The Mandalorian (3×05) Chapter 21: The Pirate Review

For our review of the last episode of The Mandalorian, click here.

Season 3 of The Mandalorian has been an absolute blast so far and this latest episode keeps it going. Chapter 21 is a ton of fun, and is perhaps the most exhilarating episode yet. Full to the brim with great action set pieces, awesome cameos, and an army of Mandalorians, it very much teases what’s to come for the rest of the series. 

Starting back on Nevarro, the episode follows Greef Karga as his home planet comes under siege by pirate warlord Gorian Shard (Nonso Anozie). After negotiations go awry, Karga asks Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), a new Republic X-wing pilot for help. Teva attempts to employ a squadron to help, but the order is quickly denied by his officer, leading him to reach out to Din Djarin to recruit his Mandalorian clan for help save Nevarro from destruction. 

As mentioned, the exhilarating action, characters, cameos, and future storyline setup all combine to create an undeniably thrilling energy. Featuring dog fights, mass destruction and good ol’ Star Wars shootouts, the episode offers something for everyone. On top of that, seeing an army of Mandalorians lay waste to pirates will never not be awesome. That’s without mentioning the MVP’s Paz Vizsla and The Armorer who just wreak havoc on their enemies. 

Meanwhile, the episode was filled with countless surprising cameos that will send any and every Star Wars fan giddy with excitement. Characters like the Anzellans, the Salacious B. Crumb Kowakian Monkey-Lizards and of course the great Elia Kane make appearances. However, the cameos and appearances don’t just stop there, as many fans may recognize a very familiar Lasat. That Lasat is the Rebel’s fan favorite character Zeb Orrelios, voiced by Steve Blum, the same voice actor from the animated series. 

The one thing this episode has done much better than previous episodes, except for Chapter 19, is delivering set-up for the rest of the season. At the end of the episode, The Armorer tasks Bo-Katan to recruit and unite every Mandalorian in the hopes that they can retake their home planet of Mandalore. Viewers will also see Teva come across the wreckage of an Imperial Shuttle floating through space. The very shuttle was the prison transport for Moff Gideon, which he was rescued from. So far, it is unclear how he escaped or who freed him, but it inevitably has to have something to do with Kane. Although Teva did eventually come across a shard of Beskar when examining the wreckage, Kane has to have played a part in it. 

That being said, this episode isn’t be the best episodes of the season by a long shot. It sadly lacks any stakes nor does it answer many of the burning questions viewers have been waiting to have answered. Another minus is the mere lack of Grogu in this episode, who was sorely missed.

At the end of the day, The Pirate is an incredibly fun episode that makes up for its lack of stakes with thrilling action, cameos and an army of Mandalorians.

*still courtesy of Lucasfilm

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Olly Dyche

Journalist, Writer, Film Critic and Professional Nerd. You will probably find Olly at the cinema chomping down on some popcorn and taking in the glorious visuals of the latest theatrical release.