Baby Yoda returned to Baby Yoda discussed COVID-19, social media, and his on-going feud with a popular MCU character.
Comedian John Mulaney hosted the fifth episode of Saturday Night Live season 46, with The Strokes taking the stage as the featured musical guest. Jim Carrey once more reprised his role as Joe Biden ahead of the looming U.S. Presidential election, applying his manic Mister Rogers comedic approach while speaking to audiences in a solo cold open performance that riffed on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. Overall, the episode included lots of provocative humor, most notably during a Sleepy Hollow bit that centers on the Headless Horseman being questioned about auto-fellatio. There was even a sexually suggestive joke during the Baby Yoda segment, albeit a small one that linked to the comedic premise.
Baby Yoda's latest Saturday Night Live appearance began with his declaration that "I'm baaaccckkk!" and Mooney adopting the same comedic premise for the bit, portraying The Mandalorian character as a street-smart, SoCal type who enjoys the perks of fame. Baby Yoda explained that he's been quarantining with Wreck-It Ralph during the COVID-19 pandemic, and notes that The Mandalorian writers are "mad awkward" to be around, despite having some "fuego" ideas. After "The Child" brought up his new cannabis line - as debuted on an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast - Weekend Update co-host Michael Che questioned whether or not his Disney guest actually smokes marijuana, prompting Baby Yoda to say, "Hey, how you think I got so green?" The segment then ended with Baby Yoda using his "platform" to fuel a feud with the Marvel character Baby Groot, who was also called out during The Mandalorian character's first Saturday Night Live appearance in December 2019.
Baby Yoda's Weekend Update persona thematically aligns with numerous characters portrayed by Mooney in the past. As a native of San Diego, the The Mandalorian character reveals that he receives social media messages that are "sexual in nature."
Saturday Night Live often uses marijuana-themed jokes during Weekend Update, seemingly as a way to connect with millennial viewers. In past years, the majority of Pete Davidson's guest commentaries have involved weed humor, and now Mooney's ironic spin on Baby Yoda similarly involves the character being a cannabis enthusiast. The millenial-targeted jokes do indeed complement the news parody premise but have also become painfully predictable. Fortunately for Saturday Night Live, Disney's Friday release schedule for new episodes of The Mandalorian will make future Baby Yoda appearances culturally relevant for the next several weeks.