#The Mandalorian Episode 3

[mandalorianchronicles]

Thoughts on "The Convert"

Spoilers below the cut

Well, that was...different. I'll admit, it was probably the first time I was actually a bit disappointed by an episode of The Mandalorian. It wasn't that Dr. Pershing's story was badly written (though it could have been pared down), but I just didn't care to spend so much time setting up the next plot element when we were right in the middle of resolving the first one. I would have been okay with him getting his own bottle episode, rather than sandwiching it in between Din and Bo's moments. It was very jarring as a viewer, but I suppose that was the intent of the writers in the first place. Din and Cara had both commented that they didn't have much faith in the New Republic and now we see why. There is still a massive disconnect between the citizens of the core worlds and the Outer Rim, and it doesn't really matter who's in power, there always will be.

Concerning Pershing's plotline - I would be interested to know what he was working on specifically with Grogu and how it ties into Palatine's comeback. Between this episode and The Bad Batch, there is a LOT of focus on the Empire's cloning experiments, but I feel like we just keep scratching the surface without ever getting any real answers. But I'll be patient. This chapter seemed to be focusing on the fact that the Rebels defeated the Empire and established the New Republic, and it took all of 5-10 years for it become nearly as corrupt as the Empire. Okay, that's an exaggeration. The people on Coruscant looked happy and free (which is different from the mood in the capital planet in Andor). But there's a lot to be desired with this new government. No wonder Leia didn't last long as a Senator again, she'd have no patience for the BS. I liked how they casually mentioned in this episode how they had so many resources tied up in mothballing their fleet. And now you know how The First Order rose up less than 30 years later (if you didn't read the books).

I believe the "convert" is actually Pershing, not Bo-Katan. He genuinely wanted to help the people of the New Republic. It could also be referring to Elia Kane, but she wasn't really a convert, she was just making it look like she was so she could feed information back to Gideon or the Emperor, or whoever she is actually working for, because it clearly isn't the New Republic. I wonder if we'll ever see Pershing again after he got mind flayed (Count Rugen: NOT TO 50!). And yes, sweetie, it *was* a trap, baited with Star Wars Biscoff cookies. I can't believe that worked. Honestly, after he hijacked 40 minutes of this episode, they better be setting up a continuation of this story.

Which leads me to...the 20 minutes of this episode featuring people I actually care about.

First question: *who* sent those TIE interceptors? Is Moff Gideon pulling strings from prison? Or is this someone else? Bo said that was a lot of ships for an Imperial warlord and I'm inclined to agree. Gideon didn't seem to have anywhere near that kind of firepower. My guess is this is Thrawn. Why would Thrawn bomb Bo's castle on Kalevala, you ask? I assume that Sabine and Ashoka are putting pressure on him, and he's trying to draw them out by targeting someone with strong ties to both of them. Ahsoka has been all over the galaxy hunting for Thrawn, but Bo knew exactly where to send Din to go find her. Which means they are still in contact. Sabine gave her the Darksaber and endorsed her as Mand'alor, pledging allegiance to her. Assuming she's still with Ahsoka looking for Ezra, she also has maintained ties. Thrawn won't like being hunted, he'll want to meet them on his terms when he's ready. If those were his ships, I'd say he's ready.

I recently re-watched the Rebels episodes with Bo-Katan just to refresh myself on the tone and dialogue of those scenes. In summary, After Sabine found the Darksaber in Maul's lair and trainied herself to use it, she entrusted it to her mother to help mend their broken family, who in turn gave it to Gar Saxon as a bribe to keep her family safe. Gar claimed the Darksaber as his own, and interestingly enough, had no issues wielding it immediately. But Ezra gave Sabine his lightsaber and she defeated Saxon, earning the Darksaber by creed, which her mother and others from Clan Wren witnessed. In 4.1 and 4.2, we see Sabine wielding the saber to save her father from the Empire, and Bo-Katan gives aide at Ursa Wren's request. Sabine immediately offers the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, but she refuses, saying she had her chance to lead and failed, referring to immediately after the Siege of Mandalore when the Republic made her regent. When the Empire. took over, she refused to bend the knee and was betrayed by the Saxon clan. "I am not my sister," she told Sabine, the pain of that loss brought the surface by the weapon that murdered her. Obviously, Bo's feelings for her sister had changed drastically. Later, when Sabine is torturing Tiber Saxon, Bo stops her and says "this is not our way". After that battle, Sabine once more asks Bo-Katan to take the Darksaber, and though she is reluctant, she accepts it with the support of clans Kryze, Rook, Eldar, Vizsla, and Wren and the Protectors. Contrary to the Armorer's very skewed narrative, Bo did not take the Darksaber because she believed it was her family's right to rule. She took it, because the most powerful clans on Mandalore were begging her to lead them against the Empire. They had already gathered to follow her before she even accepted the Darksaber. It was a symbol, nothing more. It was her actions and her steadfast devotion to her people that earned their loyalty, not the heirloom of House Vizsla.

History recap concluded, my next question is this: Did the Children of the Watch refuse to join Bo-Katan and the other clans in their fight against Empire because she didn't win the Darksaber in ritual combat with Sabine...or simply because they had another reason not to like her? The Darksaber was passed down through the Vizsla family line for years. Pre Vizsla didn't kill Tor Vizsla for it. It doesn't have to be won to change owners. That particular tradition only applied if the current Mand'alor was wielding it. When we see Bo and Din approaching the covert, Paz comes out to meet them. He's immediately surly toward Din (big surprise) and he doesn't believe him when he says he bathed in the waters. When Bo-Katan says she witnessed it, he replies with "Who are you, Nite Owl?" Are we really to believe he knows who the Nite Owls are but he can't recognize their leader? He knew damn well who she was. If Paz is closely related to Pre (and I believe he is, given the writer's choice to have Favreau voice him), might he be harboring lingering feelings of jealousy or resentment of Pre's former right hand woman? The Armorer certainly knew her on sight. We know she had no love for Bo when last she spoke to Din. And yet, she welcomed her with open arms.

Hence, question three: What does The Way actually mean to the Covert? Heretofore, I had assumed that the Mandalorians from Din's tribe were deeply religious and held a deep-seated faith in their doctrines. But even when Bo flat out tells them she does not follow The Way (not to be confused with the Mandalorian creed, which Bo-Katan has sworn herself to), The Armorer only cares about two things: which are actually one thing...the helmet.

Did you baptize yourself in the Living Waters to redeem yourself for not wearing the helmet? Yes? Okay. Have you removed your helmet since? No? Okay, you're in.

That's it. It doesn't matter if Bo-Katan actually follows The Way or has any faith in whatever else it teaches...the one (1) factor that determines if you are in or out is whether you cover your face at all times. Does anyone else find that incredibly odd? The Armorer never even asked Din why or for whom he removed his helmet when he admitted that he had done so. The circumstances and the who are apparently irrelevant. If you follow The Way, you can't even remove your helmet before your own clanmate, your own family. Ever.

I really hope that in the next episode, Bo-Katan starts asking these important questions. When it was known that Din removed his helmet, he was ostracized and shunned. No one touched him. No one acknowledged him. The Armorer didn't even thank him for saving them all from that giant croc - she just told him he wasn't welcome. But as soon as he was ritually cleansed of that most dire of infractions, everyone reaffirming him and welcoming him with physical touch and kind gestures. The contrasting behavior gave me whiplash. But seeing them touch Din and Bo's shoulders and being so welcoming is so psychologically powerful, it almost had me second guessing my reservations about the Covert. But then I had to remind myself, wait...real family doesn't shun their own loved ones for giving into the very basic human need to see and be seen by someone you love. The mandate to always keep their face covered is pure psychological abuse. It reminded me of that recent episode of The Bad Batch, "The Retrieval", when the corrupt mine owner had all those kids convinced he was being good to them, when really he was manipulating them with food and praise.

Question four: Did Bo-Katan just join a cult? This one we can answer, and it's most definitely not. It may not matter to the Armorer what Bo believes, but it matters to us. She is not a follower of the way, but so long as keeping her helmet on provides her with food, shelter, and some much needed companionship, she will cooperate...at least until it gets to be too much for her. I suspect she'll find ways around the rules before too long. But what of the Mythosaur? Does she now believe the legend? Right now, Bo-Katan isn't even sure she actually saw the Mythosaur. Katee's interview confirmed as much, addressing the concerns of fans that she was hiding it for nefarious purposes. Honestly, I thought it was obvious that she was uncertain - that's why she asked Din twice. She is second-guessing what she saw, and who wouldn't? I mentioned this in another post, but imagine if you were snorkeling at night and dove down in murky waters and thought you saw a plesiosaur...a creature thought to be extinct for millennia. Would you be telling everyone right away or would you second guess yourself? She was in a very dark place mentally, she had just visited her ruined home planet for the first time in years, she was remembering her dead father, and she had just read the plaque talking about how legend told that the mines were once the lair of the Mythosaur...she probably figured that all these things together might have triggered a hallucination. She doesn't know what to believe. And this sets her up for some amazing character development over the rest of the season.

There was a lot to unpack in this episode, and I am so very excited for whatever comes next.

[gmariam19]

Spoilers for The Mandalorian, S3E3...

Once again, spoilers for The Convert...

I spent this whole episode trying to make connections. I'm not sure if I should be, but I feel like the show is in a time period that is the right time period to start setting up certain aspects of events in the sequel trilogy. So my thoughts bounced between two things: one, that Dr Pershing is going to have something to do with the clones of Snoke and the Emperor. (and thus Rey's father - maybe he already did?!) And two, that the mind-flayer at the end could end up leading to the conditioning programs used on First Order troopers.

It seems fairly obvious that Kane was not as innocent as she seemed, even when she turned out to be 'working' with the New Republic. No, she's definitely a double agent, and what if whatever she is doing is precursor to the First Order? Whether she is working for Gideon or - even better, Thrawn - either way it all ends up with the Emperor puppeting the First Order.

It's out there, somewhere. Pretty soon, Finn will be born and taken into the First Order trooper program. In fact, Favreau said this season is now 11ABY - the year Finn is born. He was taken as a 3 year old. So the First Order must be organizing somewhere and developing the conditioning programs they use to brainwash their stolen children. Maybe this episode is part of that.

The fact that The March of the Resistance was playing in the background on Coruscant while Kane was ensnaring Pershing seems deliberate. It's like it's hinting at the First Order by using the theme of the Resistance. Plus her own music was sort of dark and broody like the dark side.

Personally, I had really hoped for a connection to Yavin 4 and the death of Poe Dameron's mother, but that seems unlikely now. The show started in 8ABY and Shara Bey died in 10ABY (when Poe was eight). Since Favreau said it's now 11ABY, that window has probably passed. But what I wouldn't give for a visit to Yavin and a meeting with a sad veteran and his 9 year old son.

I missed seeing Din and Grogu in this episode but as long as we don't get too many of these big diversions, and as long as it all comes together, I'm in. And if Thrawn shows up to throw us a bone for Ahsoka, I'm screaming.

[furiosophie]

the mines of mandalore: a summary

[magpie-allosaurus]

The Mandalorian: The Foundling

[kyber-collector]

This kid just can’t catch a fucking break huh. First his confirmation gets interrupted by a giant crocodile, then he gets kidnapped by a fucking pterodactyl. What next smh.

[canonicallysoulmates]

Yes, I am obsessively thinking about the fact that the Mythosaur still exists, and the Armorer told Din of the legend of the Mythosaur rising again to herald a new age for Mandalore, and Din had a Mythosaur pendant necklace, and when he was learning to ride a blurrg Kuiil told him that he's a Mandalorian surely he could do it since his ancestors rode the great Mythosaur, and the Mythosaur let itself be known after so many years after Din walked into the waters

[lesbianwyllravengard]

Din and Bo-katan are such siblings it's SO funny. Din shaking his head as he left her Palace like he's been dealing with her pessimism all his life instead of like two instances. "I toLd you😡I wanna be left aLo- Where's your dad😐He's in trouble? Let's go." Saves Din's life, "it's honestly adorable you believe those children's stories🙄". Teasingly gives him a tour of the Waters, immediately jumps in to rescue him when he falls in. Come on

[daughterofthequeen]

Incorrect Quote:

(Based after season 3 episode 2 so spoilers in a way)

*Bo-Katan and Din on the ground after she saves him from drowning with Y/n kneeling over Din to make sure he’s ok*

*Grogu staring at Din and Bo-Katan in concern while Y/n runs back over to put her face back into the water*

Bo-Katan: Kid get out of there!

*Y/n with her head finally out of the water staring straight ahead sitting on her knees not moving an inch of her body*

Y/n: Oh. My. Maker.

Din: Y/n are you okay?

Y/n: *Calmly* A beast so large and so long it rivals cities. A species so old they were known as a myth. The original natives of this amazing once beautiful planet, the Mythosaur.

Bo-Katan: *Whispering* Is she okay? Where is she going with this?

Din: *Whispering back* Idk this is the first time this has happened, just roll with it.

Y/n: The species that is only heard of in stories, an amazing creature thought extinct. Right under us in these mystic waters.

Y/n: . . . .

Y/n: IT’S. SO. CUUUUUTE.

Bo-Katan: 😑

Din: *sighs*

Bo-Katan: She does know that a mythosaur is a predator that would eat her given the chance right?

Din: Unclear.

*Y/n running around*

Y/n: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATURE I HAVE EVER SEEN.

Din: She loves animals.

Bo-Katan: I see.

Grogu: *Staring and cooing in worry*

Y/n: *Starting to run towards the water* IM GONNA HUG IT

Din: NO!!!

Bo-Katan: NO!!!

Bonus:

*Din carrying Y/n over his shoulder after her almost giving him a heart attack*

Y/n: *😭😭😭* But I want to give it looove.

Din: *😒🙄* It’s a killer.

Y/n: *😫😭* IT’S MISUNDERSTOOD!!!

Din: *sighs* Come on Grogu.

Grogu: *Coos in agreement*

*Bo-Katan talking to Grogu*

Bo-Katan: You have a weird family

Grogu: Tell me about it.

Bo-Katan: *😳*

[peppermintfury]

2 scenes that give off the same energy part 2.

[hellouniversehowareyou]

proud dad stanceTM

[nightskywrites]

the way bo-katan looked at din this episode has me going feral. the softening from “i’m going to kill him” to “din, are you alright”. the grief on her face when she told him about her father and he said “this is the way”, voice breaking and with the utmost respect. the awe when he was re-swearing the creed, like she was watching something holy, entranced by his conviction no one touch me no one touch me no one touch me

[tiredofsatansbullshit]

bo-katan, about din: oh fuck, he's so stupid. i have to make sure he doesn't die

[kyber-collector]

I just want everyone to know that I was fucking CACKLING when Din brings Grogu to train and the judge is like “dude that’s a fucking baby” and then Din goes “I’m his ward” and the judge is just like “oh okay that’s chill then let this baby fight” AS IF THE FACT THAT HIS GUARDIAN IS PRESENT MAKES IT OKAY

[bearsbeetsbeskar]

Someone posted this on Twitter and I’m CRYING

[the-marshals-wife]

The New Republic really out here stripping people of their identities and reducing them to literal numbers in the name of preserving peace and order JUST LIKE THE EMPIRE DID TO THE CLONES

Dude I know we're here for Mando and Grogu funtimes, but you can't be sleeping on these parallels

[simonsfav]

Not to be a hater, but I don't want DinBo. I want single dad Din, with his son.