The third episode of The Mandalorian’s third season has a lot going on. It builds on the show’s previous plot threads and expands its scope. This episode is anything but filler, presenting a diversion which is the exact opposite of the external hijacking we saw in The Book of Boba Fett, despite feeling similar at first.

In ‘The Convert,’ we see the New Republic and Imperial Remnant plot being picked up again without fully cutting away from Din and Bo-Katan’s ongoing adventure. The episode lands closer to Andor than The Mandalorian, though the galaxy is much more colorful and filled with aliens here.

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The episode kicks off exactly where the previous episode ended, with Bo-Katan reeling from her unexpected encounter with the legendary mythosaur. Din wakes up and doesn’t look very wet, so we have to guess she’s been sitting there for a while trying to process what just happened.

She’s re-evaluating her beliefs after she’s been left with only a castle following her failure to recover the Darksaber. Orthodox traditions still put some weight on even the most progressive Mandalorians, and her mythosaur encounter only makes things worse… or actually better, as she could use that to her advantage. Regardless, it appears she’ll be returning (at least partially) to tradition to achieve her objectives.

The titular Mandalorian has to make a pit stop on Kalevala to recover his N-1, but things spin out of control as soon as they return to the planet, with a squadron of TIE Interceptors shooting to kill at Bo’s starfighter. As Bo tries to evade the furious attacks of the Imperials, Din jumps out of the ship and into his parked N-1 to even the odds. Once again, we see how capable he is as a pilot, and the Kryze heir also gets to show off some sick dogfight moves.

As Din and Bo jump to hyperspace, Chapter 19 changes the POV and we’re off to Coruscant. More importantly, we return to the opera house we first saw in Revenge of the Sith. No one recites the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise this time around though.

Instead, we witness an “Amnesty Program” conference in which our old pal Dr. Pershing is talking about getting a second chance after being forced to work for the Empire. He focuses on the cloning-related research he was doing for Moff Gideon and how important the work done by the Kaminoans was. Clearly, he still hasn’t moved on from his experiments, since they’re related to the death of his mother, who could’ve been saved with “simple organ cloning” from a heart failure.

The episode also provides a good look at ex-Imperials who are trying to move on thanks to the New Republic’s reinsertion program. This “modern age” of Star Wars has spent a decent amount of time humanizing the working class of the Empire and the First Order, and it’s great to see The Mandalorian also trying to portray their foot soldiers and low-ranking officers as more than nameless, disposable goons.

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Overall, this episode is a great continuation of The Mandalorian’s narrative. It expands on previous plot threads and offers new insights into characters we’ve come to know and love. The action scenes are impressive, and the world-building is top-notch. It’s clear that the creators of the show are dedicated to making it the best it can be, and that dedication shows in every scene. Fans of Star Wars and The Mandalorian will not be disappointed.