The Book of Boba Fett S1.E7:In the Name of Honor

Does the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett end on a high note?

After the last two episodes that provided a side-track story line in The Book of Boba Fett, we finally get to the big finale. It’s an action pack sequence that provided lots of great scenes, yet still fell short in some ways.

After getting betrayed by the local crime syndicates, no backup from Freetown (formerly Mos Pelgo), and surrounded at The Sanctuary, will Fett and company make it out? Well of course, and with lots of action scenes.

I’m not a huge fan of the humor in this series since I think it mainly detracts from the more seriousness nature that The Book of Boba Feet attempts to show. However, Fett using Mok Shaiz as a decoy started the action of well.

Once that goes it the typical point of the team rallying around Fett and fighting off insurmountable odds.  Where it gets to good is Fett riding in on his rancor to wreck havoc on the (old) clone ware bots with shields. 

The scenes with the rancor are pretty good, as it shows a mini-Godzilla fight against the powerful machines the Pykes employ.  More importantly, we get a bigger sense of the fury this powerful creature can cause, especially when it’s on the loose without Fett guiding it.

We also see the return of Grogu and Djarin, with Grogu choosing the Mandalorian as Gorgu is wearing the mithril inspired armor of beskar (very similar to the one Frodo wore in LOTR). We also see Grogu using his force powers to quell the raging rancor to sleep.  I think this shows that Grogu is becoming more of a force, and won’t be the (mostly) helpless child in season 1 of the Mandalorian.

There’s also the fight scene between Cad Bane and Fett. It’s a brief scene between apprentice and master.  Of course Fett comes out on top using the gaffi stick, which provided the death blow to Bane.

But the problem is none of this felt like it mattered in the end, except for Grogu and Djarin.  Throughout the season we didn’t have much time showing how Fett, Shand, or the rest of the group mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Some examples, the Mods tell Fett to make their stand in Sanctuary because this is their (the Mods) homes, and they have a sense of belonging. Yet we get little to no time of exploring this concept with them in the show. The same goes for Fett when he explains the town needs him, and later the people thank him. We didn’t see any connections Fett formed with the local town to support his claim.  Or with Cad Bane, as a casual viewer, I didn’t feel much of a connection to the character because I didn’t watch or read the other Star Wars canon.

What ends up happening here, and The Mandalorian, is it’s a show not tell situation.  Both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett (albeit the latter) are more focused on the hardcore Star Wars fans than the casual viewer. Sure it’s great to see these scenes if you know all the backstory. But as a casual fan I don’t, which causes me to not have has much connection to the story-line being presented.

Was it a fun episode to watch, sure. But is it gut-wrenching to the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones in terms of the emotional impact? Not by  a long-shot.

What I’ll say is this is a fun episode to watch, but ultimately not a great season finale for the reasons mentioned above.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• Didn’t really feel the humor aspect with Mok Shaiz and Motto pairing.
• Do wookies have fast healing powers? I saw Krrsantan have a bad ankle, and then able to walk-it off at the end of the episode.
• With the end credit-scenes, I wonder if Marshall Vanth will become a more main character in future episodes.
• Shand had a scene of all by taking out the crime lords one-by-one.

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E5: From the Desert Comes a Stranger

Is this show still about Boba Fett?

Well we get a continuation of the previous episode, albeit more screen-time for the actual characters in the main show.

With Djarin traveling to Luke Skywalker’s new (still in construction) training site for new Jedi’s, we get to sense of the connection he still has with Grogu. You can feel the anguish of Djarin not being with Grogu as he view’s the child as his own (not having his helmet on would add more emotional depth, but that’s a side note).

Then we get some more of Grogu’s background, and how Luke trains Grogu.  In particular the sad story of the even of Order 66, and the other Jedi protecting him from the clone troopers. There’s a noticeable reference in the training to the Empire Strikes Back that is quite cool to see reenacted. We also see Grogu get more trained with his force powers and using it to maneuver in combat.

However, there’s huge hints in the episode that Grogu may not want to be (or at least) continue his Jedi training. It’s understandable considering that he’s spent most of his time with Djarin, and has a stronger connection to the Mandalorian than to the Jedi.  He also may not need training as Luke mentioned Grogu appears to not need much training.

What I don’t get is when Luke offers him the choice between being a Jedi or continuing with the Mandalorian. I get Luke is probably still following the old Jedi code, but wouldn’t it make sense to not provide an ultimatum? I do hope that in the future Grogu does become a Jedi since it I’d like to see him become Yoda II. But for now it does provide intrigue into where Grogu will decide to go.

As for Boba Fett, we see Cade Bane take down the Marhsall in order to weaken Fett’s support against the Pykes.  Cade Bane has potential to be a great villain… Yet with how this show works on short episode time, and the emphasis on action he may not pan out to be much.

Also, the Pykes destroying the Sanctuary is a mixed bag. Yes, it shows the Pykes are a dangerous group to be feared. Yet there was almost no emotional scene since we’ve barely been there, or had any reason to care about that particular local in the Boba Fett show.

Overall I get that the show is probably going to tie in these events to the season finale. Yet by focusing more on the Mandalorian and not Boba Fett, it takes away a lot of character and plot development from the main show we’re supposed to be watching.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• The CGI for Skywalker was better…. But the producers really just need to get another actor in there and stop using CGI.
• I’m surprised Skywalker didn’t let Grogu have some food. Grogu looked quite hungry after all that training!
• Will Grogu speak in riddles like Yoda? Or is it just applicable to Yoda?

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E5: Return of the Mandalorian

Which Mandalorian are we talking about?

So this episode may be divisive not because of the storyline, but where it’s occurring. We get a full episode about Din Djarin, The Mandalorian, and like a few minutes of Boba Fett. This makes for a confusing and difficult episode that I’ll get to later on.

Here get some great story-lines about Djarin after season 2 of The Mandalorian. We see Djarin carry out a bounty hunt with the Dark Saber, but has trouble handling the legendary weapon. Later on we see him reconnect with the Armorer and Pax Vizsla.

It’s nice we finally get some more backstory into the fall of Mandalore and how Djarin’s radical tribe survived the bombardment from the Empire. In addition, we understand more of the importance of the Dark Saber as the symbol to reunite the Mandalorians.  However, the ensuing fight instigated by Vizlsa seemed quite rushed and out of nowhere. 

But the more important fact is Djarin revealed he broke the “helmet on rule for life” and is not outcasted from his tribe.  Will he try to return to the tribe? Or will we finally get to see more of Pascal’s acting with him taking of his helmet more.

The second half came with Djarin getting a now supped up N-1 Starfighter.  It’s a nice reference to the prequels, and finally gives Djarin a ship to fight with against his enemies.  I’d also say the humor was much better used in this episode. In particular the running joke of the X-Wing cops wanting to ticket Djaring for not having a transmitting code.

But here’s the main issue is that this feels completely out of step with the current show it’s supposed to be about, Boba Fett. We have a backdoor episode that would have served better as the first episode of The Mandalorian.  It also detracts from building more character development, or any at all, of the current characters Fett, Shand, Krrsantan, etc. It feels as if Disney is favoring The Mandalorian over the current bounty hunter. 

Hopefully this is just one episode, but this episode really detracts from the overall story that Book of Boba Fett is trying to build.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• I really hope they have Djarin grow and take of his helmet more. It would give more impact to his line, such as “That’s a piece of junk!”.
• I wonder how the world of Mandalore will be depicted assuming Djarin visits the planet.
• What is the gift that Djarin will give to Grogu?
• Also, does Djarin not get to keep the rest of the beskar staff?

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E4:The Gathering Storm

Return to the sarlac pitt.

In this episode we get a balance between the past and presence. The former being more interesting as Fennec Shand gets more things to do.

The best part of the episode is Fett’s flashback to how he met Shand, and how he got his ship back. Following the events of The Mandalorian in season 1, episode 4 “The Gunslinger”, we see Fett rescue Shand and get her healed (I guess repaired?) at a ridiculous cyberpunk station Mod-parlor. Afterwards Shand agrees to help Fett get his gunship back from the Hutt’s.

The breaking in scene and the consequential firefight int the docking bay provided good action for Shand to show why she’s a dangerous bounty. We get to see her marksmanship skills, and hand-to-hand combat while she helps Fett get his ship back.  It’s close to Cara Dune’s action scene with the MMA inspired style fighting.

After Fett’s short retribution against the biker gang, he returns to the sarlaac pitt thinking his armor is still there. However, the fact he tries to fly is ship into the pit is another ridiculous Star Wars moment. His ship would not fit into the pit, and why he would endanger himself in that way is farfetched. 

In the present day we get some movement on the main plot.  We get some background into the bounty hunter Krrsantan, a former gladiator who won his freedom and freelanced for the Hutts. However, it seems more of the angry, former champion looking for a path stereotype.

We get to the better aspect of how Fett uses his limited power to influence the other crime lords. Having the dinner table above the rancor pitt is a smart move – albeit in a limited screen time we’ve seen Fett as the boss- to persuade the other crime lords not to betray him. Will this last? Probably not but at least Fett gets the presence to not betray him casually.

Hopefully the show can keep building momentum despite some setbacks in previous episodes.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• Did Shand steal that spy drone from an Imperial Guard?
• I don’t get why Mods would not want to cover their mechanical parts. Wouldn’t sand and other items make the machines malfunction?

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E3: The Streets of Mos Espa

Apparently cyber-punk had made it to Mos Espa

After a overall strong start to the season, this episode is a bit of a let-down compared. I think it’s a lot of the plots holes and some odd additions that brings down the episode.

With this episode it’s less flashback and more in the present. The flashback we do get is the sad story of the Fett’s tribe being murdered while he’s away to negotiate with the Pykes.  However, the reasoning for the Pykes not paying their protection money, is they’re paying the Nikto biker gang for protection is pretty far fetched for a big crime syndicate. What’s even more is that Fett would believe the Pykes excuses.

Another area of concern is the new biker gang Fett employs. After helping a local crime boss (the actor who played Milton from The Office), he takes them on for employment.  They are called “Mods”, young people who have replaced their body parts with mechanical parts for better performance. I’ve got some main issues with this addition.

One, it came off as a subpar version of Blade Runner or Altered Carbon with the punk-style of the kids. Two, the gangs apparently ride brightly colored vespas.  I get the show is trying to add some more color in the show (quite literally), but I can’t take a cyberpunk gang, none the less a crime boss, whose hired people from another universe with 1950s style rides as serious.  This seems at odds with Star Wars that were expected to see with the spaceships, different alien races, and so forth.

In the present day we get an action scene of the wookie Krrsantan attempted assassination of Fett while he’s in the bacta tank. The fight scenes of Krrsantan with electric knuckles proved tense, as Fett (without his armor) his no match for the wookie one-on-one. Although the 1950s era gang saves Fett, I think it’s Fett’s actions afterwards with the Hutts that’s more interesting.

Fett sparing Krrsantan’s life after the attempt may provide an ally in the future as The Hutt’s decide to leave the planet.  Who The Mayor is working for is probably The Pykes, but that’s ok. The bigger surpise is they give Fett a pet rancor! I’m sure Fett will strategically use this to his advantage as the tensions with the other crime lords rises later on.

Overall a lot of mismatched themes and potholes that I think brought this episode down.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• I wonder if The Hutt Twins will return, or the show will continue on from this story arc.
• Danny Trejo’s special guest appearance was wasted opportunity the show could have expanded upon.

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E2: The Tribes of Tatooine

Boba Fett and The Temple of the Sand Raiders

Following the premier episode, the second episode of The Book of Boba Fett follows a similar path, albeit heavier on flashback scenes of Fett’s time with The Sand People.

 We quickly learn it’s the Hutt Twins who ordered the assassination on Boba Fett. They even try to intimidate him with fearsome looking Wookie bounty hunter. I think this part is more to keep the plot going in the future, as it’s obvious The Mayor would not order a direct assassination of Fett. Hopefully this creates more intrigue for future episodes as we see Fett deal with other crime lords in Mos Espa.

The heart of the episode is the time Fett spent becoming part of The Sand People Tribe. Here we get to see him earn their trust through helping them with a train that keeps killing their people.

The story line is quite typical with a few groan worthy mentions (like the bar scene of the bikers and the local people).  However, we get some good training and action scenes. First, Fett taking out the bikers with a gaffi stick in close quarters is pretty cool to watch. Then, having him train them in how to drive the speeder bikes provided some decent humor.

It’s the train robbery is where the action takes place. I’m a bit surprised they mainly went with all the action on top since it would have been nice to get some action sequences in the train cars themselves. But getting a future glimpse of him acting as boss against the Pyke Crime Syndicate by letting the prisoners go – with protection money- potentially sets up the show of how Fett will try to rule fairly as a crime boss.

At the end we get the process of how the Gaffi sticks are created, and the cultural ritual of acceptance. I will say the lizard must have some powerful magic to “guide” Fett to the tree branch. As a casual Star Wars fans, I think this was great as it provided more insight into a specific alien race of the Star Wars franchise.

Overall, a decent episode that should provide more potent material later on in the season.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• Is it me or did Fett and The Sand People learn a form of sign-language pretty quickly?
• I felt a bit bad for the stunt actors who had to perform “falling off” the jumping of speeder bikes.
• So, I guess Fett can also woodcraft too his arsenal of skills as a (former) bounty hunter.
• How will The Pyke Syndicate be a main thorn in Fett’s side this season?

The Book of Boba Fett S1.E1: Stranger in a Strange Land

So begins the story of Boba Fett

Following the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, I had high hopes for this show. What I hoped for in The Mandalorian was a grittier, more R-rated tv show since it dealt with the underworld of the Star Wars universe. Alas, I had to wait until The Book of Boba Fett came out.

In the first episode we cut back-and-forth between present day Mos Espa where Fett is trying to rule with the help of Fennec, and how the famed bounty hunter escaped the sarlac pitt in The Return of the Jedi.

I think it works well overall as it shows the character, played by Temuera Morrison, of the struggles the famed bounty hunter had after the battle. We see a scarred, and hurt Fett whose trying to take over an now somewhat defunct criminal syndicate voided when Jaba the Hutt died.

After taking his cut from the local establishment, he and Fennec are attacked by assassins. We get some good close-up shots of the combat as Fennec, Fett, and the two Gamorians saved by Fett, take on the unknown assailants equipped with shields. 

This gives way to a parkour-style chase scene on the rooftops by Fennec which was alright. The parkour stunts we nothing special. But she’s able to grab one of the assailants alive, which should provide more storyline in the future of who Fett is battling against.

However, the flashbacks of how Boba Fett got out of the sarlac is where the episodes shines.  Watching Fett dig his way (literally) out of then belly of the beast and out of the sand to freedom was cool to see. Then those mischievous jawas stole his armor from him!

Afterwards we see how he fares as a prisoner of the Sand People. A typical story-line of the locals raiding their water supply, and him helping out the child after a botched escape. But we get a call-back to Fett strangling the creature that attacks him, and the Sand Kid (aka Jaba the Hutt’s death in The Return of the Jedi).

It will be interesting to see how Fett adapts, given that he’s still recovering from his wounds, and trying to takeover Hutt’s empire.

Here’s some other thoughts on the episode:

• Why did the Rodian prisoner snitch on Fett?
• There’s some clunky Star Wars dialogue with between the Mayor’s messenger and the Fett.
• I wonder how the dynamic between Fennec and Fett will change, since she has a opportunity to rule a criminal syndicate.
• Fett’s hand coming out of the sand reminded me of the hilarious take from Parks and Recreation tv show.

The Mandalorian S2.E8: The Rescue

Does the finale go out with a bang?

The season 2 of The Mandalorian packs the finale episode with some huge revelations for the series going forward.

The opening scenes we get more teaser information about Cara Dune, a survivor of the Alderaan attack from Episode IV. I didn’t get too much reaction from Gina Carano’s performance.  However, her

With the attack on Moff Gideon in motion, Mando gets all is allies to help on the assault.  Including Bo-Katan, who is seeking the Dark Saber that Gideon holds. She wants to rule Mandalore, and must get it from Gideon in order to  rule Mandalore.

Once they get on board the action really takes off, with Fennec and Dune taking out the initial bad guys after crash landing in the star cruiser.  (Although the Mandalorians really should’ve have gone first since they have more protective armor).

One of the biggest obstacles are the Dark Troopers (aka the Terminators for Star Wars). Seeing Din have to battle one-on-one showcased the terrifying power of the Dark Troopers.  Din took some pretty big hits with the unstoppable machine. In particular is the Dark Trooper being set-on fire, but looking at Din with the Red Eyes of Doom that show no mercy. Luckily, Din had his handy Beskar spear to take out the Dark Trooper.

As for the Gideon, he hints that The Child’s blood has unique properties.  But outside of that we don’t get much.

What we get is a good sword/spear fight in the hallway outside the holding cell Grogu is being held in.  I think this scene help showcase Gideon’s ability of an overall villain who can fight in combat.  The next scene with a captured Gideon revealing his trick up his sleeve is a bit of an issue though.

Since Din won the Dark Saber in a fight, by rule he owns the right to it. Bo-Takan can’t take it by gesture, and would have to fight Din for it. Here we get Gideon’s evil monologue about how he’s always been a step ahead, and will have win one-way or the other.

I don’t think Gideon earned that distinguish this season. Yes, the acting by Giancarlo is good in terms of him being a bad guy. But there was very little plot, if any, outside Gideon interfering with Din’s day-to-day, or in other episodes. All we got was a “tell the audience why he’s a bad guy”, yet we didn’t get to see it this season on how it was earned.  If there were more instances of Gideon interfering, or outsmarting our hero during the season than it would have had more impact.

What comes next is a bit ant-climatic since our anti-heroes are waiting for death once the rest of the Dark Troopers arrive at the bridge, ready to kill them all.  Yes, Luke Skywalker came-in and saved the day.

The issue though, is how bad the CGI looks. I’m a bit surprised they followed the The Rise of Skywalker movie with having a younger Skywalker through CIG. Frankly it looked terrible, as I thought Luke Hamill looked more like video game than a real life person. At this point I think if they are going to include a younger Skywalker just get another actor who looks like him (maybe Sebastian Saw?).  The CGI is really distracting from the experience of the episodes.

What’s even more, at least for Disney, is that Gideon tried to committee suicide upon hearing a Jedi come in and cleanup the house.  Introducing this aspect of the show is important, as I think there are circumstances that even the most harden criminal would fear.

Finally, the farewell scene between Din and Grogu was touching. After all the time they spent together, Din taking off his helmet to properly say goodbye to Grogu was touching. It shows the emotional relationship, and humanity Din experienced these past two seasons protecting the child. It’s an improvement for Din, and I hope we can see more of Pascal’s acting sans the helmet.

A long review for sure, but so much happened in this episode to cover. Here’s some other thoughts about the episode:

• The fight scene between Boba Fett and Koska Reeves is a good bar fight scene. I think Fett would have one given what he’s been through, but it’s nice to see no love lost between the culture.
• How will Bo-Takan’s and Din’s relationship change, now that Bo-Takan can’t rightfully take the throne?
• Or will Din begrudgingly take on her, and try to reunite his people?
• I’m surprised Boba Fett jetted out of the battle on the ship. It would have been nice to seem him in more action.
• Can someone please tell me how a laser Gatling gun can jam?
• R2-D2 has a nice cameo at the end.
• The end credit scene with Fett and Fennec taking control of Jabba the Hutt’s old empire should be interesting to watch in The Book of Boba Fett.

The Mandalorian S2.E7: The Believer

How does the penultimate episode hold up?

As we get to the final two episodes of the season 2, how does the second to last episode build up the momentum?

Din has to locate Gideon’s ship, but in order to do so he needs someone to use the imperial codes to track down Gideon’s ship. Luckily for Din, the newly appointed Marshall Dune can spring an old acquaintance, Migs Mayfield (played by Bill Burr).  Once they get the prisoner, they’re off to a secret mining facility on Morak.

At the start of the episode, I was a bit hesitant with bringing back one of the characters from the prison escape episode last season. A decent episode, but none of the characters were really memorable. However, this episode belong to Burr as he gave a nuance conversation about Din’s Mandalorian code. 

It was great to see another character challenge Din’s strict beliefs in how one gets through the day-to-day life in the post-imperial world.  Most poignantly is how this is likely to be a foreshadow not only later in the episode, but also the season 2 finale. 

Also, Burr gave a good performance as we see him lose it over his old officer’s callousness towards the loss of life (both imperial and civilians) in Operation Cinder.  This type of story-line gives a more mature version of the universe, and the lasting affects of these battles waged.

One of the big aspects of this show is that Din broke is own code to track Gideon’s ship. Even though they ended up killing everyone at the base, I hope this will open up his character more to interact with others.

This episode had two solid heavy action sequence. One is the “protect the cargo” mission” where we see Din have to use more hand-to-hand combat against the pirates.  In particular having to get creative at the end to diffuse the thermal bomb. The other is them escaping the base after Mayfield kills the imperial officer. The chase sequence climbing up to the rooftop gave more punch to the finality of the episode.

One downside of the episode is the odd scene choice when the guys arrive at the Imperial base. I get they had Mayfield have his helmet off to get more reaction and nuance with his storytelling. However, it didn’t really make sense for him to have his helmet off when they arrived at the base. He stuck out pretty bad, and I thought it would have made more sense for him to take off the helmet right after we saw his old officer.

Overall a solid episode that keeps the momentum going in into the season finale, with Din giving a menacing message to Gideon that he’s coming to rescue The Child.

Here’s some other thoughts:

• I wonder how Marshall Dune will explain in the paperwork that Mayfield “died”.
• Hopefully we’ll get to see more of this Mayfield in future
• It’s pretty fun to see the squad of anti-heroes taking down the Imperial Troops.

The Mandalorian S2.E6: The Tragedy

The return of Boba Fett

Well we have the shortest episode of the season at 30 minutes. I really wish Disney would do a longer run time like Game of Thrones to provide a fuller, and in my opinion, a better overall story that 50 to 60 minutes would provide. However, the action sequences made up for this dialogue-light episode.

Continuing on from the last episode, Din makes it to Tython, where places Grogu on the stone. While Grogu is in a protective force field, Din encounters two allies who help him protect Grogu from Moff Gideon.  In a previous episode, Gideon placed a tracker on Din’s ship, following him to Tython.

Before the action pack starts, we learn that Boba Fett saved Fennec Shand during season 1. Fett also acquires his hold Mandalorian Armor from Din. However, soon Gideon attacks with Storm Troopers and the episode really takes off.

The tight action sequences with Din, Fennec, and Fett fighting off hordes of Storm Troopers added to the intensity of episode.  In addition, we got to see ingenuity wit Fennec, specifically suing the boulder to take out the Gatling gun.

However, the episode goes to Fett for his brutal take down of the Storm Troopers with his staff. I think the director used close-up shots of the hits to emphasize how brutal Fett can be as a bounty hunter. Even though this was pushing it in terms of violence (at least by Disney standards), this created the darker, more mature tone that I hope the Boba Fett spin-off will delve deeper. Let’s be honest, bounty hunting in the galaxy is not pretty.  Fett’s action sequences will hopefully be shown further when he gets his own show.

Sadly, Gideon destroys Din’s ship, but also captures Grogu with his Dark Troopers. Now that Grogu is held captive under Gideon, what will Gideon do with the child?

This episode is a great action episode, despite the short run time. I can’t wait for the next two episodes of the series.

Here’s some other thoughts:

• No offense, but why would Din try a third time to disrupt Grogu’s force field? If it didn’t work the first two times I don’t know why Din would try again.
• I hope in Boba Fett’s show they explore why he decided to save Fennec.
• It was pretty cool to see Fett’s ship again.
• Poor Mando can’t catch a break with having no ship anymore.