I sense a great disturbance in the Force, as if all the factories of Disney are gearing up as one to make Baby Yoda plushies in time for the holidays. pic.twitter.com/6g0rQN7nuO

— Rick Riordan (@rickriordan) November 20, 2019

With the plethora of streaming services available now — each with an easy-to-justify subscription price point that (let’s face it) ultimately adds up — Disney+ wasn’t high on my list of new movie channels I needed to invest in.

I love Disney, but much of their catalogue I had seen and possibly already owned (secret’s out) so I figured it wasn’t for me personally.

But then came word of The Mandalorian, specifically, that it was going to possibly be…good. And this praise was coming from the Star Wars fanbase that has quite literally hated EVERYTHING in the franchise since the original three films were released in the late 70s and early 80s.

I am not among the haters. I’ve found something to like in pretty much everything the franchise has done. But when the screaming dissatisfieds start to buzz that something pleases them, you pay attention.

So I signed up. And I’m glad I did. Two shows in, and I’m hooked. And of course, tiny Yoda is a huge hook (although I hear the virulent feminists are already mad that there aren’t any women of note…yet). But I’m personally way more interested in what kind of attractive man is hiding behind that Mandalorian helmet (secret’s out).

Interestingly, this new offering in the Star Wars canon is a bit more swashbuckling and lighthearted than some of the darker films that have been released of late. And maybe the positive buzz is related to that, which would be a nice cultural bellwether that perhaps we are craving things that touch our hearts.

But there’s also the argument that the platform — the ease and convenience of streaming — and the associated price is actually what’s making people feel generous in praising the new show.

But I’m going to stick with the former explanation. Because I’m craving something that touches my heart.

I talk more about the show on the podcast this week, as well as touching on a new Clarence Thomas documentary and how it made me think of the lost opportunity of Kaepernick. There’s also some discussion of these impeachment hearings (I’m on the side of “they’re a huge waste of time”), and a bit about Chick-Fil-A’s decision to make moves in their charitable giving and how it’s turned some of their supporters into doppelgangers of the woke left they say they hate.

And the beat goes on.

The show lives below on Spotify and you can also find me at iHeart radio, Apple Podcasts, FCB Radio’s Spreaker, and Deezer.