Main cast: Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett), Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand), Matt Berry (8D8), David Pasquesi (The Majordomo), Jennifer Beals (Garsa Fwip), and Carey Jones (Black Krrsantan)
Director: Steph Green
I am trying to keep an open mind, as the season is still early, but I have to wonder what the folks at Lucasfilm think they are doing with The Book of Boba Fett.
The bald guy I see on the screen is not what Boba Fett seems to be all this while. This guy talks a lot, doesn’t really wear his helmet or do the pew-pew-pew; in fact, in The Tribes of Tatooine, he is basically doing his Dances with Tusken Riders stint.
Previously, he was captured by these riders, but they eventually accepted him as one of their own after he demonstrated that he is the Bobo of the Fett when it comes to the art of kicking ass manfully. In this episode, he will lead them in standing against the threat of technology threatening to stampede all over the Tusken way of life. In other words, train heist, baby!
Oh, and with Jabba dead, there is a power squabble, blah blah blah… I suppose there will be some dramatic climax later in the season, but as of now, I have a hard time caring.
Right now, I am just watching on autopilot because I don’t feel a connection with the characters or the story yet. This episode does a lot of things adequately, especially the action scenes, but they are nothing that I haven’t seen before, so I can only shrug and say, well, that will do.
However, my biggest issue with this episode is Boba Fett himself. Sure, he has the name, but this fellow… he talks so much, and he doesn’t act like a Mandalorian of any sort, so he could pretty much be anyone other than Bobo. So, why make a show with Boba Fett in the title, when this guy doesn’t act or look anything like that character? Why even bother?
I still believe that they should have just made it official that Mandy is Bobo, and instead given someone like Fennec, Cara, Bo-Katan, or even Cobb Vanth the spin-off. Maybe the suits at Lucasfilm, after seeing how well people took to The Mandalorian, decided that the world needs more helmet-head shows, only to be stuck when they realized they couldn’t do a show that has the same lead character as the other show, so oops.
At any rate, whatever the reason may be, I end up with a show that has a lead character that is Boba Fett in name only. It’s weird, and rather disconcerting. After how Lucasfilm has treated the Star Wars IP of late, I’m also wary because I suspect this one may lead me to another place of heartbreak.
Like I’ve said, I’m trying to keep an open mind, but I’m also keeping one foot close to the exit, just in case.
