Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3.The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 - entitled "Chapter 19: The Convert" - currently holds the lowest rating for any episode of the show on IMDb, begging the question of whether or not it truly is the worst episode to date. While The Mandalorian has often been a bright spot of the Star Wars fandom, uniting a divided fanbase in near-unanimous praise, season 3 seems to have stumbled somewhat. From disappointing viewership numbers to holding the lowest-rated episode of the entire series, The Mandalorian season 3 could be seen as having rather a rough start.

This isn't to say The Mandalorian season 3 has already become a failure, of course; many are curious to see the continuing journey of Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Grogu. Still, The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 has certainly proved divisive, with the episode choosing to spin away from Din Djarin and focus instead on Omid Abtahi's Dr. Pershing. This surprising decision led to the popular criticisms, begging the question of whether the reactions were warranted.

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Why The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 3 Is Its Lowest-Rated Yet

Dr Pershing and Elia Kane in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3

The decision to focus on Abtahi's Dr. Pershing and Katy O'Brian's Elia Kane was something of a surprise. The Mandalorian has normally been quite tightly-focused, meaning viewers didn't expect an episode where the bulk of the story focused on an entirely different character - leaving Din and Grogu's story as bookends for the episode. It didn't help that Elia Kane and Dr. Pershing's story seemed relatively disconnected, leaving many wondering why this specific story was included here.

Unfortunately, this led to many dubbing the episode as "filler", continuing online fandom's gross misuse of the word in regard to TV. The fan reviews insisted this storyline was irrelevant to the overall plot of the show, given the choice to focus on characters outside the titular Mandalorian and his foundling. While this was one criticism, another simply came from viewers rendering the episode as boring. The storyline did not necessarily capture the attention of those tuning in for the usual Mandalorian status quo of dogfights, Western-style standoffs, and easygoing, crowd-pleasing Star Wars adventures.

The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 3 Isn't The Show's Worst Yet

Dr Pershing giving his speech and Din Djarin stood on the beach in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3.

Despite these many criticisms, it is worth pointing out that The Mandalorian's Coruscant-centric outing is certainly not the worst of the show. Firstly, in regard to the argument that the episode was "filler", Dr. Pershing and Elia Kane are both characters from prior seasons of The Mandalorian. Dr. Pershing was the Imperial scientist whose research led to the Empire pursuing Grogu, meaning he is an important figure in the show's history. The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 explained a little more about his research, which could well explain why the Empire hunted Grogu - and potentially still hunts him. The accusation this is mere "filler" is certainly invalid.

Furthermore, the story of The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 is quite obviously intended to reintroduce the remnants of the Empire to the show's story. Be it through Elia Kane, Moff Gideon, or someone more influential in the future of Star Wars and The Mandalorian like Grand Admiral Thrawn or Emperor Palpatine, the episode is clearly paving the way for a much bigger story. This concept again indicates this episode should not be dismissed as "filler."

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Aside from this, the elements showcasing the New Republic are interesting in their own right. Star Wars' own version of Operation Paperclip, reintegrating members of the fascistic Empire into a democratic Republic was overwhelmingly engrossing to see. From the return to Coruscant, the daily life of Dr. Pershing as an Amnesty Resident, and how his work ties into the show's story, The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 has plenty to love, meaning the low ratings for such an episode are sorely misguided.

New episodes of The Mandalorian release every Wednesday on Disney+.

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