There was nothing wrong with Din wanting to redeem himself after getting Grogu back IMO. Just because he made one exception doesn’t mean he’s not still deeply dedicated to his creed. His respect for The Way has been incredibly consistent and abandoning The Way makes him less interesting. It’s such a defining part of his character.
The way that I interpreted it is that the fact that he made the exception in the first place shows that he cares more about Grogu than abiding by the Creed. I agree that his relationship with the Creed is a defining part of his character, but I want to see that relationship evolve.
His arc was never about abandoning The Way. He becomes more accepting of other Mandalorians (like Bo-Katan), but he still remains loyal to The Way.
An idea that Season 3 introduces that I actually liked is that following the Way can take many forms, so I think I agree here. Din (and the Children of the Watch) learn to accept other Mandalorians as equals in following the Way; they expand what it means rather than abandoning it.
It never frames The Way as wrong either. Everyone who follows it does so willingly and there’s an easy out. If wearing your helmet all the time is such a big problem, then you can just take it off and get kicked out. Or leave. Religion doesn’t always need to be portrayed in a negative light. The Children of the Watch have always been portrayed in a positive light.
Getting kicked out of your community is not a very easy way out, to me at least. And while the show never really portrays the helmet rule as “wrong,” it does challenge its validity several times, and I think focusing on that can happen without portraying the Children of the Watch negatively.
Still, I’m interested in seeing where your edit goes. It seems to be better structured.
Much appreciated! Genuinely glad to hear your thoughts and opinions on it all.