If Jon Favreau remakes the Holiday Special, it needs to star Peli Motto

The Star Wars Holiday Special is infamous. While absurd, wild, and sometimes shockingly risqué, the variety special also has its share of fans. One in particular is Jon Favreau, showrunner for The Mandalorian. He adores this special so much that he’s paid homage to it through Din Djarin’s look and rifle. Not only that, Favreau is on record stating he wants to do his own Holiday Special.

In 2019, at an event for The Mandalorian, Favreau told Variety:

"“Oh I would definitely be interested in doing a holiday special.  I’m not going to say who I would be interested in. But one of the people is the member of the cast in an upcoming episode of [The Mandalorian].I’ve been thinking about it. It’s ready, the ideas are ready. I think it could be really fun. Not as part of this, but there’s an excitement around it because it was so fun and weird, and off and not connected to what ‘Star Wars’ was in the theater. ‘The Mandalorian’ cartoon, the Boba Fett cartoon, from the holiday special was definitely a point of inspiration for what we did in the show.”"

So, who is Jon Favreau’s person in mind if he ever did a Holiday Special?

Doing some sleuthing, this Variety article was published on November 19, 2019, so the fan event in question was on November 13, 2019, according to D23. This occurred the day after the first episode of The Mandalorian aired on Disney+, introducing the world to Din Djarin and Grogu.

Looking at the episodes that aired in Season 1, we could narrow down the list of characters who Favreau potentially had in mind for his theoretical Holiday Special. I’m focusing just on Season 1 because, at the time, the creator was more than likely unsure if the show would even be a success on a brand new launching streaming platform. Even then, I think few Season 2 or 3 characters could fit this role perfectly. However, a dialogue-free Frog Lady holiday special would match the vibe of the original 1978 Wookiee family. Parsing through the cast of characters in Season 1, there is only one perfect choice to star in a holiday special:

Peli Motto.

Amy Sedaris’ character walks a wonderfully fine line between goofy and campy while being in a serious story at times. She feels like someone who could fit right in with Din and Grogu, leave the show, and then slide up to the dinner table with Chewbacca’s family in the 1978 version. A holiday special around her would not be outlandish because Peli is already that kind of character.

The Holiday Special shouldn’t be a serious story. It should be full of heart with a focus on family and love. Peli was one of Din’s first allies in the series and someone who continues to show up to help him in The Book of Boba Fett. She might not give him the entire story upfront, but Peli has never failed to come through for him. Grogu loves her, too, making her an essential member of their little found family. A cheesy little holiday story with Peli, maybe with a Bea Arthur-style musical in the middle, would be simply perfect for the character.

Whether or not it should be canon is a debate for another time.

Peli Motto would be the perfect candidate if we ever got Jon Favreau’s Star Wars Holiday Special. It would be weird, silly, and a wonderful good time to sit around with friends and family to enjoy together every Life Day.