It’s true that much ofThe Mandalorianseason 3 is unorthodox compared to its first two seasons, but one storyline in particular has always stood out for how far-removed it seemed from the season’s overall plot - and it still hasn’t been finished. One of the problems going intoThe Mandalorianseason 3 was that one of its original spin-off TV shows,Rangers of the New Republic, never came to be. As a result, this season picked up some of its storylines.
This included some extra time spent with Captain Carson Teva and the Adelphi Rangers, though most prominently featured an episode that focused almost entirely on Doctor Penn Pershing, who was first introduced inThe Mandalorianseason 1. We learned about theNew RepublicAmnesty Program, which gave former Imperial officials a second chance. This is something both Pershing and Moff Gideon’s double agent, Elia Kane, were a part of - but their story was never finished.
Doctor Pershing’s Storyline Is Clearly Crucial To Star Wars' Future
His Research Is Vital To Project Necromancer
If nearly an entire episode ofThe Mandalorianwas dedicated to Pershing’s story rather thanDin Djarin’s, then it has to be crucial to the future ofStar Wars. Otherwise, it’s likely that the franchise would have folded in the details of the story elsewhere, perhaps even just mentioning it in some dialogue - similarly to how they acknowledge things like Cara Dune’s absence in season 3. This, however, wasn’t the case;we were meant toseewhat was happening to Pershing.
Why Moff Gideon Had Doctor Pershing Killed
Dr. Pershing has been a central figure in Moff Gideon’s play since The Mandalorian season 1, and now Gideon’s plans for his research are clearer.
This was almost certainly meant to be an episode ofRangers of the New Republic, the show that bothThe Mandalorianseason 3 andAhsokaseason 1 had to compensate for in their own ways, and I can understand whyStar Warsfelt that it absolutely had to be shown. Unfortunately, however,we have yet to reap the benefits of this storyline, even afterAhsokaseason 1. As the scale ofThe Mandalorian’s story reaches the big screen, it seems even harder for this specific story thread to be completed.
Star Wars Doesn’t Have Any Upcoming Projects Where This Could Easily Pay Off
Ahsoka Season 2 & The Mandalorian Movie Have Too Much To Cover
Pershing’s story inThe Mandalorianseason 3 left off on a cliffhanger of Elia Kane either killing Pershing or wiping his short-term memory, at least to the point where his scientific knowledge remained, but his newfound loyalty to the New Republic didn’t. We, however, don’t know this for certain, because the last we see of Pershing inThe Mandalorianis him in the process of being mind flayed. Moff Gideon simply tells theImperial Shadow CouncilthatPershing’s research “is lost. For now, at least.”
If I had to guess, then the Pershing storyline itself might have had an intended ending in Rangers of the New Republic, but that project is lost for good now.
It’s unclear if Gideon is referring to their attempts to subdue Pershing to their cause again, or if he’s referring to his own secret clones, which could help them unlock the necessary research again. Either way,this story’s completion would clearly be a rather large undertaking for any futureStar Warsproject, and it’s hard to see which one could do it.Ahsokaseason 2has enough to focus on in its own right, withGrand Admiral Thrawn’s return and Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren being trapped on an extragalactic planet.
Even the upcomingThe Mandalorian and Grogumovieseems too contained to dwell too long on the fate of Pershing. If I had to guess, then the Pershing storyline itself might have had an intended ending inRangers of the New Republic, but that project is lost for good now.The Mandalorian and Groguis too high a priority to do anything other than tell the story that was written for it, as withoutThe Mandalorianseason 4, there isn’t much wiggle room for anything that isn’t directly focused on Din Djarin and Grogu.
When (& How) Could Star Wars Finish This Storyline?
Either Folding It In Or Creating A New Project
BetweenAhsokaseason 2 andThe Mandalorian and Grogu, I think it’s more likely that the former will continue this storyline, as jam-packed as its own story is at the moment. There is, of course, the possibility thatStar Warscould announce a new TV show in the “Mandoverse” that continues this story as well- especially with Lucasfilm PresidentKathleen Kennedy recently confirming that new projects are in developmentin this era. These are certainly the best options.
All Star Wars Movie & TV Show News Expected In 2025
The Star Wars franchise will be hopeful of kickstarting somewhat of a resurgence in 2025, thanks to the movie and TV news that is expected.
Either way, this is clearly a story that has to be completed, preferably on screen. It will no doubt be Pershing’s expertise that ultimately leads to Palpatine’s successful cloning endeavor inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and this cloning scientist is a key part of making that happen. This storyline fromThe Mandalorianwill have to one day see its completion, and I’m curious to see howStar Warsbrings all the pieces together.
