The fifth episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 has now been released on Disney Plus. Chapter 21 ‘The Pirate’ provides plenty of action, and surprises, after pirate king Gorian Shard stages a siege on the planet of Nevarro.
We return to Nevarro in the latest episode of The Mandalorian, where the outer rim planet faces heavy retaliation from pirates Gorian Shard and Vane. Greef Karga and Din Djarin were forced to confront and defeat them earlier in the season when they tried to take over a saloon. And now, they’re back seeking revenge.
In the opening sequence, we see that the capital city is quickly forced to evacuate, as artillery fire reigns down from above. Unwilling to surrender his peoples’ lives, High Magistrate Karga transmits a call to the New Republic for immediate aid.
Zeb and the New Republic
Captain Carson Teva is the ranger who receives this message while drinking at a relaxed tropical bar. He watches the distress call on the bartender’s viewer, and Karga’s call for help closely resembles that of Princess Leia’s to Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope.
As he prepares to leave, we see a giant Lasat character walk right up next to him. It is none other than Garazeb ‘Zeb’ Orrelios. Zeb was a popular character in the Star Wars: Rebels animated show and this live-action debut was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Zeb informs Captain Teva it is unlikely the New Republic will intervene in the assault, but still wishes him luck in his attempt. Nine years on from the events of Rebels, it is good to see Zeb that is still fighting against the Empire. Unfortunately, none of his former crew were alongside him, but his appearance is a clever tease for what’s to come in the Ahsoka show and, maybe, future appearances in The Mandalorian season 3.
Another twist in this episode came when Captain Teva arrived on Coruscant to request permission and backup, from the New Republic. While he was making his request, we see the former Imperial officer Elia Kane appear to cunningly interject and downplay the need for the New Republic to get involved.
Once a part of Moff Gideon’s crew, it is clear she holds some resentment for the people of the volcanic planet. Or perhaps, it is just in the Empire’s plan to keep the people of Nevarro weak so they can re-establish their presence at a later time.
The Mandalorian cavalry
After being turned away by the New Republic, Captain Teva had only one option. Knowing Djarin’s connection to Greef Karga and Nevarro, he was able to trace him to the Children of the Watch’s covert. He cleverly used Mando’s newly acquired astromech droid, R5-D4, against him.
Upon arrival, he urged Din Djarin to get involved and protect Nevarro, explaining that it was outside of the New Republic’s jurisdiction. Having had multiple run-ins with the pirates himself, Djarin agreed and proposed the idea to other Mandalorians, adding that Karga had offered him land they could use. Paz Vizsla, who was still grateful to Bo-Katan and Djarin for their efforts to save his son backed this move, despite their previous differences, wanting to “fight for a better future.”
The action sequences in Chapter 21 were among some of the best in the entire series. From incredible high-flying maneuvers in dogfights to a grueling ground assault led by Paz Vizsla and the Armorer. The full tactical might and combat prowess of the Mandalorian forces show just how powerful their people are, and would be on a larger scale if they were reunited.
When Gorian Shard refused to retreat and targeted his fire at the townspeople, Bo-Katan and Din Djarin put all their effort into bringing the cruiser down. They devastated his final engine, with a joint bombardment, plummeting his pirate ship into the rock face.
After liberating the city, Din Djarin finally chose to take the Magistrate up on his offer of land. This new territory can now give him and the others a place to rest on Nevarro, while they gear up for their eventual return to the Mandalore planet.
The Mandalorian Chapter 21 verdict
Episode Rating: 8.5/10
There was no shortage of intriguing or action-packed moments in this Chapter, and the momentum is continuing to pick up for The Mandalorian series. While Grogu wasn’t featured much in this episode, tying in characters’ storylines with Zeb in the New Republic, as well as Elia Kane and Captain Teva exchanging barbs, still gave viewers enough to be happy with.
The Pirate invasion arc was well shot, seeing the N1 and the Gauntlet back in action is always a plus. Director Peter Ramsey also maintained a great command of pacing throughout. The overall plot seems to be moving along, with the Mandalorians’ goal of reuniting their people now at the forefront of their priorities
Aside from the battle, one of the most engaging moments was seeing the armorer pulling Bo-Katan Kryze aside and trusting her as the one to reunite the clans of Mandalore. This was a surprising move, considering that Din Djarin’s mere possession of the Darksaber would be enough to challenge her claim to the throne of Mandalore. While it would be great to see Bo-Katan and Din co-exist, the legendary weapon continues to play a significant role in their friendship.
There is a brief scene with Captain Teva to end the episode. And he finds out that, the earlier rumor we heard was true, Moff Gideon was rescued. But it appears to be the work of other Mandalorians, with Beskar Alloy fragments found at the crash site of his prison transport ship. This is likely teasing the introduction of a new clan that Bo-Katan will likely encounter in Chapter 22. Or maybe, Sabine?