The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 5 Review: Chapter 21: The Pirate
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 5, “Chapter 21: The Pirate,” finds Greef Karga reaching out for assistance when Nevarro falls prey to Gorian Shard. It’s an exhilarating, action-packed episode that lays the groundwork for what’s to come in the remaining chapters of the season.
“Chapter 21: The Pirate” sees the return of a few recurring characters, including Captain Carson Teva, Elia Kane, and Gorian Shard. While we last saw Kane and Shard earlier in the season, this is Teva’s first appearance since Season 2’s “Chapter 12: The Siege.” This outing seeks to unite multiple facets of the galaxy and has them converge in Nevarro.
GREEF KARGA: Believe your ears, then, and don’t mistake my hospitality for weakness.
Season 3 endeavors to expand the often intimate world of Din and Grogu, making it more of a large-scale, broad narrative with intricate chess pieces at play. If there’s one thing this season has made abundantly clear, it’s the burgeoning return of the Empire.
Of course, “Chapter 19: The Convert” created a tether between The Mandalorian and the sequel trilogy. However, this episode confirms the whispers we’ve heard and Elia Kane’s actions in the aforementioned outing. Captain Teva’s statements to Colonel Tuttle on Coruscant should be cause for alarm, but Tuttle and Kane brush off his concerns.
The growing Imperial presence will undoubtedly play a more significant role in the long run. Bo-Katan’s newfound calling and the Mandalorians moving to Nevarro will undoubtedly take center stage as we enter the final three episodes of the season.
ELIA KANE: Perhaps the leaders of Nevarro need to understand why becoming a Republic signatory is valuable.
Bo-Katan’s had quite the arc in Season 3, and “Chapter 21: The Pirate” propels that arc considerably. She’s gone from resisting The Way and living a jaded life in solitude to finding camaraderie among her people again. Now, she’s poised to unite an entire clan to usher them into a new age. Talk about living your purpose.
Bo-Katan and The Armorer’s dynamic this season has been exciting to watch onscreen, and their relationship takes a new turn in “Chapter 21: The Pirate,” as the Mythosaur sighting returns to the fore. There’s something terrifying and thrilling about The Armorer asking Bo-Katan to remove her helmet. It’s such a frowned upon, shun-worthy act among Mandalore culture that you can’t help but feel a tad nervous whenever it happens on the show.
Katee Sackhoff proves to be an MVP in Season 3 as she delivers a well-rounded, nuanced performance. Emily Swallow offers a commanding presence as The Armorer from her voice alone. You don’t need to see her face to understand her emotions. The authority in her voice is enough.
THE ARMORER: You have walked both worlds. You are the one who can unite us.
There’s also something symbolic about The Armorer standing on the balcony of Greef Karga’s High Magistrate quarters after she incapacitates the pirates therein. Seeing her positioned there with her gold helmet alludes to her ambitions. Perhaps not to rule, but her desire to see Mandalorians reunite to take back Mandalore.
The fight on Nevarro between the Mandalorians and the pirates is well-choreographed and exciting, especially as we see the covert assist folks outside their purview. It heals the rift between Nevarro and the Mandalorians. While Gorian Shard feels more like an over-the-top comic book villain than anything as formidable as Moff Gideon and his downfall comes relatively quickly, the battle is still a fun watch that adheres to the Star Wars style.
Speaking of Moff Gideon, the end of “Chapter 21: The Pirate” perfectly sets up his return to The Mandalorian. The imagery speaks volumes. All we need to know is that it’s a prison ship, and it’s abundantly clear Moff Gideon escaped. Still, hearing it spoken aloud by Teva is thrilling. Bring Giancarlo Esposito back to our screens, please!
Overall, “Chapter 21: The Pirate” is the season’s best episode thus far, brimming with action, immersive visuals, narrative momentum, and plenty of twists and turns. Here’s hoping the final three episodes deliver similarly.
Stray Observations:
- I love the nods to the original Star Wars trilogy with Greef’s remark to Gorian Shard about how Din “shot first” (like Han Solo shooting Greedo in the Mos Eisley cantina) and Din telling Greef he “likes those odds” (Han saying “Never tell me the odds” in The Empire Strikes Back). In a way, it feels like an homage to Han Solo.
- For me, it’s difficult to see Tim Meadows and not think of his Mean Girls character. That movie left an indelible mark on me. That said, Meadows killed it in episode six of Poker Face.
- I dig the vintage feel of the creatures on this show. It honors the original series. For example, Gorian Shard’s conversation with Greef via hologram undoubtedly keeps in line with the old-school sci-fi vibes Star Wars inherently exudes.
- Paz Vizsla’s speech to the Mandalorians in the covert is the embodiment of the “They had us in the first half” meme. I thought he might attempt to turn the others against Din and the latter’s mission to assist Greef.
- “Chapter 21: The Pirate” marks the first live-action appearance of Zeb Orrelios, who is voiced by Steve Blum in Star Wars: Rebels and in this episode. Zeb was chatting with Captain Teva after the latter received the message from Greef about Nevarro falling to pirates.
What did you think of this episode of The Mandalorian? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.