Warning: Minor spoilers for “The Book of Boba Fett.”
There are some arguments to be made against “The Book of Boba Fett.” The show — which takes place both after “Return of the Jedi” and “The Mandalorian” Season 2 — almost feels out of place. It’s a show that straddles the line between necessary viewing and unnecessary storytelling. On one hand, it’s fun to see what happened to Boba Fett after “ROTJ” before he returned in “The Mandalorian.” At the same time, the story has been too slow to make it seem like an entire series was warranted.
But the latest episode — Chapter 4 — is the best example of why this show has importance beyond paying homage to “Star Wars fans and Boba Fett fans. After weeks of waiting, we finally see the passive and calm Boba Fett replaced by the angry, vengeance-filled, killer bounty hunter who “Star Wars” fans fell in love with originally.
I’m not going to make the argument that we don’t need Boba Fett’s story. I’m cool with any and all “Star Warts” content — even if it’s full of cheese language and Power Rangers-esque characters. The “Star Wars” galaxy — like our own — is full of absolute nonsense and so that shouldn’t be something we use to decide if it’s a good or bad show. The story is what matters.
For the first few weeks, “The Book of Boba Fett” has been telling a story of Boba Fett’s shift from a killer bounty hunter to a passive observer of the Tusken raider culture. And that’s fine — the character has to show evolution, right? But Chapter 4 shows us a more violent Boba Fett, the one we originally saw in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” We see the Boba Fett that Han Solo feared.
Sure, he has a new message — not working for people who are going to get him killed. He’s not going to be a killer for hire. But that doesn’t mean he’s done being the soldier and hunter who he has always been. We see this in Chapter 4 as he takes vengeance against the speeder-bike gang who killed his Tusken raider clan. We see him invade Jabba the Hutt’s palace to win back his ship. We even see Boba Fett tackles the Sarlaac Pitt in a way we never thought we’d see.
As Boba Fett admits, the Tusken raiders didn’t make him soft. His time made him stronger as he understand that he can’t work alone. he needs to have a tribe to help him accomplish his goals.
So in a way, we’re seeing the most elevated version of Boba Fett. We’re seeing one who can attack and fight a war, while at the same time understanding that he can’t do it alone. We’re seeing a heroic Boba Fett with his anti-hero ways.
The end of Chapter 4 ends on a cliffhanger that fans of other “Star Wars” projects will enjoy. But it’s also a sign of where Boba, as a character, is heading. He’s no longer the sole assassin who’s trying to face off with others for the sake of collecting the bounty. He’s working to make life betters for others and for himself — but he’s not doing it alone.
The Boba Fett people have been waiting for finally showed up in Episode 4. And it’s clear that we’re going to see that Boba Fett in the remaining episodes of the series. The question becomes whether this is the end of the road for Boba Fett or if we should expect to see him down the road in future series (like a second season of “The Book of Boba Fett.”) If this is all we get of Boba Fett, then “Star Wars” fans better enjoy what we’re seeing here.
“The Book of Boba Fett” might not be the story you want, but it’s the story you’re getting. Now we just have to see how much of Boba Fett is left for us to enjoy.