It was a pleasant surprise when the final moments of The Mandalorian Season 2 set up the spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett.
Fans of the franchise had another series to look forward to while they waited for The Mandalorian Season 3. However, as The Book of Boba Fett premiered this Wednesday on Disney+, the audience is unsure if this new tale can live up to its Mandalorian-level expectations.
Titled Stranger in a Strange Land, the episode featured a lot of flashbacks. It begins with Boba Fett inside a healing tank in his new, né Jabba’s old palace. The memories of his past return as we see him escape the Sarlacc pit only to be robbed by a band of Jawas.
He is then caught by some Tusken Raiders, whom he escapes but is captured by again. We get a break from the flashbacks as Fennec Shand wakes him up. Boba gets ready, with the help of some droids, to greet some dons, including an Aqualish and a Trandoshan. Mayor of Mos Espa’s majordomo, Mok Shaiz, attends it in his stead, an indication of how some folks are reluctant to accept Bib Fortuna’s successor.
Later Boba and Fennec are attacked outside Madam Garsa’s cantina, but after some fight sequences and rooftop chases, they come out victorious, and Boba returns to the healing tank. Back again to the Tusken Raider camp, Boba and the Rodian that he’s chained to, dig up a giant, six-legged creature.
Boba, like the protagonist he is, chokes it with his chain and saves the kid who lead him to it in the process. The clan leader then shows Boba some appreciation and thus concludes the short, not-so-detailed summary of Episode 1.
The series got a Certified Fresh and an 85% score on the Tomatometer as the critics’ reviews ranged from brilliant, mysterious, and enjoyable to blunt, lackluster, nothing too risky or exceptional.
However, the fans had a lot to say about it—some good, but others, not so nice criticisms.
Boba took a lot of beating right in the premiere, which became kind of the main subject of its criticism. Many fans said that they noticed he was weaker without his helmet, and much of the action sequences seemed sloppy and poorly choreographed.
Another point of concern was Boba’s representation itself. He can never “rule with respect” as he is a badass character you either fear or are in awe of. This simply can’t be the same Boba who was right there when Han was cryogenically frozen at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
To many fans, he is a cunning and calculative bounty hunter who does what he has to for survival. So, him suddenly turning righteous and diplomatic did not sit right with some.
There are enough likeable/goody-two-shoes heroes for protagonists already. Boba has the potential to be an interesting, multi-layered one, and if done right, we won’t be able to look away.
There were slight comparisons with the mother-ship, The Mandalorian, but it’s bound to happen with any spinoff.
The good reviews leaned heavily on nostalgia, enjoying the return of the character they had been waiting for so long. Although many fans were somewhat neutral about it, they were just happy to get anything Star Wars-related.
Critics, as well as fans of the lore, had divided opinions alike:
A mild way of expressing one’s dislike:
However, some fans did not hold back on the criticism:
And of course, The Mandalorian comparison:
Just a while before the series premiere, showrunner Robert Rodriguez talked to THR and promised that the character “invites a whole world from the underworld in with him,” and it will certainly change the Star Wars franchise.
Rodriguez also revealed that all the episodes would have “big surprises,” so you might want to give The Book of Boba Fett the benefit of the doubt and hope it turns out to be one of those series that gets better as the story progresses.
The Book of Boba Fett Episode 2 premieres on Disney+ on January 5, 2022.
About The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett is an American television series created for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, a spin-off from the series The Mandalorian featuring the crime lord and bounty hunter Boba Fett. Temuera Morrison stars as Boba Fett, with Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand.
Boba Fett and Fennec Shand attempt to make a name for themselves in the galaxy’s underworld by taking over the territory once controlled by Jabba the Hutt. The series takes place across two timelines: alongside The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, and immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi.
No Comments on The Book of Boba Fett Has Fans Divided over the Series Premiere