THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT 1×03 “Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa” Review

Chapter Two saw The Book of Boba Fett take a surprising turn when the cousins of the infamous Jabba the Hutt turned up with a major warning. Maintaining his new empire was going to be a difficult challenge. A challenge surrounded by enemies hoping to profit from Boba’s demise. While things intensified in the present, with an amazing cameo appearance by the terrifying gladiator Black Krrsantan, Boba’s past with the Tusken Raider’s glimmered with hope and new beginnings. Then Chapter Three arrived delivering a punch that felt as though it came from Black Krrsantan himself.

The Book of Boba Fett has been gradually building up to something major and this episode acts as the catalyst. It’s the spark that finally reveals where this show is heading. The answer is simple. All out war. This chapter is very much a build up. Multiple strands are unravelled, both in the past and present, and they quickly connect. Parts are actually quite sad and it just shows how effective and powerful the Tusken Raiders have become, especially in regards to their emotional connection to Boba Fett. What happened in the Dune Sea suddenly catches up with Boba and it’s safe to say that there will be dire consequences. The major threat of this show seems to be ready to make their move and this episode focuses purely on igniting that fire. Unfortunately, because this chapter revolves around that build up it feels somewhat slow and stagnant.

That’s not to say that this episode was bad, in fact it had some incredibly great moments in it, but this week’s installment was definitely a slow burn. However, I’m confident that the pay off will be well worth the wait. There have been so many positives in these first few episodes and it has only been this week where it felt as though things came to a gradual hault.

The only other small negative, and even then I’m on the fence about it… In fact, you could call it nitpicking, is the new group of characters that have been introduced. Chapter Three presents up with a small gang of misfit cyborgs who end up working with Boba Fett. The characters themselves are completely new to the Star Wars universe and The Book of Boba Fett treats them more as muscle, so we don’t actually get to know these characters at all really. That’s not the issue. I’m actually glad that they haven’t interferred too heavily mainly because we’re dealing with a lot of new content and characters already. The issue I had was on an aesthetical level. Each member has their own hover bike and they just didn’t fit in. Mos Espa is a rundown, dusty and decrepit especially for those who aren’t high up on the food chain. But this gang was too clean and neat. They looked like they were from the prequel era, which isn’t a problem because they did look really cool, but they felt very out of place especially on Tatooine.

In relation to that, they participate in a high speed chase later on in the episode. I say “high speed”. I’m sure it was meant to look like a rapid chase through Mos Espa… However, it looked very jarring and clunky. From a visual standpoint, the chase itself didn’t have that urgency or the speed that we’re so familiar with. You could put it down to the fact that the streets were tight, but Boba Fett’s appearance at the end of the chase made it all feel redundant. There were some really cool stunts and playful elements in there, but it didn’t amount to anything. This Chapter was already a short one and it felt as though most of it was spent chasing a speeder.

Having said that though, the gang proved their mettle when a certain someone decided to pay Boba a visit. There is an incredibly cool fight scene in this episode and it proves how far Star Wars has come in regards to practical effects and scale. It was undoubtedly impressive and I’m very excited to see how else they push those boundaries. This was just the tip of the iceberg. It truly was a spectacular and vicious fight, and it was great to see how the cyborgs were implemented. You really got a feel for what it was like to face an enemy that was towering in size and in strength and I feel as though that’s something we don’t see that often. Star Wars typically focuses on firepower and mental power, but what about pure brute strength?

On top of that, there were also some rather pleasant surprises that seem to be teasing something that will definitely have fans absolutely ecstatic. I felt it. We all felt it. If what they are hinting at comes to pass, then it’ll make for a grand finale. While this chapter was busy teasing, there were moments that allowed us to see a more vulnerable Boba. Both physically and mentally. Much like the Sand People of the Dune Sea, it was genuinely very nice to see this intimidatingly stoic character losen up. Boba let down his guard and we were actually able to see him process various emotions. That’s what this episode exceeded it. We saw a Boba who is currently seeking retribution. In stark contrast to that, we also saw a Boba who was compassionate, merciful and kind. The Book of Boba Fett has taken a two-dimensional character and completely transformed him into something that transcends his original purpose. While Boba Fett is a bounty hunter, he is also a human being.

Chapter Three is an interesting one. There are elements that I really liked, and then there were aspects that didn’t quite hit the mark. As we’re approaching the half way point of this series, I’m waiting for things to turn and change. This chapter definitely illuminated that path a lot more by developing those outside threats. But as a result, the episode itself remained very still. There were a few pacing issues that also slowed the already short episode down. But it wasn’t a bad episode. These criticisms are very minor in the grand scheme of things and like I said, there is a lot of promise with what they are building to. Unfortunately, it seems as though this episode was used as an opportunity to move things along without actually moving. This episode pretty much consisted of a lengthy chase that didn’t really serve a purpose, and the slow reveal of Boba’s true enemy. It was enough to ramp things up… But it lacked a lot of what the previous chapters were able to give us.

⭐⭐⭐ .5

What did you think of Chapter Three? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget that Chapter Four will be dropping on January 19th, 2022. What’s next for the Galaxy’s deadliest duo? Find out next week.

The Book of Boba Fett stars Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Robert Rodriguez, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson are the executive producers. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck serve as co-executive producers, with John Bartnicki producing and John Hampian as co-producer.

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