To put it nicely… Chapter 5 of The Book of Boba Fett was just an episode of The Mandalorian. Normally, this would have been a problem but everyone loved it, and rightly so, because it was a fantastic episode. This penultimate episode should have surley focused on what Boba Fett has been up to while he prepares for war? Nope. We got another episode of The Mandalorian and once again… Zero complaints. This episode is simply fantastic. It’s a great continuation of Mando’s arc with Gorgu as well as a brilliant tease that gives us the best look at what is on the horizon for Boba Fett. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this episode is Star Wars at its best.
As previously mentioned, this episode follows Mando on his quest to visit his little friend. It also acts as a recruitment episode. Boba may now have the muscle with Krssantan and Din Djarin, what he lacks is numbers. The Pyke Syndicate has an army. Even with the brute force of Krssantan and Mando wielding his Darksaber, it won’t be enough to stop the Pyke forces. However, this recruitment element plays a small part in the overall episode as our attention is focused primarily on Grogu and his Jedi training.
That’s not to say that the preparation for war is not a highlight, it actually contains one of the biggest surprises. A surprise that will have long time fans absolutely ecstatic. I can confidently say that Dave Filoni made me the happiest Star Wars fan in just a matter of seconds. However, the arc following Grogu just had a lot more substance to it. Not only did it tap into Grogu’s past and training as a Padawan, but it also revealed more about Luke Skywalker. We really got to see him grow as a Jedi and as a teacher, But what I loved most about Luke in this episode, apart from the insanely impressive improvement in his visual appearance, was that he wasn’t a perfect teacher. You could see that he was still navigating this new world around him and while Grogu was by no means the perfect student, you could sense that Luke was still rather unsure about how to tackle this unique challenge. It was brilliant to see and the interactions between Grogu and Luke were utterly wholesome. There’s a lot of promise there, particularly with how they have developed Grogu’s Jedi skills, and I think fans will be eager to find out what happens next regarding the tough choice that Grogu has to make.
What this episode did brilliantly was act as a convergence point. Like a planetary convergence, this episode brought everything together. Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, Return of the Jedi, the major events of the Star Wars universe aligned in this one episode. Characters that we never thought would meet interacted with one another, characters we thought would never appear made their legendary debut, and events that we thought were buried resurfaced. It was one surprise ontop of another, so it was impossible not to enjoy this episode. As a Star Wars fanatic, it was a rollercoaster. From the opening and all the way through until those credits stopped rolling. Even then, I needed some time to just process this wonderful achievement. It’s a Star Wars feat. Simply put.
However, much like the previous episode, this Chapter lacks its own protagonist. While Boba does appear in the episode… It’s still slightly odd that the show’s star has been absent for two whole episodes. We’ve got one episode left and Boba has assumed a somewhat passive role in the last chunk of this series. However, considering what we received across these two chapters… It’s hard to be mad. It’s really really hard to be mad. We’ve gone from diving into Mandalorian lore to witnessing Grogu’s first steps as a Padawan. Simultaneously, we’ve also been blessed with a myriad of wonderful and memorable dialogues, cameos, and throwbacks. It just appears that this show is more concerned about the wider universe than it is with Boba Fett. The saving grace is knowing that the final episode will have to feature Boba Fett. We just have to hope that he isn’t a mere cameo. Imagine seeing the star of the show, a character so deeply routed in the vastness of the Star Wars ethos, being pushed aside in the season finale while everyone else basks in the glory of battle. We don’t think it will go down this way, particularly after a certain cameo, but after these last two episodes… Can you blame us for fearing?
Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger is an outstanding episode that should definitely be considered an achievement in its own right. Not only did it pull off the impossible by bringing multiple threads and characters together- some new and some old, but it also told an endearing story that revolved around the principles of being a Jedi. Of course, it was exciting to see what the Pyke Syndicate had brewing, but the ways of the Jedi was very much the heart and soul of this episode. While we are absolutely buzzing to see how The Book of Boba Fett will end, especially after certain teases, I think we are more excited to see what will happen with Grogu and the Mandalorian once this war is over. Regardless of the fact that Boba Fett appears in this chapter for a very brief moment, his absense feels intentional and thus renders this episode… Well, perfect.
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What did you think of Chapter Six of The Book of Boba Fett? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget that the season finale will be dropping on February 9th.
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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