The Mandalorian season 3 has to avoid fixing the Star Wars sequel trilogy too much. New set photos for the upcoming season indicate that more connections to the trilogy will happen. While this is certainly exciting, it also poses a huge risk should these connections begin to overtake the show.
Disney's handling of Star Wars has seen great success as well as great losses since the company took ownership of the property. On one hand, shows such as The Mandalorian and the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars have been met with near-universal praise. On the flip side, however, Star Wars' sequel trilogy, while not without praise, has received a far more contentious response, particularly in regard to The Last Jedi and The Rise Of Skywalker. From what Mandalorian's set photos indicate, it seems that Disney will be using the show to improve the Star Wars sequels by expanding and fleshing out the backstory that led up to them.
It certainly is possible for The Mandalorian's season 3 to function well as a means to improve the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In a similar vein, The Clone Wars helped to improve the prequels. This being said, there's a risk involved that could hurt the show if the showrunners do not tread carefully in how they approach this. As The Book Of Boba Fett's problems prove, the sequel connections can overshadow Mando's story if Disney narrows their focus solely on fixing the sequels. For Mandalorian season 3 to succeed, a proper balance must be achieved.
The Mandalorian has been a huge success in no small part because of its successful attempts to branch out and expand the Star Wars galaxy beyond the Skywalker saga. However, as the set photos show, it appears season 3 will be featuring The Last Jedi's Praetorian Guards as well further exploring the origins of Snoke. While Mandalorian's cameos from legacy characters have been largely well-received, having season 3 focusing on the origins of the First Order as its primary plot line constrains the story in a way that goes against its original goal of expanding the galaxy and does a disservice to its title character should he not have his own personal story.
Overall, the set photos for The Mandalorian season 3 are equally exciting and concerning. Focusing on the past and letting it overtake the present is what led to The Book Of Boba Fett's lukewarm reception. Hopefully, this won't be the case for The Mandalorian and it prioritizes its own story first, moving beyond solely connecting to and improving the Star Wars sequels.