Show: "The Book of Boba Fett"
Release Date: Feb. 2, 2022
Episode: 6
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: TV-14
Rating: A
Editor's note: The following review contains spoilers for "The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter six.
Dave Filoni delivered a fantastic installment in “The Book of Boba Fett” Chapter six, but Boba Fett's (Temuera Morrison) role as the title character is drastically reduced, which is a problem that is affecting the overall story. In Wednesday's episode, he saw less than a minute of screen time, as many fan-favorite characters took center stage.
After last week's episode sidelined Morrison's character completely and instead focused primarily on the Mandalorian, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), the expectation heading into Chapter six, "From the Desert Comes a Stranger," was that fans would be seeing more of Boba.
In just the last two episodes, there have been numerous returning characters and new storylines introduced, barely giving any time to see what Boba's been up to in his own show.
For a massive character like Boba, who's been involved in the "Star Wars" universe for more than 40 years, it's disappointing to see him become the opposite of everything fans have known him to be. As an unaltered clone of his father, Jango Fett, he became one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy while working for the Empire.
One reason behind Boba's absence may be that fans are more interested in what the other characters are up to.
In this episode, Filoni focuses on Din's quest to reunite with his "little friend" Grogu as well as the ongoing effects of the Pyke Syndicate — a powerful criminal underworld organization — operating on Tatooine. Promised the same Tatooine territory that Boba is staking his claim for, the Pykes intend on taking control and pose a villainous threat to the heroes.
A great deal of time during this episode is spent with Grogu learning the ways of the force from Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). After receiving criticism for the look of a de-aged Luke in the Season 2 finale of "The Mandalorian," Lucasfilm was able to perfectly re-create a younger version of Hamill with the help of CGI.
Many of the show's early episodes featured practical sets, which makes the perfected CGI for the de-aged Luke feel like an extended effort.
His interactions with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) were some of the best moments in the show, as Filoni hinted at the connection the two shared with Anakin Skywalker.
Back on Tatooine, Boba appeared in one scene, and he didn't even speak. The attention of the episode quickly shifts to Din looking for help from Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) in joining Boba's cause, bringing an end to Morrison's time on-screen.
Now working with the Pykes, the ruthless bounty hunter Cad Bane (Corey Burton) makes his live-action debut, as he slowly appears walking into Mos Pelgo (Freetown) and poses as a threat to Cobb.
Taking inspiration from the classic western showdowns, Bane shoots down Cobb and his deputy, seemingly wounding one and killing the other.
While this was a great moment to watch for fans, it's hard not to think that this should've been Boba's moment. A never-used story reel from "The Clone Wars" depicted a showdown between Boba and Bane, making it feel like a missed opportunity to rehash this storyline in this episode.
This chapter hits the mark, as Filoni is able to advance the story while incorporating plenty of fan-serviceable moments.
However, it doesn't lessen the main issue of the show, which is the main character's role being neutralized. Once a mysterious bounty hunter thought highly of by Darth Vader, it's hard to see Boba Fett become an afterthought in his own series.