This post contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 5.
The Book of Boba Fett has given us a wonderful origin story for Boba Fett regarding life after his ill-fated fall into the Sarlacc pit. The first four episodes incorporated flashbacks for fans to understand how he survived, while connecting the dots with what Fett and Fennec Shand have been up to since the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. With regards to episode 5, much like a cowboy entering an old western saloon, in enters Din Djarin and fans are introduced to a very wild ride.
As if the creators are emulating the old adage, “Bring balance to the force,” episode 5 does just that as the Mandalorian reappears in The Book of Boba Fett. This episode does lack “The Fett” during its entirety, but one thing this series has been doing exceedingly well is let to fans know what’s happened to fill in those gaps. The first four episodes identified Fett’s past before showing up in The Mandalorian season 2, and this episode lets us see Din Djarin in glorious fashion as he continues his bounty hunting ways.
If we’re balancing scales, the first half of this episode is filled with fight scenes and a crushing realization to what happened to Bo-Katan after being freely given the Darksaber. It’s always fun to see glimpses of past shows find meaning in current shows, and in this case, fans discover what happened after Bo-Katan accepted the Darksaber from Sabine Wren in Star Wars Rebels. The earlier stages of episode 5 in The Book of Boba Fett carry a lot of weight, and the obvious counterbalance presents itself in the form of humor, nostalgia, and continuing to see Din Djarin in a positive light.
The first sighting of the Mandalorian starts off the episode, as he’s back in the act of collecting a bounty; and, wow, does he ever! Djarin finds himself in a precarious situation, but he makes it clear he doesn’t have to bring in his bounty alive. The intense brawl is gruesome as we witness the Mandalorian wield the Darksaber and cut his bounty in half! It’s a sequence that will make you want to go back and watch the first two seasons and wonder if you remember your favorite Mandalorian being quite so brutal. Spoiler alert: Din Djarin walks around with a severed head wrapped in a bag after doing said severing.
If that wasn’t enough, he seeks the aid of the Armorer to heal an injury and is welcomed to join the few remaining loyal Mandalorians “as we rebuild.” This welcome is short-lived as he’s soon challenged for the right to hold the Darksaber, but then cast aside after his win – because he admits to taking off his helmet. Although there’s mention from the Armorer to Din Djarin that he might receive forgiveness, the here and now leaves him on his own.
Action-packed fights and heavy personal losses have to be balanced in the right direction, so flying commercial for the bounty hunter is the way. A humorous scene with a droid allows every fan of Star Wars to relate to Din Djarin as he tries to board a passenger ship. It’s funny, light-hearted, and allows fans to further connect with him as he still appreciates his bond with Grogu. The absence of their bond is palpable and it provides a nice alternative to the deadly fight sequences earlier in the episode.
As Djarin makes his way to Tatooine to find a replacement ship, time spent with Peli Motto allows a friendly relationship to take hold for the remainder of the episode. Those heavier sequences early on start to balance out as the Mandalorian and Motto work together to build a new ship. These scenes are incredibly well done as their focus on the new ship is equally translated as a viewer, because your focus is solely on the work they’re doing. It’s fun, funny, and the connection back to familiar podracing sequences is a nice homage to the prequels.
The overall storytelling to this episode works exceedingly well, as it highlights Din Djarin, where he’s been and what he’s been up to since the end of The Mandalorian season 2. The fact that he wants to find Grogu and make sure he’s safe is a testament to the type of character he is. There’s a fondness associated with his loyalty that carries through to other characters. When he wishes armor to be constructed for Grogu, the Armorer honors his wishes despite the usefulness of supplying a future Mandalorian.
The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 takes big swings early on, but it wisely takes the pedal off the acceleration long enough for us to see “Mando” in all of his glory. He’s busy catching a passenger ship for transportation, getting help with building a new ship, and escaping a pair of X-Wings after test-flying his new ship too quickly around a passenger ship. Moments aren’t lost in this episode and each one seems to have purpose, and that makes for an exceedingly well-done episode of Star Wars.
Did you think this episode of The Book of Boba Fett was well balanced? What were your favorite moments? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow the Dork Side of the Force for future The Book of Boba Fett coverage.
The Book of Boba Fett is streaming now exclusively on Disney+.