“We need foot soldiers.”
Coming off the heels of one of the best episodes of Star Wars television, The Book of Boba Fett returned this week with its penultimate chapter. And while this week’s entry is arguably even better than the one before, it raises the question – what defines a series: it’s story or its cameos.
Before we get too far into the review, note that this piece will not feature any major spoilers from this week’s episode.
This week The Book of Boba Fett spends another forty-seven minutes away from its titular character in place of numerous other stories and perspectives. Last week we followed Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) as he comes to terms with is new life after the events of The Mandalorian Season 2. This week that story continued, but also gave us a peak at many other different corners of the galaxy.
On its own, this episode is another masterpiece of Star Wars storytelling. This episode is written and directed by Dave Filoni, who once again proves that his experience as a storyteller mixed with his tutelage under George Lucas makes him primed to write a story of this magnitude. There were several moments when I was on the brink of tears, with dialogue exchanges and appearances I once thought were unimaginable.
One of my earliest complaints with the series was the production design, both physically and virtually. It is clear now that the budget was pushed to these final episodes, as the series has looked better and better each week. The use of virtual production this episode was on another level, rivaling the best of what we’ve seen so far. Lucasfilm and ILM have outdone themselves with ability to work with the XR Volume and, as someone who works with the technology myself, I am continually floored by the final image they are able to achieve on screen.
That all being said, this episode continued an issue that I raised last week. The show is no longer feels like The Book of Boba Fett. For two weeks now, the titular character has not spoken a line of dialogue. Even in his brief appearance this episode, he did nothing more than nod. Taking one chapter to dedicate to another character feels like an interlude, but taking two feels like a different story is trying to be told. When working with a mini-series like this, it feels like a disservice to the character and quite frankly the actor to sideline them for nearly thirty percent of the show. I understand the want to push the greater story forward, but at what cost? As a fan I am loving what I am seeing on screen but as a filmmaker and a storyteller, I am left questioning the decision making.
Going into the finale next week I fully hope for a final, Boba-centric piece. Expect a rancor to be ridden, expect a duel between him and the stranger from the desert, and possibly one or two more cameos. What I hope for more than anything is that this finale offers the opportunity for Temuera Morrison to shine and to allow the character of Boba Fett to be taken one last step further in depth than where he is currently.
What did you think of this episode of The Book of Boba Fett? How do you think the show ends? Let us know in the comments below and on our social media pages!
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