Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » TV » REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3, Episode 3 – “Chapter 19: The Convert”

REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3, Episode 3 – “Chapter 19: The Convert”

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings03/15/20234 Mins ReadUpdated:03/25/2023
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 - But Why Tho

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 – titled “The Convert” – takes a different approach from previous installments. It does pick up on the aftermath of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) taking a dip into the Living Waters of Mandalore, and what it means for Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) to have dived in after him. But the title also has a double meaning as most of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 focuses on Dr. Penn Pershing (Omid Abtahi) and his life following Moff Gideon’s capture.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Pershing has been accepted into the New Republic’s rehabilitation program, as the fledgling government is working to dismantle the Empire’s legacy. But he chafes in a dead-end desk job and feels that his cloning work can be used for the New Republic’s benefit. Soon he ends up striking an alliance with another former Imperial, Elia Kane (Katy M. O’Brien) to continue his research.

Many fans might chafe at the idea of a Mandalorian episode that has so little of the title character in it, but creator/co-showrunner Jon Favreau and writer Noah Kloor manage to immerse the audience in Pershing’s plight. And it happens in the very first scene, as Pershing reveals the tragic reason for delving into cloning research. Throughout “The Convert”, it’s also revealed that the New Republic is struggling to steer the galaxy into a post-Imperial state and that not every Imperial was on-board with the Empire’s fascism. In a way, The Mandalorian takes a page from Andor‘s book to highlight how the galaxy functions outside of the characters fans have grown to know and love.

It succeeds thanks to Abtahi’s performance. Abtahi’s been a part of The Mandalorian since its first season, but here he takes center stage. He plays Pershing as a noble, but frustrated individual; first, his life’s work was perverted by the Empire, then the New Republic doesn’t allow him to use said work for good. Much of Abtahi’s emotions are conveyed via his eyes and facial movements – there are subtle twitches during an interview with his droid parole officer that suggest that he hasn’t quite adjusted to post-Empire life, no matter what he might say. The best part of the Pershing storyline is that, unlike previous Star Wars shows, it isn’t setting up a future storyline but rather enhancing The Mandalorian‘s ongoing narrative.

Keeping in line with previous seasons, The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 boasts a new director in the form of Lee Issac Chung. Chung, who directed the heartbreakingly amazing Minari, immerses the audience in the world of Star Wars. Much of the episode takes place on Coruscant, and Chung takes great care to show off the various elements of the city planet. My favorite part was having an entire fair set in the middle of the city. People ate glowing ice cream, there was a magic trick involving what looked like a cross between a bird and a dragon, and Pershing even tried to touch the top of Courscant’s mountains. These little details make the world of Star Wars such a fascinating place, and I’m glad Chung touched on that.

Chung also handles the sole action sequence in the episode, featuring a dogfight with Djarin, Bo-Katan, and a squadron of TIE fighters. His camera dips and weaves but never loses focus of the ships as they carve through the sky, trading blaster bolts. Djarin also dives from Bo-Katan’s fighter in a Mission: Impossible-level stunt – although, unlike Ethan Hunt, he has a jetpack to slow his fall.

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 takes a detour from its main storyline to highlight the fragile state of the galaxy, resulting in a thoughtful character piece. I don’t know how this will affect the ongoing story, but it’s a great reminder that sometimes the best Star Wars doesn’t have to feature lightsaber fights or even the characters we’ve grown to love. It’s a big galaxy – creators should be able to push their boundaries.

The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 is available now, with new episodes of The Mandalorian premiering Wednesdays on Disney+.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleAIR Revealed for SXSW 2023 Closing Night Film
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Swarm’ Is A Thrilling Dark Satirical Take On Stan Culture
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Alien Earth Episode 1 and Episode 2 still from FX and Hulu
9.5

REVIEW: ‘Alien: Earth’ Episode 1-2 — “Neverland” and “Mr. October”

08/18/2025
Vanessa Kirby in Night Always Comes on Netflix But Why Tho
5.0

REVIEW: ‘Night Always Comes’ Lacks Purpose

08/16/2025
Foundation Season 3 Episode 6 promotional still
8.0

RECAP: ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 6 — “The Shape of Time”

08/15/2025
Butterfly first look images from Prime Video
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Butterfly’ Continues Prime Video’s Spy Thriller Streak

08/13/2025
Trigger promotional image from Netflix
8.0

REVIEW: ‘Trigger’ Is Netflix’s Most Disturbing Series

08/08/2025
Foundation Season 3 Episode 5 promo image from AppleTV+
7.0

RECAP: ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 5 — “Where Tyrants Spend Eternity”

08/08/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here