Posted in: Disney+, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: boba fett, disney, Fennec Shand, mandalorian, star wars, the book of boba fett

The Book of Boba Fett No "Must-Read" Right Now & Here's Why

The Book of Boba Fett may be the most popular show on Disney+ right now based on the Star Wars brand and the fan following for the character based on his cool costume, but it's a really dull, predictable, unsurprising show. Fans will watch it but forget it after it's over. It lacks the resonance of The Mandalorian. It falls flat where that show soared. It's just… there.

On the surface, The Book of Boba Fett seems to have all the ingredients for a hit: cool characters, action, cool Star Wars stuff. The problem is that seems to be all there is to it. The show doesn't give us a reason to care. Why does Boba want to be the crime boss of Tattooine? Why should we care if he wants to be the crime boss of Tattooine? Why does Fennec Shand work loyally for Baba? Why did Boba want to stay with the Tusken raiders? Why did the Gammorean guards pledge loyalty to Boba? So he wouldn't kill them? What's there for us to care about there? Boba Fett isn't even a competent crime lord, why should the kids follow him? He hasn't shown why he's worth following. Why should we care who's the crime lord of Tattooine?

The Mandalorian gave us reason to care. He was just another bounty hunter asshole until he ended up with Baby Yoda, then he would die protecting the kid. He would stop at nothing if the kid was in trouble, even break all his own rules like removing his helmet in front of people. It's not the most original reason to care, but it was primal and he drew most of the people he met into protecting Baby Yoda. That show had a unifying theme of fatherhood. It's not clear what the theme of The Book of Boba Fett is.

There's actually a theme staring everyone in the face but the show doesn't go near it: the theme of the found family. It's hinted in Boba's childhood flashbacks that he might yearn for a family, but that's not expressed or confirmed. The script could have emphasized that in Boba's falling in with the Tusken Raiders but doesn't. The script could have emphasized that in Boba's partnership with Fennec Shand, his sparing the Gammorean guards to work for him and his recruitment of the street kids, but doesn't. It's all perfunctory. Everyone just does things because they do things.

TV series work when we're given a reason to care about the characters. This is usually through why they do what they do. It's surprising that The Book of Boba Fett doesn't do that.

The Book of Boba Fett is streaming on Disney+.

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