It’s very odd to review an episode of “The Book of Boba Fett”, when in reality I’m reviewing an episode of The Mandalorian that somehow found its way into another character’s supposed series. The good news is that The Mandalorian’s episode is far, far superior to anything we’ve had in The Book of Boba Fett so far.
That’s not to say that this one is perfect. The writing is a bit childish and there are some very boring exposition sections here and there. The writing leans a bit too far into juvenile sight gags at times, especially when it comes to cute little droids. And there’s one scene in particular that is just off-putting: if The Mandalorian is so ready to give up his religious beliefs for convenience, is it any sort of religion at all that he follows? It’s like having a scene where an Orthodox Jew says “I don’t do work on the sabbath,” only to follow it up in five seconds with the supposedly religious person joining in labor to avoid a hassle.
But overall, this is back at The Mandalorian level of quality. It’s distinctly better than even the second episode of The Book of Boba Fett, which was previously the best by far. The directing on this episode is the best it’s been, and clearly I can see where some of the $100 million budget went: the visuals and CGI here are up by several orders of magnitude. We finally have a hook too — several hooks actually — that make us want to come back to the next episode. I’m just befuddled why this hasn’t been happening up until this point. Why is that an episode all about Mando suddenly brings everything up to the quality of that show. If I were Mr. Morrison, I’d be quite unhappy that this series has been a huge disappointment in every episode featuring his character.
If the last two episodes of the show are this good, it’s likely all will be forgiven for the first mostly pointless four entries in the show. My guess is that viewers will just skip to either this episode or the last two rather than watching the first four. You’ve also got to give credit to Bryce Dallas Howard; after a horrible start to her year with a failed film, this episode definitely is a huge win for her. The nods to the Phantom Menace were unexpected and well-done and you can just tell whoever is heading up this episode is far better than some of the other directors we’ve had. It’s interesting that Episode 2 and Episode 5 are this much better than everything else. Pay attention to that.
hi i'm the mandalorian and you're watching disney channel pic.twitter.com/aYAqKEWuO7
— ًً (@djarinculture) January 25, 2022
So how do I score The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 (or is it still The Book of Boba Fett?):
Score: 7.5 Great
But feel free to disagree. Let me know in the comments below what you think. And as always, keep checking out That Park Place for all your latest Star Wars news, leaks, rumors, and reviews!
What do you make of an episode that is easily the best in a series… and that episode never has the lead character even show up?
Great review, and I agree with most points except for one:
“if The Mandalorian is so ready to give up his religious beliefs for convenience, is it any sort of religion at all that he follows?”
I don’t think it speaks to the religion, and I think this actually *may* be the point of this series. I just wish they hadn’t called it “The Book of Boba Fett.”
This epsiode is the one that gave me the hook, and I think what it’s intended to show is the various sects of Mandalore, and how they’re going to be reunited and restored.
The followers of The Way (Death Watch) are for lack of a better term, Orthodox Mandalorians – traditionalists, through and through.
To them, the followers of Satine Kryze were Apostates – renouncing their warrior past for a pacificistic lifestyle.
Bo-Katan and her followers are like secular members of a people that also define a religious identity, and Boba (and Jangos) position within Mandalorian society is interesting because Mandalorian society cast them out. Those who followed Satine or Bo-Katan would say they weren’t Mandalorian at all, but Boba clearly considers himself to be, even if he’s left his people behind. (Otherwise, his Fathers armor and it’s lineage wouldn’t have mattered to him.)
I think that’s what the Sand People taught him, and it’s what Din Djarin is now going to learn – even though the covert cast him out, he still considers himself Mandalorian. He says as much when he has to check his weapons before boarding the transport – his weapons are STILL his religion.
I think that’s why the Armorer gave him a method to atone – he will have to travel to the Mines of Mandalore and bring back some of the waters to reclaim his place within the covert.
Boba has learned the meaning of having a tribe, and I believe his arc is now to reclaim his place within Mandalorian society and unite the factions into a tribe once more. I believe either him or Din are destined to restore a new Mandalore, and they will both likely be instrumental in that.
I also think that this sets up a beautiful view of the feelings of an individual adherent of a religion, and the fellow practitioners of the faith. I believe most people would break a religious tenant if it meant saving the life of their child. That doesn’t mean they lose their faith. However, the other individuals in that faith may not agree.
If the storytelling for the Mandoverse DOES go forward and really explore the reunification of the Mandalorian people, it means there will have to be a New Way that all of the surviving Mandalorians can have a stake in. (While I actually kind of agree with the Orthodox Mandalorians, I think all of this is fascinating if viewed as a fictional religious meditation.)
Well now, that is a heck of synopsis of what could occur. Frankly, I hope they go with what you’ve written.
Another (somewhat silly) prediction, if any of the above that I’m speculating is near the mark –
A lot of folks have been saying that maybe Boba is trying to set himself up as the de facto ruler of Tatooine in order to create a NEW Mandalore.
He wasn’t interested in Bo-Katans quest to reclaim the glasses over original – but if he has learned the value of a tribe and wants to restore his people, a planet is a pretty good bargaining chip – especially if he can arrange for a duel with Din Djarin to claim the Darksaber to solidify his claim.
If he can then throw off the Pykes and become the de facto government, he can then open up this new homeland to his people, where they can find a New Way that restores the scattered tribes.
IF this is true, it explains why they spent so much time and effort to recanonize the fact that Tattooine used to be a water planet.
Because if this is so – the living waters of Mandalore that Din needs to retrieve to atone for his sins aren’t to be found on Mandalore – they’re to be found on NEW Mandalore, in the form of the black melons.
Great theory, Lorn! And great article again, DubDeeDubPro.
I’d like to proffer a thought, and that is the steadfast involvement of the Howard family in directing/creating very solid, very familiar ‘Star Wars’. Bryce Dallas Howard with directing this episode, and a few in The Mandalorian. And her father Ron’s direction of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Both seem to get the intangible “it” of Star Wars. And that’s hard to come by. You have it, or you don’t. Favreau, Filoni. Yes & Yes. But the Howard’s involvement as been equally pleasing (and important too).