While the most recent set of Star Wars film releases by Walt Disney Studios have been more divisive among fans, the television series produced for Disney+ have generally been well-received. The Mandalorian proved to be the game-changer that the saga needed, introducing a new iconic hero, the fan favorite character Grogu, and even earning the franchise several nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Andor proved to be one of the best stories ever told in the galaxy far, far away; with its bleak, mature storytelling, Tony Gilroy’s prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story showed that a Star Wars show aimed at an older audience could work. Additionally, animated projects like Tales of the Jedi, Visions, The Bad Batch, and the final season of The Clone Wars have pushed the visual and creative boundaries of the saga.
However, the one project that proved to be a massive disappointment was The Book of Boba Fett. The series told a non-linear narrative; it partially showed Fett’s escape from the Sarlacc Pit, expanded on his adventures following the end of The Mandalorian’s second season, and heavily incorporated Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in a story designed to set up future stories. The result was the most contrived, confusing, and dull entry in the modern Star Wars universe.
Serving as a Set-Up for The Mandalorian
The Book of Boba Fett was first teased in a post-credit scene at the end of The Mandalorian season 2, which had featured the return of Temuera Morrison in his iconic role as the most ruthless bounty hunter in the galaxy. After taking control of Jabba the Hutt’s palace in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi, Fett was set up to be the new crime lord of Tatooine. Essentially, it felt like the series was never spending enough time developing Fett himself as a character, as it was bridging the gap between two seasons of The Mandalorian. Some episodes didn’t even include Fett at all, as they focused on Din’s reunion with Grogu and his conversations with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While these episodes are not bad in a vacuum, they simply don’t belong within a series designed to shed more insight on Fett.
While it makes sense to tie the two stories together, as they are both set in between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, the inclusion of Din and Grogu distracts the tone. Ideally, a series centered on Fett should feel like a gritty western and not include as many elements of the “Skywalker Saga” and the force. Additionally, by having a character as popular as Din involved in such a major way, Fett did not even feel like his own character. It proved that Lucasfilm hadn’t taken away the right lessons from The Mandalorian season 2. While Fett had shown up as a guest star on that series, he did not dominate the show in the same way.
Not Justifying Fett's Heroism
Disney
Fett has always been one of the most ethically fascinating characters in the saga. While certain Star Wars characters are clearly defined as “good” and “evil,” Fett walks a morally gray line where he simply works for the highest bidder. Initially, Fett was always presented as a villain based on his appearances in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. However, viewers certainly had more sympathy for him when they saw the tragedy that a younger Fett (Daniel Logan) went through when his father Jango was killed by Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones. The stories in The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian also had more empathy for Fett, and showed that he was not simply a remorseless killer. While establishing that Fett had a code of personal standards made sense, The Book of Boba Fett seemingly turns him into a complete hero by making him the savior of Tatooine.
Redemptive storylines are common in Star Wars, but it’s never thoroughly explained why Fett wants to bring peace to the crime-ridden planet. He had been working frequently for Jabba the Hutt only a few years prior, and had not previously shown any interest in leadership. While obviously his experiences in the Sarlacc Pit forced him to reconsider his life, the show never spent enough time developing his change of heart. It also feels odd that Fett would seemingly have no qualms about working alongside Din and Grogu, who are closely tied to Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy. It had only been a few years since Fett and Skywalker had attempted to kill each other.
Stretching Out a Thin Story
An issue that has become more common for the Disney+ is having shows that simply overstay their welcome. Even if there is a good story at their heart, some narratives simply work better as feature films and not extended miniseries. This has certainly been an issue for several Marvel Cinematic Universe shows on Disney+, and unfortunately The Book of Boba Fett has the same problem. While perhaps a few flashback episodes detailing Fett’s escape from the Sarlacc Pit could have been an interesting way to flesh out his complete history in The Mandalorian, it didn’t provide enough narrative material to justify another show entirely.
Critics took note of the show’s inability to match its potential. The Ringer said “the series has been muddled and disrupted by the nagging sense that it foregrounds certain settings and stories—the social themes with the potential to hold together the mysticism of the franchise—only as an excuse to rehash another legacy figure.” Similarly, Giant Freakin Robot indicated that “the Star Wars universe has fallen under the same blanket of uniformity that has made the Marvel Cinematic Universe immensely popular and creatively stagnant.”
Star Wars is one of the most popular and cherished sagas of all-time, and it would be a shame if it became just another content brand. While Disney has created many great Star Wars projects, The Book of Boba Fett is the biggest disappointment so far.