057: Rabbit Recaps- The Book of Boba Fett

Welcome back to Rabbit Recaps! As I mentioned in my previous post, this one is all about the spin-off and tie-in to the Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett. I gushed a bit about the character in the previous posts and all I’ll say here is that I’ve liked him since I was a kid, so getting to learn more about him was great. If you missed either of the previous entries, you can find them below:

030: Rabbit Recaps- The Mandalorian Season One

056: Rabbit Recaps- The Mandalorian Season Two

The man beneath the helmet. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

I include this entry in the Mandalorian series for reasons that will soon become evident. I’m following the same format for this one as I have for the previous entries. Although I will leave the plot details as succinct as I can, full spoilers will follow.

Background

The Book of Boba Fett aired on Disney+ in 2021. As with The Mandalorian, the episodes range in length from 39 minutes to over an hour. (Honestly they’re significantly shorter if you skip the recap and the ending credits. That cuts about 6-7 minutes off each episode.) The end of The Mandalorian Season 2 had a teaser for this series.

Boba Fett is an incredibly popular character in the Star Wars franchise, although he only appeared in a few minutes of the original trilogy and was wastefully killed off. For years fans held out the hope that he’d survived his tumble into the Sarlacc pit, and in Episode 14 of The Mandalorian, this fan theory was made canon. (Although he previously appeared in cameos on Episodes 5 and 9.)

I love this ship design. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Glossary

(As always, I assume you know basic Star Wars terms and I won’t repeat the terms I covered in previous posts. I also don’t really get into detail about the alien species featured in the series.)

Daimyo: This is actually a fuedal Japanese term referring to lords who ruled over lands in Japan. In the Star Wars universe it’s a kind of mob boss who offers protection to businesses, collects tributes, and generally gets up to shady dealings. Jabba the Hutt was a Daimyo, although he wasn’t referred as such in the original trilogy.

Majordomo: A majordomo is a sort of assistant or steward to a person in power, such as the Daimyo or the mayor.

The Pyke Syndicate: A criminal organization that has been running since prior to the Clone Wars. They mainly smuggle spice through the galaxy, which is the Star Wars stand-in for drugs and any sort of contraband. (Except for Deathsticks. Unless... maybe Deathsticks are made of spice? Hmm. New fan theory.)

Mods: Also referred to as Cyborgs, the Mods are young people who have willingly modified their bodies with droid parts to enhance their abilities and as a form of personal expression. This technology can also be used to save someone from life-threatening injuries, as shown with two characters in this series.

Bacta Tank: This is a sleeping pod filled with healing fluid that has been used throughout the franchise. Notable times bacta tanks have been shown is after Luke fights the Wampa on Hoth, and in the comics on Mustafar where Darth Vader lounges in one outside of his suit.

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Characters

Boba Fett: Former bounty hunter and now Daimyo of the deceased Jabba the Hutt’s territory in Mos Espa on Tatooine. Boba Fett is an unaltered clone of bounty hunter Jango Fett, who raised him as a son. Boba lived and trained with Tuskens after a near-death experience in a Sarlacc pit. Fett was a ruthless and feared bounty hunter, but now has found the virtues of mercy and cooperation, preferring to rule with respect rather than fear.

Fennec Shand: Formerly a bounty hunter, mercenary, and assassin, Shand now works for Boba Fett as his right hand. Left for dead in the desert by the Mandalorian, Fett found her and had her implanted with cybernetics that saved her life. She is a skilled fighter but also serves the purpose of “angel” on Fett’s shoulder, trying to steer him in the directions she thinks are best for running his new empire.

The Mandalorian: Din Djarin, bounty hunter and adventurer. Also known as Mando. His appearance in this series picks up where we left him at the end of Season 2 of the Mandalorian, separated from his adopted son Grogu and trying to locate his own people.

An excellent use for Force powers. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Grogu: The young Force-sensitive alien of Yoda’s species. At the beginning of this series he is training with Jedi Master Luke.

Luke Skywalker: Everyone knows this guy. At this stage in his life he’s building a new Jedi Temple and training his first student Grogu.

R2D2: A plucky astromech that has appeared all over the franchise.

Ahsoka Tano: A quiet and wise Twi’lek Force wielder. She is not officially a Jedi, but wields light sabers and Force powers. She is on her own mission, but is visiting Luke and Grogu.

This guy’s a jerk. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Mok Shaiz: The Ithorian mayor of Mos Espa, Shaiz really has little power of his own. He has a façade of politeness and wisdom, but reveals himself to be shady and manipulative. This is not common among his species, who are mostly pacifists.

Pity he doesn’t rate a name. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Twi’lek Majordomo: A nameless assistant to the mayor. He is weaselly and untrustworthy.

8D8: On the subject of majordomos, this droid was a modified smelter droid that was turned into a torture droid by Jabba. He now works as a protocol droid and advisor to Fett.

Gamorrean Guards: A pair of nameless Gamorreans who once served Jabba and then Bib Fortuna.

The Mods: A group of five street urchins from Mos Espa who agree to work as enforcers for Fett. They are modded out with droid parts. Two of them are named Drash and Skad, but three of them are not referred to by name in the series. They ride Vespa-like scooters.

Garsa Fwip: The Twi’lek owner of The Sanctuary, a cantina featuring drinking, gambling, and scantily-clad Twi’leks.

Lortha Peel: A smarmy and corrupt water-monger who works in Mos Espa.

I hope we see more of the Armorer. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The Armorer: A wise Beskar metal-worker. She created Din’s armor. Currently hiding underground with Paz Vizsla while their clan is scattered.

Paz Vizsla: A stoic and easily angered Mandalorian who is working with the Armorer to restore their clan. He is a descendant of the Darksaber’s creator.

Peli Motto: The sarcastic mechanic who runs a spaceport on Tatooine. She has worked with Din many times, repairing his ship and providing information.

Cobb Vanth: Marshal of Freetown, Vanth previously wore Boba Fett’s armor before giving it to Din.

Haha, Jabbas. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The Twins: Twin cousins of Jabba the Hutt. These characters also don’t get names, which is baffling to me. They are typical Hutts, valuing power and the fear of their subordinates. They briefly attempt to win back Jabba’s territory.

Black Krrsantan: This was a very exciting addition to the cast for me. A former gladiator, Krrstantan is a violent and short-tempered Wookiee bounty hunter. He is the first of hopefully many Marvel Comics characters introduced in the live-action canon of Star Wars. While it’s not explored here, Krrsantan is an associate of Doctor Aphra, one of my favorite Star Wars characters. His skeleton and hands have been plated with metal, reinforced to make him stronger and more difficult to defeat.

Cad Bane: Another exciting addition to the series. Cad Bane is a cold and highly skilled bounty hunter who operated mostly during the Clone Wars. This is his live-action debut with all his previous appearances being animated. (And I think he showed up in the comics too, but I haven’t come across him yet.)

Beskar doesn’t protect against sand getting in your pants. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Plot Summary

On Tatooine, in the palace that once belonged to Jabba, Boba Fett is recovering in a bacta tank. While he sleeps, he dreams of his past and we see some of his backstory. We see the aftermath of the Battle of Geonosis where Mace Windu beheaded his father Jango Fett, Boba awakening the Sarlacc pit where he was rudely dumped in Return of the Jedi, and then how he escaped. He used his wrist flamethrower and climbed laboriously out onto the dunes of the desert.

While he was unconscious, Jawas came along and stripped his armor and then Tuskens took him prisoner. At night he attempts to get loose and tries to help his fellow prisoner, a Rodian. The Rodian calls to the Tuskens (because of Stockholm Syndrome?) and Fett chooses not to kill the guard, instead running off. He has to fight their reptile dog (I looked it up… it’s called a Massiff) and then one of their warriors, who defeats him.

Godfather Fett. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

In present day, Fennec Shand wakes Boba to start his day as space mob boss. He meets with an Aqualish, a Trandosian, and then the Twi’lek majordomo for the mayor. The Twi’lek doesn’t bring a tribute as the others had, instead expects one to be paid to the mayor. Fett takes this as the obvious insult it is and sends him off. Next, two captured Gamorrean Guards are brought in. They were loyal to Jabba and Bib Fortuna, so both Fennec and the droid 8D8 suggest they be tortured and killed. Fett refuses, instead recruiting them to his service. They immediately bend the knee.

After the meetings, Fett walks into Mos Espa (the settlement in his territory) rather than be carried in a litter, which is something else Fennec warns against. She’s concerned that he’s projecting weakness to his people, but Fett just doesn’t want to do things like Jabba did.

On the way back from visiting the Sanctuary, they’re attacked by assassins. I’m not sure where the Gamorreans were during this part, but they came in later in the battle to turn the tides. (Maybe they were finishing a drink in the Sanctuary?) Fennec chases the fleeing assassins as they parkour away and takes one prisoner. Fett, weakened by the fight, is put into his flashback machine… I mean bacta tank.

Just another sand monster. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Back with the Tuskens, Fett is shown some bandits that steal water from a settlement and paint their symbol on the wall. (This is the Nikto gang.) Then Fett and the Rodian are forced to dig for sand fruit or something which are filled with water. While they’re digging, the Rodian disturbs a sleeping sand monster which attacks them, killing the Rodian and threatening the child Tusken. Fett uses his chains to strangle the monster, saving the child and earning the respect of the tribe.

Space Entourage. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

In present day Fennec brings in the prisoner. The assassin is a member of the Order of the Night Wind and refuses to talk. They drop him into the Rancor pit where he gets scared enough to spill that it was the mayor who hired the assassins. And then they tell him there’s no Rancor. They go to see the mayor who claims to be unaware of the plot to assassinate the new Daimyo. He has the assassin killed and pays Fett as though he were still a bounty hunter. Fett takes the payment as the tribute he should have gotten before.

After this they go back to the Sanctuary and learn that “the Twins” have laid claim to Jabba’s old territory. Their litter comes through town and Fett’s group meets the two Hutts. They have Black Krrsantan working for them, who just stands there menacingly. Fett refuses to concede Jabba’s territory, saying they’ll have to kill him to get it back. (Challenge accepted!)

Cruisin’ with his homies. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Back in the past, Fett has become integrated into the Tusken tribe and learns how to fight with a gaffi stick. A speeder train comes through and opens fire on the tribe, killing some of them. Fett promises the chief that he’ll stop the “long speeder”. He goes off on his own to attack the Nikto gang, fucks them up, and steals their speeders. Then he teaches the Tuskens how to ride the speeders and trains them for a train heist.

They manage to lay siege to the train and stop it. While the Tuskens loot it, Fett learns that they’re smuggling spice for the Pyke Syndicate. All the supplies and water belong to the Tuskens and if they expect to pass through the desert, they will need to leave the tribe alone and pay them tribute.

After the train adventure, Fett talks with the Chief, learning that the Tuskens were once one and are now fractured into many tribes. He gets a hallucinogenic worm-thing up his nose and goes off on a spirit quest type journey to find the wood for his own gaffi stick, which he makes himself. He also gets Tusken robes (but without the head bandages) which is what he was wearing in his first appearances in The Mandalorian.

Krrsantan in the pit. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Present day again. 8D8 explains that Jabba’s death left a power vacuum and Bib Fortuna wasn’t strong enough to handle the territory himself. It was split up between him and three other families in Mos Espa, each taking a sector. The Trandosians, the Aqualish, and the Klatoonians. (Lizard men, walrus men, and dog men.) (You’re welcome.)

The water-monger Lortha Peel arrives and lets Fett know that no one respects him. Promising double his tribute, he recruits Fett to help take care of a group of punk kids who are stealing his water. Fett investigates and find that the street gang is made up of five young Mos Espa street urchins who have modified themselves with droid parts. They explain that Lortha is charging them a month’s wages for a week’s worth of water and there’s no work. Fett pays off the water-monger at a fair rate (1/3 of what he wants), demands the man lowers his prices, and hires the Mods to work as his enforcers.

Back in the backstory tank, Fett recalls going to the Pyke Syndicate. They refuse to pay the tribute that was promised to the Tuskens because they’re already paying the Nikto gang. When he gets back to the Tusken village, they’ve all been killed and the village razed. The Nikto symbol has been painted on one of the tents. After burning the bodies, Fett leaves and his flashback is interrupted by an angry Wookiee.

Black Krrsantan has invaded the palace to assassinate Fett. He can’t defeat the beast alone and it takes the Mods, Fett, the Gammorean Guards and Fennec Shand to take him down. He’s dropped into the empty Rancor pit.

Shortly after this near-fatal encounter, the Twins arrive. They apologize for sending Krrsantan and present a Rancor as a gift. They also reveal they’re heading back to Hutta because the mayor promised the territory to another Syndicate. It would be too much trouble to go to war over a desert planet. They recommend Fett leave too. They don’t want Krrsantan back and Fett releases him, telling him there are no hard feelings.

Fett meets with the Rancor trainer Danny Trejo. (Kidding, he’s played by Trejo, but once again, the character has no given name.) He explains that the Rancor is just a calf and that he’s depressed. He says they’re emotionally complex creatures and very loving. They form a strong bonds with the first person they see. (This all explains why the Rancor trainer in Return of the Jedi was so devastated when Luke killed his Rancor.) (During this he also name drops the Witches of Dathomir, which are the Nightsisters from the Clone Wars.) Fett decides to spend time with the Rancor and learn to ride it. He has Danny Trejo remove the blinders so that it can imprint on him.

They go back to see the mayor and again threaten their way in. the mayor is gone and the majordomo flees. This provides a good opportunity for a chase scene, so they go for it. The Mods pursue him through the narrow streets of Mos Espa. We get to see some of their gadgets— a blowtorch hand, hydraulic foot, that sort of thing. An amusing thing to note about the Mods: there are five of them (two female, three male) and their bikes are color coded. (Blue, red, green, and yellow.) They seem to be referencing the original Power Rangers, but without black and substituting green for pink. Very odd choice. Anyway, after a lengthy chase they capture the majordomo, who reveals that the mayor is working for the Pyke Syndicate. The Syndicate arrives in Mos Espa and Fett states they need to prepare for war.

More flashbacks show Fett getting revenge for his lost tribe. His first plan is to get his ship back from Jabba’s palace where he parked it last. The problem is there are too many guards and he doesn’t have his armor. He travels on his Bantha (we get to see that he takes good care of it— compassion towards animals is an unexpected but interesting aspect to the character) and sees a flash of light. (Also the musical cue from the Mandalorian plays.) Investigating, Fett comes across the motionless body of Fennec Shand after her run-in with Din Djarin. He picks her up and takes her to the Mod Bar on the outskirts of Mos Espa. The doctor there (credited as The Artist) rebuilds her abdomen, keeping her from dying. At first she’s horrified to find that she has machine parts, but she gets over it quickly. Fett reveals his identity to her and at first she doesn’t believe him. He asks for her help in getting his ship back and she agrees. He sets his Bantha free to go and make baby Banthas.

They invade the palace, fight off the guards, and escape with his ship. (I summarized like 20 minutes in one sentence. Efficient!) Impressed with Fett, Shand decides to stick around and help him. He guns down the Nikto gang using his ship.

Fett vs Sarlacc, Round 2. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Next stop: the Sarlacc that was almost the death of him. The Sarlacc tries to pull in his ship and Shand kills it with a seismic charge. (Drop the bass! Auralnauts are awesome.) Fett climbs into the pit but his armor is gone. At a campfire they discuss his plans. He’s decided by this point to form his own family, a tribe. He promises to protect Shand if she’ll join him as an equal partner. And with that we’ve caught up to the teaser at the end of the Mandalorian Season 2. His bacta treatments are done and his Sarlacc scarring is fully healed.

Back at the Sanctuary, a drunken Krrsantan throws a fit and rips the arm off a Trandosian. Fett recruits him to help in the coming war. They all meet with the three families of Mos Espa. He asks for their help in keeping the Pykes from taking over the planet. None of them want to pledge their loyalty to Fett, so he just asks that they remain neutral as he goes to war against the Pykes. They all agree to this. Afterwards, Shand asks for some credits to buy some muscle and the Mandalorian theme plays again.

Mandalorian meeting. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

What follows is a full episode and a half without Boba Fett. (I know, strange choice to leave the lead off his own show, but it’s what they went with.) We find the Mandalorian on a job to collect someone dead or alive to pay his debts. He tries to resolve things peacefully but has to fight his way out. (Using the Darksaber and burning himself with it due to inexperience.) He leaves the workers alive and tells them to help themselves to the credits they’re owed since he has no right to them. (This scene was actually done pretty well and tells new viewers everything they need to know about the character in just a few minutes.)

The city he’s in appears to be some fantastic man-made ring-like structure in space. (Pretty cool to see Star Wars experimenting with new designs like this.) (There’s also a cool continuous shot that goes for a couple of minutes before cutting.) His payment for the job is information. He gets the location of the underground and once there he finds two members of his Mandalorian clan— the Armorer and Paz Vizsla. (Vizsla is one of the Mandalorians who saved him on Nevarro back in Season 1.)

The Armorer is very interested in the Darksaber and we get some lore here. The Darksaber was forged over 1000 years ago by Tarre Vizsla, who was both Jedi and Mandalorian. If it is not won in combat and falls into the hands of the undeserving, it is a curse. She says that Bo-Katan was gifted it… basically she implies that it’s Bo-Katan’s fault Mandalore fell. Their sect was on the moon of Concordia, which is why they survived the Purge. They aren’t happy about the fact that Moff Gideon is alive and have no faith that the New Republic will properly punish him. She is also upset about the spear, stating that it is forbidden for Beskar to be used in weaponry, since it’s the only thing that can pierce their Beskar armor. Mando hands it over to her to make it into armor, a gift for Grogu. He still wants to see the little foundling, even though Jedi are supposed to forgo all attachments.

Mando has so many duels. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

The Armorer trains him in how to properly use the Darksaber, saying that if he doesn’t stop fighting against it, it will never work for him. Vizsla approaches, stating that as the descendant of the Darksaber’s creator, he deserves to wield it. He challenges Mando to a duel to win the blade. During the fight Mando is disarmed and Vizsla picks up the blade and clumsily tries to use it to defeat his opponent. Mando overcomes him and wins, retaining the Darksaber.

After the duel, the Armorer asks Din if he’s ever removed his helmet. He admits that he has. She declares that he’s a Mandalorian no more. The only way to redeem himself and rejoin the clan is in the living water in the Mines of Mandalore, which are now buried. (New quest!)

The new ship. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Din takes his leave of them and takes a transport to Tatooine where he meets up with his mechanic Peli Motto. She found him a new ship that she claims is going to be better than his destroyed Razor Crest. It’s an old run-down Naboo N-1 Starfighter from the Galactic Republic era. Despite his doubts he helps her rebuild and modify it. (She removes the droid port, adds thrusters, and the ability to jump to lightspeed without a Hyperspace Ring.) He’s won over as soon as he tries it out. That little thing can really book! After the test drive Fennec appears and asks to hire him for the fight against the Pyke Syndicate. Din agrees to help, but says it’s on the house. But first he has to visit a little friend.

Space bamboo? (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Cobb Vanth encounters members of the Pyke Syndicate near Mos Pelgo (or Freetown as they have rebranded it) and shoots them. He lets one live to send the warning and dumps their spice in the sand.

After this brief interlude we continue to follow Din as he takes his new ship to an unnamed forest planet. He encounters R2-D2 and sees spidery droids building a temple stone by stone. Grogu is meditating with Luke but gets distracted by a one-eyed frog. He uses the Force to try and lower it into his mouth. Luke raises a dozen frogs to show him what’s possible if he focuses. Luke tells Grogu about Yoda. (Which blows my theory that the little one must have known Yoda. Why would Yoda not have met him? They were both on Coruscant. Also Yoda trained the Younglings! So confused.) He helps Grogu remember home, but instead of remembering his world (maybe he never knew it?) he has a vision of Order 66, seeing Jedi unsuccessfully fighting Clone Troopers. The memory cuts out as they approach him so either it’s too painful for him to remember or he lost consciousness.

Back with Din, Ahsoka wakes him up and says she’s an old friend of the family. Din asks to see Grogu and she reminds him that his attachment is a problem for the little one. Din wants to give him the gift and Ahsoka asks if he’s a Padawan or a foundling. And is Mando doing this for Grogu or himself? She says Grogu misses him very much and if he sees Mando it will make things more difficult. Din decides to leave without seeing Grogu, but asks her to pass along the gift.

We see some of Grogu’s training as Luke teaches him to use the Force to jump like a frog. There’s also a sequence where Luke is running and jumping along with Grogu in his backpack just like he did while training with Yoda. It was pretty cool to see Luke as a teacher. He uses the training sphere like Obi-Wan used on him. (Grogu tries to roll it like a ball.) He even gets some sage Jedi wisdom: “Get back up. Always get back up.“ Grogu does an impressive backflip to avoid the sphere’s blaster bolt and uses the Force to disable it. While he’s training, Ahsoka comes by to give Luke the gift and says that he’s just like his father. (Who trained her, remember.) She leaves to go back to her own quest presumably.

Scenic Mos Espa. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

We rejoin the Mandalorian as he returns to Tatooine to join Boba Fett. Interlude over, back to the show. They’re having a briefing about the Pyke Syndicate and Din says he can help them get more men. He goes to see Vanth in Freetown. The town doesn’t want to get involved, but Vanth promises to talk to them all. Keeping the Pykes off Tatooine would be good for everyone.

As soon as Din leaves, a cowboy-looking dude strolls out of the desert. Vanth goes to meet him and it’s Cad Bane, notorious bounty hunter and former cartoon character. He says the Pykes will match Fett’s offer if they stay put. They have a classic Old West shoot out and Vanth and his mouthy deputy are shot. Bane warns the others to leave the Syndicate alone and walks off.

Back in Mos Espa, the Syndicate bombs the Sanctuary (possibly killing Garsa Fwip?) as a warning to Fett. We flash over to Planet Noname and Luke gives Gorgu a choice. Din’s gift of a Beskar chainmail shirt and returning to his dangerous life with the Mandalorian or Master Yoda’s lightsaber (!) and the place as Luke’s first student. To choose that would ensure his safety and the balance of the Force, but he would have to leave the Mandalorian behind, possibly never seeing him again. We don’t get to see his choice yet. (At this part Cocoashade kept shouting “The lightsaber! Pick the lightsaber! You idiot!”)

The pieces are now in place for the final showdown. As Fett and Shand inspect the damage to the Sanctuary, Mando arrives and says he’s confident Vanth will come through with a garrison of men from Freetown. They will help— and for free— if Fett stops the spice trade. Shand warns against this, stating that was most of Jabba’s business. Fett readily agrees to the terms. The Mods refuse to leave, wanting to help protect Mos Espa.

Back with the bad guys, the mayor meets with the representative for the Pyke Syndicate and Cad Bane. During this we learn it was the Pykes, not the Niktos who killed Fett’s Tusken tribe. They manipulated him into taking care of the speeder gang. Bane files away this info for later.

An X-Wing appears at Peli’s spaceport and it was piloted by R2. Grogu is there in his new chainmail and she’s thrilled to see him. (And not just because she thought he was the authorities.)

This is the way. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

As Fett’s people make their plans and wait for the war to break out, Cad Bane comes to see them. We’re reminded the two of them have a history— Boba used to run with Bane’s crew in the Clone Wars. Bane reveals that he shot Vanth and the people of Freetown won’t be coming. He also reveals that the Pykes killed the Tuskens, trying to spur him into battle. Boba Fett won’t negotiate and doesn’t fall for the taunt.

Suddenly the three families of Mos Espa all break their pact of noninterference. The Aqualish attack the Mods, the Trandosians ambush Krrsantan, and the Gamorreans are killed by the Klatoonians, who drop them off a cliff to their deaths. With that, all of Fett’s forces are separated and in danger. The Twi’lek majordomo reveals where the Pykes operate and Shand rushes there, saving the Mods on the way.

Fett gives Mando the chance to back out, but he refuses, having given his word to help. They use the Twi’lek as a distraction with a false statement of surrender. Boba Fett and Din Djarin fly out on their jetpacks, picking off the Syndicate men. We get to see the two of them fighting side by side and it’s awesome. Just when it seems they’re about to be overwhelmed by their enemy’s superior numbers, the garrison from Freetown arrives and saves them. The Mods and Krrsantan arrive too. Fett saves Krrsantan as he’s about to be gunned down.

But they can’t relax yet. Two big-ass spider droids appear with shield generators and a lot of firepower. (My research says they’re called Scorpenek droids.) Everyone scatters. Mando can’t even pierce the shields with his Darksaber. While Mando distracts them, Fett flies off to get reinforcements. Peli arrives with Grogu on a litter and the others hole up in a building. Its a touching moment when Grogu and Mando are reunited. Grogu leaps into his arms and Mando sees that he got the chainmail shirt. The droids attack, overturning the litter and Mando catches Grogu like a little green football. The battle stops when they hear a mighty roar. Yes, it’s Boba Fett riding a freaking Rancor.

Rancors are awesome. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

As the Rancor weakens the shield, Mando resumes his attack, getting knocked back to the ground. Grogu strides out of hiding and pulls a bolt off the droid, crippling it long enough for Mando to get away. The Rancor tears it in half. (Remember, it’s still a calf. Imagine what it could do when it’s fully grown!) The Rancor is injured by the second droid but manages to destroy it. Also, Peli and the majordomo flirt… it’s not relevant to the battle, but I thought it was cute.

Wicky wicky. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Cad Bane appears and without flinching, attacks the Rancor with a flamethrower. (He’s a cool character.) Fett is bucked off and the Rancor scampers off, leaving the two alone. Bane outdraws Fett and shoots him twice.

I think Boba won. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Before Bane can fire pointblank at his unhelmeted head, Fett disarms him with the gaffi stick and impales him with it. He leaves him for dead.

But now the Rancor is going berserk and climbing a tower like King Kong. Mando goes to face it, leaving the metal ball for Grogu. (Which is a nice callback to the previous season.) Mando is promptly knocked back and Grogu again steps up to protect him. He uses the Force to calm the Rancor and puts it to sleep. Then he curls up next to it and takes a nap himself.

Meanwhile the Pykes have decided to pull out of Tatooine, which angers the family representatives and the mayor. Shand arrives like a whirlwind, killing them all, including the corrupt mayor.

The battles over and a bit of time later, Fett walks through town with the people of Mos Espa showing him due respect. It hurts to salute them since Bane injured his arm, but his bacta tank is being used. Krrsantan and the Mods meet him and Fett seemingly has the new family he was looking for. We cut to Mando and Grogu flying off towards Season 3 of their own show. (Grogu is in the droid port.) In the mid credits scene we see Cobb Vanth is the one using Fett’s bacta tank with the Mod Artist nearby, ready to operate on him.

And that’s the series! We had a nice, concise story setting Boba Fett in a position of power, filled in the blanks in his more recent history, and set up the future of the Mandalorian.

You know when you find your dad’s helmet and his head’s still inside? (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Continuity

As has been done on The Mandalorian, this series brought in characters from other Star Wars media, depicting them in live action. This season saw the appearances of Krrsantan from the pages of Marvel Comics and Cad Bane from The Clone Wars animated series. As always we had many references to previous entries in the franchise, showing some events from the Clone Wars era and the long-awaited fate of Boba Fett following Return of the Jedi. We also learned that Bib Fortuna took over Jabba’s place as Daimyo briefly after Leia strangled the overgrown Muppet. We got to see the effect on Din Djarin of being separated from Grogu and his clan. Since this is technically an entry in the Mandalorian series, the continuity followed directly from the events of Season 2.

We learned a lot more about Tusken culture. And at one point Peli Motto mentioned that she used to date a Jawa. And she says that they’re furry! (My new theory is that they’re rat men but I hope we never see one without the robes. Leave some things sacred. We’re never supposed to know what Tuskens and Jawas look like.)

I like the paintings in the ending credits. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Thoughts

Okay, review time! Although this series had some pretty obvious flaws that I’ll get into shortly, overall I enjoyed it very much. I’ve long been intrigued by Boba Fett and seeing the man beneath the armor was more welcome than I thought it would be. The visuals and effects were top notch. It was cool to see more of the aliens we often see in Star Wars, especially the Tuskens.

We also learned a new aspect of the Star Wars universe: the Mods. I know they weren’t well received by fans, but I thought they were an interesting addition… people who choose to be implanted with droid parts as a form of self expression and evolution. I hope they explore this concept further going forward.

Bantha joyride. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

For downsides, in my opinion the main problem with this series was in the formatting. I can understand why they interspersed the flashbacks with the present day segments… taking two whole episodes to fill in the backstory would have taken us away from the main story for too long and wrecked the pacing. Still, it was a little annoying to jump back and forth in the timeline. Worse than that was in taking up nearly two entire episodes to shift focus away from Boba Fett and to the Mandalorian. It makes sense narratively to set up the finale… but honestly most of the Mando parts could have been placed in Season 3 of his own show. His appearance here with little explanation as to what he’s been up to and why Grogu showed up, how he got the new ship… all of that could have been left vague and served as a teaser for his next season. Although his portions were interesting, it was unfair to take up so much of Boba Fett’s runtime on the Mandalorian. It unfairly stole the focus from the titular character. This was a huge flaw in the series and did a great disservice not only to Boba Fett but to his fans as well. Plus now anyone who is a Mandalorian fan and maybe wanted to sit this spin-off out would be screwed… they’d be baffled when they come into Season 3 and the status quo is changed in vital ways. (Grogu is back and more in control of his powers, he has his own armor shirt, Mando has a new ship and a new quest.)

I understand what they were going for… I just don’t think it was done well. If I was showrunner I would have cut the episode number by one, added vague references to things Mando and Grogu had been up to, and then shifted all that narrative to Season 3 of the Mandalorian. But that’s just me being overly critical. (The number 1 pastime of a Star Wars fan!)

A little side note that I can add to the downsides: I found it very strange that many of the characters in this (the Twins, three of the Mods, the mayor’s majordomo) are unnamed. This is weird. Isn’t part of the fun of Star Wars in the bizarre names? They also didn’t name the planet where Luke was training Grogu. Little details like this are important for the viewers and they seem to be neglecting the names.

That all aside, I feel the show had many strong points. Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen were fantastic as Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, respectively. The cast in general was strong and the story moved along at a good pace, only slowing down in some parts. (The Mandalorian’s search for his clan, the mission to get the ship in Jabba’s palace.) Despite the narrative shift away from Fett near the end, the finale was huge and action-packed and brought all the disparate story threads together in an ultimately satisfying way.

Cad Bane is a badass. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

Of particular interest to me in this series were the surprise appearances by Krrsantan and Cad Bane. Those are fantastic characters and it was cool seeing them given the live-action treatment. Cad Bane easily could have come across as cartoony, but they managed to make him believable. Krrsantan was imposing and retained the spirit of the character established in the comics.

And the fact that Krrsantan has been introduced outside of the comic pages could possibly mean we’ll soon be getting a Doctor Aphra streaming series. Nothing’s been announced yet, but I suspect they’re in talks. Doctor Aphra is one of the most entertaining and complex characters in Star Wars, and it would be amazing to see her adventures continue on screen. Especially if we also get to see her supporting cast… especially Triple-Zero and BT-1, the psychotic and terrifying droids that are basically nightmare versions of C-3PO and R2-D2.

Anyway, guest stars aside, The Book of Boba Fett did what it set out to do. It told the backstory of Boba Fett and put him in place as Daimyo. It also set up The Mandalorian Season 3 by getting Din and Grogu back together and setting him on his next quest— to win back his honor after showing his face. (Although getting them back together so quickly kind of invalidated the emotional note Season 2 ended on, but I’ll save that for next post.) While the series could have been executed better, it never bored me and it was a fun ride— especially the spectacle of a finale.

As an individual and distinct show, The Book of Boba Fett did not exactly work. However, as an extension and supplement to the Mandalorian, it served well as a bridge between Seasons 2 and 3, explaining more plot threads and setting the stage for the third season. Now all the housekeeping is done, so they can just jump right back into it. (And those who are only tuning in to see Grogu won’t have to worry about him being absent.) I hope more of Boba Fett’s story can be told… his time as a bounty hunter, his previous duel with Cad Bane, and his future as a Daimyo. I doubt this show will come back for a second season, but if it does, I’ll be there for it.

Lingering Questions

I didn’t expect this section to extensive, as this was a more self-contained series. But the more I thought about it, the more I came up with. For one thing we have the obvious questions of how Fett will do running things as Daimyo. Any questions we may have about the Mandalorian and Grogu’s fate will be answered in Season 3 of that series. I do wonder how the rest of Boba Fett’s story will be told, but I’m assuming he’ll be used as a supporting character on the Mandalorian. (And maybe in the massive crossover they’ve hinted at with Ahsoka, the New Republic, and the Mandalorian.) It will probably also be there that we discover the fate of Cobb Vanth. Also, I have to wonder if Krrsantan owes Boba Fett a life debt now. (In Wookiee custom, if you save a Wookiee’s life, they stick by your side until you die.)

Beside that, I am left with two big questions. First, and most obviously, is Cad Bane really dead? As soon as he was impaled a little red light went on on his chest. I figure that could be a beacon. In the Clone Wars he had a servant droid named Todo 360. The beacon could be calling for him. Bane’s a tough one, so he may not be out for good yet.

My second biggest question lies in what sort of backlash there will be for Boba Fett in fighting off the Pyke Syndicate. In my research for this post I learned that the Pykes were actually a part of Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective. Since we know from the movie Solo that Darth Maul is still kicking around the galaxy (or was before the Battle of Yavin) this is a fact that could come back to bite Fett at a later date. I’m sure Maul wouldn’t allow one of his collective to be attacked in this way without some sort of retaliation. (Is Maul even still alive? Some things I’ve read hint that maybe he died in Rebels? I guess I’ll find out when I get there. No spoilers please.)

Actually I do have one more big question. We never found out where Fett got that dent in his helmet. I’ve always been curious about it. Moreso after watching the Mandalorian and learning how strong Beskar is… not even lightsabers can pierce it! So whatever left that dent must have been really powerful. I did some research on this as I was compiling this post and learned that the original intention was to show this in Season 7 of The Clone Wars. (The Season 7 that was cancelled, not the Season 7 we eventually got.) The original plan was to show a falling out between the young Boba Fett and Cad Bane and they have a shoot out. They match in draw speed, so they hit each other at the same time, Fett getting the dent in his helmet, and Bane getting a near-fatal wound that results in a metal plate in his head. (Look at the screenshot below and you’ll see the top of his head is metal… it wasn’t that way when he first appeared in Clone Wars.) Apparently there is reference to this in The Bad Batch, but that’s another one I haven’t gotten to yet. For now this duel and its fallout is not strictly canon. And besides, how would a normal blaster bolt dent Beskar? My understanding is that the only thing that can damage Beskar is more Beskar, which is why the Armorer says it’s forbidden to make weapons out of the material.

Maybe some day we’ll learn how that dent got there. For now it gets filed away with Yoda’s species, Yaddle’s fate (Hashtag Yaddle Lives), and how Maz Tanaka found Luke’s lightsaber as some of the great mysteries of Star Wars.

Poor guy. All he wanted was to kill everyone and get money. Relatable. (Credit: Lucasfilm, Disney)

So there you have it, The Book of Boba Fett, or as some refer to it, The Mandalorian Season 2.5. This will likely be the last edition of Rabbit Recaps until this time next year, after Season 3 of the Mandalorian has aired. I hope you enjoyed this recap and review. Thank you for reading, I appreciate you all. I will be back soon with something else!