Cartoon: Don’t let Baby Yoda set foot on Earth

Well, we don’t yet know the name of the youthful alien character simply known as “The Child,” but one thing we should all be able to agree on is The Mandalorian is one of the few bright spots of a forgettable year dominated by a global pandemic and brutal, ugly presidential campaign where the loser still can’t admit he lost.

Three episodes in, the second season of The Mandalorian (which is airing on Disney+) continues and pushes forward the successful setup of the first. Instead of a grand, overstuffed story filled with CGI space battles and lightsabers, the show remains totally episodic and in no hurry to get to the point, allowing viewers to bathe in the weirdness and originality of the Star Wars universe.

For instance, instead of following up the season finale’s revelation of the “darksaber,” the first episode of the second season sends Din Djarin on a mission to help a small colony run by Deadwood’s Timothy Olyphant kill a dragon and make peace with the local Sandpeople.

Compared to the obsessive fixation on the Skywalker bloodline or nonsensical plot points in the most recent Star Wars films (the Emperor is back, had a kid, and literally had a fleet of starships on ice?), the sparseness of the show and its willingness to let two characters simply sit at a run-down bar and chat is refreshing.

Here’s a cartoon I drew last year about The Mandalorian and my complete hatred of The Rise of Skywalker:

Despite all the fan-pandering Easter eggs and callbacks (and there are so many), the show has largely gone the opposite direction of the Disney-helmed Star Wars films. While I expect that to change (especially with a certain former Jedi expected to show up), the show will be worth watching as long as it stays in its lane as a space western featuring a faceless character coming to town and doing a job.

Oh, and like everyone else, I’m here for Baby Yoda eating eggs. Just keep him away from Earth, as least until everyone is vaccinated.

Here’s a roundup of some recent cartoons from me and my colleague, Signe Wilkinson. For more editorial cartoons, visit the Inquirer’s cartoon section.