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The Mandalorian “Chapter 19” stands out as one of the most interesting episodes of Star Wars thanks to some compelling stories and a mysterious plot reminiscent of Andorra consecutively. For once, “The Convert” set aside the adventure of the titular hero and Grogu for a while – after showing some amazing dogfights – to focus on Dr. Penn Pershing (Omid Abtahi), a familiar face who made his live-action appearance in the premiere of the series. When the brilliant scientist meets Elia Kane — a former communications officer serving on Moff Gideon’s cruiser — Dr. Pershing.
Who is Dr. Pershing and Elijah Kane?
Dr. Pershing is a clone engineer who previously worked with The Client and Moff Gideon, who shows a great deal of knowledge about the experiments conducted by the Grogu Empire. After the capture of Moff Gideon, Dr. Pershing joined the New Republic’s Amnesty Program designed for former Empire sympathizers to get a shot at redemption. Dr. Pershing expressed sincere gratitude for his second shot and wanted to use his abilities to help the New Republic. However, his background in the Empire and involvement in cloning technology caught up with him. Despite his desire to use his knowledge for good, the New Republic and possibly even former Imperial loyalists still see him as a threat.
When Dr. Pershing to Kane that he wants to continue his research on cloning – a practice prohibited by the Republic -, Kane offers to help him steal the necessary materials for his research. Together, they sneak aboard a decommissioned Imperial-class Star Destroyer, where Kane finally betrays Pershing to New Republic law enforcement and turns him over to them. Despite his apparent involvement with the New Republic, it appears that Elias may be working to protect the interests of the Empire as he sets up the capture of Dr. Pershing, perhaps because he wanted to prevent the New Republic from accessing cloning technology. It is also possible that he is working for Moff Gideon, who is still loyal to the Empire and shows great interest in the clones.
The Mandalorian and Andor
In addition to their action-packed storytelling and a strong emphasis on developing their lone wolf-archetype protagonists, both The Mandalorian and Andorra explore the moral dilemma of Star Wars universe, where characters often find themselves in situations where there are no clear answers or easy choices. The Mandalorianfor example, constantly exploring the idea of what it means to be a “good” or “bad” person in a transgressive galaxy, while Andorra similarly explores the moral complexities of the Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Empire.
The Mandalorian taken from there to show that even after the fall of the Empire, some of the methods used by the New Republic to convert former sympathizers of the Empire were questionable. A clear example is the mind flayer device used to relieve Pershing’s traumatic memories and help him overcome his Imperial indoctrination. The fact that the Mon Calamari technician didn’t even listen to Pershing’s explanation might raise an eyebrow. And how is it possible that Kane secretly sabotaged the mind-wiping procedure, exacerbating its effect on Pershing’s mind?
There are still pending questions, but for sure, Star Wars is at its peak when it savvily mixes action-packed sequences with nail-biting political plots. Andorra and The Mandalorian are perfect examples.
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