More than once throughout this series, I’ve said that the flashback sequences in the Book of boba have almost been to the detriment to the main story being told in the present. Only because they’ve felt so much stronger than the story that has been staggering along in Fett’s quest to become a new major crime lord.
This episode, once again goes and make the effort to prove that feeling in my mind with concrete. The vast majority of this episode takes place in the more recent past, detailing the events of Boba Fett meeting Fennic Shand after her encounter with the Mandalorian in the first season of that show, saving her life using the Cyberpunk modders established in the previous episode and then detailing their exciting missing to retake his ship Slave I, what has been sit, unused for the past 5 years in Bib Fortuna’s palace.
Notice I said this was exciting. Because the events of this flashback are so much more dynamic and eventful than those of the present, seeing the former bounty hunter and assassin sneaking into the palace and then having some goofs along the way to a loud and flashy action sequence to escape with the ship.
Eventually leading to Boba getting his revenge against the Sarlac by dropping a seismic charge into it’s maw. It’s cool, fun stuff and so much more interesting that the incredibly dry meeting of the minds that takes place at the end where Boba requests the other crime lords not interfere with his wat against the Pykes.
I’m not saying that every episode of a show like this needs to be action packed, some of the best Mandalorian episodes were the bits that got introspective into both Mandalorian culture and the rule of the Empire, as well as their view of themselves.
There isn’t really any of that in the Book of Boba Fett. Both Fett and Shand are pretty dry characters, pretty content with who they are and their role in the galaxy. All of Fett’s major growth as a character has already taken place during his time with the Tuskens.
There isn’t much time invested in either of them wondering about what their doing. Whether a life of crime is what they really want out of life or the types of crime Boba will or won’t abide by. He’s stoic to a fault and never seems to doubt his choices.
The missing to get his ship back and then search for his armour inside the Sarlacc, the one that brings Fennic and Boba together and shows how their relationship was forged is fantastic in me eyes and continues to make me wonder what is really going to happen in the end of this series and if we’re just building up to a big old battle against a bunch of pretty undeveloped bad guys in the Pykes.
I mean, sure the Pykes have a legacy in the series from the Clone Wars, but within this series they’re just a criminal organisation. One we haven’t really invested any time into. So the idea of Boba facing off against them hasn’t exactly been an enticing prospect for me.
The one highlight ending this episode being the use of the Mandalorian’s music queue at the end of the episode to imply we’re probably going to see an old friend next time.
One we all know considering I wrote this after already seeing the next episode.
A Richard Wood Text Adventure 