The Mandalorian: The Baby Yoda Show
Another breakout Disney+ original is The Mandalorian. It is the first live-action Star Wars show exclusively on the streaming service. In its first three episodes, it has managed to impress audiences through genre-blending of science fiction and western filled with tons of action. It is a show designed for fans. The series is set five years after the defeat of the Empire between episodes six and seven of the film franchise. The plot focuses on a lone bounty hunter that wanders through the galaxy.
The Mandalorian allows fans of the original trilogy to further dive deep into the world created by George Lucas. They can spend more time learning through the 30-minute episodes that the films don't allow audiences to. The Mandalorian starts off as a mystery. He never takes off his helmet and his world is never revealed. All that is known is that he is a bounty hunter. As episodes progress the world and structure of the title character become known. It reveals more and more with each new episode introducing audiences to new characters and places in the galaxy.
Baby Yoda is introduced at the end of the first episode and sparked outbursts over social media after its reveal. It becomes a sidekick for Mando and humanizes him. Every time this little bundle of green pops up on the screen the series feels wholesome. The camera somehow glosses over it in every scene and gets the same reaction of those big eyes looking at the viewer and coos coming out of its mouth. It stays by Mando's side in the floating crib as they walk throughout the iconic dusty landscape of the Star Wars universe. Baby Yoda begins as a mission for Mando but once he loses the presence of the green child he realizes he must do the right thing and get it back. The most wholesome moment of the series is when Baby Yoda raises three fingers with eyes closed and uses the force to save Mando. This new sidekick sets the story in motion.
In contrast to its predecessors the series doesn't possess the same flashy overdramatic elements. It keeps the dusty landscape while adding some advanced animated animals and visual effects whole also maintaining the same transition between scenes. A key difference would be the subtle, lowkey music used throughout the series. It signals that the Mando is not on a high stakes journey and the series is to further explore the rest of this two-dimensional universe created by George Lucas. Favreau manages to slow down the series to explore the sophistication of the world of Mando. It embodies television through its pace and looks with the occasional easter egg to excite fans. It feels different.
Mando is similar to Boba Fett in the sense of not taking off his helmet but he is a hero. The battles he comes across along his way showcase his talents for violence. Mando's goodness is shown when he rescues Baby Yoda and protects him along their journey together. he is a man of very little dialogue and that is left up to those he comes across. It is simple and gives fans an incentive to subscribe to the service. Pedro Pascal portrays the intense seriousness of Mando perfectly to match the gritty world he lives in. It is powerful yet subtle. It serves to a more mature audience through its dark setting with the added feel of a western.
By the third episode of the series it becomes compelling. The character development of Mando becomes apparent and flashbacks are provided to give insight to his traumatic childhood. The bond with Baby Yoda becomes deeper and continues to humanize him. It is more than a bounty to him as evident when he saves the green child. Mando turns his back on the bounty life and saves Baby Yoda from being tested on. This wins him the trust of other Mandalorians and leads to the show's most magnificent action scene. It also puts the main character in an interesting place as he is now on the run with Baby Yoda. Mando is on the run and can't trust anyone. Mando is now set on a new course for the rest of the series.