The Book of Boba Fett seems to be closed and shut after its harrowing final episode, leaving geeks around the globe clamoring for more of the legendary bounty hunter. At first glance, a second season seems almost inevitable. Yet with mixed critical reception and less than stellar fan responses, the question Lucasfilm and Disney should be asking themselves is: Is it worth it?
How much mileage can Star Wars really get out of Boba Fett, and should they even try? What started out as a love letter to an iconic character slowly became a pointless romp through the eyes of an aging gunslinger. In that way, Boba Fett’s demise at the hands of the Sarlacc in 1983 was a more merciful death than the character assassination dealt by those in charge of resurrecting him in 2022, providing fan service over quality storytelling.
Don’t believe it? Take a look at this article detailing where the show falls flat. Truer words have never been spoken, even if your feelings are clouded by shiny ships and giant space monsters. And that’s the problem ⏤ it all looks fantastic. The digital and practical elements, costumes, and set pieces are top-notch. They provide an incredible foundation for what should have been an incredible series, but sadly that weight of expectation crushed any chance of true greatness.
The visuals housed odd choices, even for Star Wars. The “Mods,” for example ⏤ Boba Fett’s gang of cybernetically modified teenagers ⏤ ride neon vespas and do spin moves when they’re not supposed to. This is no surprise when you consider that Robert Rodriguez, best known for Spy Kids and the Machete series, directed three of the seven episodes, setting the tone for the bulk of the series.
That’s not to say that Rodriguez is a bad director. He was the one who introduced Boba Fett in the second season of The Mandalorian, and it’s a mind-melter. But aesthetically speaking, directors have their styles, Rodriguez included, and The Book of Boba Fett suffers because of it.
With the fighting over and power balanced, Boba Fett doesn’t have much left to accomplish at the end of his story. As Daimyo of Mos Espa, he’s got everything he would ever need and lost his cold, hard edge in the process. The prime example of this is Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian, which is ostensibly another entry into the story of Din Djarin. For an entire episode, there’s no Boba Fett in Boba Fett ⏤ which isn’t just a problem, it’s a betrayal. Especially when that episode is the best of the entire series.
It does shed light on one irrefutable fact, though: the Mandalorian is what Boba Fett was meant to be. Why give fans Boba Fett as they knew him when they already had his replacement? Mando is this generation’s Boba, and there was never a world in which the two could broodingly exist together.
But will there be a second season? Well…probably.
The most likely outcome is a rotation between The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian. With The Mandalorian’s third season on the way sometime this year, the odds are in favor of Boba showing up to help out the galaxy’s greatest dad.
Another entry in The Book of Boba Fett hasn’t been officially announced, though it seems inevitable that we’ll see Boba and Co. again very soon. Until then, we can only that hope Boba Fett is eventually given the respect he’s always demanded.
