Republic. In doing so, The Mandalorian underlines how the Empire remains a dangerous enemy even after its official fall, which explains why the First Order could rise so fast. However, as interesting as these lore fragments can be, they still feel like individual stories that don’t add much to Din’s journey.

With only four episodes left to wrap another season of The Mandalorian, we still don’t know what the goal of Din’s journey is. He fulfilled his quest, and the next shift in his story must come from an external force. Maybe pirates will attack the Children of the Watch. Maybe Moff Gideon will come back to kidnap Grogu. Maybe Bo-Katan will try to lead the Mandalorians against the Mythosaur to reclaim her throne. Or maybe some trouble in Nevarro will force Din to visit old friends. It's not a problem to be surprised by where a show takes us next. On the contrary, we all love good surprises. However, to remain engaged with Din’s story, we need to know what everything is building up to. So far, Season 3 of The Mandalorian has failed to justify its existence, as it features a collection of random stories that are just loosely connected and seem to be going nowhere.

New episodes of The Mandalorian come to Disney+ every Wednesday.