Betrayal and Redemption in Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian

The exciting story continues in The Mandalorian in Chapter 19, “The Convert.”

The episode continues the adventure of Din Djarin and Grogu, but we are also introduced to some intrigue by Bo-Katan, starfighter battles, a compelling and sad story with a link to the sequels, and a redemption for our hero. There is so much to love in the episode but we broke it down to our 8 favorites.

Tie Interceptors v. Bo-Katan and Din Djarin

As Bo, Din, and Grogu return to Kalevala, they are attacked by a squadron of Tie Interceptors from an Imperial Warlord that Bo may have stolen cargo from.We see how skilled Din and Bo are as they evade and take out each Interceptor. That custom Naboo Fighter gets to show just how invaluable it is. Hearing that iconic “Tie Fighter sound” is also so satisfying. The nostalgia warms my nerdy heart, and the “pew pew” action was exciting, and this is where Star Wars excels.

Coruscant

The capital planet of the Republic has returned to its prequel glory days since the fall of the Empire. The urban sprawl of towering skyscrapers, neon-lit streets, vast cityscapes, and various speeders zooming around the endless travel ways were nostalgic and aesthetic to the eyes. The city seems to have become a utopia for the 1 trillion citizens, except for all those “Hunger Games-like” aristocrats hanging about the theater; it would be perfect!

Dr. Penn Pershing

Dr. Pershing is the cloning scientist we first saw in The Mandalorian season 2 who works for the remnants of the fallen Empire and is tasked with extracting genetic material from Grogu. Just like in his first appearance in the series, in this episode, Dr. Pershing appears to be conflicted about his work adapting to his new life on Coruscant and the Republic. He is driven to continue his cloning work even if the Republic has deemed it immoral and illegal. Dr. Pershing’s character adds some mystery as to his true motivations are and I am not convinced they are for the greater good but more for selfish reasons. I believe this because of his visible tell when he is not truthful. You can see this when he touches his right ear. We see him do this during his talk in the theater and when he meets with his Parole Droid. This all might mean nothing as, at the end of the episode, we see the treatment in the lab being given to “help him adjust to the new Republic” being sabotaged by the one who set him up, G-68, damaging his memory. I feel sad for Pershing. His story in the episode was compelling and sad and was played brilliantly by Omid Abtahi.

Amnesty Program

The amnesty program is a program initiated by the New Republic to offer compassion to former Imperial soldiers who were willing to renounce their allegiance to the Empire and cooperate with the New Republic. The program was created to help former Imperials reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives. In the show, we are introduced to several former Imperials taking advantage of the amnesty program to escape their criminal past and start over. Whether their intentions are innocent or not is another story. The program is the New Republic’s efforts to restore order and justice to the galaxy after the fall of the Empire in a compassionate way; however, it also raises questions about the morality of forgiving those who committed heinous acts in service of an evil regime, and whether redemption is truly possible for those who have caused so much harm.

Bo-Katan

Bo-Katan continues to be a complex character. We see the episode start at the Living Waters of Mandalore. Din awakens, and Bo asks if he saw anything living in the water. When Din says he didn’t, Bo doesn’t tell him she had seen a Mythosaur. What is her plan? As I believe she is not confident in taking back the Darksaber, I think she plans to return without Din and try to tame and ride the beast, claiming the right of the ruler of Mandalore like “Mandalore the Great” and not giving a chance for Din to attempt the same. But what if, it isn’t Bo or Din that tames the Mythosaur but Grogu? What if we got some foreshadowing in The Book of Boba Fett to this idea when Grogu uses the Force to calm the Rancor? What it the twist to the season will be Grogu using the Force to tame the Mythosaur and becoming the second Jedi Mandalorian to rule Mandalore?

Bo might feel guilt over her decision not to tell Din of her discovery as he proves to be a loyal friend who follows the Mandalorian Creed faithfully, which she has fallen from in some ways. Even with her helmet on, you can see her overwhelmed by her acceptance into Din’s Mandalorian Covert. I can’t wait to see how this moral dilemma plays out.

You may also like: “A Disturbance in the Force”: A Star Wars Holiday Special Documentary

Elia Kane (G-68)

Kane, also known as G-68, is an interesting and suspicious character. Played by actor and martial artist Katy O’Brian, she was among the former Imperials at Amnesty Housing and is recognized by Dr. Pershing as a former crew member of Moff Gideon. Her motivations for helping the Pershing were unclear until the surprising end of the episode and are still. Is she trying to rehabilitate under the Amnesty Program, or is she still working for a mysterious villain? Could that villain be Moff Gideon who is rumored to have escaped his capture? Or is the villain someone we haven’t seen yet?

Imperial Junkyard

Since the first appearance of the Imperial Star Destroyer in the opening of Star Wars: A New Hope, its mere presence sent fear to all. The Star Destroyers were such an imposing and dangerous ship that Han Solo would charge extra to smuggle Ben, Luke, and the droids off Tatooine. In this episode, we see the sad and final grave of this once symbol of Imperial strength in a junkyard being dismantled. Although I am a Rebel at heart, it was sad to see the end of an era in the story.

Din Djarin Redeemed

After last season’s finally where Din removed his helmet when saying goodbye to Grogo and being told that he was no longer a Mandalorian by The Armorer, and after much work and preparation, with help from Grogu and Bo-Katan, Din was successful in his mission to redeem himself in the “Living Waters” of Mandalore. I was thrilled watching this as it was getting back to the old Mandalorian formula that we have come to love. How long will the Children of the Watch keep the tradition of never removing their helmets in the presence of another living person last is the question. Will the Mandalorian tribes possibly uniting change this tradition? However, I do see the benefit to a filmmaker keeping the helmets on as it allows for several people/stunt people to be in the suit while voiced by the actor of their choice. THIS IS THE WAY!

BONUS:

Imperial Travel Biscuits

During the scene where Dr. Pershing is introduced to the other former Imperials, they all reminisce about what they miss about the Empire. The Doctor mentions the “yellow travel biscuits,” which he thought was a nice treat. Later, someone leaves him a box filled with these biscuits. It made me HUNGRY, and I wanted some as well! One of our followers found a possible source to the props used – “Chinese PLA TYPE 90 rations”. Like the macaroons from another Mandalorian episode, I suspect we might see these being sold at Disney World soon! If not, we have a possible source to get them.