The Book of Boba Fett - Chapter 6 - From the Desert Comes a Stranger

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Mysteries are explored and Boba Fett learns new information

The runtime is around 47 minutes. The IMDB score is 9.8, while last weeks episode now shows a score of 9.4 instead of perfect 10. Writers are Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and George Lucas.

 

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I had a real trouble on choosing the title shot, because many of the scenes are showing Luke, Grogu, Mando but not Boba. So the only real choice was to use Cad Bane's shot. He is one of the bounty hunters that has the worst reputation and skills to back up. For those who don't know, he was featured in the Clone Wars, first being Maul's man, earning himself as a reputation for being Vader's tricker man.

He also successful nicked a holocron from the Jedi Temple at Coruscant during the height of the war, earning himself extra point in the eyes of Darth Sidious. But his involvement with the Sith's didn't stop there as on his list of things, he kidnapped force sensitive kids for the Emperor's SAP's and allied with Aurra Sign (Ashoka's nemesis).

The curious thing is that Jango Fett mentored him and then after his demise he trained Boba to be a good servant for the Imperium needs. In other words, he is the bad guy and most probably the guy behind the Pyke Syndicate activities.

So let's roll and see how this episode features. I have a strong suspicion that Mr Fett doesn't have a lot of screen time and therefore the Mandalorian 2.5 continues.

Walking in the desert continues, but the scene where Marshal Cobb walked in reminded me again about the western's where hero encounters a gang of raiders doing business, whatever it is, and almost always it ends up with a gunfight.

The funny thing is that Cobb continues keeping law and order in the one planet we know for certain to belonging to the underworld. There must be easier places to do that than in the most dangerous place. Then again, when you are gunslinger, you do your business where there are business, and the desert planet certainly offers the most.

Against Mr Bane he's going to have to show grit and skill ... and maybe chewing a cigar stub while wearing a poncho.

This place looks so much like the memories I have from the Jedi Academy that Luke built after the Fall of the Imperium. The ant droids were a delightful scene. They even built a bench for Din to chill, but they didn't offer him a pipe or refreshments. Poor Mando.

Frogs, eggs and lizards. I'm glad that Groku is developing his skills, even if it is just to catch a lunch easier way than chasing them across the greenery. But I did find the scene hilarious as it is completely opposite to what Luke was doing with Master Yoda. The only difference is that Groku seems to have a tad bit more patience than whiny Luke. Then again I absolutely loved seeing him lifting all frogs from the pond as if to illustrate the power of the Force to the padawan. He even referenced Yoda's "Size matters not" speech for the youngling struggling to grasp the ways of the Force.

What I didn't like was seeing Luke hopping the young one along the path as if it was the norm for their walks. Doing that to Yoda would have earned him smack from Yoda's cane.

The thing that none of us knew or brought up was Groku's presence in the Jedi Temple that looked like that one in Coruscant during the execution of Order 66. Three knights were protecting him. None wearing the Temple Guard armour. All facing clones and going down in the blaster fire...

Some could say that Luke accessed a PTSD memory and for some reason Groku was fine with it.

Ashoka. Mando said, "I didn't expect to see you there," while I thought the same even thought I'd spotted her in the concept art. Her presence in the Academy grounds is just something I didn't expect to see as I was expecting her to be on hunt for Ezra.

The curious thing is that she was acting as the Academy groundskeeper, being a member of Skywalker's family ... from Dad's side. And she wasn't really interested on interrupting the session for Mando to see the boy. Even thought Din isn't the father, he is still acting like a daddy for most of the time.

He questioned why Luke chose to train the kid, when Ashoka wouldn't and all she could offer was the reason of never. But she didn't mention that she never got the masters and in fact, she chose to not to train anyone, not even Ezra, because of her way of thinking. But in my mind that harps back to the fact that she's a Grey like Kanan at the end. And it is a choice that you'll do whenever you finish. So, in theory, become a Grey from Dark Side is harder than putting on some dirt on the Light.

Here's a question, we know for the fact that Force users can sense all sorts of things, especially living things, and associate their aura's to the memories. They also retain their memories throughout their lives, and with yoda's species, we are talking about nearly a millennia. Why is that Groku didn't sense Mando's presence at the clearing, when both Sith and Jedi do that all of that time and they remember these signatures?

I get why Ashoka doesn't want to interrupt the session in the Force terms but not otherwise. She doesn't need to be a bitch. Luke were much kinder and understanding than her. Luke also said the important thing, "It's not that I'm teaching him anything, but more like I'm making him to remember," which again fights against Ashoka's notion of the they need to tear apart the bond between Mando and the foundling.

So, what you guys would have chosen, Yoda's lightsabre or Mando's chainmail?

Much better. Fennec doing the brief and Boba acting the bossman. It is a brief scene, explaining mainly the fact that Din and Krrstan are going to act as Boba's captain. But when Mando said that he might be able help with the getting additional muscle, I didn't expect his first port of call to be the Yawa's.

Luckily it was just a flyby and the real man he was looking was the Marshal. While Cobb claimed that he didn't had a stake in the game, his town is part of the same planet and with Pyke's waging war, they will come to pay their dues to the man who meddled with their trade.

It is a curious thing to see the law and order taking a root amongst all those criminals, but it is also part of the winds of change that blows with Boba too.

What I loved was seeing Cad arriving in the Freetown to throw a counter challenge at Marshal feet. He didn't offer his name, just a threat. And then the execution and a claim, "Tatooine belongs to the Syndicate. As long as the spice keeps running, everyone will be left alone."

I believe that is complete lie and the next thing in schedule is bringing back the slave trade. I also believe that Cobb is still alive as he took a hit on shoulder and while the deputy the town people didn't even bother to check.

 

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About Boba scene, I think they're listening us and the dialogue was cut or the scene was reshot and that's why we got the odd minutes missing from the episode. Overall I think the Book of Boba Fett is a good series and it is slowly showing what the reality is for the outer rim planets.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

Another good episode after last week's. I have trouble deciding whether that is in spite of or thanks to Boba Fett's absence.

More and more we get the feeling that this Boba Fett series was never conceived as a Boba Fett series, but rather as an interlude between two seasons of The Mandalorian. The first four episodes were little more than a set up to give a bit more background info, adding some weight to this new developing chapter in Din Djarin's journey. But was that background necessary at all?

As has become customary with Dave Filoni's work this episode was a love letter to the Star Wars of yore. Since 1983 fans have imagined Luke taking new padawans under his wing and teaching them the ways of the Force, creating a new Jedi temple... Yes, it's heavy on the fan service but I don't believe there's an ounce of cynicism there: Filoni is the fan servicing himself and he's clearly having all the fun in the world bringing a youngish Mark Hamill back from the sands of time (absolutely stunning, I felt like I was watching a show shot in 1985) as well as his most beloved creations like Ahsoka or Cad Bane...

I can't help but wonder however why oh why this is a Boba Fett series. I mean, that's basically two episodes (out of six!) without the guy, now. Sure he did show up in this one, for a whopping 20 seconds. Maybe. Could this not have been The Mandalorian season 3 and could it not have given us four initial episodes of Din Djarin doing interesting stuff on the far side of the galaxy and missing Grogu, as opposed to showing us Boba Fett laboriously stumbling through his own arc to take over an empire of... what exactly? Nothing. That one scene with Boba showed us the extent of his so-called criminal empire: Five people he all hired after he killed Fortuna and took his throne. Boba Fett did not take over Jabba's criminal empire, he took over his friggin house. A great big empty house. I have no clue what Fortuna has done with Jabba's empire over the five years since Return of the Jedi, but apart from getting fat from his pantry he has very little to show for his rule. Boba Fett's empire is no more than a few windswept bricks lost in an endless sea of dunes. No money (that wasn't already his own), no underlings, no connections, no respect... The list goes on and on.

This show makes no sense and has no reason for existing. It should simply be The Mandalorian season 3, and it should have started with last week's episode.

Boba Fett is ready for his death in next week's episode. And they would be doing him a favor by pulling the trigger. I never thought the day would come when I'd hope for Boba Fett to die and never again show up in the Star Wars canon but here it is. Even his own show didn't need him. Let him die.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

Two random thoughts I forgot to mention:

- I thought Grogu's mithril beskar chainmail would be gifted to him and somehow save him from Kylo Ren's blade years later when he assassinated Luke's students, but it doesn't look that way. Strange that Luke presented Mando's gift and Yoda's lightsaber as an either/or, although that could just have been a test and Grogu will end up getting both.

- Grogu is OLD. He was already a Jedi in training at the time Anakin and his 501st death squadron massacred all inside the Jedi Temple, which makes him at the very least 30, and who knows how long he had been training then. He could be 50, 80, 100 for all we know... So Luke promising to turn him into a great Jedi rings a little hollow since it looks like Luke will be dead of old age (of course we know he will not die of old age) long before Grogu even reaches puberty. Why is Grogu still a toddler at that age? How long till he can talk? Fight? Will he always be reduced to the cute little fella who follows Din around and looks at the world helplessly?

 

[Phyrebrat]

I’m a mess. Too emosh.

Episode made me six again.

 

[Dave]

I thought this was another good episode, but it only makes you wonder more why they began with those first few episodes.

More and more we get the feeling that this Boba Fett series was never conceived as a Boba Fett series, but rather as an interlude between two seasons of The Mandalorian.

I read that even before the first episode, so it's a fact, not just a feeling.

I have a strong suspicion that Mr Fett doesn't have a lot of screen time and therefore the Mandalorian 2.5 continues.

why oh why this is a Boba Fett series.

Could this not have been The Mandalorian season 3?

I totally agree. I can only think that they thought having Boba Fett in the title would be bait to draw in some extra fans who hadn't already watched The Mandalorian?

I thought Grogu's mithril beskar chainmail would be gifted to him and somehow save him from Kylo Ren's blade years later when he assassinated Luke's students, but it doesn't look that way. Strange that Luke presented Mando's gift and Yoda's lightsaber as an either/or, although that could just have been a test and Grogu will end up getting both.

I'm sure he will end up getting both. Who else could wear armour that small? However, there is more to the decision than promoting or breaking the sentimental attachment to Din. If Grogu is a force user, he doesn't really require armour. If he wears armour the reliance on the armour makes him less likely to wield The Force. I see that it is more about his training.

Luke will be dead of old age (of course we know he will not die of old age) long before Grogu even reaches puberty.

That is likely, but how did Yoda get trained? How did they expect to finish Grogu's training that started in the Jedi Temple?

He could be 50, 80, 100 for all we know...

I read during the first season of The Mandalorian that he was 50. Of course, that still means nothing without any frame of reference. He appears to be a baby still leaning to speak, recently walking and eating solids.

I also agree about the state of the criminal empire on Tatooine. Boba Fett doesn't have many assets to strip. It isn't surprising that The Twins left really. I understand why the Marshal was executed. That will frighten the villagers and they are less likely to fight with Fett now. I don't understand bombing the club. That's about the only thing of value that Fett does have control over. Now no one has it. I also don't understand the idea of Spice. I get it's a very expensive drug, but it doesn't come from Tatooine (like Spice comes from Dune). Instead dealers bring it to Tatooine, and trade it on the planet surface, with all the security issues that brings. Why not just trade it out in space instead? We know well that the place is a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" but why is it? Why haven't the Vogons built a hyperspace bypass yet?

 

[REBerg]

This is the way. I wish l Lucas had followed this path as the Star Wars universe evolved.
Tough choice for Grogu. What kid wouldn't want his own lightsaber? Then, what kid wants to spend decades in school working on a Jedi degree when he could don his Beskar steel chainmail T-shirt and pal around the galaxy with his adopted Dad? He hasn't even seen Pop's new ride, featuring a bubble-capped rumble seat just his size.
Master Luke may have helped Grogu decide by pointing out the youngster's life expectancy. Why not join Din Djarin for the relatively short balance of his bounty hunting career? He'll have plenty of time left to get back to the drudgery of Jedi studies.

 

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Some people have speculated that Groku is first Mando Jedi, which kind of makes sense in the lore terms as in his vision he was terrified about Jedi's destiny and therefore he most probably blocked whatever he'd learned about the Force. Luke himself said, "I'm not training him, I'm revoking his memories." So, in that sense, Groku takes the mail and nicks the sabre.

I wish l Lucas had followed this path as the Star Wars universe evolved.

He has writing credits, so I suspect he's involved in the project and Dave is there to support him with his characters and SW knowledge.

Why not join Din Djarin for the relatively short balance of his bounty hunting career? He'll have plenty of time left to get back to the drudgery of Jedi studies.

Indeed.

If Grogu is a force user, he doesn't really require armour. If he wears armour the reliance on the armour makes him less likely to wield The Force. I see that it is more about his training.

The wizard curse of not being able to wear armour hasn't been confirmed. Beskar doesn't block the force, and chainmail might be able to stop some sabre cuts, but it won't stop burns. So kind of wise choice from Mando, but stupid in the way that it's not a plate armour.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

I'm sure he will end up getting both. Who else could wear armour that small?

Oh he is getting the armor alright. I'm just not sure he's getting the lightsaber. I can definitely see Mando and Baby Yoda being reunited in next week's episode, and armored Grogu pulling a Frodo-in-the-mines-of-Moria, i.e. getting hit by a stray blaster bolt and giving us a *gasp* moment before his robes part to reveal the chainmail underneath.

I read during the first season of The Mandalorian that he was 50. Of course, that still means nothing without any frame of reference. He appears to be a baby still leaning to speak, recently walking and eating solids.

And Luke just offered him a lightsaber. Boy, are those Jedi clueless. No wonder they became extinct.

Why not just trade it out in space instead?

Spice is traded in space as well (in the old canon it was supposed to come from the mines of Kessel if memory serves, and the infamous Kessel Run that the Millennium Falcon holds the record to was little more than the Star Wars equivalent of a drug run) but I guess it's bigger on Tatooine because life there is rough, there's not much else to do and it's always been the backbone supporting the Hutt Empire, so wherever the fat slugs are established, spice is abundant. So Tatooine happens to be inundated with spice, but as far as I'm aware it's present everywhere else too.

I understand why the Marshal was executed.

Or was he? I saw him get shot in the shoulder.

Some people have speculated that Groku is first Mando Jedi.

That we actually see, you mean? There's already at least one Mando Jedi that we know of: Tarre Vizsla, creator of the Darksaber.

Master Luke may have helped Grogu decide by pointing out the youngster's life expectancy. Why not join Din Djarin for the relatively short balance of his bounty hunting career? He'll have plenty of time left to get back to the drudgery of Jedi studies.

Bingo.

Grogu's life expectancy somewhat bugs me now. Assuming his species grows at a comparable rate as a human being, only much slower, and if Yoda was the equivalent of a very, very old (90+) human at 900, we can infer that at 50, Grogu is at the developmental stage of a 5-year-old human child. Yet I would say he is barely the equivalent of a 1-year-old (unable to speak the most basic words, stumbling about, being cute and useless...). And if he hasn't 'grown' noticeably in the last 30 years, that means Grogu will still be a very, very young child by the time the New Order, Rey, Kylo and their buddies come around. So when will Grogu ever become anything else than a baby and start taking part in the happenings of the Star Wars universe? When will he ever become this "Mando Jedi"? To be honest it's unlikely to happen in any of the timelines currently explored by Disney.

Which begs the question: What exactly was Favreau and Filoni's plan with this character, beyond creating a cute McGuffin that makes people buy dolls and bedsheets? Will there ever be books, comics or other TV series set in the Star Wars Universe's future (100, 200 years after the movies) that will show Grogu as a teenage Jedi apprentice? Or further still (500 years after the movies), showing Grogu as a full blown hero in Mandalorian armor and wielding a lightsaber against the armies of... what, Palpatine's Fifteenth Sith Empire? Somewhat I doubt it.

Then again, maybe Yoda's species grows differently, spends about 60 years in infancy but then at 60 + 1 day they start shaving, swearing and driving landspeeders at unreasonable speeds and under the influence to impress pretty green-skinned ladies.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

 

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Which begs the question: What exactly was Favreau and Filoni's plan with this character, beyond creating a cute McGuffin that makes people buy dolls and bedsheets?

That was the plan and it's working so why change it? We don't know any other fantasy species which would stick to toddler phase for ages. There is none.

 

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Next week, at last, we’ll get to see what’s in store for Boba as he takes a stand for what he has come to believe in over the course of The Book of Boba Fett. But what has Boba come to believe in, in a series that has paved the way for this finale by largely casting him aside? In a show that has become increasingly disinterested in its lead character—beyond evolving him from what it established with such confidence seven weeks ago—it’s hard to say. It’s even harder to imagine that Boba’s big stand will be worth this entire endeavor.

The Book of Boba Fett Prepares for the End by Losing Its Way Again

"From the Desert Comes a Stranger" sets up for The Book of Boba Fett 's finale by forgetting why it was following its protagonist in the first place.

gizmodo.com

None of the other series has done the same, but they must have a reason for putting this production on the shaky grounds. But ... I'm also glad that they're not sticking to traditional ways, as Disney is clearly trying to make something new, even in the expense of putting a beloved character to stand at the background on his own show.

 

[ctg]

Episode made me six again.

Care to explain?

 

[Dave]

Care to explain?

When he was six, he was taken to a remote castle by a Wizard for training in the arts of Magic and forced to choose between taking a Wand or a Suit of Armour?

 

[Phyrebrat]

When he was six, he was taken to a remote castle by a Wizard for training in the arts of Magic and forced to choose between taking a Wand or a Suit of Armour?

Nailed it

 

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To be honest and I often present the question, how would you fix it, in these cases. I even offer my own solutions, but for this and the last episode, and probably the next one would have to be scrapped and written in different angle to give Boba a boost in his own series.

I know I have done the same in my own stories, where I've given whole chapters to unique characters and there is nothing wrong with it. But the thing is I've never given them third of the whole volume. Unique chapters, yes, dedicated sections on their PoV, no. But, we also don't know what they have in store for the season finish. It might still fix things, as has happened in few cases but it might also hugely cock-up things, like for example what happened with Raised by Wolves.

The one thing I'm glad is that we didn't had to do a kill-list.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

To be honest and I often present the question, how would you fix it, in these cases. I even offer my own solutions, but for this and the last episode, and probably the next one would have to be scrapped and written in different angle to give Boba a boost in his own series.

I know I have done the same in my own stories, where I've given whole chapters to unique characters and there is nothing wrong with it. But the thing is I've never given them third of the whole volume. Unique chapters, yes, dedicated sections on their PoV, no. But, we also don't know what they have in store for the season finish. It might still fix things, as has happened in few cases but it might also hugely cock-up things, like for example what happened with Raised by Wolves.

The one thing I'm glad is that we didn't had to do a kill-list.

If this question was directed to me, I don't have a magic bullet that turns abysmal failures into something great. The show has already failed and nothing in the last episode will redeem it. At best, it will be a good Star Wars show, but it will never be a great Boba Fett show. But had I been in charge of the show, I would have done one of two things that the showrunners didn't:

A/ Write an actual arc for Boba Fett.
He's the main character and he has accomplished nothing since the show started. The only thing he was remotely cool in were the flashbacks with the Tuskens, but in the present timeline, he has nothing to show for his actions. From the very first episode, hell, from the last episode of The Mandalroain Season 2, he established that he was going to become Tatooine's new crime lord. After four episodes he didn't get any closer (or further) to his objective. He rules over an empty palace, just like he already did four episodes ago, and he has done nothing to change the status quo on Tatooine. Every time he was confronted with danger, he relied on everybody else but himself to bail him out. This is no way to write your protagonist's arc. Sure, your character has to go from A to B, but they don't just stay at A for most of the show to suddenly catapult themselves to B in the last episode. He should have reached A' in episode 1, A'' in episode 2, maybe gone back to A' in episode 3 and get to A''' in episode 4 to finally reach B in the finale.
Better yet, and I realize I sound like a broken record, but don't randomly decide to make your main character in a kid's show a ruthless crime lord! You can still have Boba Fett the redeemed bounty hunter appear as much as you like in Din Djarin's storyline, just like he did in The Mandalorian season 2, and keep everyone happy. But here we have a show called Boba Fett in which the supposedly main character Boba Fett is castrated by the very nature of the show. You can't write a satisfying story with a crime lord protagonist dealing with gang wars and drugs in a kid's show... It makes no sense. If you wanted Boba Fett to really accomplish something and show that he had somewhat changed, have him be anything else than a crime lord. Have him pursue other interests and struggle with the weight of his past reputation.
No one would mind the fact that Boba Fett was upstaged by a secondary character in episodes 5 and 6 if he hadn't already been upstaged by other secondary characters throughout the first four episodes. Boba is the least important character of The Book of Boba Fett. Had these first four been just as good as the last two episodes, the show would have been a staggering success.

B/ Don't call the show The Book of Boba Fett if what you're truly interested in telling is The Mandalorian season 2.5
I believe others have stated it here before me. Din Djarin already has everything that made Boba Fett cool: He's the silent warrior encased in a gadget-filled armor. And Din Djarin has the benefit of still being somewhat fresh. Why dedicate a show to an old Boba Fett who has nothing better to do than rule over an empty palace in a town where nobody cares about who's in charge (that's another thing: We have yet to see how Boba Fett's rule will change anything in that world. I can only see citizens going about their business as usual and nobody seems to care in the least about who the daimyo is)? Look at the reactions to episodes 5 and 6, both online and amongst critics: Everyone loves them! People want more Din Djarin, more Grogu, more Luke and Ahsoka. No one gives a damn about castrated Boba and his gang of strays.
And as much as I enjoy most of what Filoni has done with Star Wars, this pacing issue has to be addressed: Stop saving all your bullets for the finale! Look at all the loose ends that need tying up in this last episode, it's absolutely insane. It would have been much better to distil the events from the last two episodes little by little throughout the season. The first four episodes had nothing but wild goose chases and twists and turns that led nowhere, they could have been edited into one or two episodes packed with useful info and foreshadowing for the last episode. Now we have four empty episodes followed by two crazy episodes packed with more and more new plot points that are doomed to remain unresolved in the finale. If you're doing a Boba Fett becomes a crime lord show with only seven episodes, focus on Boba Fett becoming a crime lord. Don't hijack your own series to pursue the fates of four other characters - who thought it was a good idea to spend 15 minutes showing Luke teaching Jedi Philosophy 101 to Grogu in a show about Boba Fett becoming Tatooine's new crime lord?
But if what you want is to tell the story of how Grogu left the Jedi to pair up with Din Djarin again, then just do The Mandalorian season 3 and go for it.

 

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No one gives a damn about castrated Boba and his gang of strays.

That is absolutely right. But there are people who wish that it would be different and they feel betrayed if the whole thing turns up to be a lousy whistle and Boba fades into the past without achieving anything meaningful. At least they should give him another season and a promise to not hijack the show with the other ones. Crossovers are fine and kind of expected, when everything is connected, hijacking is not.

Also the question was not directed to you, but to everyone, as it goes along the question, how would you fix it?

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

That is absolutely right. But there are people who wish that it would be different and they feel betrayed if the whole thing turns up to be a lousy whistle and Boba fades into the past without achieving anything meaningful. At least they should give him another season and a promise to not hijack the show with the other ones. Crossovers are fine and kind of expected, when everything is connected, hijacking is not.

I think the best way to go about it now is to have something happen in the finale that will radically alter the course of Boba Fett's arc. For instance, something that will annihilate all his hopes of ever ruling Tatooine's underbelly and make him want to help Djarin become the new Mand'alor instead. Then Boba Fett would turn into a natural secondary character in the following seasons of The Mandalorian and everything will somewhat be forgiven... at least with this fan.

Let this be the story of how Boba failed at being a crime lord so spectacularly he decided to pursue other, more worthy goals.