The highly anticipated third season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian has finally arrived with its third episode titled “Chapter 19 – The Convert”. Below is a breakdown of what was seen in the episode and how it possibly connects to future events in the season.
The episode opens with Bo-Katan and Din Djarin exiting the Mines of Mandalore following their dramatic encounter with the Mythosaur in the Living Waters. The cliffhanger ending to the previous episode did not lead to any sort of dramatic battle but based on the size of the ancient creature, it would have been a fairly one sided fight. Bo-Katan asks Din if he saw anything in the deep pool but he was unconscious and claimed to have not seen anything. As they leave Mandalore and return to Kalevala, they are ambushed by TIE Interceptors and an impressive aerial battle ensures with Din and Bo seeming to emerge victorious but they realize this skirmish was a diversion so the Empire could destroy Bo-Katan’s home. While Bo wants revenge for the attack, the Imperial forces are too many and the duo are forced to flee and hide.
The story then shifts to the planet of Coruscant and a character that has not been seen since the first season of the show, Dr. Pershing, who is giving a talk to the citizens of New Republic about what the Empire did to him and how he just wants to help. Dr. Pershing is part of the New Republic’s Amnesty Program designed to aid former soldiers of the Empire reintegrate into society free from the Empire’s programming. Also included in the Amnesty Program is former Imperial Officer Elia Kane who begins a friendship with Dr. Pershing. Their former titles and rank are stripped away and the two are now equals in the New Republic but Dr. Pershing is still disillusioned about the state of his research. The doctor was a pioneer in cloning research for the Empire but his research has been outlawed by the New Republic and all of his data and findings are to be archived, never to be used again.
Kane is quick to recognize this desire in Pershing to do good for the New Republic and asks him to join her on a mission of sorts to retrieve research equipment from a soon-to-be decommissioned Star Destroyer. During their break-in, they realize that they are not alone and are forced to make a quick exit after obtaining the materials they need but are soon captured by the New Republic law keepers and it is revealed that Kane was working with the New Republic the entire time. It’s unclear what Kane’s motives are at this point; it’s possible she could be a spy working for the New Republic or that she is a treacherous agent still working for the Empire and hoping to obtain the cloning equipment that was seen in Rise of Skywalker to keep Emperor Palpatine alive.
During Pershing’s capture, he finds out that he is about to become subjected to a device called a “Mind Flayer” that will wipe certain memories from his mind but Kane requests to be left alone with Pershing and the device and it is here that Kane shows her sadistic side and turns up the device to dangerous levels and amplifies the effects of the “Mind Flayer” device and it’s unclear if Pershing will survive this treatment or if he will be the same person but he’s been branded a traitor by the New Republic and will likely serve his time in prison. It is likely that Kane will be seen again during this season and could also signal the return of Moff Gideon.
The episode then shifts back to Din and Bo-Katan as they arrive at the covert for the Children of the Watch where they are met with heavy skepticism. Both Din and Bo-Katan are seen as apostates from this strict sect of Mandalorian culture since both have removed their helmets at various points but Din has followed his creed to the letter and returned with a vial of the Living Waters and is accepted back into the Children of the Watch. The Armorer confirms this and asks Bo-Katan if she bathed in the Waters as well and when she confirms this, she is also accepted into the Children of the Watch.
Chapter 19 felt mostly like an additional episode of Andor with the intrigue from Dr. Pershing and Kane but closes a thread from a character appearing long ago and could potentially set up a return from a dangerous villain but also could lay the groundwork for Bo-Katan to become a strict adherent to the ideology of the Children of the Watch.
Featured Image Credit: The Mandalorian IMDb