A really great episode full of lore and excitement. There's something great about Train Heists that always make them enjoyable. And this is no different.
I never thought I would be invested in the Tuskens but I did
I loved the new and fresh perspective we got from these iconic characters that we always see but never understood their ways
also WTF now the twins are back and it seems things won't be easy from now on
overall very enjoyable episode
Booooring. Star Wars fans have lost the ability to discern good content from bad primarily because of our investment in the lore. On its face, this is a straightforward, poorly told, poorly depicted story. It seems like more than it is ONLY because of the connections to the larger universe, and explicit references to moments from the original trilogy. I might drop this until I hear otherwise about the storytelling picking up later.
[8.7/10] Something about the Favreau branch of Star Wars feels so true to the franchise’s roots. There’s a continual sense that both The Mandalorian and *The Book of Boba Fett are throwbacks to the same sort of pulp storytelling that once inspired George Lucas. Favreau and the creative team behind this show are far from the first to do a Dances with Wolves-style tale of an outsider being taken in by, and eventually becoming a part of, a group of indingenious people. But the modern, fantastical reimagining of the idea works so well within Star Wars given that history of the stories told within this setting.
There’s nothing fancy or especially novel about Boba becoming a part of the Tusken tribe who initially captured him, finding common cause with them, and aiding them in the struggle against their aggressors. The story beats here are as well-worn as the sand-smacked tents the tribe takes with them. But the rendition of them is so good, the emotion and visual grammar and production design so committed, that you feel for it all nonetheless.
The show remains laconic, but the images tell the story here. We see the progression of Boba learning how to wield a Tusken staff, as his skill grows under the tutelage of the Badass Tusken in Black (or “BTIB” for short). We see him witness the loss of life and senseless devastation at the hands of a passing train of criminals shooting at the locals for sport. We watch him saunter into a biker bar and smash up the culprits so he can take their vehicles and use it for a greater cause. And we watch him continue this cultural exchange, showing his benefactors how to use the bike at the same time they teach him how to fend for himself amid this desolation. There’s a given-and-take, a growing mutual respect and admiration between Boba and his new compatriots, that needs few words to come across the transom for us to feel it.
It crescendos into one hell of a set piece. I don’t know what it is about action sequences set on trains, but they almost always work. (See also: Samurai Jack, The Wolverine, even Solo.) There’s excitement here not just because of the uptempo vibe and the exquisite production design and effects, (Seriously, that multi-armed train conductor droid is the most Star Wars thing I’ve seen in forever), but because it’s the culmination of the montage where Boba shows his friends how to leap from the speeders, of the BTIB proving his prowess is not just academic but also effective in combat, of Boba himself paying back these people who’ve suffered so much by turning the tables on those who slaughter them so callously.
There’s a real resonance in having a man of Maori descent like Temura Morrison star in a story of indigenous people reclaiming their ancestral lands from aggressors. For so long, the Tuskens have been treated as faceless, half-feral antagonists. Seeing them not only treated with such a humanizing gaze here, but put front and center in a tale of casting off the shackles of people who disrespect their land and treat them as disposable, is arguably a major breakthrough for Star Wars.
Granted, the vision quest is a bit of a cliche with its own problems, but that too has a long history in Star Wars. The way Boba Fett flashes back to key moments in his life as he finds the branch for his own staff adds a sense of spirituality to the proceedings. (Though it’d be nice if they found a way to incorporate a few of his adventures from Star Wars: The Clone Wars into those scenes.) Star Wars, at least in its original form, was a very tactile presentation. Taking time to show Boba being dressed by his new compatriots, the labor that goes into his staff, gives it extra meaning and a sense of rousing achievement when he walks out in his new clothes, or gets the nod from the BITB, having become a full member of the tribe through what he’s given back to it. The story there is simple, but by god is it effective.
The plot we get to see in the present isn’t nearly as moving, but is certainly intriguing. The presence of two twin Hutts, who turn out to be Jabba’s cousins, seeking to reclaim what they view as their territory, portends and interesting power struggle. (And the fact that they have a badass Wookiee bounty hunter in tow only adds to the cool factor.) We finally meet The Mayor, an Ithorian who seems crafty and a player in his own right (who seems to have a bounty hunter type of his own). And watching Boba and Fennec banter while making the captured assassin-for-hire squirm and talk is a hoot. There’s more table-setting than actual progression in the present-set part of the episode, but they’re doing enough to hold my interest.
Overall, the flashback story is masterful enough to make up for any sense of incompleteness in the latter day developments. It’s a return to pulp storytelling, done chiefly through intriguing visuals and setting-specific flourishes that make them Star Wars’ own. That’s in keeping with the approach that once elevated the franchise so many years ago, while also evolving it through the new treatment and exploration of the Tuskens here. It’s a wonderful tribute to what Star Wars has been, also what it could be.
(As an aside, it’s neat to see the Pykes unmasked and tangled with here. I wonder if they’re still affiliated with Maul and/or Dryden Vos.)
I loved it. I love the fact that he is more Tusken than Mandalorian. As actually going through Tusken rituals and. It having done that for the mandalorians.
This is some fantastic Star Wars world building. I'm a hundred percent here for it!
Much more polished episode than the premiere! The Tusken Raiders have always been a personal favourite of mine and this show is only reinforcing that!
I think I'd rather have a series based on the Tusken Raiders and Jawas as natives of the planet than this story about Boba. I know people love him and I hope they enjoy this series but from his limited amount of screentime in the past, I don't see why he's so interesting.
While I appreciate that this episode provides an extensive look into the Tusken Raiders' culture (and how they are more than just meat fodder for Anakin), nothing much happens in this episode.
It tells a simple story (it's Star Wars after all). Nothing too dramatic. It's not over paced. It looks good. A budget well spent. It has a fantastic Morricone-ish score. Like in every good western movie trains need to be stopped, 'cause they endanger indigenous tribes (and roaming buffalos). The flashback story is the better part of this episode. The Hutt siblings look wonderful but the contemporary part of this episode isn't really interesting (yet).
PS. I knew it. Lizard people are among us!
There are currently two ongoing storylines, and they clearly favour one over the other. Only 14 minutes of this episode is dedicated to the "main" story where Boba Fett is a crime lord. The rest is dedicated to chronicling his journey after the Sarlaac Pit. I enjoy the latter plotline more, but it really hurts the pacing of the show.
Regardless, I had a good time.
Funny that I have even saw so called Star Wars fans on Instagram knock this show. Saying Disney killed Star Wars. If you don’t think is Star Wars. Then you don’t know what Star Wars is.
This is definitely better than the sequel trilogy. Though it needs to move away from the Dances with Sand People stuff lol.
Simply put, better than the first episode.
A massive upgrade from the prior episode, but in an unexpected way. One of the things going into The Book of Boba Fett I was unsure about was how they were gonna handle Fett as a lead character - after all, outside of his youth appearances, he's mostly a background character whose mystery was the appeal. But I don't think the reclamation of the colonialism of Tatooine was the angle I expected, and it's a fantastic angle. The best stuff from the prior episode was everything with the Tusken Raiders and this leans into it hard, with a heavy reliance of visual storytelling, stellar cinematography, and a great sense of thematic weight. There is a real mysticism to how Fett's right of passage is done, it could have been so easily have been fetishistic or tropey but it ends up coming off as authentic and real. The final moments of the episode in particular are an earned emotional moment that really stick out in your mind long after.
Thankfully, the present day stuff is much better now as well. The stakes have been set and there is a much better idea of what to expect to see in the coming weeks in regards to Fett's takeover - the introduction of the new Hutt twins is a great reveal in particular and I love the appearance of a particular comics character I'm personally rather fond of. It's mostly table setting, to be sure, but compared to last episode's almost entirely lifeless void, this is much needed table setting. A fantastic, fantastic episode - seriously, what an improvement.
I'm sorry but the last 15 minutes, from the trippy, lizard snorting scene to the tribal dancing was something straight out of Wayne's World 2. How can anyone take it seriously?
This show does not work on an spiritual level. It's just silly.
Great idea to intersperse flashbacks with the present to provide more depth to Boba's character and keep you hooked on the story.
This in-depth look into the Tusk's life gives them a much richer perspective than just desert barbarians.
I see many parallels between the Tusk's weapon forge and the Jedi's.
In a nutshell, this was a very good episode.
This show is DEEP in the call backs to prior movies, books, and comics but for me bringing back Fixer and Cammy at THE Toshi Station? I would have never expected to ever see those two again in Star Wars. My only regret is Boba is too good. Growing up I always thought of him as a slimey bounty hunter. I hope to see him do some low down and dirty acts soon.
When a single episode has more -- and better -- action than the whole Matrix: Resurrections
It's cool to see more of the Tusken's culture yet something about it feels dull, like there defineteley was potential for several scenes and this overall storyline to be better.
All Story Beats are very clishee, it's like Favreau is stuck in his teens and thinks these are fresh ideas. Especially the "indigenous" story is such a trope. However I actually enjoyed that ceremonious part and the integration into the tribe.
The only thing is: I don't buy it one bit for Boba Fett. There is not even the least bit of moral struggle or development. Suddenly he is simply the understanding good guy ...
High noon meets Dune. Probably the best episode of the series so far. 4 bags of popcorn.
I'd say it's a rip-off of dances with wolves but it's closer to a man named horse. Seriously I can't believe they threw in this white savior bullshit about the "civilized man" teaching the "natives".
Okay, so who in the heck decided that this was the best way to present both the past and the present? I don't know what they were aiming for, but I do know that they missed it. The overarching impression that I was left with is that someone with very poor time management skills was in charge of the final edits.
I enjoyed the first part because I feel like it showed the darker side of Boba. This guy was a ruthless bounty hunter remember, he froze Han in carbonite and all that and I feel like the first episode was trying to turn him into a "misunderstood guy with a heart of gold" which we kind of already have with The Mandalorian. So he felt a bit more ruthless here I thought. Also the rancor part was hilarious. The second section with the tusken raiders is interesting and helps provide some context to who Boba is now (maybe sanded down his rough edges a bit?) but I'm worried about how long the show is spending on that because I'm just not sure there's much payoff there. I'm assuming the tusken raiders will play in to the present day story in some way because otherwise, it just feels like a bit too much filler. Unless the point of the show was always to explore the Tusken culture through the eyes of Boba.
Even better then the first episode!
This episode does a really great job at humanizing the Tuskan Raiders. Another thing I wasn't expecting from this episode is the first live-action appearance of Black Krrsantan from the Doctor Aphra comic! Can't wait to see where this show goes from here!
Loved this episode so much. The lore was amazing and it was interesting to see him become part of the tusken tribe.
Incredible! As expected. Big Boba Fett fan. Very excited to see where this show heads.
With an extra 14 minutes (including the credits), "The Book of Boba Fett" decides to use its time to show Boba Fett attack some thugs, take down a train, and do a dance around a campfire. Yes, I like the message that Indigenous people (the Sand People) shouldn't have to hide. Yes, I enjoyed the confrontations in Mos Espa. But with no character development, plot or conflicts, I'm worried about this series' trajectory.
Once again, the concept art looks cooler than the actual show (unlike "The Mandalorian", which looks as cool (if not cooler) than its concept art).
Edit: The flashbacks feel like sidequests since Boba's never morally questioned. He's just positioned as the good guy (even though he's had questionable morals in the comics, movies and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"). He just takes down monster, takes down train, gets a staff and dances.
6/10
I'm not sure where this is going to lead with the present day part of the show, but I love the flashbacks. The Tusken are an extremely fascinating people. And the more background Boba gets, the more interesting he becomes.
I also like it, that the dialogue is used only when nessessary. And the part where Fett builds the gaffi - there is a similarity with the Jedis building their lightsabres.
And the production quality is through the roof.
god the Tusken story is dull
Boba gets an upgrade from pyjamas to bathrobe to the beat of some dramatic music is one of the random stuff that happens for no reason.
I was watching this, baffled that this is made by the same team as Mandalorian, riddled by questions why? Why is Boba, infamous bounty jointer that roamed the galaxy and worked for empire and Jabba now helping some random Indian.. I mean Tusken tribe. Why is he suddenly righteous and kind hearted? Why is that train going through the desert randomly shooting at raiders? Why raiders don't move a little so they aren't in the firing range of the train? Why have we wasted two episodes on boring inconsequential flashbacks that could have been boiled down in 10 minutes?Would it be a little bit more tolerable if more charismatic actor was chosen? Are we going to get of Tatooine at all? Why am I watching this?
A semi-interesting ethnographic study on the great Tusken people - First Nation of Tatooine. A wild and barabaric horde that I was afraid of back in the 80s... Times are changing.... Tusken Lives Matter - TLM!
7.5/10 - Very cool :) I don't like the stories of the new Star Wars movies but the TV shows nail it with world building so far.
I'm not really into the story yet but the world building is so nice that it doesn't matter. This shows the Tuskens from a very different side now.
However, my favorites scenes are with the train and the speeder bikes. The fantasy technology of the Star Wars universe is just so cool and also very fascinating to watch. I wish we had that hovering (and stabilization) technology for speeder bikes IRL (we do have "hover" technology but it requires fans (or thrusters, electromagnets, etc.) and is much less stable (requiring larger designs for the stabilization to work) and our technology requires too much energy). Anyway, I'd definitely like to rider a speeder bike IRL (it would be so good for offroading).
PS: Fennec is still really cool! :) "It's empty." xDD
I have mixed feelings about this episode, since the plot about Boba's present-day adventures with Fennec are rather boring and devoid of much interest, we quickly find out who sent the assassins from the previous episode, and there is the confrontation with the evil Twins (including a wicked representative of Chewbacca's race), which sort of comes to the standstill. The retrospectives with the Tuskens is somehow more suspenseful in comparison and possesses some kind of rough charm. We can learn more about the Tusken culture, which is quite difficult due to the language they use, I wonder whether they have normal human faces and use these sort of masks because of their customs? Boba goes from being a prisoner to the advisor of the chief when he helps the Tuskens to defeat a train full of what seemed at first assassins, though in the end it turns out these were merchants, and Boba brokers a deal with them. Before that, he teaches the Tuskens how to use the speeder bikes and the chief teaches him how to fight the Tusken way, which comes in handy when he kills some orc-like creatures who invaded a pub and threatened a young couple, he also steals the bikes from the orc creatures. After the success with the train his position in the tribe rises and the chief gives him a hallucinogenic lizard which induces some sort of a trial in which Boba has to defeat his memories and a kind of a magical tree. He is successful and returns which a branch of the tree, out of which his Tusken stick weapon is forged, and he is finally accepted by the tribe as one of them, dressed in Tusken clothes (sans the mask) and joins them in a ritual dance. This whole Tusken plotline was quite interesting but otherwise the episode would have fallen flat. Though it seems to me that in the episode there was a lot of things which are unintelligible to someone who doesn't know the Star Wars universe very well.
Shout by IsaacBlockedParentSpoilers2022-01-05T11:43:50Z
Wow. I don't know what it was exactly, but that episode hit me in the feels.
Something about seeing Boba go through the tribe's rite of passage was extremely mesmerising and powerful to me.
While I would like to give this episode a 10/10, the whole present-day stuff still really isn't doing anything for me right now. I'm a lot more invested in his bacta flashbacks with the Tuskens.
I guess that stuff is just kinda uninteresting to me currently in the series. I'm waiting for some serious sh*t to go down.
I'm really liking where this show is going. Looking forward to next week.
Side Note: Tatooine was once a water planet?! No way!!