Remember when Boba Fett showed up in The Mandalorian last year and we got so excited and, now that we’ve got a Boba Fett show, we get excited when Boba Fett isn’t in it? How the turns have tabled.
With the sixth episode of The Book of Boba Fett Starring the Mandalorian Featuring a Two Minute Cameo by Boba Fett, Star Wars and Disney+ seem to pull out all the stops to actively apologize for how unengaging The Book of Boba Fett has been by not only giving us more of The Mandalorian which directly picks up from the finale of season two, but also features Grogu, Luke Skywalker, Asoka, Cob Vant, and one character reveal that literally had me giggling when I realized who it was.
Spoilers ahead!
So, yes… the series has all but forgotten that Boba Fett exists which is kind of hilarious given his name is in the title. This shift in the narrative is jarring, but at the same time, it is rewarding because it is actually making me look forward to this series. This is, by no means, an insult to Temuera Morrison who, in my opinion, has been inundated by the bad writing and uninteresting story and has done the absolute best he can.
Remember when Boba Fett got a Rancor, bonded with it, wanted to ride it, and then everyone kind of forgot about it?
This episode was all about giving the fans what they want and, as a fan, this is something that I’m totally here for. The training sequences between Luke and Grogu were wonderful and wholesome, twinged with a bit of sadness knowing what’s coming. The CGI Luke Skywalker showed a vast improvement over his appearance in the Mandalorian finale and, aside from some dead eyes and, frankly, uninspired voice work, it was very hard to tell he wasn’t a flesh and blood actor.
It was also wonderful to see Asoka again, though I am disappointed that the show chose to keep her first meeting with Luke offscreen. Still, there’s something great about the idea that Asoka and Luke have become friends: Luke getting to know his father through his former student and Asoka secure in the knowledge that Anakin was redeemed.
And now, the biggest surprise of the episode:
Cad Bane!
From the moment we saw him walking out of the desert, it was undeniable who he was. Introduced in such a way that only built excitement with each step. His look, his demeanor, and voice were all perfect – thanks to Corey Burton remaining on board. Who cares that he looks a little like the alien from Destroy All Humans?
Is it a jarring derailment of The Book of Boba Fett? Yes. Is it shameless fan service to do nothing more than to give fans exactly what they want so they’ll tune in next week? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
It says much that the best two episodes of this series hasn’t featured the title character. I’m actually just sad that The Book of Boba Fett wasn’t just a subplot in The Mandalorian‘s third season. Obviously, we’re attached to Din Djarin and Grogu far more than Boba Fett who, I’m sure you will now agree, worked best as a mystified background character and not a protagonist.
Jason Gaston 