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| The Book of Boba Fett: Back to the Sarlacc |
Having watched four episodes, it's clear that The Book of Boba Fett is pacing poorly. The series alternates between two timelines - a present in which Boba Fett tries to keep a foothold in Tatooine's underworld and a past in which Fett's adventures are described when he escapes the Sarlacc - but they never really interact. Finding meaningful and heartbreaking connections between the past and present does not have to be The Godfather: Part II. In addition to this week's suggestion that Fett's time with the Tuskens made him want to settle down, the two parts lack any sort of connection thematically or rhythmically. This happened back then. That's what's happening right now.
Maybe the final episodes of the miniseries will tie them all together satisfactorily, but for now, it's like we're watching two shows at once, and on any given week one is a bit more eventful and exciting than the others. This week's honor goes to the flashback scenes, which "Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm" starts with, showing a dreaming Fett as he continues to recover inside the tank.
The episode finds Fett recalling his days wandering the desert with his favorite bantha as he plots to retrieve his ship from what was once Jabba's palace. Fennec Shand, who was soon to become Fett's sidekick and aide-de-camp, was very close to death when Fett took her to a body modification parlor, at least if she hadn't been rescued from certain death by Fett. Though its primary purpose is to make modifications favored by the scooter-riding youth, it can be used as an emergency medical facility at the right price. In this episode, we learn that the scooter punks are called "Mods" because of their love of altered bodies, but it was obvious they were modeled after the Mods.)
Fett is grateful to Hand, in her terse way, and she soon becomes indispensable to him. As she suggests it's unlikely Nikto bikers killed his Tusken friends (hmm...), she helps him plan a raid on Jabba's Palace. (Or Bib Fortuna's, but he just lived there and never really owned it.) Shand, armed with a nifty drone, creates a 3D hologram of the place, and they enter it via the kitchen when it is most vulnerable. Even though it appears as though they will run into trouble right away, at least at first, despite the knife-wielding Chef Droid. A shootout ensues, but Fett and Shand ultimately prevail, then utilize the ship to wipe out the hated bikers. (One droid even shuts down, presumably for good.) When Fett returns to the Sarlacc, the armor is gone (although he probably takes some satisfaction in executing revenge on the creature in the process).
At this point, Shand may be on her way. However, she and Fett become partners. Shand may recognize a good thing when she sees it. Perhaps Fett's talk of settling down has sparked her interest in doing the same, relatively speaking. It remains to be seen whether or not she will stay with him permanently, but Shand is still around when Fett emerges, "completely healed," his medical droid says. Nevertheless, he'll need to stand up to the Pykes and consolidate his power if he is to remain healthy.
Krrsantan, the gladiator-turned-bounty hunter-turned-drunken gladiator, would be the perfect person to help him. What kind of person is he? He is so mean that even the calm Garsa Fwip can't convince him to stop killing his enemies in her club. "What used to be celebrated in the bloodlust of the arena is now considered evil and terrible," she tells him. (The quote seems to mimic Fett's own reasoning as he tries to create a more refined approach to gangsterism.) It's a very good speech. Unfortunately, it fails. However, Krrsantan leaves Sanctuary with a new job as Fett's enforcer.
The two will likely need each other in the future. At the gathering of Tatooine's underworld bosses in the final scene, he is unable to convince them to help, but he can convince them not to get in the way of his upcoming fight with the Pykes. (The rancor aids them in making a decision.) Perhaps. I'll look forward to hearing back. As Shand and Fett gather on the balcony, both men agree there is a war to come, one that neither is ready for.
Bantha Tracks
- This week, we will learn a bit more about the banthas, those pack animals that traverse deserts. It turns out they're quite affectionate, even wagging their tails in pleasure when they're happy. Tatooine's ecosystem is weird already, but they're also carnivorous, which is surprising.
- Turn on the captions while watching the movie, and you will learn that in Jabba's Palace, the food is made by "Chief Droid" and "Sous-Chef Droid."
- Having Fett fully recovered, have we seen the last of the flashbacks? Would we ever be able to return to the Tuskens, or did they serve their purpose already? What was Fett's relationship with the Tuskens like? Even though he mentions being in the Sarlacc pit "all those years ago," it makes sense that he was in the desert. Taking place about five years after Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian is set in the same time frame.
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