The year-long wait for The Book of Boba Fett is finally over. Everybody’s favorite Mandalorian bounty hunter finally takes center stage in his own standalone series. Will it be worth the wait? There is only one way to find out!
SPOILER WARNING! The following contains slight spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett Episode One! Do not proceed if you wish to avoid spoilers!
MAJOR POINTS
- Boba Fett escaped the Sarlacc but had his armor stripped by Jawas.
- He was later captured by Sandpeople but was able to earn their respect.
- Boba needs to spend time in a bacta tank to recover from injuries.
- We see a bit more of the Tusken culture, including their leaders and their customs.
- The other Tatooine crimelords are seemingly accepting Fett as the new crimelord. It is the mayor of Mos Espa who seems unimpressed.
Boba Fett lays in a bacta tank within the chambers of the late Jabba’s Palace. Flashback visions of his early days on Kamino fill his head, as well as cradling his dead father’s helmet on Geonosis. Then, he remembers escaping the Sarlacc Pit on Tatooine by using his flamethrower within the monster’s belly. Finally, how his armor was stolen by Jawas and how Tusken Raiders found him and carried him back to their settlement.
Sometime later, Fett is awakened by the Tuskens where he seemingly is brought before their leader. He is placed next to a campfire and a massiff acting as a watchdog. Boba is able to free himself and subdue the massiff without killing it. He then offers to cur the bonds of another Rodian prisoner. This alerts the other Sandpeople who pummel him to unconsciousness.
At that point, Fennec Shand awakens Fett from his sleep. The two meet with several representatives of other crimelords, who each pay their respects in their own ways. The final visitor is a Twi-lek representative of the Mayor of Mos Espa. He simply gives greetings with no payment or gift. This makes the statement that the mayor will not work with a new crimelord as he did with Jabba or Bib. Rather than kill the messenger, Fett allows the Twi-lek to leave unharmed.
The two go into Mos Espa to meet with Garsa Fwip (Jennifer Beals), another Twi-lek who owns a posh cantina called The Sanctuary. The introductions seem to go respectfully, but the two are ambushed upon leaving. With the help of two Gammorean Guards, they repel their attackers. Fennec even captures one to later bring before Boba.
Back in the bacta tank, Fett dreams of how he was awakened by the Tuskens. He and the Rodian are brought through the desert by a young Tusken where they see outlaws raid a home. They are then forced to dig for water. They inadvertently awaken a huge four-armed creature who quickly knocks them aside and goes after the young Tusken guard. However, Boba kills the creature by strangling it with a chain, which earns the respect of the Tuskens.
MAJOR QUESTIONS
- Who were the people who ambushed Fett and Shand? Who did they work for?
- Will Boba enlist the help of the Tusken Raiders? Or were they wiped out before the events of The Mandalorian?
- Is Garsa in league with the other crimelords? Or could she be a potential ally?
- Why does Boba need so much time in the bacta tank?
OVERALL RATING: A
I don’t think we could have asked for a better first episode. This first chapter not only revealed how Boba escaped the Sarlacc but also how he lost his armor and acquired his Tusken Raider gear. It also showed that while Boba is ruthless, he is also a man of honor who will not abuse respect nor take it for granted. It will be interesting to see if he keeps the criminal empire going or if he winds up convincing his peers to do something nobler.
It also showed a little more about how Tusken Raiders are more than just savages who pillage and plunder. They too have a pecking order, since this is the first time we’ve seen any of them who have any tribal leadership.