Thoughts on ‘the Book of Boba Fett’
Some observations from Star Wars’ newest show
Note: this blog post contains major spoilers up to and including episode 6 of The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett has been a mixed bag, to say the least. I don’t mind the slow pace, or the frequent flashbacks, but I won’t deny that some of the episodes have plot lines that have felt pretty uninspired. The highs have been high, but the lows have been low.
Nonetheless, I’ve enjoyed the show as a whole, especially the last two episodes. While it may be true that the Boba Fett’s greatest asset is its ability to set up future Disney efforts, I still find myself compelled as a viewer. With the finale due on Wednesday, here are a few random thoughts I’ve had while watching.
Unexplored Themes
Boba Fett as a show opens the door to, and then stops just short of, exploring some pretty interesting themes. Fett’s time with the Tusken Raiders? That’s pretty interesting! His broad proclamation that the Tuskens control the land in a flashback was a pretty cool moment, though it was undermined not long after by the tribe’s slaughter. And that’s one of the show’s biggest problems — it begins to set up some pretty compelling story ideas and then stops before they’re fully developed.
I think the same is true of Fett’s plans to become the daimyo of Mos Espa. The show seemed to hint that he was perhaps taking power to (at least partially) aid the Tuskens. However, the only explicit motivation that Fett ever acknowledges is that — instead of working for people who have no clue what they’re doing — he wants to be the one giving orders. That could be a pretty cool motivation if fleshed out more, but it’s a weird pivot from where the show looked like it was headed.
Crossovers
I don’t think it’s much of a statement at this point to say that the two best episodes of Boba Fett were 5 and 6, the episodes that had the least screen time from its titular character. That’s a fundamentally weird place to be in, which begs the question of what the show runners were really trying to accomplish with this series. In general fleshing out a show’s subjects is preferable to bringing in outside ones.
But no matter how out of place they may seem in relation to the rest of the show, episodes 5 and 6 were incredible viewing experiences. Much like season 2 of The Mandalorian, they highlighted the future of what many fans affectionately call the Filoniverse (after Clone Wars created Dave Filoni). If it’s true that Boba Fett needed Din Djarin, Ahsoka, Luke Skywalker, and Grogu to make the show interesting, at least these characters have delivered brilliant episodes of tv.
Lore
I’ve recently become much more interested in the deep lore surrounding the Star Wars universe. Season 2 of The Mandalorian convinced me to watch Clone Wars and Rebels, and Boba Fett has helped expand the universe in a similar way. Black Krrsantan, the Hutts, and the Pykes may have not gotten much screen time in this series, but I’m interested to see what happens with each of them. At least, I hope to see more of them in this show or the next.
Each week, I eagerly bookmark and then read Ben Lindbergh’s recaps on The Ringer. Lindbergh does an excellent job of highlighting the important parts of each episode, but he also explains loose ends and hints in ways that I’d often otherwise miss. Lately, I’ve found myself looking through wikis and googling Star Wars comic series as well to remind myself of moments I’ve missed or didn’t understand from Clone Wars )or any other source material I’m familiar with).
There’s a whole world that lurks beneath the surface of what shows up on screen in the Star Wars franchise. I have only passing familiarity with the world of connected books and comics, but I plan to dive at least a little deeper into this area. As someone who studies and teaches history for a living, I find this deep layer of world building extremely compelling
What Comes Next
I think it’s pretty obvious that bringing Mando and Ahsoka into the show is largely to set up the next series for each respective character. That may not be especially friendly to Boba Fett the character, but it helps redeem some of the flaws found in Boba Fett the show. I’m genuinely not sure what to expect from the season finale, but because of everything above, I’m pretty excited to watch it.
Notes:
- It appears that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be the next Star Wars show on Disney+, though the animated The Bad Batch is also supposed to arrive relatively soon.
- One reaction that Boba Fett consistently provokes in me is anticipation for The Mandalorian season 3. Everything I can find online points to an (as yet unconfirmed) December release date.
- So far, the best Star Wars books I’ve read are the Alphabet Squadron trilogy. But, admittedly, I’ve only dipped my toe into the world of Star Wars print fiction.
- I’m not sure I’d go as far as this article that bashes Tatooine as a location, but I do miss the many exotic locales of The Mandalorian.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
