You’re not reading this headline, you’re too busy cooing over The Mandalorian’s Baby Yoda
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Mandalorian (Disney+, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Currently the internet seems to be made of three things in equal parts: the impeachment hearings, this photo of Kieran Culkin and J. Smith Cameron, and Baby Yoda. Especially Baby Yoda.
Yes, we know it is not actually Baby Yoda because Yoda is dead. Yes, we know that Yoda is a character name and not a species. Yes, we know about Yaddle. Yes, we know Baby Yoda is 50. Yes, we know they are technically called “The Child.” When we say Baby Yoda, we are not saying “hey look it’s the youthful Yoda,” we are saying that little cutie is called Baby Yoda because just look at that little face.
Or put more succinctly:
Here’s Katie Rife on the second of last week’s two Mandalorian episodes, Baby Yoda, and what comes next:
Adding humor, and a cute element in the form of “The Child,” to a series otherwise billed as gritty and adult is very Star Wars, as is the nobility with which Kuiil refuses payment for his help fixing the Razor Crest. He thanks The Mandalorian for restoring peace to his valley, presumably because it will no longer be overrun with bounty hunters trying to get their hands on The Client’s (Werner Herzog) prize. We’re only two episodes in, but thus far the show seems to be working within an adventure-of-the-week format with frequent side quests and pit stops along the way to its ultimate narrative destination. At the end of the episode, The Mandalorian and The Child take off from the dusty surface of Avala-7, Mando behind the controls and The Child just waking up from a restorative nap-coma. Where they land at the beginning of next week’s episode will reveal much about Mando’s intentions, as well as where the story will go from here.
Well, here we are. Katie will recap, just as soon as she (and all of us) can stop cooing over those adorable widdle ears.
Regular coverage
Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday, 11:29 p.m.): host Will Ferrell, musical guest King Princess
Wild cards
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m., complete first season): Surely we can all agree on two things: The adorableness of Baby Yoda, and the fact that Dolly Parton rules.
As the trailer lays out, this anthology series takes eight of Dolly’s songs and adapts them into episodes with a pretty serious cast, including Kathleen Turner, Delta Burke and husband Gerald McRaney, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bellamy Young, Melissa Leo, Timothy Busfield, the list goes on. If nothing else, the trailer will remind you to put “Jolene” on your karaoke list.
Great Performances: Much Ado About Nothing (PBS, Friday, 9 p.m.): Great Performances is on a roll, this week bringing us the 2019 Shakespeare In The Park production of Much Ado About Nothing, starring Orange Is The New Black standout Danielle Brooks and an all-Black cast, directed by Tony-winner Kenny Leon.
Yes, please.