This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3
This week, The Mandalorian turned into the Dr. Pershing show, with much of the episode focusing on Omid Abtahi’s clone-happy scientist struggling to fit into the New Republic’s Imperial rehabilitation plan. It’s safe to say he’s not having a great time by the end of the episode, with his unsanctioned trip inside a Star Destroyer not quite what it appears.
His adventure ended with him being strapped into an incredibly creepy mind-wiping device that’ll cure him of his Imperial conditioning. Pershing wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, protesting that he’d been suckered into his clandestine trip, saying “It was a trap!”
In a supremely fun twist, he’s saying that to a perky Mon Calimari scientist, which has to be a sly nod to Admiral Ackbar’s memetic line from Return of the Jedi: “It’s a trap!”
Referencing one of Star Wars‘ silliest lines in a scene that’s objectively pretty horrific is a fun twist, and we have to imagine Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were giggling to themselves when they realized they could get away with it.
Star Wars fans were quick to spot the link:
You can’t get a reference like this past us!
For most of the episode, we assumed this was all leading to a reveal of Moff Gideon, who’s confirmed to be out there somewhere in the galaxy. We’re guessing Pershing is still going to be the “somehow” in “somehow Palpatine returned”, but judging by the intensity of the brain-washer, it looks like he’s going to be doing less complex science and more finger painting in the near future.
The Mandalorian airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.