The most contentious episode of The Mandalorian season 3 was caused by the repetition of one of the most significant errors found in The Book of Boba Fett. A new, more linked age of Star Wars was ushered in with The Mandalorian.
The Book of Boba Fett, a straight Mandalorian spinoff, was tasked with telling a whole new tale of a legendary but enigmatic legacy character while also advancing the plot of the so-called “Mandoverse.” The Book of Boba Fett struggled due to the overwhelming success of The Mandalorian, despite having several excellent narrative sequences and beats.
The Mandalorian, the main series of the Mandoverse, had to deal with Star Wars Disney+ expansion as well, which led to a third season that attempted to jam too many concepts and storylines into its eight-episode run. One Mandalorian episode in particular demonstrated that Star Wars had not taken any lessons from the most contentious scenes from The Book of Boba Fett.
The third season of The Mandalorian was criticized for emphasizing Bo-Katan Kryze’s future, frequently at the expense of Din Djarin and Grogu’s friendship.
Season 3, Episode 3 of The Mandalorian featured the takeover by Rangers of the New Republic
The third episode of The Mandalorian, “Chapter 19: The Convert,” completely changed the show’s tone. As the opening scenes implied, the episode would continue Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan’s battle with the Imperial Remnant.
However, it abruptly returned a familiar face to the small screen: Dr. Pershing, a former Imperial scientist who played a key role in the Imperial Remnant’s cloning research. After being taken prisoner by the New Republic, Dr Pershing joined a rehabilitation centre.
The episode traced his journey through their new shared reality with fellow “former” Imperial Elia Kane, returning the attention to Din, Grogu, and Bo only at the very end. The dearth of stories about Mandalorians startled the audience.
The New Republic, Pershing’s research, and Kane’s betrayal took centre stage in this episode, and it soon became apparent that the plot was originally intended for a different program: Rangers of the New Republic, a Disney+ spinoff series that was shelved as a result of Star Wars.
The Rangers of the New Republic were tasked with examining the political expansion of the New Republic around the galaxy as well as the ascent to power of Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Imperial Remnant. That show would have surely benefited from the New Republic’s rehabilitation program as well.
