The Mandalorian takes a detour to Coruscant and explains what happened to Dr. Pershing

Warning: This story contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3 episode "The Convert."

If last week's Mandalorian was all about Mandalore, this week we're taking a trip to another key Star Wars planet. With season 3 episode 3 ("Chapter 19: The Convert"), the show heads to Coruscant, one of the galaxy's busiest and most notable locales.

Everyone's favorite bustling city planet played a major role in the prequel trilogy, serving as both the Jedi headquarters and the heart of the Galactic Senate. Since then, it's popped up in flashbacks and prequel series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor, but The Mandalorian marks the first time we've seen Coruscant after the fall of the Empire, as the New Republic struggles to find its footing.

Here, EW breaks down that unexpected detour — and what it might mean for our little green friend Grogu.

Lucasfilm Ltd. Omid Abtahi as Dr. Pershing and a parole droid in 'The Mandalorian'

The doctor is in

Unlike last week, most of "The Convert" doesn't focus on Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) or Bo-Katan Kryze (Katie Sackhoff) at all. Instead, we catch up with a familiar face: Dr. Pershing, the Imperial scientist played by American Gods alum Omid Abtahi. When we last left the not-so-good doctor, he was working for the Client (a menacing Werner Herzog), developing cloning technology and doing sketchy experiments on baby Grogu. He's since been captured by the New Republic, and he's enrolled in their so-called amnesty program.

Under the amnesty program, the New Republic has sought to retrain and rehabilitate former Imperials. It's essentially the Star Wars version of Operation Paperclip, the post-World War II program where the United States recruited former Nazi scientists and put them to work developing Cold War technology. Pershing never had much loyalty to the Empire, so he's just happy to be alive, and he now works cataloging data cards in a dead-end job. But he can't help but wonder whether his research might be put to better use, working for the New Republic…

Enter Elia Kane (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actress Katy O'Brian), another "reformed" Imperial officer who served on Moff Gideon's ship. She quickly wins over Pershing, plying him with stolen Imperial biscuits and encouraging him to pursue his research. They even go so far as to break into a scrap Star Destroyer and steal cloning lab equipment — at which point she promptly backstabs Pershing and turns him over to the New Republic. (There's a great moment where Pershing tries to tell a New Republic Mon Calamarian that it was "a trap," a fun nod to the endlessly memorable Admiral Ackbar.) Presumably, Kane is still working with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), and whatever he has planned for that cloning tech, it can't be good news for Grogu.

The entire episode is a bit of a slow-burn, especially after the plot-heavy action of last week. But it's interesting to check in on the development of the New Republic — and how it might be repeating the mistakes of its predecessor. With all the shadowy corridors and espionage themes, "The Convert" feels more like an episode of Andor than The Mandalorian — which is definitely not a bad thing.

Meanwhile on Mandalore

Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan mostly take a backseat in this episode, popping up for only a few minutes at the beginning and the end. Bo-Katan is still shook after her encounter with the Mythosaur, but interestingly, Din didn't see anything when he was underwater. Does this mean Bo-Katan is the one prophesied to tame the Mythosaur and "herald a new age of Mandalore"? We'll have to wait and see.

Speaking of Bo-Katan, she and Din try to make their way back to her castle on Kalevala, only to end up on the wrong side of some Imperial TIE bombers. So, they flee with Grogu to the hidden covert, where they reunite with the Children of the Watch. Din is psyched to be back so he can prove that he bathed in the Living Waters, but Bo-Katan is less thrilled. At one point, she comes to face to face with Paz Vizsla, a member of the Watch voiced by Jon Favreau. The last time Bo-Katan went up against a Mandalorian character voiced by Favreau, it was in The Clone Wars, when the similarly named Pre Vizsla tried to overthrow her sister Satine. Paz doesn't have that same history with her, but either way, he doesn't seem pleased to see her.

Ultimately, the only opinion that matters is the Armorer (Emily Swallow), who forgives Din and welcomes him back into the Watch. She also notes that because Bo-Katan bathed in the Living Waters and has not removed her helmet, she too is eligible to join everyone's favorite cult. At first, Bo is reluctant, but you can tell that she's secretly pleased to have a makeshift family again. Will she stay, or will her disagreements with the Watch boil over eventually? We'll have to wait and see.

For more Mandalorian coverage, check out EW's Star Wars podcast Dagobah Dispatch, where every week we'll be breaking down the new episodes and bringing you exclusive interviews with the cast and creators, like Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Jon Favreau, and Dave Filoni.

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