Emmy Catch-Up: The Mandalorian

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

The Mandalorian: Season 1, Episode 2 “Chapter 2: The Child” (B)

Now here’s a show where I know I’m in the minority since it was extremely popular upon release last November. I’m a big “Star Wars” fan, even if I only liked “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi” out of the most recent spate of films. This show earned a somewhat unexpected Best Drama Series Emmy bid to go along with its impressive performance in the technical categories, and so now I’m going to go back to try to find out why everyone loves it so much. I understand that Baby Yoda is meant to be very cute and impressive, and he certainly held his own in this episode as he used the Force to stop that giant creature in its tracks so that the Mandalorian could kill it and cut out the egg to trade with the Jawas. But it does seem more than a bit precarious to bring him along through the desert as the bounty hunter continues to encounter enemies bent on killing him, especially after the blows he did suffer that could have incapacitated him and left Baby Yoda defenseless following an exhausting exertion of the Force. This show definitely wants to feel like “Star Wars,” with its frequent transition wipes and its adventurous spirit, but I’m still not seeing its greater purpose. Unlike so many traders portrayed in this universe, Kuiil really is one of the good guys, determined to keep his word and eager to help the Mandalorian even when it definitely doesn’t benefit him to vouch for someone who is no friend of the Jawa.