Ryan Shoots First: The Mandalorian (S3 Ep3) “Chapter 19: The Convert”

This week’s episode of The Mandalorian sees us return to a very familiar planet in what feels like the most Clones Wars-y episode yet. Perhaps it is because this is a planet we spent a lot of time on in the Clone Wars but also because of its nature of it. With so many episodes it was often we would spend entire episodes following someone else on a mission or story that played into the larger narrative even if it didn’t feature our main cast. While Bo and Mando are both in this episode and have some significant moments, the vast majority of the episode follows our old friend Dr. Pershing as he is integrated into an Operation Paperclip-like program in the New Republic. If you are unfamiliar with Operation Paperclip it was a program that took ex-Nazi scientists and enlisted them with the allies serving the needs of the US. The Dr learns there are many ex-Imperial officers, troopers, and agents now serving the New Republic. Some of them require more deconditioning than others. 

I like exploring the New Republic and it is something we have not seen much of. We know how they treated Leia and their ideas of trying to avoid militarization, we’ve also seen how so many have PTSD from the fall of the Empire any attempt to have any kind of control from the New Republic is met with trepidation. This makes it delicate and difficult to try to restore any kind of government or order. It’s fascinating to explore even from the sheer logistics of a galaxy-wide Civil War now ending. The amount of equipment, weapons, and ships that would all need to be identified, inventoried and decommissioned. That is as much a feat as trying to establish any kind of galactic government. It’s no wonder Imperial remnants found pockets around the galaxy to survive and even thrive. I like diving into this aspect a little more as it does in this episode. 

Of course, the fact we didn’t follow Mando around for the entire run time will surely get this episode labeled with “filler” or “side-quest” labels which have become an increasingly lazy criticism. This angle feeds into the larger narrative that’s been going on since the first episode and I am sure will play into other shows like Ahsoka where Thrawn is looming. I would not classify this episode as filler at all and I believe will serve the greater story going on. But regardless “internet gotta internet” amirite? 

Observations

• We’ve all been here right just stunned.
• DOGFIGHT!!!
• Nice cool Move Bo, good use of that ship’s design. 
• Is this the first time we’ve seen Courscaunt post-Jedi? 
• Galactic Ted Talks
• Hmm not sure who to trust here
• What’s in the boxxxxx
• We haven’t explored the New Republic a ton but I like the idea that everyone had such PTSD from the Empire it really set them up for failure. 
• This is like a reverse Blade Runner where the robots test the humans
• It is crazy to think about the sheer amount of equipment that would be left behind from the Galactic Civil War
• This isn’t going to end well for Dr. Persing
• They def not putting the New Republic in a good light.
• What’s her problem
• I’m sure that ship drew some attention
• Technically Bo hasn’t taken her helmet off since bathing in the waters either 
• Bo’s like, uhhhh I’m good