Warning! Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of The Book of Boba Fett, “Return of the Mandalorian.”
The much anticipated first spinoff of The Mandalorian, featuring one of Star Wars’ most iconic characters of all time, has, at last, arrived on Disney+.
Last week’s episode showed how Boba and Fennec came to be trusted allies as they worked to rebuild the leadership of Jabba’s former territory. The cliffhanger of “The Gathering Storm” left viewers with Boba and Fennec strategizing about a need for muscle for the coming war while The Mandalorian theme played.
This week’s episode fulfilled the promise of the musical teaser, leaving Boba to the side and devoting an entire episode to the “Return of the Mandalorian.”
Foundlings and Fathers
The episode largely caught viewers up on how Din Djarin had been spending his time since we had last seen him — and it looks like Mando is backsliding without his little buddy Grogu. We learn that Din is reluctantly wielding the Darksaber and has returned to the brutal world of bounty hunting.
Upon returning to the surviving members of his Mandalorian covert, including the Armorer, he turns over his beskar spear to have something forged for Grogu before they disown him for having removed his helmet.
In search of a replacement for the Razor Crest, Din winds up in Mos Eisley at Peli Motto’s once again. But she doesn’t have a Razor Crest as she promised, and instead, an old imperial starfighter from Naboo, not unlike one young Anakin flew once upon a time.
After they fix up the ship, Fennec finds Mando and asks for his help on Boba’s behalf, offering a sizable amount of money. Din refuses the payment, saying he’ll gladly help Boba as a favor, but first he needs to “pay a visit to a little friend.”
It’s clear throughout the entire episode that Din doesn’t just miss Grogu, he’s lost without him. While we don’t know what he had the Armorer forge for Grogu, we do know that Mando has a new (very fast) ship and a gift in tow and is ready to go find his baby, seemingly regardless of the consequences.
The Book of Boba Fett has had strong themes of family and finding purpose outside of the violent world of bounty hunting. While Boba wasn’t in this episode, it’s clear the worlds of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian have intersected not just through plot but theme.
First, Din lost Grogu and his connection to the Mandalorians. Second, Mando’s new ship — which seems to be connected at least visually to Anakin, Grogu’s Jedi Master’s father — echoes the theme of father and sons throughout the episode and both series as Boba searches for a family of his own after Jango’s death.
In short, while on the surface it’s likely Din is set out to search for Grogu in next week’s episode, “Return of the Mandalorian” reinforced the importance of (found) family across both series, leaving many thematic connections for viewers to explore until the likely reappearance of Grogu.
If Din does find Grogu, he’ll almost certainly face a very different Luke this time now that he wields the Darksaber, but Grogu may be different, too.
The Book of Boba Fett is available to stream on Disney+.