Spoiler Alert: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Gives the Tea on Star Wars Lore

Thirty-eight earth years after we witnessed outlaw bounty hunter Boba Fett disappear unceremoniously into the sarlacc pit, we are finally awarded his much-anticipated next chapter. The series begins where we left off in Return of the Jedi, then catches up to present Mandalorian time in two concurrently told storylines.

Let’s get to the first question—how on Tatooine did he survive? I applaud the writers for showing that Boba didn’t just get tossed out of that pit by sheer luck. Our anti-hero crawled up from digestive rock bottom as he was ruthlessly maimed by caustic acid and the unforgiving elements of the desert surface, only to be greeted with brutal enslavement by the native Tusken Raiders.

We may have known him as an entrepreneurial renegade, but stripped of his armor and dignity, Boba observes humanity in his captors, learning to gain their respect and thus turning over a new leaf of his own. What’s important in this slow-build storytelling is that we observe that he earned his second chance. Amid Tatooine’s trade route disputes, we also recognize a message of living harmoniously off the land as a contrast to unencumbered greed plaguing even planets in a galaxy far away.

Enter Fennec Shand, fresh off an underperforming business trip and also ready for a career change. She opts for the role of Boba Fett’s right hand in his quest to claim the title of overlord previously held by the late Jabba the Hutt. The return to Jabba’s palace and surrounding Mos Espa offer no shortage of Star Wars nostalgia. Was that Max Rebo the blue elephant? Luke’s bar-hopping friends that he was planning to meet in A New Hope? Even some throws to the prequels? The answers are yes, and I appreciate the respect given to the six prior films.

Boba’s promotion receives a less than friendly welcome from rest of the HOA board, and it’s here where the story becomes a bit muddled. The plot branches into various arcs and establishes at best a murky outline of who the true antagonist of the story may be. An enigmatic mayor, Jabba’s twice removed twin cousins, a savage Wookiee assassin, an adorable untrustworthy rancor, and the planet’s finest mafia bosses all make brief appearances.

It reminded me of last year’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where the plot and supporting characters shape-shift into something different each episode. While I generally enjoyed these weekly cameos, we’re left feeling that the series suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. For the sake of maintaining the weathered aesthetic of Tatooine and the greater Star Wars universe, I won’t dwell on the teenagers riding brightly colored Mario Karts through the space port’s streets.

Episodes Five and Six had us forgetting we were watching a Boba Fett story, with our protagonist shifting to Din Djarin, aka Mando. We’re instantly intrigued seeing our Mandalorian continue his journey, even if he needs a few more upper body sessions before he’s ready to fully commit to the dark saber. We’re then awestruck by just how much the writers have in store for us, including appearances by Luke, R2, Ahsoka, Grogu, and live-action bounty hunter Cad Bane slaying this week’s country western challenge. Was I jumping out of the cockpit in excitement? You bet. Luke training Grogu will no doubt make its mark as one of Star Wars’ memorable scenes.

As Boba contemplates offering stock options to help grow his startup, many will now point to the lack of a solid lead character and mismatching storylines as a primary shortcoming of the series. Perhaps that’s true. In the larger context, we also have to ask if this long-awaited series gave this globally revered character the return he deserved. Herein lies the difficultly of making a bad guy into the lead role – we don’t want him to go full heart-of-gold Maleficent, but we also need to root for an inherent inner discovery of a life beyond personal gain.

I think Boba’s “rule from respect” outlook found a reasonable balance. I also wonder if part of the fascination with Boba was his element of mystery that is inevitably stripped away with him becoming team captain. Another option could have been continuing his role as a side character where he previously succeeded, but regardless, he worked well enough here, and I enjoyed his evolution overall. Boba does of course have his ground-shattering moments, but more than once finds that spotlight wandering towards other contestants.

Where the series excels is expanding the new Star Wars universe that began with The Mandalorian. Grogu’s Choice may be the buzz this awards season and has little to do with Boba, but if our beloved former bounty hunter now has a place in this interconnected story, then General, count me in.