Disney+ had a special surprise for us this week as they brought us an almost hour-long episode of “The Mandalorian” for the third episode. The last we saw of Baby Yoda and the Internet’s favorite dad, Pedro Pascal, the duo had visited the mines of Mandalore, and Mando had sunk to the bottom of the Living Waters. it was thanks to Bo-Katan, who dragged him out of the waters, that Mando managed to make it out alive. Now, while heading back to Kalevala, trouble finds the Mandalorians while we’re reintroduced to an old character from Season 1. Here’s all that happens in Episode 3.
Spoilers Ahead
A Run-In With Interceptors
The Mandalorian regains consciousness while lying on the bank of the Living Waters, and Bo-Katan asks him if he saw anything while he sank to the bottom. He did not, in fact, and was rather surprised to find just how deep the bed of the lake was. Bo explained that the bombings must’ve triggered seismic activities inside the lake, further deepening the cavern, as Mando filled a vial with the water as proof for his guild. While flying through space on the way to Kalevala, Bo-Katan’s ship is chased by five TIE interceptors, which the ships fire at. As Bo-Katan races for Kalevala, Mando destroys one of them with the ship’s blaster. They make it to Bo’s planet, and Mando leaps into his N-1 Starfighter and immediately goes on the offensive. The two of them work together to bring down the rest of the interceptors, but their celebration is short-lived because Bo-Katan’s palace is destroyed by bombs from other TIE interceptors. She chases and destroys one of the bombers, but she and Mando are soon swarmed by several more attackers, and they have to jump to hyperspace to get away from the attackers.
The Coruscant Connection
In a beautiful and dazzling city, Dr. Penn Pershing, whom we were introduced to as the scientist being forced to work under The Client from Season 1, is delivering a speech about how he’s born again under the Amnesty Program in Coruscant, having done away with the ways of the Empire. An officer we faintly remember from the previous season attends his speech. Pershing speaks about how his mother died because his planet didn’t have the facilities for cloning, which could have given his mother the heart she needed. After his speech, Pershing is congratulated by many of the important people of Coruscant, along with the royals. At the amnesty housing, Pershing meets the other officers in the section, including the one who had attended his speech, and she’s introduced as G68, while Pershing reminds them that she used to work under Moff Gideon, who apparently had his mind flayed, but that’s confidential news. Pershing shares his fondness for the yellow travel biscuits, and at night he finds a box of the biscuits outside his door.
The next morning, Pershing, or L52, according to his New Republic code, receives Imperial Data Cards to be archived and later walks around the bustling city with G68 while eating photon fizzles—the “Star Wars” version of ice cream. In the city of a trillion people, the scientist and the communications officer have a good time, and L52 is even egged on to touch the peak of Umate, the highest mountain on the planet, by G68. But this was a prank, and a droid surprises Pershing as G68 has a good laugh at his expense. Is this the start of a new friendship between two old colleagues?
The following week, Pershing goes in for his weekly evaluation with a droid, which asks him general questions before he asks if he can continue his research recreationally, but the robot says research about cloning is forbidden according to the New Republic rules. Later, he speaks to G68 about his plans: his research will help the new Republic, but he needs to acquire materials. She says the mobile lab and all the other equipment he needs can be organized, but for that, they need to go beyond the perimeter designated to them. Pershing is scared because it’ll mean being arrested, but G68 says she wants to help Pershing because she wants to do good after lifetime of horrid deeds she’s not proud of, although he’s not sure. The next day, Pershing receives more data cards to be destroyed, but they’re still very useful and can be salvaged, and his frustration keeps increasing. During the evaluation, he confirms with the droid that their whole purpose is helping the New Republic, and when the droid agrees, Pershing agrees to cross the perimeter with G68.
In the evening, L52 and G68 sneak out of the perimeter and board a train without tickets smoothly, but their merry ride is interrupted when ticket checker droids catch up to them. G68 gives Pershing the courage to leap off the train, and together they go to the shipyard, where all the non-functioning and broken models are stored. He’s amazed to find the materials present in the lab, and he collects the things that’ll help him set up the temporary lab as G68 formally introduces herself to him as Elia Kane. Noises start coming from outside, and they keep getting louder, and the two try running outside but are surrounded by soldiers. Strangely, however, they only arrest Pershing while Elia Kane takes away the portable carry-on from which he had gathered his materials in.
Later, Pershing finds himself strapped to a bed with a Mon Calamari technician telling him that G68 has submitted a report that suggests Pershing is having trouble adjusting to his new habitat and he’s to be treated with a device. Pershing immediately starts fidgeting because the device is a mind flayer, but the technician says it’s a 6-O-2 mitigator, which can be used to soothe selective memories that may induce trauma. As he keeps demanding an answer from Elia as to why she betrayed him, she’s congratulated by the officer overseeing the procedure, and he puts on a mild charge that’ll calm Pershing. The officer invites Elia to leave, but she asks if she can stay with him, given that they are colleagues. After the officer leaves, she proceeds to turn the regulator to the highest notch, successfully burning Pershing’s mind and thereby destroying his mind.
This Is The Way
Back to the other story, Mando brings Bo-Katan to the planet where the Children of the Watch have sought refuge and asks her to keep her helmet on since the guild members live by the Old Ways here. Paz Vizsla stops them from entering the cave and says Din Djarin is an apostate, but Mando says he has cleared his name and redeemed himself by visiting the mines of Mandalore, as Bo-katan supports his statement. Vizsla asks Bo to identify herself, calling her Nite Owl—an elite female squad of Mandalorians who served in the Death Watch. Bo-Katan identifies herself as a member of the Clan Kryze, but Vizsla declares both of them apostates, as Mando says he has bathed in the Living Waters and brought back a vial as proof. The guild’s leader, the Armorer, pours the vial into a bowl and confirms that having brought back the Living Waters is proof Din Djarin has found redemption, along with Bo-Katan Kryze. Since she had bathed in the Waters as well and didn’t remove her helmet, she’s a part of their guild now but has the liberty to leave anytime she chooses to.
Season 3, Episode 3: Ending Explained – Is Bo-Katan Now A Part Of The Children Of The Watch?
Although Mando had initially planned on bathing in the Living Waters and clearing his name, when he sank to the bottom, and Bo-Katan had to retrieve him, she too ended up bathing in the lake. Since she didn’t remove her helmet after taking a dip in the Waters, this made her a part of the guild. From hating the orthodox and rigid ways of how the Armorer’s cult functioned to being invited into it as a member, Bo-Katan became a part of the Old Mandalorian Way because she chose to help Din Djarin. If she hadn’t answered Grogu’s call in the previous episode, she’d still be in the palace, and Mando would be dead, but this brings us to the next question. Who was powerful enough to send so many TIE Interceptors to destroy the Mandalorian palace in Kalevala? Hopefully, it shall be answered in the upcoming episodes.
It was good to see Dr. Penn Pershing again, the nervous and fidgety scientist who used to grimace at the thought of having to hurt the little green alien and tried his best to harm him as little as possible. This hinted that he was a good guy at heart, which is why it’s extra sad that he had his mind flayed by G68, the former officer on Moff Gideon’s ship. She took away the instruments he had gathered to continue his research on cloning, and we’ll have to wait and see what her plans with the stolen instruments are.
