Giancarlo Esposito on When We Will Next See Moff Gideon
Giancarlo Esposito has a bit of an infamous reputation for spilling details on The Mandalorian; however, in a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel he was surprisingly tight-lipped. He didn’t share much that we didn’t already heavily suspect, although he did seem to get tripped up by Kimmel, who tried to get Esposito to confirm whether or not we would see Moff Gideon in the next episode of The Mandalorian.
Asked about when we would next see Moff Gideon, Esposito said:
Esposito: “The odds are good you’re going to see me soon. That’s all I can say. The show is just a fantastic show to be on. They want the audience to be in anticipation, and wonder, and joy, and excitement. And so, I did it so long ago that I got to be honest with you, I can’t even remember. I don’t remember when I’m on.”
It seems a little hard to believe that Esposito wouldn’t have any idea about which out of the next four episodes he appears in, but I’m open to giving him the benefit of the doubt. After all, there are plenty of changes that get made in post-production which might shift what was originally planned during filming.
Jokingly, asked whether he remembers when and where the audience last saw Moff Gideon, Esposito responded:
Esposito: “I sure do. I was in the hoosegow [prison] or on the way there… locked up and shuttered, which gives me a lot of time to think and to calculate what my next move might be.”
This is an interesting, albeit not surprising, clue about where the narrative might be headed for Gideon. We knew we’d see him again and assumed he was plotting, especially after the reveal of Elia Kane working as a double agent for… someone in what remains of the Empire. Many people presumed this someone to be Moff Gideon, given that Kane previously served under Moff Gideon as a communications officer. Some speculated that Thrawn is calling the shots now. Maybe it’s both!
We also have the rumor from the other ex-Imperials in the Amnesty Program about Moff Gideon’s escape. Either way, Esposito certainly confirmed that Moff Gideon has not been idle while he’s been in prison.
Kimmel: “So you’ve been plotting and preparing for this next comeback. Which is going to happen next Wednesday, right?”
Esposito: “It will. Ah ha! I see what you did there.”
While Giancarlo Esposito does appear to confirm that we’ll see Moff Gideon in the next episode, I think we should take this with a heavy pinch of salt. This could easily have been a quick slip of the tongue. And yet, with only four episodes left, he’s bound to show up soon. Stay tuned for more news on The Mandalorian, and in the meantime, check out our review of this week’s episode.
When she isn't watching her friends and family's eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she's at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.
