In a studio far far away, The Mandalorian has wrapped up its spectacular sophomore season with record-breaking critical success. The Star Wars spinoff series has attracted both new and old fans alike, promising a bright future for Star Wars in television streaming.

The season two premiere began streaming Oct. 30 on the Disney+ platform, giving subscribers an escape from quarantine through the adventures of Baby Yoda and the Mandalorian. What sets this TV show apart from the new Disney movies is its original storytelling.

Essentially, the newer movies (Episodes VII-IX) suffer from a need to pay homage to older Star Wars films, which robs them of their ability to convey a compelling story. When originality is taken away because a story is too reminiscent of the source material, fans aren’t allowed to become invested in these new characters. They’re basically going through a journey that we have already seen before.

The Mandalorian, however, takes another route. This show tells the unique story of an exiled warrior trying to find a home for a lost child with special abilities. The series isn’t afraid to explore new genres of storytelling while also tying it into the greater story of the Star Wars universe.

When the season began, the stakes were simple – traveling through the galaxy trying to find answers as to what happened to the forgotten Jedi that can train Grogu (Baby Yoda). But when he started finding those answers, he discovered that they could be linked to a greater scheme by the former Empire to regain power and control of the galaxy. 

Even then, when the stakes rose, the Mandalorian’s top priority remained to keep Grogu safe. Then in a shocking turn of events, Grogu’s safety was left in the air, leading to an epic final act spanning two episodes for the heroes to fight for Grogu.

And in the last few minutes of the season finale, just when things were looking dim for the heroes, a surprise guest cameo completely stole the show. Modern audiences finally got to see a legendary Jedi in live-action while old fans of the franchise were treated to something they’ve been waiting for all their lives.

In a heartbreaking final scene, the titular hero and Grogu finally parted ways after almost two seasons of fun adventures. However, even without this iconic character, the show still has plenty of plotlines to pick up for its third season. 

One of the side quirks of season two has been the introduction of other exiled Mandalorians from Din’s home planet of Mandalore. Season three will hopefully allow us to explore more behind the mystery of what happened to Mandalore and why everyone has been exiled from the planet. 

With so many questions unanswered regarding the fate of Mandalore, this makes for the potential of a very strong third season of The Mandalorian despite the prevailing absence of Baby Yoda.