Mandalorian Episode 2 Finally Fixes the Big Problem with Grogu
In perilous situations, Grogu can now more than hold his own.
Jon Favreau shocked the entire Mandalorian fandom when he revealed Grogu’s trip to Jedi training camp with Luke Skywalker didn’t last the couple of weeks we thought we saw in The Book of Boba Fett, but was actually a couple of years. Grogu, the 50-year-old former Jedi youngling, was previously not much more than a living MacGuffin, but he’s since learned to help and heal while making amusing mischief.
In Season 3 Episode 1, after he returned from space camp, Grogu slotted right back into his old role of amusing prop, using the Force to spin himself in a chair and squeezing an Anzellan a little too hard. But more than three years after the premiere of The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda’s shtick is getting old. His face has been plastered on every facet of Star Wars merchandise, he’s sold countless dolls, and he was even parodied on Saturday Night Live.
In Episode 1, Grogu wasn’t much more than adorable eye candy.
It’s time to find something new for Grogu to do, and at first, it didn’t look like Season 3 would bother. All Grogu did in the premiere was get in the way again. Did he learn nothing from two years at camp? Thankfully, Episode 2 did better by giving Grogu a big adventure.
We see Mando educate his adopted son on navigation and flying before they land on Mandalore. They find the old Civic Center and the mine entrance, but a terrifying encounter with a cybernetic creature ends with Mando captured, meaning it’s all up to Grogu to get help.
With the use of the Force to divert a scary Alamite, he’s able to find his way back to the ship and direct R5 to bring them back to Bo-Katan. Once there, he babbles and coos a request for help, and she brings him back to Mandalore to save Din.
But in Episode 2, he actually learns how to fly.
It’s a lot for the little guy to handle, considering he’s only a couple years removed from chasing butterflies and eating frogs. But when you’re suddenly plunged into a conflict between the New Republic and Imperial Remnants, you grow up quickly.
It’s about time Grogu did some growing. Sure, he ages slowly, but we should expect to see some development over two years, especially for someone who’d been at Jedi boarding school. Now we can start speculating about his next steps, like what his first words will be and when he’ll abandon his floating pod for his own two feet.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 2 is now streaming on Disney+.
