Warning: This review will contain spoilers from The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 7
“This is my city. These are my people. I will not abandon them.”
After seven weeks, The Book of Boba Fett has come to a close. Despite its rocky start, the series had really picked up steam over its last couple of episodes, despite putting little-to-no attention on the titular character. However some, including myself, had fears that when the focus of the content shifted back to our central hero, the show may exhibit some of the same struggles it faced early on. Unfortunately, this finale did not live up to the level of its two preceding episodes and ultimately left a sour taste in my mouth about the series as a whole.
Chapter 7 picks up where we left off in Chapter 6, with Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) preparing to take on the Pyke Syndicate alongside hired muscle and the people of Freetown. The episode essentially serves as a massive action sequence, including not one, but two standoffs between Boba and Cad Bane (Corey Burton), chase sequences, and a rancor rampage payoff. In the heat of it all, Grogu is brought back into the fold and reunited with the Mandalorian as a B-story.
On its own, this episode is a fairly fun action sequence, although stretched a bit thin by its conclusion. It does a very nice job of wrapping up the most prominent plot points, but certainly leaves the already thin themes and arcs of the overall story in the dust. I believe there could have been a great opportunity for some more character moments, thematic payoff, and allowing our characters to breathe in the chaos.
This brings me to my exact problem with the series as a whole. The Book of Boba Fett started out with an incredible concept that had subpar execution. Seeing Boba as a changed man from his time with the Tusken Raiders, now trying to be a better leader for the people of Mos Espa, is exactly the type of character study the maskless bounty hunter needed. There was clear establishment in the beginning of the series to develop his relationship with his father, his life as a bounty hunter prior to the Sarlacc Pit, and even his existence as a clone. However, as the series progressed, the show spent a great deal of time focusing on the journey on how he got to where he is today, but spent far too little time with the result of that journey.
Speaking of results, this finale seemingly forgoes all of the character development established thus far. During his final duel with Cad Bane, the injured Fett is toyed with by the Duros gunslinger, saying “You gave it a shot. You tried to go straight. But you’ve got your father’s blood pumping through your veins. You’re a killer.” As Bane lectures Boba about needing to look out for yourself, Fett gets the upper hand, using his tutelage from the Tuskens, his tribe, to win the duel and kill Bane. What stands out to me is the conflict of themes. While the poignant theme of family and tribe shines through, with Boba showing that his time with his Tusken family taught him the skills that allowed him to win the fight, a majority of the first four episodes focused on how Boba did not want to lead by simply killing all who oppose him. Even Bane’s final words, “I knew you were a killer.” completely go against what was set up at the beginning of this series for our hero.
The entire series shows all who surround Boba, including Fennec, believe that he cannot lead the way he wants to, with respect instead of fear. You would expect him to ultimately win the day sticking to his own morals. Yet, when the time came, Fett succumbs to his own instincts, showing that he couldn’t rule without the need to kill. This was the perfect opportunity for Fett to lay down his weapon, to use respect and dignity like he had successfully throughout the series. But when it came time, Boba learned the hard way that respect gets you nowhere on the streets of Mos Espa. While the ending sequence of him walking through the market attempts to brush over that point, it still stood out to me as I sat through the battle. If the intention was to show that Boba could not rule the way he intended, that point was severally missed in my eyes.
Another issue many, including myself, raised over the past few weeks is that our titular character felt overshadowed in his own story. Din Djarin continued to steal the spotlight this week, despite heavy attempts to showcase Boba. While Boba certainly got his due in the rancor sequence, there were several sequences in which Din simply stole the show and the production did not help with that. Whether it be the writing, shot design, or stunt choreography, Din Djarin continued to take precedent in the eyes of the production from an audience perspective. To add to this, his rushed reunion with Grogu felt completely out of place in this episode, and felt like it was done simply to set up The Mandalorian Season 3, which takes away from what should be a story about Boba Fett.
In the end, The Book of Boba Fett was a very disappointing piece of Star Wars content for me. What could have been a beautiful, in-depth story about a character who desperately needed development turned into a side quest series for a more interesting and popular character with cameos galore. While I certainly enjoyed moments of this series, I never once found myself invested in the main character or his story, and that hurts as a fan of the franchise and the storytelling capabilities of a galaxy far, far away.
What did you think of this episode of The Book of Boba Fett? How did you feel about the story as a whole? Let us know in the comments below and on our social media pages!
