The Mandalorian: How Dudes Think Fathers Parent
By: Ritchard Ouma
Tags: Parenting, Disney, Hollywood, The Mandalorian, Fatherhood

I saw an ad, underneath a mask, on the side of the London bus, saying that the Mandalorian is “too cool to resist”. Catching up with the new season of Mandalorian, and our masked warrior, Din, and his adorable sidekick, Baby Yoda, I realise that Disney is stuck in the 20th century especially when it comes to parenting.

Dear Disney, can I just ask who is feeding the creature? Many a meme has been created for the creature, does any spare a thought to its well being. Indeed it is only when Din and the Child land on Sorgan that Omera and the children of the tribe pay ANY attention to the child. Note it seems only women and girls do any parenting.

For all of the fantastic FX, the show demonstrates no curiosity or faith in the exploration of parenting.

Whilst Din definitely monopolizes a lot of our mind space, it is Baby Yoda that many of us are interested in. Aside for cute quirks delivered at top his flying orb, who is Baby Yoda?

As I write this my own tenacious baby boy is vigorously and persistently trying to wrest control of my phone, it seems that Baby Yoda showed similar interest in the spaceship. Nonetheless I wonder if Baby Yoda has any allergies? How does he sleep best? Does he have a preferred food and who the hell deals with his “excretions”, one of the main functions of life?

We know the Child has powers but does it use them to open the door on the spaceship repeatedly to Din’s annoyance?

More importantly besides saving the child, likely due to a saviour complex, what is the relationship between them?

Do they make each other laugh? Does Din feel an increased sense of responsibility? Does his killing and bounty hunting still serve the same function or is this just a mission to return the child to its kind?

What Disney and the Mandalorian’s show runners don’t realize is that there is an ocean of tenderness, frustration, and intrigue that can drive and reinvigorate characters in the Star Wars universe that often become lost in a large galaxy far far away.

Being a single parent is a difficult proposition, does Din feel frustrated after long days drifting through space with an incessant Baby Yoda? Does he reach for a hymn from a time before his Mandalorian present? Does he feel a thrill to be out of the ship and pursuing his calling and passion?

It feels that the show runners and writers do not believe that we can achieve the characterization of both Din and the Child within their personal space, the ship. Especially in our Covid-afflicted times it would have been amazing to see their relationship form within that context.

Din is capable of being a competent carer and also having a successful bounty hunting career. Many single mothers and fathers scale that challenge every day. The show is written in the way detached dude view raising their own children. It is 2020. Fathers/carers can be engaged in caring and active in their careers.

It is therefore striking that in a universe full of diverse species and striking vistas, we have no creativity when it comes to parenting in the galactic setting. The fads, science, and downsides that are a big part of our own more earthly setting would be interesting in theirs.

Hollywood has a problem with diversity, inclusivity because there is no faith in the ability to create captivating stories from it.

My solution would be less gratuitous battle scenes neatly wrapped up by the end of the episode ( Disney does TV like it is a set of movies). It is ironic that the world’s most iconic character does not get more airtime, so please more Baby Yoda and how it is to raise it. Lastly, can we please have more Mos Gideon please? Gus Fring/Mos Gideon/Giancarlo Esposito is by far the most captivating adult character in the series. And villains are always more interesting than heroes.