THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT 1×04 “Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm” Review

Chapter Three of The Book of Boba Fett seems to have left a fairly sour taste in people’s mouths. Now, that’s not to say that I thought Chapter Three was outstanding, but I firmly believe that it served its purpose and I somewhat admired its attempt to blend two eras of Star Wars together. Obviously, with a dividing effect. Regardless, Chapter Three finally gave us a physical entity that we can call “an enemy” and finally steered the show in a more concrete direction. Boba now has a goal and a target… Targets.

Previously, I mentioned that I thought we were done with the flashbacks. In fact, I actually hoped we were since they felt a bit like an anchore.

Well, after watching Chapter Four, entitled The Gathering Storm, I would actually like to retract that statement. Despite this latest episode taking place mostly in the past, which I thought would be a problem, I had an absolute blast. It was an incredibly clever and well thoughtout adventure that blended The Mandalorian with The Book of Boba Fett. You actually get to see certain events from The Mandalorian from Boba Fett’s perspective, and I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that we finally got to see how Fennec formed an alliance with the alleged deceased bounty hunter. The convergence is very cool and it was a clever lightbulb moment. As soon as you see it, it instantly clicks. But what followed was even more exciting.

After rescuing Fennec, there is a bit of a blank space in terms of what happens next. The Gathering Storm rectifies that by revealing what went down immediately afterwards. Not only did it involve breaking into Jabba’s palace to reclaim Boba’s iconic ship… And bumping into a bunch of Easter Eggs from the Original Trilogy- Which is brilliant, but it also illuminated that precise moment where Boba decides to leave bounty hunting behind.

His ideology changes, and his vision changes and it was nice to see that process. If felt as though he had been reborn with a new purpose. Once Boba had confronted his past in a way that’ll will have all Star Wars fans gleaming with joy (here’s a hint… Seismic Charge), Boba was able to set aside his previous self and begin his journey towards something greater. That unravelling process was really great to see, especially with it being articulated to a mercenary assassin who could ultimately empathise with his thoughts.

The idea that bounty hunters are dying tools that are used by foolish leaders who could have easily avoided such bloodshed is a very profound idea to attach to one of the most prolific hunters in the galaxy. Yet, it works. You can understand what Boba wants and to an extent it explains his new attitude towards enemies and even additional bounty hunters like Black Krrsantan. Boba Fett isn’t soft. He’s just tired of being a hired gun with no purpose.

The action for this episode was just fantastic. We finally got to see Fennec in action once again and I loved the variety of action we got. It was a great concoction. We had hand-to-hand comabt, blasters, speeders that actually moved quickly, and one of the most iconic ships in Star Wars history dominating from the skies. While the action has been brilliant, I’d also argue that it’s a slight drawback. A purposeful drawback. We’ve seen how dangerous Boba and Fennec are in combat through the use of flashbacks. Back in the present day, it’s safe to say that Boba has had it rough while trying to heal in his bacta tank. However, since this episode is pretty much setting up a war we should finally be able to witness the Boba we saw in The Mandalorian.

Which brings us to that epic set up. The set up has been slow and gradual. We’ve only got 3 episodes left and it feels as though the show is finally ready to move foward. Rather than being a brutal dictator and assassin, Boba looks to politics to establish a way to reign successfully and without challenge- Although with Krssantan and a Rancor, that shouldn’t be an issue. However, that means extinguishing the Pyke threat that is on the horizon. The episode concludes with a surprising alliance that may just prove that Boba is worthy of the Daimyo title. Chapter Four also ends with an incredibly promising tease of the Beskar variety. It’s a fun little nod and once again proves the importance of audio signifiers through soundtracks. As soon as that theme plays, you know exactly what is coming.

The Gathering Storm is a definite improvement from the previous episode. While it does still linger in the past, what it gives us is an opportunity to explore Boba and Fennec’s partnership, Boba’s new found attitude, and a chance to explore Jabba’s palace which is a lot of fun. This episode is action-packed and full of great throwbacks, it’s almost like a small treasure hunt. The biggest take away, besides seeing Slave-1 back in the air, is the overall set up. This episode is preparing us for war and Boba is going to need all the help he can get. Who else can he trust in a galaxy full of cut-throats and hunters. Bring on Chapter Five.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What did you think of Chapter Four Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget that Chapter Five will be dropping on January 26th. Now that we’ve reached the halfway mark… What’s in store for Boba and his companions? 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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