The Season Finale of “The Book of Boba Fett” saw a former hired gun take responsibility over the welfare of people under him, a father reunite with his son, and a planet’s people take up arms against a criminal organization that wanted to use it for its own selfish purposes. This episode was also about closure between the former hired gun and another from his past.
Warning Spoilers Ahead
The hour-long final episode of “The Book of Boba Fett,” shows that as war begins to loom, Boba Fett (Played by Tamuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming Wa Wren) walk amid the ruins of Garsa Fwip’s sanctuary that was previous bombed in the last episode. The sanctuary serves as a symbol. While it is clearly a message the Pykes sent to the Daiymo of Tatooine, it also represents the resilience of Tatooine’s people. This is shown when the modified youths Drash (played by Sophie Thatcher) and Skad (played by Jordan Bolger) tell Boba that they are going to take their stand in the Sanctuary, and all of Mos Espa, rather than retreat back to Jabba’s Palace and hold the fort there as the former bounty hunter suggested.
The characters of Drash and Skad are seen as scrappy and persevered fighters who are willing to fight for the streets they call their home. And it is with this fortitude that reminds Boba of the solidarity of the Tusken Raiders that rescued him. And it is with that same solidarity that he relents and agrees to take his stand in the ruins of Garsa’s sanctuary along with the Mandalorian (played by Pedro Pascal) and Fennec Shand until they receive reinforcements from Cobb Vanth and the people of Freetown. Morrison’s Boba Fett has grown up to be a father-figure of sorts to these youths who, like the Tuskens, rub off on him, similar to how Grogu (then known as “The Child” or “Baby Yoda” rubbed off on Pacal’s Din Djarin. It shows great chemistry between these characters.
However, being the chess players that they have been portrayed to be ever since debuting in “The Clone Wars” animated series, the Pykes are way ahead of Boba. Little do Fett and Djarrin know, the bounty hunter Cad Bane (voiced by Corey Burton) had shot Cobb Vanth (played by Timothy Olymphant) and it is discovered that the Pykes were actually behind the slaughter of Boba’s adopted Tusken Raider family and staged it to make it seem that the Nikto bikers were behind it. In addition, the gotras of Tatooine who have agreed to remain neutral have double crossed Fett and sided with the Pykes along with the Ithorian mayor of Mos Espa, Mok Shaiz. Things come to a head when the gotras start turning on Fett’s enforcers. Black Krrsantan (played by Carey Jones), who is patrolling the Trandoshan territory gets attacked by the Transdoshans which echoes the resentment between the wookies and the reptilian humanoids. In addition, the mod youths led by Drash and Skad are ambushed by the Aqualish, and the Klantoonians kill Fett’s Gamorean guards. All of this leads up to the first showdown between Fett and his former mentor Bane.
It can be seen that Jon Favreau wrote the showdown between Fett and Bane to be an emotional one. In the past, Bane was Fett’s mentor and, before Boba’s father Jango was killed at the hands of Jedi Knight Mace Windu, the second greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy. In addition, Bane knew Jango and as a favor to him, promised to mentor Boba in the ways of bounty hunting. But as it is shown in their confrontation, the two did not have a good relationship. Bane insults Boba similar to how the Daiymo insulted Mandalorian Koska Reeves by saying “Well if that isn’t the Quacta calling the Stifling slimy.”
When Bane taunts Boba about the slaughter of the Tuskens, viewers can feel. Boba’s anger. Fennec calms Boba down and tells him that he will get his chance at revenge. Boba tells Bane that he wants to discuss terms with the Pyke leadership. Bane relents and the Pykes come to discuss their terms with Fett who rips a page out of U.S. Army Brigadier General Anthony C. McAullife who famously had a letter typed “Nuts” as refusal to surrender to the German Army surrounding the US Army-held Belgian town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Fett uses Mayor Shaiz’s majordomo (played by David Pasquesi) to write that not only would he refuse to surrender to the Pykes but that they would get nothing. This angers the Pykes who are met with a volley of blasterfire from Fett and Djarin.
Before the fight, Fett tells Djarin that he should leave but the Mandalorian refuses by saying that it goes against the creed. Fett, not being an Mandalorian while wearing his father’s armor, asks Djarin if he still believes in that “bantha fodder” which Djarin responds that he does. It is clear that this is Djarin’s way of paying Fett back for helping him rescue Grogu during the final episode of Season Two of the Mandalorian. And this also shows that in heart, Din Djarin is still an Mandalorian even though the Armorer and Paz Visla don’t see him as such due to him removing his helmet. The chemistry between Morrison’s Fett and Pascal also brings the bounty hunter banter between them. The roles have been reversed with Boba now asking favors from Djarin like the latter did in Mandalorian Season Two.
It would be surprising if Favereau studied mafia and western films or used them as inspiration for his writing this episode. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he studied the “Star Wars” comics. Legends material, and watched a couple episodes of “Clone Wars.” Faverau mixed the elements of urban aesthetics with the rural. And we see that clash of cultures when the people of Freetown finally come to the aid of Boba and Din while they fight the Pykes. The young Freetowner Jo (Played by Karisma Gideon) and Drash have conflicts due to where they grew up. Jo, being from rural Tatooine versus Drash being from urban Tatooine. The two young women put their differences aside when Boba, Din, and the Freetowners are attacked by Scorpenek Annihilator droids (which were first mentioned in the pre-Disney “Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Droids”) sent by the Pykes. The two use a combination of Drash’s knowledge of the urban setting of Mos Espa and Jo’s sharp shooting skills which she uses with Vanth’s blaster rifle.
Faverau also added a touching moment when Grogu, with help from R2-D2 via Luke SKywalker’s X-Wing Fighter, flew to Tatooine to be with Din. First, he was reunited with the mechanic Peli Mott (played by Amy Sedaris). When Peli and Grogu arrive in Mos Espa, there was a lot of comedy with Din Djarin telling Peli to turn around while the battle droids were attacking him and Peli throwing a wrench at the droid chariot driver’s head while the Mandalorian was hanging on behind the chariot. Pascal Djarin is reunited with his “son” Grogu who has started wearing the beskar armor bestowed to him. It is a father and son moment that is cut short when the droids finally blast the chariot. However, Boba Fett comes to the rescue when riding his pet rancor that makes short work of the two battle droids. Fett’s rancor is able to take a beating as the droids attack it. However, they are no match for the creature as it rips the droids to shreds until Bane attacks the rancor with his flamethrower.
The final showdown between Fett and Bane echoes the proposed showdown between the two that never aired in the “Clone Wars” animated series. In the deleted showdown, Boba and Bane have a western style duel and both fire at each other and both bounty hunters are hit. It is implied that Boba kills Bane in this scene since it shows Bane only shot Boba on his head while his helmet was on, which is how he got the dent on his helmet.
The fight scene between Fett and Bane was personal as it brought several old wounds including the Duros bounty hunter mentioning that Boba had Jango’s blood. He noted that Boba was a killer just like his father and that he was still a faster draw than he was. Bane easily bests Fett in a gunfight and almost kills him when Boba uses his gaderffii stick that he learned from the Tusken warrior. Fett beats Bane and kills him mercilessly.
Meanwhile, Fett’s rancor is wreaking havoc on Mos Espa and pulling a King Kong by climbing up the highest tower and is scared due to everyone shooting at him. Djarin, who had reunited with Grogu, tells everyone to stop shooting the rancor. Djarin tries to calm the rancor but fails when the creature throws him. However, Grogu is able to rescue his adopted father by using the Force to calm the terrified and angered rancor
The final scene of the war shows Fennec assassinating Shaiz, the gotras, and the Pykes. Before their deaths, the Pyke leader told the mayor and the gotras that they were pulling out of Tatooine since his men were losing a guerrilla war against Boba Fett by either getting shot or being eaten by a rancor. With Fennec finally cutting off the head of the threat, Boba Fett’s united gotra has won the war.
The end of the episode shows Boba accomplishing what he had set out to do, rule with respect as people are seen bowing down to him which seems to bother him a little while he also seems pleased. Fett gives Krrsantan a meiloorun which Skad jokingly asks why the wookie gets to have the fruit with Drash asking the wookie if he wanted to share. The final scene shows Grogu begging Din to use his modified N-1 Naboo Starfighter’s sunlight engines to go fast which the Mandalorian relents. The post ending credits show Cobb Vanth healing in Boba’s bacta tank with the same modifier (played by Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat) tending to him.
“The Book of Boba Fett” gave viewers a new dimension of a character who had only a few lines in the “Star Wars” original trilogy. In a sense, it was a rebirth of a character many fans grew to admire. Boba Fett, the ruthless bounty hunter that was born on the water world of Kamino had died in the sands of Tatooine only to be reborn when he crawled out of the sarlacc pit. He found a new lease on life when being taken in by the nomadic Tusken Raiders. When the Tuskens died, retrieving his father’s armor became his mission which was seen in “The Mandalorian” Season Two. And from there, he decided that he did not want to work for people who did not care for the wellbeing of the bounty hunters they employed and decided to become his own boss. One can even argue that Fett felt that his father’s death at the hands of a Jedi was the first hint of realization of how employers send bounty hunters to their doom and the final straw that broke the bantha’s back was when he fell into the sarlacc pit thanks to a blind Han Solo.
There may be some fans who did not like the “Book of Boba Fett” but this “Star Wars” fan who is writing this article enjoyed it. As previously stated, it brought a new dimension to a character who was mysterious. The character of Boba Fett is an example of how many characters eventually have their stories told. A good example of this is the story of the Joker in Todd Phillips, “Joker” with Joaquin Phoenix portraying an alternate version of Batman’s greatest foe. “Joker” brought another dimension to the Clown Prince of Crime many comic readers have not seen since reading Alan Moore’s “Batman: A Killing Joke” in which the Joker (with a use of an unreliable narrator) was a man named Jack Napier. Phoenix’s Joker was named Arthur Fleck, who struggled with mental health issues and lived with his mother who believed that she had an affair with Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas Wayne which resulted in Arthur’s birth.
In closing, “The Book of Boba Fett” finale was an obvious segway to Season Three of the Mandalorian. Now that Din Djarin has been reunited with Grogu, what’s next for the Mandalorian? Will his next adventure with his Force-sensitive son take him to Mandalore where he may join Bo Katan (played by Kaylee Shackoff)? Will his possession of the Darksaber and possible alliance, or perhaps rivalry with Katan, spark yet another Mandalorian Civil War? And will Djarin be the catalyst of the change in the Mandalorian culture? Only the episodes of the upcoming Season Three will answer those questions.
“The Book of Boba Fett” is now streaming on Disney +.
9.5/10
