It’s time to close “The Book of Boba Fett” as the season finale debuted Wednesday morning, giving “Star Wars” fans one final glimpse at the much-celebrated character for a while.
But did the season finale save the show?
“The Book of Boba Fett” has been a somewhat inconsistent show. The opening four episodes centered around its titular star, Boba Fett. We witnessed his journey from surviving the Sarlaac pit to spending time with Tusken raiders to taking over Jabba the Hutt’s palace. At the same time, we learned how he planned to rule Tatooine, which didn’t come easy since the Pyke syndicate threatened his throne.
But then came Episode 5, which took us on a detour to the Mandalorian, who was on his own journey post-“Mandalorian” Season 2. Though eventually, The Mandalorian came into the fold, the episode took like a giant leap away from the main “Book of Boba Fett” storyline. That happens sometimes in shows, where one episode breaks into a new territory to give viewers a break from the main thrust of the story.
“Book of Boba Fett” doubled down on this idea with Episode 6, which brought us more Mandalorian screen time. We were treated to Luke Skywalker training Grogu (Baby Yoda) as well. And don’t forget about Ahsoka Tano’s cameo there, too. Sure, Episode 6 gave us a brief moment with Boba Fett. But it was, in part, another “Mandalorian”-style episode.
So could the season finale save the show and deliver an episode that wraps it all together?
The action-packed finale was, in short, excellent. It wrapped everything up, tying together all the major storylines. Some of the moments didn’t feel totally deserved — one particular decision from Boba Fett, which saved the day, seems a little forced — but the episode surely wrapped up everything it needed to. And, at the same time, it left some loose threads to explore in future series or projects.
More importantly, the episode helped the two-episode detour make more sense. Those two episodes offered more depth and context that helped bolster the season finale.
The ending felt clunky. The final shot seemed rushed and not a summation of the entire series. There’s a post-credits scene that hints at more to come, but it’s a softer post-credits scene that does not indicate a specific series in the future.
Now, the finale isn’t game-breaking or universe-altering. There weren’t any major cameos or appearances from legendary characters. In some ways, it might backtrack the bold move from the end of “The Mandalorian” Season 2.
If anything, “The Book of Boba Fett,” in itself, felt like a detour away from the main ongoing post-“Return of the Jedi” storyline that we’ve seen in “The Mandalorian.” This series felt like a pet project that Lucasfilm and Disney always wanted to make for “Star Wars” fans. Thankfully, it was allowed to feed into the main ongoing “Star Wars” storyline. Lucasfilm and Disney are banking on Grogu and Mando leading the franchise forward. Boba Fett was something to bridge the gap before we see them again.
That said, “The Book of Boba Fett” could benefit from a second season in that it could focus solely on Boba Fett and give us a new storyline with him at the helm. He could be the leader of Tatooine, or he could be sent off to do more bounty hunting. There’s a lot more to explore. Anyone hoping for a more compelling Boba story should push for a second season. His character has plenty of depth to explore and a second series would bring us such depth.
“The Book of Boba Fett” is an absolute thrill ride that adds depth to a character who never had any. It has become necessary “Star Wars” viewing for anyone running through the series by offering a glimpse into the galaxy in the post-“ROTJ” timeline. And it also leaves us completely uncertain about what’s going to happen next, and there’s nothing more exciting than that.