The Book of Boba Fett – The Tribes of Tatooine

As interesting as it may be that there are new Hutts on the scene in Tatooine – and it is certainly interesting to see just how these cousins of Jabba are going to throw their considerable weight around in the coming episodes – the highlight of the second episode of The Book of Boba Fett (titled “The Tribes of Tatooine”) is Boba’s latest bacta-induced dream memory, detailing his epic train heist and his ascension into the tribe of Tusken Raiders.*

*I suspect the similarities to Dune – which was an inspiration for the original Star Wars films – are intentional. Boba is inhabiting the Paul Atreides role, ingratiating himself to the native population of a planet, proving his worth, and presumably leading to some climactic moment wherein he will be called on to stand for them as one of their own.

This isn’t the first train heist in the Star Wars universe (that would be the one in the ill-fated Solo film, which was, frankly, the best part of that film), but this was the first that had real emotional stakes at the heart of it. After watching the armed sharpshooters protecting the train (and its illegal cargo) pick off several of his fellow tribespeople, it was exciting to see Boba jump into action and prove himself to be just as amazing as fans have imagined over the past 35+ years. Swooping into a desert bar, roughing up the clientele (the guys from last week who raided the moisture farm), and swiping their speeders was the kind of outlaw/Robin Hood-ness that the series is trying to mold this version of Boba around. He’s dangerous, but he’s on the right side of the fight now – he has a code to guide him and he won’t be operating in shady corners for the sake of profit.

The sequence of teaching the Tuskens to ride was plain fun – something that has been missing from a lot of Star Wars in its latest incarnation. It provided greater insight into the Tuskens – who were often seen as the wild, barbarian villains in past Star Wars stories and now are getting the chance to be shown as simply a tribal people trying to survive in harsh conditions and protect their homes and families – and it gave us a chance to see who Boba truly is when he’s in charge. Yes, he’s the same man who was willing to encase Han Solo in carbonite and take him to Jabba for a bounty, but that was a job for him. This time with the Tuskens is more than that – it’s now more than simple survival. This is the beginnings of a family. And, boy, does that worry me for the future of this tribe. After all, when we first saw Boba Fett on The Mandalorian, he was alone. You can’t have a hero’s journey without a major loss, so I’m girding my loins for that big moment to really hit in a future flashback.

Of course, I could be totally wrong and the Tuskens could end up being valuable allies in the coming face-off with the Hutt twins and their Wookie gladiator* (I think we might get to find out what really happens when you don’t let the Wookie win, and I think it’s going to be epic). It would be an interesting redemption arc for them as a people, going from antagonists to valued allies. But I think Boba is going to have to experience some major loss in that area of his past – perhaps the death of the young Tusken he’s close with? – before he can get to the point where he’s taking back his armor and saving Fennec’s life.

*The Wookie is apparently Black Krrsantan, a character from the Star Wars comics series. He has had run-ins with a number of characters in the Star Wars universe – Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Boba himself – which means that may represent a greater link to the wider Star Wars universe.

Speaking of the Hutt twins and the political maneuverings as a whole, it’s clear that Boba Fett is not a man who deals in details. And I’m not sure Fennec is one either (although she is much better at getting prisoners to talk – bummer there isn’t another Rancor for that pit, but that might turn out to be a Chekhov’s Rancor Pit scenario, so keep an eye out for one). So, at this early point in the series (although, the show is only set to run seven episodes, so we’re nearly 1/3 of the way through it), the present day scenes seem to drag a great deal more than the more emotionally rich and narratively strong flashbacks (again, strange, as the flashbacks have very limited dialogue and rely far more on the charisma of Temuera Morrison – which he has in spades and is never allowed to use in his present day interactions – while the present day arc seems to be packed with key plot points we should be more invested in). I continue to be ensnared by the series and want to know what happened in the past in the sands of Tatooine that turned Boba into the man we see in the present, but the story in the present needs to have more oomph and less bells and whistles (bar scenes with little to no purpose, assassins that are easily dispatched, the return of the Hutts) and more character depth to make the great deal of work that has gone into crafting Boba’s backstory mean something in the present time. If the balance between the two sections of the story can right itself in the future, we will have a really solid Star Wars story.