Is this the way?

Future for “The Mandalorian”, Disney+, and more importantly, baby Yoda.

If all your knowledge of the new Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” is sourced from the internet and memes, you’re probably astounded to hear that “Baby Yoda” is not the main character. Although the show is loosely centered around “the child,” which is the official name of the little green internet star, the main protagonist of the new hit series of “The Mandalorian” is (spoiler alert) the Mandalorian. This nameless Mandalorian, sometimes referred to as “Mando”, is a part of an extinct religious group of highly-skilled assassins and bounty hunters that are highly valued in a now-lawless galaxy.

Although season one is complete, the team behind the production has already confirmed a season two in fall 2020. Those who plan to go through hyperspace and knock out future seasons in one sitting might want to hone their Jedi skills of patience. Unlike other popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ dispenses “The Mandalorian” by episode every week, rather than by season. Despite this, you can watch all the episodes that previously aired all at once, until you are caught up with everyone else who had to endure a week between episodes.

“I feel like I was kind of spoiled with the way Netflix gives out seasons all at once, and I can finish a season in a matter of days,” said senior Michael Zuppas. “Now I have to pace myself with the way [Disney+] gives out an episode every week.”

Initially, the series’ overwhelming hype and attention prior to the Disney+ debut could be credited to the show having to do with Star Wars. Although Star Wars fans would likely watch a poorly made show that had ten seconds of the Star Wars theme playing for nostalgic purposes, “The Mandalorian” proves it can generate and uphold its own success without the golden parachute of the massively successful Star Wars franchise. Although chock full of great content, the show sometimes forgets that it is a series and often has nothing to do with previous episodes that aired. This issue quickly dissipated, as the show simply took time to set the story arc, and only made the character development more refined. Fans of Star Wars can find many enjoyable nuances and homage to Star Wars, however, some viewers of the series might consider “The Mandalorian” the first Star Wars story they have ever watched and loved it.

“Honestly I have seen bits and pieces of [the] original Star Wars movies, but I wouldn’t consider myself a fanatic, or really a fan at all,” said senior Paul Velasco. “ I can confidently say that understanding and appreciating [“The Mandalorian”] doesn’t require prior knowledge to Star Wars.”

Okay, three paragraphs is officially the longest I can go without fully talking about everyone’s favorite internet child, Baby Yoda. I would be lying if he was not the main superstar with this hit new series, and the biggest question everyone is asking is “who and what is he?” For one, it should be clarified that he is not “Yoda” from the Star Wars saga, but he is the same species as Yoda. Before he is even introduced in the first episode, the Mandalorian is told that his bounty hunting target given to him is 50 years old, and had an extremely large reward. To his surprise, this target ends up being a baby, better known as Baby Yoda. The Baby is extremely force-sensitive, able to perform with the force to a much higher extent than some of the most well-known Jedi heroes from the Star Wars saga… as a toddler.

“I first started watching [“The Mandalorian”] for the plot and for the Star Wars nostalgia,” senior Graham Baur said. “Once I saw Baby Yoda in the first episode, I realized that there is pretty much nothing I wouldn’t do to protect him, and honestly if the show decides to kill him off, they would lose me as a viewer.”

Although ruthless with many of his previous bounty targets, the Mandalorian makes it clear there is a heart under all that beskar armor, deciding against killing a baby. Knowing nothing good could come out of a massive reward for an infant strong with the force, he decides to go rogue and protect the child rather than cashing him in, saving the child from a lifetime of abuse.

Since Disney+ is the new streaming service in town, their selection of original series ranges from “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and “The Mandalorian”, and that’s just about it for right now. That being said, many viewers are wondering what route Disney+ will be taking in terms of how episodes will be released for their originals. “The Mandalorian” receiving more popularity than the High School Musical series will likely set the mold for future Disney+ originals to air in the future, with episodes releasing every week rather than in bulk by season. With a plethora of anticipated original series ready to hit the streaming platform later this year, such as the Marvel shows for Phase Four, everyone is going to want to eat it all in one bite. However, viewers will probably have to be the tortoise rather than the hare, as the episode release pattern for future series will likely follow in the footsteps of the Mandalorian and baby Yoda’s floating orb.

“I have to admit, waiting a week between episodes, especially when the show would end on a cliffhanger, was kind of annoying,” said senior Luke Hatchl. “ After season one ended, I realized the wait between episodes actually added to the suspense of the show, and I think if [Disney+] were to do this with other action or sci-fi shows, it would work pretty well. Season one set up so much opportunity for season two, and I can’t wait for the future of the Mandalorian, and of course, Baby Yoda.”