The Book of Boba Fett, Episode 6, Review

CONTAINS SPOILERS

I mentioned last week that Star Wars has a very, very wide extended universe.  Fans have watched the films so many times that they know all the tiny details of each scene, and whenever any part of that scene resurfaces in a later film or episode, there's a thrill of recognition.  Our resident Star Wars superfan was almost bouncing all the way through this episode.

Last time, the episode focused on the Mandalorian (and was all the better for it).  Mando's story has been running at a tangent to Boba Fett's, and the overlap has been fascinating.  Well, this epiosde runs another tangent, as most of the episode is spent following Mando's quest to see Grogu, affectionately known as Baby Yoda.  As one fan put it on social media, "The Book Of Boba Fett, featuring a cameo from Boba Fett."  Boba gets more screen time than the previous episode (that's easy, he wasn't even in the last episode), but still has nothing to say.

If I have one criticism of this episode, it's that the first half lacks pace.  Maybe that's the point: the Mandalorian is in a rush to see Grogu, give him his gift, and get back to fighting in Boba Fett's army.  However, Jedi have never been in a hurry, often to their frustration of their visitors.  For example, do you remember the time Luke went to find Yoda on Dagobah, and Yoda gave him the runaround for several hours?  If you do, you were in for a real treat in this episode:  it's all here - training remotes, force jumps, force lifts; frogs; and that extended backpack run.  The only thing missing was lifting rocks with the Force, but I suppose the frogs will count instead.  I'm not going to cover it in detail, but a lot of time is spent on content that could have been cut out (although the real fans would probably have wanted to see it).

Mando is directed to a landing area by R2-D2 (yes), then made to wait to see Grogu, while watching super-sized ant droids build Luke Skywalker's School for Gifted Children.  Eventually, he is received on Luke's planet by none other than Ahsoka Tano (the cameos cameos come thick and fast and are all excellent).  She is as inconveniently cryptic as all Jedi are,  but does take Mando to where he can see Grogu in training with Luke.  Mando decides not to talk to Grogu directly  - after all, Grogu is training to be a Jedi and not to form attachments, and a visit from Mando wouldn't help this - but does leave the beskar gift that the Armourer forged for the Foundling Grogu in the last episode.  Interestingly, Grogu does seem to recognise that Mando had been on the planet, as his spacecraft departs for Tattoine.

And back on Tattoine, we see Boba Fett (you might remember him, even though he wasn't featured at all in the last episode).  In this episode, Boba manages about 10 seconds of screen time, but doesn't actually say anything.  I'm sure this was great in the original films, when he was all dark and mysterious, but it just comes off as strange now that we've met him, heard him and seen him without his helmet.  Without the mystery, he really is very boring.  Even the Mayor's assistant (the sycophant) gets a line, and it's a typical zinger.  Fennec Shand lists the recent events which lead them to believe war is coming, including Mayor Mok Shaiz leaving the planet...  the assistant comments, "It was a scheduled vacation, actually."  Is that like a work event?

Mando steals the scene, again, by simply walking into Boba's palace and delivering a couple of lines of dialogue - he knows where he can raise an army if it's needed.

And where from?  Mos Pelgo, the small town marshalled by Cobb Vanth (also known as The Marshall), who keeps peace and is your standard sheriff.  Mando and Cobb have a debate about the residents of Mos Pelgo joining Boba's army of recruits and fighting against the Pyke spice runner Syndicate.  Their discussion concludes with Cobb Vanth saying that he'll discuss it with the residents of 'Freetown', and Mando heads back to Boba Fett's palace.  No sooner has he left, than a dark, mysterious stranger walks in from across the desert.  Younger viewers will miss all the references to classic Westerns, but they're all here...

...and viewers of Clone Wars will recognise the mysterious stranger before he's even lifted his head to reveal his face: this is none other than the sharp-shooter Cad Bane.  Cad warns Cobb away from joining Mando in his battle against the Syndicate; Cobb is taking it all under advisement.  However, Cobb's immature and trigger-happy deputy takes exception, and pulls his gun.  Cad Bane shoots the deputy and Cobb before either get a shot off... things aren't looking good for either of them.

And things are going from bad to worse:  a few episodes ago, Boba Fett went into town to advise Garsa Fwip (owner of The Sanctuary bar) that her bar was under his protection.  Well, that works out well, as the Pyke Syndicate leave a bomb in the crowded bar, and promptly blow up the whole establishment.  Battle lines have been drawn (and with only one episode left, they'd better get on with it).

The episode concludes with a return to Luke and Grogu on their idyllic little planet.  Luke's school has been built, and Luke presents Grogu with a choice:  he can either take the gift from Mando (a very cute, Grogu-sized garment made of beskar chain mail) or from Luke (Yoda's old lightsaber).  Is it fair to make Grogu choose?  Can Grogu choose both?  I suppose the Mandalorian Way and the Path of the Jedi are ideologically opposed - Jedi are supposed to avoid and refuse emotional attachment, while for Mandalorians, loyalty and unity are essential.  One thing's for sure, if Grogu knew how Luke Skywalker's School for Gifted Children works out (with Kylo Ren), then he'd be running for the hills.

Speculation around the final episode...

Is Cobb Vanth actually dead?

Will Cad Bane appear again?

Will the Hutt twins make a return?

Are there any more cameos that could possibly be included next week?  R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, The Mandalorian (and the other Mandalorians), Luke Skywalker, Grogu, Cad Bane, Cobb Vanth... even the Jawas and the skull of the Krayt Dragon that the Mandalorian helped to kill...

Will Boba Fett actually say something?

Stay tuned...