Chapter 19: The Convert

"Chapter 19: The Convert" is the third episode of the third season of the American television series The Mandalorian. It was written by Noah Kloor and showrunner Jon Favreau and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. It was released on Disney+ on March 15, 2023 and received mixed reviews.

Plot
After the Mandalorian recovers from his sudden fall to the depths of the Living Waters, he and Bo-Katan Kryze depart from Mandalore, though Bo-Katan withholds the Mythosaur's existence from him. Upon returning to Kalevala, they are attacked by an Imperial TIE squadron. While she and Din were able to fend off the attackers, a large squadron of TIE bombers appears moments after, destroying Bo-Katan's castle. Enraged, Bo-Katan attempts to pursue the bombers and manages to destroy several of them with heat-seeking missiles, but a massive swarm of TIE interceptors arrive, forcing Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian to flee from Kalevala.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Dr. Pershing receives a pardon by the New Republic but is startled to find Elia Kane—a former communications officer who was a part of Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant—among the amnesty program's recipients. Kane declares to assist Pershing in his efforts to continue his cloning research, which has been outlawed by the Republic. They sneak aboard a decommissioned Imperial-class Star Destroyer to steal the necessary materials, but Kane betrays Pershing to the Republic's lawkeepers and keeps the cloning materials. Later, Kane secretly sabotages the mind-wiping procedure used on him, significantly worsening its effect.

Elsewhere, the Mandalorian and Bo-Katan arrive at the secret Mandalorian enclave, where the Mandalorian presents the Armorer with a sample of the Living Waters as proof of his redemption. Having proven himself, the Armorer tells Din that he is redeemed. Because she has also bathed in the Waters, Bo-Katan is welcomed to the enclave as well.

Development
The episode was directed by Lee Isaac Chung, from a screenplay by Noah Kloor and series creator Jon Favreau.

Casting
The co-starring cast for this episode returned from previous episodes, including Omid Abtahi as Penn Pershing, Katy O'Brian as Elia Kane, Emily Swallow as The Armorer, and Tait Fletcher and Jon Favreau as Paz Vizsla.

Music
Joseph Shirley composed the musical score for the episode, while Ludwig Göransson composed the themes.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has a score of 83% based on reviews from 23 critics, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While The Mandalorian foray into moral ambiguity feels somewhat out of place, Omid Abtahi's sympathetic performance will win over many to "The Convert"".