8 TV Shows That Aren't About What You Think

The Mandalorian is easily one of the best pieces of Star Wars media from the Disney era. It won over fans with its fantastic performances, great visual effects, and an intriguing story. Mando is now one of the franchise's most popular characters, and there is really no need to elaborate on the impact Baby Yoda has had.

While the show may initially seem like a classic Star Wars story wrapped in a Western-style package, that isn't doing its smart reworking of the Star Wars formula justice.

If one theme could be picked out from the nine film long Skywalker saga it would be parenthood - or lack thereof. Each trilogy has explored what it means to be raised without certain parental guidance. From Anakin lacking a father in the prequels (along with his mother being killed) to Luke having the galaxy's most evil man as his dad, the saga is about the failure of parents. The less said about Rey's parentage, the better.

The Mandalorian is the inverse of this. In the show, Mando is both learning how to become a good father and how to love something after a life of killing. He is the first Star Wars character who is actively trying to be a good parent.

This subversion of the classic Star Wars formula isn't given enough praise. The show is often hailed as a return to classic Star Wars, and while this is certainly true in terms of aesthetics, in terms of plot, it is very much the inverse.