Baby Yoda Watch: Grogu Is Back and Chaotic As Ever

One of my favorite things to do during the first two seasons of The Mandalorian was track what Grogu was doing in the background. Affectionately known as “Baby Yoda Watch” prior to learning his name was Grogu, the series was just all about what he was up to while Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) was trying to keep him safe. And it seems that in season 3, he’s more chaotic than ever before because he knows that he’s pretty safe now in the hands of his dad.

In Chapter 17 “The Apostate,” Din and Grogu are on a quest to find the Mines of Mandalore, which were completely destroyed. There, Din needs to bath in the waters that will redeem him for his transgressions in the eyes of the Children of the Watch. And they’re searching for answers and how to return to the destroyed home of the Mandalorians.

While all that is very serious business, Grogu is sort of just vibing in the background the entire time and having the time of his life when he has no worries and isn’t going to be dropped off at Jedi school to get killed by Kylo Ren some day. So let’s talk about what Grogu is doing the entire time. (Spoilers ahead for the season 3 premiere of The Mandalorian.)

First, let’s wave to the Mandalorians

When Din and Grogu come to the rescue of the Children of the Watch, it is at the last moment when they are about to lose to a space alligator. He flies in, saves the day, and as he comes into shot on his ship it seems as if Grogu isn’t there with him for a moment. Then suddenly he pops up and waves from his little seat up above Din Djarin.

It’s so cute? He just waves to all these Mandalorians who probably hate him because he’s not part of their cult but it’s adorable seeing him appear and wave.

Hold me space daddy

When Din and Grogu leave the Children of the Watch because Din’s still trying to get back into their cool kids club, Grogu and him are in hyperdrive and Din is sleeping while Grogu is looking at the space squids flying beside him. Seemingly scared of them, he slides down from his little seat and goes to sit into the arms of his dad for protection.

And when I say that Din Djarin is my husband and Grogu is my son, this is what I mean. It’s so domestic? Which the show was slightly domestic in seasons past but this episode really confirmed that Din and Grogu are just a father and son trying to get some answers throughout the galaxy together.

You got me going in circles

What is better than Grogu just flying around in his little space egg? Grogu sitting in the background of an important scene just spinning in circles. Din takes Grogu to Nevarro because he needs a droid he can trust. And since he only trusts one droid (the now dead IG-11 who was voiced by Taika Waititi), he needs to figure out if he can fix him. He asks Karga for the droid who is now a statue in the town and they’re talking about how Din could come work with Karga on Nevarro now that Cara Dune just peaced out.

Grogu though can’t be bothered. He’s spinning around in a chair using the Force, eating tic-tacs that Karga has on his desk, and just having the time of his life without worrying about what his dad is up to.

Grogu got launched across the room

So getting IG-11 back in action doesn’t go as planned. Which the minute I saw Din Djarin trying to put him back together, I said “that’s a bad idea” but hey! I love my himbo space dad. When IG-11 does full Terminator crawl with missing limbs and all, Din is trying to destroy him again while protecting Grogu. And chooses to just launch him across the room at Greef Karga so he can shoot at him.

Eventually a bust of Karga falls on IG-11 and renders him dead once more. But it didn’t mean that Grogu wasn’t just mid-air for a second, questioning everything about his life that got him to this moment.

Grogu just wants Babu Frik to love him

Do you ever hug your pet when they don’t want you to hug them and watch as they try and fight you? That’s what happened when Grogu hugged Babu Frik. Technically, they’re the Anzellans and not Babu Frik (a specific Anzellans) but we’re Star Wars fans. We all just yell “HEY BABU” at random. But the Anzellans are on Nevarro and are the best droidsmiths around and so Karga brings Din there to see if they can fix IG-11.

First, Din is sitting in this tiny workshop and it is genuinely the funniest cut to I have seen in a Star Wars property. He’s talking to the Anzellan, they’re figuring out what to do, Karga steps in to essentially translate between them, and then it cuts to Din sitting across from them in this tiny little space and I need to know how he managed to get in there.

But Grogu is on a different mission. He wants to hug. As Din is talking about a part needed to fix IG-11, Grogu is making his way over to the Anzellan and just hugs him without a care in this world. Granted, the Anzellan doesn’t want a hug but that’s not stopping our boy!

Din separates them by freeing the Anzellan and letting them walk away but Grogu keeps reaching for them and just wants to hug them.

Honestly, Grogu is so real for this. Just like “hi let me hug you” to the little creatures we’ve come to love so much from The Rise of Skywalker.

Learning how to fly

At the end of the episode, right before Din and Grogu are flying for their lives from the pirates that Din attacked on Nevarro, Grogu is learning how to fly a ship. It’s such a sweet father and son moment with the two just spending time together and Grogu seems to really want to learn.

That is until they’re flying around and he’s almost falling out of the seat but still, his dad has him protected and I hope we get to see more of these small moments throughout the season.

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Until next time, this is what you missed on the Baby Yoda Show.

(Featured image: Lucasfilm)