We began speculating about The Mandalorian the moment Jon Favreau announced he was developing the first-ever live-action Star Wars series. The story of a lone bounty hunter surviving in a post-Empire galaxy offered countless opportunities. The main character being a member of one of the most famous warrior clans made it even better. Yet we never could have predicted the show would be about a surrogate father taking care of a Baby Yoda. Not if you gave us a million guesses. (Two million probably wouldn’t have been enough.) But we love everything about it. There’s a genuine wholesomeness to Mando’s relationship with his little Yodaling that is sweet and wholesome. It has also leant itself to some amazing comedy. It’s the kind of premise that sounds like a classic TV sitcom, which is why this fan-made trailer turning The Mandalorian into an ’80s show works perfectly.
Gareth Wood re-cut a 1980s-style opening credits sequence for The Mandalorian using one of the most underrated TV themes of the decade, the song from My Two Dads. Even if Mando is raising Baby Yoda alone, it’s a perfect choice for a show about an unlikely father and his surprise child.
If you’re too young to remember My Two Dads 1) I envy you your youth (and hate you a little for it), and 2) in classic ’80s fashion the opening credits explains the entire premise of the show. It’s an idea more television series should still employ.
For the record, My Two Dads was cheesy, silly, and totally wonderful. Everyone who was on it should have become a huge star, not just Paul Reiser. (Well, Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus was already a huge star. He is one of the greatest players in NFL history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. His presence on the show is probably even weirder now then it was back then. But now you’ve learned something new about NFL history, so that’s fun.)
As for The Mandalorian, if Baby Yoda were to have a second dad it’s not clear right now who that would be. Carl Weather’s Greef Carga wanted to turn the wee little greenling over to evil men. Omid Abtahi’s Dr. Pershing said he was protecting “The Child,” but he also seemed to be harvesting him for midichlorians and that’s not exactly “fatherly” behavior.
Clearly the answer is Werner Herzog. No, we don’t mean Werner Herzog’s character “The Client.” That monster was sending an army of bounty hunters to kill Baby Yoda. We will never be okay with that guy. We mean Werner Herzog the actual human being who wept when he saw the Baby Yoda puppet. He’s also the hero who called the show’s creators cowards for thinking about making Yodaling CGI.
Lucasfilm
No one better exemplifies the promise of the My Two Dad‘s theme song. “You can count on me, no matter what you do. You can count on me, no matter where you go.”
We love Baby Yoda, but Werner Herzog was standing by his side long before we met the most precious baby in the galaxy far, far away.
Featured Image: Lucasfilm/Gareth Wood