The Mandalorian Features Surprising Star Wars Holiday Special Easter Egg

The Mandalorian features a lot of great easter eggs to other parts of the Star Wars franchise, particularly the Original Trilogy given its setting and time period. There’s a brief exchange in the pilot episode, however, that references a part of the saga that’s oft-forgotten. Partly because Lucasfilm has been trying to bury its memory for 40 years: The Star Wars Holiday Special.

In the moment in question, the titular Mandalorian is in the midst of hauling in wanted criminal Mythrol (Horatio Sanz) to collect the bounty on him. The talkative fugitive tries to make a run for it when he asks to use the “Vacc Tube” – that’s the SW equivalent of a toilet, apparently. He keeps talking as he searches for an escape hatch or weapon. As Mythrol speaks, he mentions his hope to be back with his family for Life Day, but supposes that’s not going to happen. The Mandalorian then appears behind him, agrees and freezes him in carbonite.

For those who don’t know, Life Day was originally created for the much-maligned Holiday Special. Effectively a stand-in for Christmas, the wraparound narrative of the variety show featured Chewbacca returning to his homeworld of Kashyyyk to be with his own family on Life Day. Various novels, comics and the odd video game have referenced the special before, but this is the first time a TV series or movie has called back to it, which presumably means it’s now officially part of canon.

This easter egg is less surprising when you realize The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau is a big fan – possibly the only big fan – of The Star Wars Holiday Special. He’s previously spoken about his idea to helm a new version to land on Disney Plus. Clearly, Favreau is keen on redeeming its memory, and this easter egg goes someway to making the show an accepted piece of the Star Wars universe.