The Mandalorian's Disturbing Turn

, a(Warning: this article contains spoilers for episode two of the second season of The Mandalorian.)

As of this writing, the highly-anticipated second season of The Mandalorian is well underway.

The second season episode entitled "The Passenger" contains all the gorgeous visuals and Star Wars fan service the series is now known for.

Unfortunately, it is the weakest of the series thus far.

While the first season had its share of filler episodes which didn't advance the plot, this episode contains a subplot the writers meant for comedic relief, but instead introduces a disturbing and chilling tone.

In "The Passenger," the titular protagonist, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and his ward, the Baby Yoda, are on the desert planet Tatooine having failed to find a credible lead on the whereabouts of other Mandalorians.

Djarin's mechanic Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) assures him she knows someone with the information he needs - but there's a catch.

The informant wants transportation off Tatooine as payment. Reluctant, Djarin agrees and we are introduced to the intriguing character fans online have dubbed the "Frog Lady."

The Frog Lady informs Djarin she is traveling with her eggs. Her eggs are the last of her kind and she is desperate to reunite with her husband so he can fertilize them and ensure the continuity of her family - and her species.

This is the point where the episodes goes sideways.

We know Baby Yoda enjoys eating frogs and the camera makes it a point of lingering on him staring at the container of precious eggs. Not long after he is left alone with the container, it's not hard to figure out what happens next.

Djarin catches him eating one of the eggs, and admonishes him to stop, but soon the group have other serious events to contend with.

Djarin, Baby Yoda, and the Frog Lady depart Tatooine only to run afoul of New Republic X-Wing fighters. A space chase ensues, leading to Djarin crash landing on an ice world.

Things go from bad to worse when the group encounters a horde of über-creepy spiders. At the climax of the episode, the Frog Lady saves Baby Yoda's life and the group escape both the spiders and the planet. But during the episode, we are shown various scenes of Baby Yoda stealing and devouring eggs.

The writers intended for the egg subplot to be humorous, but it reads as a weird exercise in cruelty.

On social media, the episode is polarizing. Those who found the Baby Yoda egg-eating subplot as funny as the writers intended assert those offended by it are being ridiculous, too sensitive, and participating in "outrage culture."

Proponents of the episode defend it by asserting, among other things:

• we know Baby Yoda is young and is only acting instinctively
• the eggs are unfertilized and don't contain any embryos
• Baby Yoda eating the Frog Lady's eggs is equivalent to people eating chicken eggs

Some of these rationalizations might be valid if not for one glaring factor: the Frog Lady.

The Frog Lady is not only sentient, she is also very intelligent and self-aware. She is emotive and expresses her love and concern for her eggs, which are her children - fertilized or not.

The writers reveal throughout the episode how much of a loving and concerned mother she is: when the eggs are exposed to freezing temperatures she covers them with a blanket; she submerges them in a thermal pool of water to keep them warm.

Juxtaposing her desperate attempts to keep her eggs safe with scenes of Baby Yoda popping them into his mouth?

Yeah, there is nothing remotely funny about that to me.

In response to those defending this subplot by stating Baby Yoda doesn't know any better, I disagree.

He may be young, but he is not lacking self-awareness. We've seen he knows who means him harm and who doesn't. He will try to avoid danger to himself, if possible. He has also used his force powers to protect Djarin in the past.

What is even more perplexing is after catching him eating an egg the first time, Djarin doesn't take any extra precautions to ensure their safety. He knows how much the eggs mean to his passenger because she has told him.

His lack of intervention contradicts the compassionate attitude towards the young he has demonstrated before. It's very much out of character.

When the Frog Lady saves Baby Yoda's life, Baby Yoda is very much aware of it. This makes his actions during the final scene of the episode even more disturbing.

After surviving their ordeal on the ice planet, Djarin's damaged ship achieves liftoff. As they head back into space, the Frog Lady notices Baby Yoda staring at her container of eggs. As she hugs the container tighter, he turns back to the camera to reveal to viewers he has somehow taken another egg - which he promptly pops into his mouth.

Despite all the struggles she endures to ensure the safety of her eggs and to stave off extinction, the writers attempt to use Baby Yoda's ravenous hunger for the Frog Lady's eggs as a proxy for comedy.

That's just bone-curdling cold.

And Baby Yoda is not that damn cute.