This review contains full spoilers for episode three of The Mandalorian Season 3, now available to watch on Disney+.
After the The Star Wars: Rangers of New Republic show set to feature Gina Carano’s Cara Dune was put on hold following Disney’s falling out with the actor, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that ideas for the series might find a home in The Mandalorian. That promise seems like it has come to fruition in episode 3 of Season 3, which may disappoint fans who watch the show for its titular character but brings in some of the focus on broken systems and oppressive bureaucracy that worked so well in Andor. Din Djarin, Bo-Katan, and Grogu are barely in “The Convert,” which largely follows cloning scientist Doctor Pershing (Omid Abtahi) and his life on Coruscant as part of the New Republic’s amnesty program, providing a rich perspective on just how fragile the new government is.
“The Convert” kicks off immediately where Episode 2 left off, with Din waking up under the protective gaze of both Grogu and Bo-Katan. Seeing the Mythosaur in the living waters clearly stirred something in Bo-Katan, but she doesn’t seem quite ready to come to admit it, asking for validation that she didn’t imagine the legendary beast and then tabling the issue when she fails to get it.
It’s a classic question of faith, a vision without proof, and one she’ll likely continue to grapple with while finding sanctuary with the Children of the Watch. It seems unlikely that Bo-Katan will never remove her helmet again, but following the Way of the Mandalore for a while might help give her fresh perspective on a major sect of her people. The Darksaber isn’t mentioned at all this episode, but she’s going to want to use it to get vengeance on the Imperial warlord that blew up her home and then likely move forward to continue her dreams of retaking Mandalore.
Who’s leading the surprisingly large squadron of TIE fighters and TIE bombers that attack Bo-Katan is a mystery to be solved in a later episode, but the fight continues to show the series’ visual mastery when it comes to creating thrilling battles that make excellent use of the scenery. Special effects driven scenes can often seem weightless, but small details like Bo-Katan’s ship stirring up ripples in the water help blur the line between reality and CGI.
Much to the comical dismay of R5-D4 and Grogu, who sensibly seals himself up for the duration of the conflict, Bo-Katan employs a similar tactic to what Din used in the Season 3 premiere to deal with a force employing superior numbers. In this case she’s spinning through the gorgeous green chasms of Kalevala, while getting just close enough to her palace to drop off Din so he can provide backup in his ship. All of their daring just isn’t enough, though, given just how outmatched they are.
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The Mandalorian previously demonstrated a willingness to destroy major recurring sets to show the situation is serious when Gideon blew up the Razor Crest, but it’s still shocking to watch Bo-Katan’s beautiful and hauntingly empty home destroyed. It’s a blow that makes it very understandable why she almost charges into an overwhelming force seeking vengeance before Din was able to persuade her to retreat.
Given the rest of the episode, it’s entirely possible Gideon is also the one responsible for this destruction. Most of “The Convert” follows his former lieutenant, Pershing, who helped Din and his allies rescue Grogu from Gideon. It’s a clever touch that when agitated Pershing tugs on the ear that was injured by Cara during that mission.
Because The Mandalorian takes place in the Outer Rim, the presence of the New Republic has been fairly lightly felt. But this episode is set in the symbolic (if not literal, we’re reminded) center of the galaxy on Coruscant and both tonally and aesthetically more closely mirrors an episode of Andor. It seems the characters who have expressed reticence about letting the New Republic have too much control over their affairs had the right of things, because the new government is clearly struggling.
A gathering reminiscent of one of Mon Mothma’s parties is full of preening aristocrats who don’t really see a difference between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. Pershing does seem to have a legitimate drive to do good through medicine, but with cloning understandably outlawed, he’s relegated to dreary data entry cataloging equipment that will be destroyed just because it was Imperial.
While the episode doesn’t capture the truly oppressive horror of Andor’s systems, Pershing’s parole meetings with a droid make it clear just how badly the system is failing by focusing on protocol rather than taking the time to understand the real motivations of its people. It’s a critique reminiscent of the divide in The Good Place. The Bad Place may be literal bureaucratic hell, but the naivete of the Good Place is what allowed it to become ascendant.
Pershing is tempted to break from his dreary routine by Gideon’s former communications officer, Elia Kane (Katy O’Brian). They’re reunited at a gathering of other members of the amnesty program, reminiscing about the things they miss but shouldn’t. It feels like a more subdued version of the drink shared in the Imperial base in “The Believer,” a reminder of just how many people served the Empire and how challenging it is to separate those who had no choice from those who feel they did no wrong. There’s a bit of barb to the note that the Empire wouldn’t have let this many potential enemies congregate together that only becomes sharper at the episode’s resolution.
Elia works on Pershing slowly and patiently, taking him out to see a whimsical version of Coruscant filled with buskers, glowing ice pops, and polite but serious security droids. The city planet has always been one of Star Wars’ most visually impressive settings and it comes to life here in vibrant neon skyscrapers and trains that move through the air like giant eels. The lonely mountain peak Pershing tries to touch is a poignant look at the power of a civilization to bend the world to its will.
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It’s clear early on that Elia’s motives aren’t what they seem to be, but it’s a wild ride to follow her plays. Seeing the world from Pershing’s perspective as he assumes everyone is suspicious of him contrasted with Elia’s casual way of breaking the rules builds tension and demonstrates just how much she’s in control of the situation. Pershing’s passivity makes it easier to believe he was really a big dupe, desperate to chase science regardless of who it really benefitted. I had assumed Elia was going for a longer play that would involve getting his research, but the actual outcome of the episode is even more harrowing, showing the way the New Republic’s law enforcement and rehabilitation system can be hijacked from the inside.
It’s very convenient that the Republic scientist didn’t remove the setting on the Mind Flayer that turns it back into its evil torture mode, complete with red lighting. It’s also a good joke that Pershing tries to desperately explain to a Mon Calamari that he fell into a trap. But the question is just why Elia did this to Pershing. Setting up a recidivist certainly seems to help her standing within the New Republic, and it’s likely she quietly knew that Pershing provided information to Gideon’s enemies and wanted vengeance for the betrayal that led to her own arrest.
But what actually happened to Gideon? There are a few theories bandied about by the amnesty program members which Elia stays mum on. Pershing’s speech at the beginning shows that the New Republic is proud of its successes so it seems like they would be eager to show off his capture and trial. If he has somehow escaped, it would make sense that he’d specifically target Bo-Katan given their history involving the Darksaber.
Just as The Book of Boba Fett turned into more of The Mandalorian, “The Convert” demonstrates that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are telling stories that don’t necessarily obey the standard expectations of what an episode of a given show should be. We’ll likely learn more soon what exactly this detour was setting up besides delivering a fascinating look at what’s happening in the corridors of Galactic power.