Grogu Is Still Just A Little Baby In The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere
Warning: this post contains mild spoilers for "The Mandalorian" season 3 premiere.
I'm going to be completely honest here. I'm not a fan of a lot of the "Star Wars" franchise's attempts at alien mascots. I find the Ewoks annoying, Jar Jar Binks uncomfortably problematic, and the Anzellans just downright unbearable. I'm not even a huge fan of Yoda all that much. Despite his sage words of advice, he's a jerk, and we need to acknowledge that more!
Anyways, I bring this up because, for some unexplainable reason, I absolutely adore Grogu, the pint-size Yoda-esque former Jedi in training from "The Mandalorian." My cold and cruel heart grows three sizes whenever he coos, and somehow, it's adorable to me when he's eating unfertilized frog eggs. Lucasfilm wanted to create a baby character to promote their Disney+ show and sell more merchandise, and unfortunately, it has worked on me like a charm.
Thankfully for me, Grogu has not changed at all between the end of "The Book of Boba Fett" and season 3 of "The Mandalorian," as evidenced by its premiere episode. "The Apostate" follows the titular father figure (Pedro Pascal) as he embarks on his quest to rid himself of his sins. Of course, however, he's still got that little 50-year-old rascal to take care of, and Grogu's antics continue to make me smile. Curse that little brat and Lucasfilm's uncanny ability to somehow know exactly what breaks me.
Just a silly little guy
Despite being middle-aged in human years, Grogu is just a curious little baby, and "The Apostate" hones in on that every chance it gets. He's got that same awestruck energy that every young child has when exploring a place they aren't familiar with. He was watching those giant space whales with childlike wonder in his huge, black eyes, and it was immediately reminiscent of those times you would stare at the clouds while driving in the backseat of a car when you were younger. Come on, don't lie and say you've never pretended that those clouds were whales!
Grogu's childlike actions, however, hit a peak once he and Din enter Navarro, which has become a thriving city. When visiting the office of High Magistrate Karga (Carl Weathers), Grogu just plops right down on his big fancy chair and spins around on it, stealing candy in the process. If that wasn't enough, like any kid that sees a toy they want, he just grabs onto one of the Anzellan droid smiths with absolutely no regard for boundaries or respect. Give him a break! He's just a 50-year-old child.
Even if Grogu wasn't exactly on his best behavior throughout this episode, he is a bit of a sight for sore eyes. "Star Wars" is arguably at its best when it frames itself through whimsy and childlike wonder, and "The Apostate" proves that Grogu is the perfect representation of that.
New episodes of "The Mandalorian" season 3 premiere on Wednesdays on Disney+.