The Tiny Hero Returns

 

"A foundling is in your care. By creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father. This is the way." —The Armorer

Last Fall, as Disney+ launched, the signature show for the platform was "The Mandalorian," a live action series set in the world of "Star Wars." The series takes place in the period between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens" and is centered on a Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), a bounty hunter by trade, doing jobs throughout the galaxy.

This was a cool concept, and from the moment it launched the western style and compact episodes were great. But by the end of the first episode, the series' real star emerged—The Child. While most have come to call it Little Baby Yoda, that's not truly its name or species. But it was his little mannerisms that stole audiences hearts.

And by the finale, he'd stolen the Mandalorian's heart, too. That's where we left off in mid-December after eight episodes. And it was worth wondering when, or if, the show would be able to return in 2020 when so many other shows have struggled to be able to get back to filming.

But it returned on October 30, and picked up right where it left off. That picture above, from the premier episode, is indicative of the joy that's still returned with these adventures, as the Mandalorian and The Child continue their adventures. 

This has been a hard year and a hard season, and I think we've all been looking for something of an escape. Movies have been shuttered, and many of our shows that have returned, being set in the contemporary world, have attempted to incorporate our current reality into their programming. That's why it's nice to have a show like "The Mandalorian" that provides a bit of an escape, and the adventures of the most adorable hero on TV, for 30-50 minutes each week.