‘The Mandalorian’ Recap – ‘Chapter 19: The Convert’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(L-R): Dr. Penn Pershing / Amnesty Scientist L52 (Omid Abtahi) and a parole droid (Regina Hermosillo) in Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 303 of ‘The Mandalorian’. To revisit the previous episode, click  here.
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It really is quite the time to be a Star Wars fan. For not only is love for the franchise at an all-time high, but we are finally enjoying constant content from this universe. Since there are new stories being told left and right, the kind that are doing quite the important service for the loyal fans that enjoy stories from a galaxy, far, far away. In that, we are being treated to stories that are filling in the blanks between the Original Trilogy and the Sequel Trilogy. Giving us an understanding of what life was like after the collapse of the Galactic Empire and of course… what happened to fan favorite characters after say… being eaten by a giant Sarlacc pit. 
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If anything, the wonder of being immersed in this particular part of the Star Wars Universe is top of mind today, simply because… this week’s episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+ offered up quite the storytelling surprise. That is… after ‘Chapter 19: The Convert’ took the time to catch us up on the aftermath of the Living Waters moment on Mandalore. Which as it turned out… involved some serious character growth. For the glimpse of the Mythosaur and the importance of the act, seemingly changed Bo-Katan’s perspective on the old ways. As though she might be willing to embrace them, and it turned out she was. For she kept her helmet on after that moment, not to mention… with her home destroyed, she had no choice but to live amongst the outcasts of Mandalore, and thanks to her quick thinking… she too was absolved of her sins and welcomed home to her people. Giving rise to a fascinating new chapter for Bo-Katan.

But while that was amazing and fulfilling and truly, a new beginning for a character in need of one, there was mention of this episode really digging deep into the galaxy at large and that was accomplished by the surprise we mentioned a moment ago. One that took us to Coruscant, where the New Republic was quickly settling the galaxy into a new era of peace, whilst quietly dismantling the war machines of old from both sides… and the Republic was even offering up amnesty for Imperial Officers that wanted a second chance. Which made for a powerful exploration, one that made it clear how daunting a task the New Republic had ahead of them, and how hard it tried to mend the deep divides that the Empire brought to the galaxy, and through that exploration, the story was able to bring Doctor Penn Pershing back into the fold.

For he applied for amnesty and was granted it and given a new life on Coruscant. Plus, he even reunited him with Moff Gideon’s former communications officer, Elia Kane, since she too applied for amnesty and found her way to the home of the Republic, and what made their journey so worth our while went beyond a glimpse into the New Republic. Because their story helped us to understand the difficult adjustment Imperials went through in stepping away from the indulgent nature of the Empire, and how working for evil, deeply damaged them. Since Pershing wanted desperately to do something good to feel redemption, and even went so far as to break the rules with Elia’s help to feel whole again. And she explored how hard it was to let the Empire go. Since her horrifying actions at the end of this storyline, spoke to someone that was still eager to uphold that indulgence, hinting in many ways… how the New Republic gave rise to the First Order.

But that conjecture aside, that plot line was simply phenomenal, as was this episode. Because it gave the fans exactly what they love. For it immersed us deeper into this galaxy and truly expanded upon an era we know nothing of. Since our only understanding of the galaxy post Return of the Jedi is what we know in the Sequel Trilogy. But now… we were able to see those fragile first days of hope for the New Republic and the struggles that came with it, alongside a wondrous redemption for both Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze and well, all this episode does is leave us eager for more. Since clearly, season three of this series is eager to surprise us and take our journey through a galaxy, far, far away into uncharted territory and truly… it will be interesting to see where this wondrous series is headed next, come next week. Until next time.

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