ok ok but Steddie Soulmate AU where you are physically incapable of lying to your soulmate
Eddie finding Steve with a busted face waiting for the kids in front of the arcade soon after Starcourt and Eddie’s already been having a bad day so he straight-up asks ‘what punched a hole in your face this time?’ and Steve’s like
‘Russian soldiers.’
And Eddie thinks, well, all right then, keep your secrets. That was weird but also fair, it wasn’t his place to ask that.
But then it turns out that the freshman kids Eddie knows are somehow friends with Steve Harrington. There’s this one very intense campaign session with demogorgons and Dustin, Lucas and Mike turn eerily quiet, get all twitchy in their seats. He asks Steve about it when he picks them up.
“We’re scared it’s going to come back.”
“Like, in a campaign?”
“No,” and the way Steve says this, through gritted teeth, looking mildly disgusted, makes Eddie think that, well, pretty as he may be, Steve Harrington is still King Steve, still an asshole.
They continue this strange dance of sorts for months, Eddie jabbing at Steve and the jock replying in the most bizarre ways - by now Eddie knows he’s surely (probably?) just snarking back. There is no way any of the outlandish shit Steve says can be true.
Right?
And then Chrissy dies. She dies in his trailer, high up in the ceiling, bones broken, and Eddie runs. He finds himself with a broken bottle held at Steve Harrington’s neck . And the weirdest thing? When Steve asks him what happened, strangely earnest and wide-eyed, he really wants to dismiss him, or lie. Except, he can’t.
Luke really is his father’s son because his petty twink ass went “ok fuck you” and sent Grogu’s gremlin self PACKING alone across the Galaxy as soon as Grogu picked his dad’s sweet ass homemade sweater over some rando swamp rat’s lightsaber.
Din Djarin is insane. this guy takes his magic 50 year old baby to fifth grade fight club like “my baby wants to fight” and this 11 yr old kid goes uhhhhh dude im not gonna fight a baby he's the size of a rotisserie chicken and Din is like ohhhh ho ho, I just decided my baby's gonna kick your ass extra hard now. and then the baby does a double somersault and completely annihilates him at paintball. funniest shit I've ever seen
Din: *shows up to the covert with Grogu in a pet stroller and a small hover cart of things behind him* Buir, I came back!
Armorer: Did you bathe in the mines?
Din: lol nah, I’m on another side quest before I can finish that-
Armorer: *deep sigh* Okay. Why is my bu’ad in a pet stroller?
Grogu: Patu! ‘Jail! Jail for Grogu for a thousand years! My crimes have caught up to me and I am punished with tortures beyond your imagining!’
Din: lol he likes to wander off when I’m not looking. This way he can look about without getting locked in place.
Armorer: okay.
Din: Anyways, I got a contract a week ago that paid me like four times what I would have expected, and they kept giving me items, and when I asked they said it was worth it? So I brought them back for the covert.
Armorer: *instantly on edge cause it sounds like another idiot leader is trying to court her foundling* Oh? Give me a copy of the contract.
Din: *hands that over, and stops the hover cart full of good* Here you go, I don’t know if it’s really worth anything, but I know I don’t have much use for cross body bags. It’s not even the right size for a diaper bag anyways.
Armorer: Well, thank you, Din’ika. I’ll be sure to spread the resources as needed. *sends them on their way after giving Grogu a gentle cuddle and tucking him back into his stroller*
Grogu: Patu! ‘Even grandmother, lovely woman that she is, who gives me gentle ear rubs and good cookies, has abandoned me to my fate so cruel as the confinement chamber, what horrible sin have I committed to be punished as so!’
Din: *leaves with baby*
Armorer: *starts looking through the goods Din was being courted with, eyebrow raising* Paz!
Paz: *comes in, curious* Yes, Goran?
Armorer: You still have a white collar fence for high priced goods?
Paz: …yes. What did Din bring back this time?
Armorer: *hands him a single item*
Paz: …is this a Space Birkin?
Armorer: …yes.
Paz: Dear lord. Good job, idiot. Do I kill the fool to court your ad?
the way people put grogu on the ground and walk away and just leave him to fend for himself when he tries to follow them. he barely reaches his father's knees he cannot keep up with a full grown adult omfg. poor thing be huffing and puffing after waddling a short distance plz pick him up.
Din putting Grogu in front of Paz’s kid, clapping back at him about The Creed, and then having Grogu fucking annihilate him in combat helped me understand how rivalries can transcend generations.
One of the biggest complaints about The Mandalorian Season 3 was that it was messy.
I disagree with that notion, and I'm hoping people are willing to give it another watch now that they have the full story. It is only because of Din's journey to redeem himself that Bo-Katan does too. It's only because of Bo-Katan joining Din's covert that they start to work as a team. It's only because of this unity and the Mythosaur that The Armorer can see something larger happening. It's only because of this that Bo-Katan and Din work to reunite the two sects of Mandalorians. It's only because Din and Bo-Katan that they all work together to take back Mandalore from Gideon. And it's because they destroy Gideon, and the Mandalorians succeed, that Din and Grogu can have some peace before moving towards the future.
Here is a further, more detailed explanation of why I disagree that the story was messy:
Chapter 17: The Apostate: Definitely an episode that was setting up the rest of the season. A lot of plot was carried over from season 2 and TBOBF. Also a lot of plot was introduced for the rest of the season. Din's plan to go to the Living Water, attempting to rebuild IG-11, the pirates that would later attack Nevarro (under Imperial influence). This episode really focuses on Din's desire to be redeemed and become a Mandalorian once again; both in traveling to the Living Waters, and later going to Bo-Katan and attempting to join her.
Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore: This episode is major for the show. Din finds out that Mandalore is still inhabitable (and later allows the Mandalorians to return there). He is able to see Mandalore, even though it's just ruins, and what his people once were. Obviously, both him and Bo-Katan renew their faith and commitment to the Way of the Mandalorians. It's a rebirth for them both, in different ways. This episode is a great base for the relationship between Din and Bo-Katan, which is so important because they are the force that reunites the Mandalorians moving forward. And of course the major reveal: the Mythosaur.
Chapter 19: The Convert: This is the episode that had the biggest backlash, and a lot of it is deserved. They spent WAY too long on the Coruscant plot. I understand what they were trying to accomplish but they did not need to spend so much time on it. However, this episode does play an important part in the overall plot. A lot of this episode illustrates how the Empire has survived after Return of the Jedi. They still have power, people and influence all over. We see it when Din and Bo-Katan get attacked, and we see it with Elia Kane. Also important is that Elia Kane works hard to make sure that Imperial cloning secrets do not fall into the hands of the New Republic. And we know that cloning is important with Gideon in the last episode and, obviously, the sequel trilogy. And while Din may not have a lot of screen time this episode, it is big for him to be accepted back into his covert. Bo-Katan is also welcomed into the covert. A major step for the unification of the Mandalorians.
*Also now that we know Dave Filoni will be directing a movie that ties together The Mandalorian, TBOBF and Ahsoka against Thrawn and the Empire, it makes sense that The Mandalorian spent time building up the conflict. This season definitely had some parallels between how the Mandalorians survived and how the Empire survived. And also how they will both make a come back.*
Chapter 20: The Foundling: This is a big episode for a lot of reasons. First, we see Din try to assimilate Grogu into Mandalorian life now that he has returned to the covert. A big step for Grogu's future. We also see more of Grogu's past (Kelleran Beq!!!) and how he was rescued during Order 66. This is also a major episode because we see the covert start to work together as a team to rescue Ragnar. They work as one unit to achieve their goal. It's an organized effort. Bo-Katan's short time with the covert has already had an affect. This is just step one and leads into the story of the next episode very well. Also major is Bo-Katan telling The Armorer about the Mythosaur. That changes the trajectory of the Mandalorians.
Chapter 21: The Pirate: The covert works together in the last episode and this episode takes another step. It introduces the Carson Teva and Din dynamic that we now know will play a part in season 4. This episode also shows one of the plays of the Empire, backing pirates to attack and cause chaos in the Outer Rim. Din asks for help fighting the pirates and the covert agrees. It's a nice moment that shows the community that they have built. The covert working together in the last episode changed their relationship. Bo-Katan and Din save the day. Their success moves them away from hiding in a cave. It brings them a new home and new hope. The Armorer sees this change among the covert. Din and Bo-Katan have brought new life into this group of Mandalorians. It's a big moment when The Armorer tells Bo-Katan that she will reunite the different groups of Mandalorians, especially since we know that Bo-Katan does not really want to lead anymore.
Chapter 22: Guns for Hire: This is a fun episode. The calm before the heavier story. Grogu gets knighted (as he should), Din hates on some droids, and they make some allies on Plazir-15. And then the end. I know everyone has different opinions on the Darksaber and how that story should have played out but I do think they handled it well. This whole season showed how silly the myth of the Darksaber really is. Some people laughed about the transfer of ownership of the Darksaber in this episode, that the cyborg creature from The Mines of Mandalore was actually the ruler of Mandalore for the short time. That it really should have belonged to this character or this character... And that's the point. Being in possession of one object doesn't mean you are capable of leading people. Bo-Katan had to stop focusing on the Darksaber and start by helping Grogu, saving Din, uniting the covert to help save Ragnar and Nevarro, helping the droids and people of Plazir-15.... it's these moments when she steps away from the Darksaber and works to help people that she becomes worthy of being the leader of the Mandalorians. Din helps her work towards that, even if she doesn't realize. Din knows that she is a worthy leader. But when he sees that others need her to have the Darksaber to do it, he gives her the means to lead. She returns the favor and respect by defending him in front of everyone. It is a nice moment of character development for her. It is also a great moment of validation for Din, which we know he deserves.
Chapter 23: The Spies: Definitely one of the best episodes of The Mandalorian. I could write a whole essay on the Shadow Councils conversation and the characters. That conversation shows how much the Empire is still manipulating the story. It connects together a lot of pieces from earlier episodes. Din's covert and the Mandalorian mercenceries come together AND start to work together. Bo-Katan shows how hard she tried to save the lives of Mandalorians. Din shows how much he respects Bo-Katan; really cementing how important their relationship is to this season and the unification of their people. This also shows that Bo-Katan has always been trying to serve and save her people. That these are her moments of strength and when she's just chasing the Darksaber, it doesn't work right. But when she's focused on the people of Mandalore, it is right. This revelation shows the shift of the Mandalorians too. They realize that Bo-Katan having the Darksaber is not the important thing but that she wants to protect and serve them.
And while we see Bo-Katan's strengths in this episode, we also see Din's strengths. He is an honorable warrior, a fighter. He will do anything to protect his people and Grogu, even let Grogu keep his annoying IG-12 suit because it's protection. He is the first to volunteer for Bo-Katan, he's at the front of the battle after they are attacked, he fights until he can't anymore before his capture. And this leads us to the next episode.
Chapter 24: The Return: Again, we see Din's strength as a warrior and protector in this episode. He fights like crazy to protect Grogu and his people from Gideon. He wants Mandalore for his people, he wants Grogu to have a safe place to grow up. Grogu and Din work together better than ever to fight against the odds. And all the Mandalorians work together to take back their home. It's only because all of the Mandalorians work together that they are able to win. Grogu, Din and Bo-Katan stand against Gideon together. That's really what this season was about, The Mandalorians finding common ground and making a stand together. And they succeeded. The Mandalorians can now rebuild, the flame of their forge is re-lit!
Din adopting Grogu is a beautiful moment that we were all waiting for. But it's another great moment that shows a lot about Din. Din did not officially adopt Grogu until it was needed for Grogu's future. The act is for Grogu, not for himself. He adopted Grogu so that Grogu can have a safe future with the Mandalorians. And the ONLY reason that the Mandalorians are a safe option for Grogu is because of Din's actions!!
I know a lot of people had complaints about the amount of screen time for Din and Grogu and that it seemed like they were side characters on their own show. But this season was an important part of their future! Din and Grogu now have this huge community of friends and allies. They worked hard as a group to build something and it all came together because of them. The only reason the Mandalorians even knew that Mandalore could still sustain life, Bo-Katan's journey of redemption and seeing the Mythosaur, Bo-Katan reuniting the Mandalorians... Din was not only there but the reason it all happened. The show needed this for the future plot of Thrawn and the Empire but also for Din and Grogu. They accomplished something great for their people and now they get to relax before going on to fight Imperial remnants to help Grogu train. A lot of this season was about rebuilding and healing. All of these characters have already gone through horrible things, they deserve some peace and success. They accomplished so much by coming together and helping each other.
This season was not a mess but a natural transition from Din and Grogu on their own to a larger community of Mandalorians. Din and Grogu worked with Bo-Katan all season to help pull together all the pieces. It is a part in their story and a part of the Mandalorians coming back from so much destruction.
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