The Mandalorian (Season 3), Episode 3: Recap & Ending Explained: After the big “Mythosaur” reveal last week, you would naturally expect “The Mandalorian” to follow up on that. But this show has always been famous for breaking the mold and surprising us. So we have an episode where a minor but important character from the first season takes center stage and gets at least eighty percent of screen time. Clocking at close to an hour, the episode almost feels like a very intriguing, slow-burn science-fiction movie which almost makes you forget about Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan. However, it does connect things to the main plot in the end very subtly. “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung beautifully directs it.
The Mandalorian Chapter 19 (Season 3 Episode 3) Recap
After Din fully regains consciousness, Bo-Katan makes sure if he is okay. Din is finally redeemed now that he has bathed in the holy water. Now wearing her helmet, Bo-Katan asks him if he saw something alive under the water. We do realize what she means, but Din replies that he hasn’t seen anything. Bo-Katan chooses not to say anything as of now.
Bo-Katan has made some people really mad
On their way back to Kalevala in Bo-Katan’s ship, our favorite group gets attacked by some tie interceptors. That is a result of Bo-Katan making a lot of imperial warlords really mad, as she has scrapped off a lot of their stuff, according to her. However, they don’t have much problem handling the initial attackers after entering the Kalevala landscape.
But that was not it. An entire fleet of tie interceptors soon bombs Bo-Katan’s palace. Seeing no other option but to get away, they quickly leave for a ‘safe location”.
And that’s it for now.
An old face
Remember Doctor Pershing? The scientist who used to work for “The Client” in the first season. In case it doesn’t ring a bell, this is the guy who was researching cloning technology, and most importantly, he was going to run some experiments on our little Grogu.
Well, the time has changed, and the empire has fallen. This is the era of the new republic now, and our doctor is now working as a lab scientist (L-52) as a part of the Amnesty programme in the beautiful capital city of the Coruscant planet. In a deeply moving speech, Pershing talks about how he regrets his action under the empire, but his intentions were only doing good. Talking about how the loss of his mother has fuelled his passion for the research work in cloning technology, he vows to do only good for the New Republic. For the current government, though, he only does basic lab work as his research has been deemed controversial and unnecessary.
While getting back to his Apartment, Pershing comes across a group of other Amnesty programme recruits who ask him out for a drink. Pershing joins in while faintly remembering the fact that one of the recruits, G-68, used to be an officer working for Moff Gideon. G-68 clears the doubt soon, though, as she comes clean to Pershing and tells him how remorseful she feels for all the terrible things she has done, and her only agenda is to make up for that by doing good.
Pershing obviously believes her, as he can pretty much relate, after all. The group talks about what they miss from “before,” the everyday stuff that is banned now, and Pershing casually mentions the yellow travel biscuit. On the same night, he finds a box of those yellow travel biscuits right outside his door. We know who, right?
With similar life goals and an undeniable connection between them, Pershing and G-68 soon strike up a friendship as they roam around the beautiful city while eating photon fizzles (Ice-cream in Star Wars World). Pershing talks about how he still wants to pursue his cloning research, and G-68 encourages him. Pershing does ask if he could pursue it as a recreational activity to the AI during his routine mind evaluation, but his request gets declined. Upon knowing, G-68 offers to help him. However, Pershing backs away as that would mean rebelling against a government that is “truly trying.”
For the greater good
But it was only a matter of time before Pershing asked for G-68’s help in getting a mobile lab and some necessary equipment. The trigger here is Pershing finding out The New Republic is throwing away perfectly fine Scientific equipment just because those are fruits of “Imperial technology.”
Pershing and G-68 travel to the Scrapyard station outside the city limit to get the equipment. They almost get caught by two ticket-checking droids but still make it after a thrilling train ride. Inside the deserted Imperial ship at the Scrapyard, G-68 apologizes for not talking to Pershing despite walking past him at least 50 times while working for Gideon.
Then she introduces herself as Elia Kane. Pershing finds everything he is looking for and quickly packs those in a case. At this point, I am thinking maybe things will go Pershing’s way, but even for a fictional world, that is too much of a wish. So it is not surprising to see the duo getting caught by New Republic soldiers on their way of leaving. But here is the thing, only Pershing gets arrested, and G-68 leaves in front of him and the soldiers with the packed case in her hand.
The Mandalorian Chapter 19 (Season 3 Episode 3): Ending Explained
What happens to Dr. Pershing?
Nothing good, and it makes me really sad. Strapped to a machine he recognizes as the mind flayer, Pershing pleads with the Mon Calamari technician to let him go as he only means good. The technician assures him that the machine is only a 6-O-2 mitigator to help Pershing heal from his traumatic memories, considering he is showing signs of stress, as reported by G-68. Pershing realizes that Elia has trapped him and screams for an explanation.
Outside the room, Elia is congratulated by a New Republic officer of higher rank for handling Pershing. Meanwhile, true to his words, the Mon Calamari technician does put Pershing under a very mild charge, which seems like helping the good doctor. While the technician and higher rank officer leave, Elia chooses to stay. Once the room is clear, Elia turns over the knob of the machine, which puts Pershing under a much higher charge, eventually killing the doctor.
What does this mean?
This only implies Elia is still working for Moff Gideon, who might still be there. This is also very bad news for Grogu, as Gideon had sinister plans with him, which got ruined, thankfully. We are pretty confident that Din and Bo-Katan can take care of Grogu and any trouble that comes their way.
Where does Din and Bo-Katan really go?
Back to the Children of Watch, as I thought they would. Paz Vizsla and other members of the group stand against their way in as they believe Din to be an apostate and Bo-Katan to be someone who has lost her way already. But when Din says that he has been redeemed and is even the “living water,” their road clears.
The Armourer takes the water from Din, and upon testing it, she announces that it is indeed the living water under the mines of Mandalore, and Din is now redeemed. The same also goes for Bo-Katan, as she has also taken a bath underwater and hasn’t removed her helmet since. Despite Bo-Katan saying she doesn’t believe in how the watch follows, the Armourer declares she is one of them as long as she wants. As the Children of the Watch members welcome Din and Bo-Katan to their clan, Bo-Katan looks at the miniature black Mythosaur idol on the wall.
This is the way.
