Space Age traditions

The Mandalorian returned to Disney+ in October, and fans will be glad to hear that—at least so far—the show hasn’t departed from its family-friendly, spaghetti-Western-in-space formula that made it such a galactic success.

At first glance, Season 2 seems to break little new ground. At each far-flung planet Mando travels to in his quest to reunite the Child (aka Baby Yoda) with his own kind, he finds yet another person he must help before he can ride—er, fly—off into the star-scape. But look closer and we see the series digging further into worldview themes the first season introduced.

In the third episode, for instance, he meets other Mandalorians who have adapted their religious practices to modern customs, namely by taking their helmets off. Mando must decide whether wearing his armor is fundamental to his belief system or simply a rigid and unnecessary burden of tradition. That the series is taking this idea seriously in its plot and character development demonstrates how much smarter it is than most shows at the PG level.

More than anything, The Mandalorian’s huge fan base continues to prove how hungry the market is for high-quality entertainment for all ages.