This series is bantha fodder.
“The Book of Boba Fett” is a series following the efforts of the titular character (Temuera Morrison) in his effort to become Daimyo of Mos Espa. The series also stars Ming Na-Wen, Jennifer Beals, Sophie Thatcher, Jordan Bolger and more, and is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+.
Following his surprise appearance in the second season of “The Mandalorian,” the fanbase’s love for Boba Fett had been reignited. Fett had long been known as the character who looked cool just to die, but now he had a second chance.
The prospect of this legend becoming a real character in live-action was the stuff of dreams for many “Star Wars” fans, and this show promised just that.
On some fronts, I have to say, the show does deliver. Fett finally feels like an actual character, receiving a backstory post-“Return of the Jedi,” and it is genuinely engaging.
Flashbacks to his time spent becoming a part of a tribe of Tusken Raiders flesh out who Fett is as a person, and his journey with them allows the show to display some legitimate emotion.
The show definitely does pack a punch in terms of action, as well. Fett is every bit the presence in that realm as we could’ve helped. Whether he’s taking on an entire biker gang alone, or riding a Rancor through the streets of Mos Espa, the show is not afraid to let him get intense.
This all would be more meaningful, though, if the present story being told was more interesting. For the first few episodes, there is the sense that something is building.
The war against the villainous Syndicate looms over him in the early goings, and it is interesting to watch him build a force to fight over each episode.
However, in the fifth episode, the executive decision is made to just ignore Boba Fett, and Din Djarin (a.k.a. The Mandalorian) gets an entire episode that contains hardly even a mention of the show’s title character.
We are treated to another episode like that with the sixth installment, although Fett makes some progress, and gets about a minute of screen time.
This is not to say that these episodes are bad. In fact, if I were watching season 3 of “The Mandalorian,” they would’ve been enthralling.
The issue is simply that I watched this show to see Boba Fett. As I watched him build a team throughout the first few episodes, there was genuine excitement about seeing the pieces all come together to face the Syndicate.
While that moment does finally come, it is after the show has seemingly lost all faith in its protagonist. By the time the show reaches its conclusion, it feels more like Djarin’s show than anything else.
Even in the last episode, the writers cannot help themselves and give him at least half of the episode as the main focus.
In the end, it just adds up to a totally uneven series. It is impossible for me to care at the end about anything when it’s clear that the creatives involved did not even care enough to keep a consistent focus throughout the season.
As it is, I left the series feeling extremely excited for what the next season of “The Mandalorian” has to offer, while also praying that we might one day actually see a show about Boba Fett.