Okay, so I know I'm completely alone in this assessment, but The Mandalorian (which recently had an awesome Star Wars cameo) would be a much better show without Baby Yoda, or rather, Grogu.
I know, I know. A lot of fans have recently been going gaga over how Grogu survived Order 66, and sure, I suppose that was a cool moment (though, I personally prefer Star Wars without Jedi interference), but still, I'd much rather have the series without Grogu in it anymore, and I have four reasons why.
The Cute Factor Has Kind Of Worn Off Now
Don’t get it twisted. Grogu is cute, sure. I can admit that. But, to be honest, I’m kind of over Grogu’s cuteness at this point. Maybe it’s because Grogu was (Was? Still is!) ubiquitous. I still see him on backpacks, t-shirts, billboards, cups, pregnancy tests (Okay, I made that last one up, but would you be surprised?), you name it! For a time anyway, Grogu was Disney’s cash cow.
In a lot of ways, I think Grogu diverted a lot of the hate that Star Wars was getting on the internet after the sequels. I actually imagine the pitch from Disney to Star Wars fans being something like this: "You didn’t like The Last Jedi? Well, don’t you worry about that, because just look at this little guy. Isn’t he precious? He looks like Yoda, but pint-sized!The internet’s calling him Baby Yoda, but his real name’s Grogu. Isn’t that the most adorable little name you’ve ever heard?"
For a time, it was. After two seasons, though, it’s not so much anymore. At least not for me. It might be because of over-saturation. For example, I think Gizmo from Gremlins is cute, but I wouldn’t want to watch a whole series centered around him. (Oh, dear.) So, yeah, Grogu’s cuteness has kind of worn off for me. But, that’s not the worst of his problems. Not by a long shot.
The Show Now Seems Like It's Veering Even Further Into Childishness Whenever Grogu Is Around
Look, Star Wars is for children, okay? And, there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ve written a number of articles on the franchise, and even recommended that parents should start their kids off with The Phantom Menace if they want to get their progeny into the it.
That said, The Mandalorian felt different. Sure, it wasn’t more adult in tone like Rogue One (which represents the very best of Star Wars) or Andor, but it was a whole lot more violent, and as a space western, it was a lot grittier than what we were used to seeing out of this property.
But, Grogu made the show more palatable for a younger audience, which is fine. Once again, it's for children, and the young at heart! That said, it’s gotten a little ridiculous in the third season. Whenever I see Grogu doing flips in the air and Din Djarin just nodding proudly, they’ve completely lost me. When Grogu had to choose between baby Beskar chainmail or a lightsaber in The Book of Boba Fett, I thought, oh, c’mon. Give me a break!
In any other Star Wars series, save for the awesome Andor, I couldn’t care less. But, it just makes the story of The Mandalorian feel silly. I mean, he shouldn’t even be in this show anymore after what happened at the end of the second season. About that…
Din Djarin's Mission Was To Deliver The Child, And He Already Did It
Grogu was kind of wearing on my nerves by the middle of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, so I was really happy when Din gave him to an eerily accurate-looking CG Luke Skywalker by the end of Season 2. Because in my mind, I was thinking YES! Din’s mission is finally over, so now he can go off on his own adventures in Season 3. I was downright excited.
Just look at what a fool I was to think that Disney would really allow its cash cow to go off into the sunset. When Din showed up in Boba Fett, and Grogu was brought back, I knew then and there that Season 3 wasn’t going to be as strong as the first two seasons, and I’ve been right for the most part.
Because honestly, Grogu’s return reeks of desperation on Disney’s part. I thought this show was supposed to be about The Mandalorian! But, I guess it's as much about Din as The Book of Boba Fett was about Boba Fett, who somehow managed to have his own show hijacked at the end by Din.
Yes, I know Grogu appears at the very end of the first episode of The Mandalorian, so you could make the case that it’s as much his show as it is Din’s. At this point, however, with as much screen time that The Child now gets on the show, I feel like they might as well just call it The Mandalorian + Grogu. Or, more accurately, Grogu and Mando. Which really sucks, because…
All The Best Episodes Feature Barely Any Grogu In Them At All
Lastly, is it just me, or has the third season been kind of bad? Yes, a lot has gone on (A Mythosaur, you say?!), but I’ve seen articles left and right about how The Mandalorian has fallen off a cliff this season. I don’t completely agree, but will say that it doesn’t really feel like must-see TV any longer.
However, at the time of this writing, there have now been five episodes of Season 3, and of those, the two that I’ve liked the most — Chapter 19, “The Convert,” and Chapter 21, “The Pirate,” — had next to no Grogu in them at all.
In “The Convert,” which I’ve heard people call “boring,” we’re given more about Dr. Pershing and Elia Kane. In the episode, we get very minimal Grogu screen time, and even minimal screen time for Din. It was still fascinating to watch this story play out, even though the end result was a little predictable. “The Pirate” showed Mandalorians kicking some ass, which I’d much rather see than Grogu flipping around and shooting some poor Mandalorian child with a paint gun. It’s just more enjoyable.
I know I’m mostly alone when I say that Grogu has worn out his welcome, but what do you think? Would The Mandalorian be even better this season if there was a whole lot less of the cute little guy? For more news on all things Star Wars, make sure to swing by here often.
